frontlines >> letters How to Send Letters We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Letters of 225 words or less are considered first. Longer ones will be subject to trimming. Letter writers are limited in frequency of publication. Letters must be original and contain the name, address and title of the writer and a day phone number. Non-electronic copies must be hand signed. Send letters to the JN: 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax (248) 304-8885; e-mail, letters@the jewishnews.com . We prefer email. Confessions From The Killing Fields Father Patrick Desbois is coming to speak at the Holocaust Memorial Center Dinner to honor Henrietta and Alvin Weisberg 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. I saw him speak at his last visit here in 2009. The horrify- ing secrets held by thousands of elderly Ukrainians had been kept hidden from the world for 60 years. Soviet secrecy and anti-Semitic apathy Fr. Patrick buried the other side Desbois of the Holocaust in the same deep, dark holes in which more than 1.5 million Jews were killed and shoved into the earth. The killing fields have been slowly and meticulously uncovered since 2002, thanks to the French Roman Catholic priest who simply wanted to understand what his grandfather meant when he said that, "for others [in Rava-Ruska, just outside of Poland] it was worse." When Father Patrick Desbois visited the town in 2002, he asked the mayor where the 18,000 Jews who had been killed in Rava-Ruska had been buried. The mayor said he did not know. A year later, the new mayor of Rava- Ruska took the priest to a forest where more than 100 villagers had gathered, waiting to tell their secret stories and help uncover the graves buried beneath their feet. Thus began the priest's travels into the heart of the- killing fields and his journey to find every mass grave hidden beneath the Ukrainian earth. Many Jews have for years wondered about their Ukrainian Jewish ancestors, trying to imagine how they had lived and died. Jewish Organizations Raise Funds For Storm Victims The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) umbrella has opened its Hurricane Relief Fund for donations toward recovery and rebuilding from the devastation Superstorm Sandy caused on the East Coast. More than 100 U.S. deaths have been blamed on Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey on Oct. 29. The storm left millions without power or mass transit. Here are some of the groups that are collecting donations for storm victims: The answers are devastating. In the first six years that the priest criss- crossed the Ukraine countryside, he had uncovered more than 800 mass graves. The priest and his team listened without judgment as hundreds of eyewitnesses told them what they remembered. After reading Soviet and German documents and asking ques- tions to try to understand the details of the mass killings, he listened to stories about Jewish neighbors, acquaintances, friends and even schoolmates who were killed publicly in front of swarms of onlookers. They were murdered bru- tally, individually, and often publicly, near their homes, shot into pits or in open fields, sometimes buried alive, and often within sight of the children who were condemned to remember such atrocities. Some 887 Ukrainian witnesses, who had been forced as children to dig graves, carry Jews, step on Jews and sell their clothes had been traumatized as children and when asked, wanted to reveal everything before they died. They had seen thousands of slayings by the Einsatzgruppen, mobile kill- ing squads composed of SS and police personnel. I am still haunted and will never forget the overwhelming image that Desbois heard over and over. So many women and children and elderly men were each shot by a bullet in the back of the head, fell or pushed into graves, some without bullets and buried beneath others, then covered with dirt. Here is the memory mentioned often by these witnesses that sears the soul: The oft-repeated image of Jews alive and dead, buried together — how the "earth moved for three days." We hear them weeping loudly and clearly now. And we will never forget them. Arnie Goldman Farmington Hills • So far, the JFNA has sent $500,000 to New York and New Jersey federations. JFNA said it raised more than $245,000 in less than a week. Donations can be made at www.jfeds. org/SandyRelief. • B'nai B'rith International has also opened a Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of the hurricane. "B'nai B'rith has helped disaster vic- tims since 1865 — each disaster we help with has its own unique challenges," said President Allan J. Jacobs. Donate online at bit.ly/T1IKWa or mail a donation to: B'nai B'rith Ovshinsky's Legacy Will Inspire Future Inventors Our community is saddened to learn of the recent death of Stanford Ovshinsky ("The Jewish Edison:' Oct. 25, page 1). His brilliance as an engineer, physicist and inventor left an amazing legacy, including the almost 400 patents he was awarded in his lifetime and the compa- nies he founded. Stanford and Iris Ovshinsky's achieve- ments are featured prominently in the new Gallery of Innovation exhibit open- ing to the public at the Detroit Historical Museum on Nov. 23. It is our honor to permanently memorialize Mr. Ovshinsky, and it is our hope that telling his story educates and inspires visitors of all ages and stimulates future innovations that will benefit Metro Detroit and the world. Lois Shaevsky, trustee Detroit Historical Society, Detroit B'nai Israel Synagogue Event Celebrates 2nd Anniversary Last week's letter to the editor regard- ing Eagle School stated, in part, " Congregation Mestiva, before purchasing B'nai Israel ... " This is not quite accurate. The B'nai Israel "congregation" was not "purchased." Only its building was bought. The congregation, itself, moved down Walnut Lake Road to share space in its new home at Temple Kol Ami. In the spirit of our growing, egalitarian Conservative synagogue, we would like to extend an invitation to those on both sides of the Eagle School issue to join us for our two-year celebration dinner honoring Rabbi Eric Yanoff at 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 18. Call (248) 432-2729 for tickets. Ask Attorney Ken Gross about... 'in retired. My credit card debt and housing costs are too high. Do I keep paying?! If you are elderly, retired and living on a fixed income and your obligation on your credit cards and housing costs leaves you no money for food, -,1', transportation and living, you can and must do something tcYl. fix the problem. You can't keep paying until you are broke. There are solutions that will get rid of the credit card debt and trim your housing costs - so you have money to live and enjoy your retirement - but you need to take action. Frank Ellias, vice president, B'nai Israel Synagogue, West Bloomfield (See a related story on page 14.) Correction . In "Captured on Paper" (Oct. 11, page 8), Lonna Kletter's name was misspelled. Disaster Relief, 2020 K St., NW, 7th. Floor, Washington, DC 20006. • The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is taking contributions at its website, uscj.org . • Another organization involved in relief in New Jersey is Minnesota- based Nechama — Jewish Response to Disaster. Its website is nechama.org . • The Shul in West Bloomfield is col- lecting a busload of supplies, including garbage bags, paper towels, cleaning supplies, bleach, gloves and gently used clothing that will be sent by bus to New York City. (248) 788-4000. Free Seminars- Learn your Options Wed, Nov 14th-Thurs Nov 15th Royal Oak - Bingham Farms 6:30 to 8:00pm Call Us or Visit thavgross.com to Register THAV GROSS has been solving its clients' business, tax and financial problems since 1982. Be sure to tune in to the Financial Crisis Talk Center, Saturdays at 8:30 AM - on WDFN 1130 AM, 'The Fan." We are unique – catch the radio show & visit our websites to see why! 0 'THAV GROSS 888.235.4357 (HELP) or 248.645.1700 For information, visit us online at thavgross.com • fctalkcenter.corn 30150 Telegraph, Suite 444 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 We'rr A premier debt rellef agemy helping people tile for BankettP40 November 8 • 2012 5