oints of view >> Send letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com Guest Column Editorials 1,300 Michiganders gather on the steps to Jerusalem's Temple Mount e durinchtheirJ93 -Miracle Mission. w II T wenty years ago, more than 1,300 members of the Detroit Jewish Community traveled to Israel on the Michigan Miracle Mission. The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, with the support of the Detroit Jewish News and all of our congregations, crafted a journey to Israel in what was then and still remains the larg- est community mission in the history of the Jewish State The late, indefatigable David Hermelin was the chair and driving force. He formulated and energized this trip. As co-chairs, all of us were motivated by his leadership and bound- less optimism. Who can ever forget David's smile, gracious bearing and the special "David" touches he brought to us and to his leadership positions? The thought that our city of under 90,000 could mobilize a trip of 1,352 people and fill three 747 El Al planes was a measure of our confidence in the strength of the Detroit Jewish community. The wide reach of the Detroit Jewish News and its generous contribution of advertising space, coupled with the full and enthusias- tic cooperation of the congregations and the American Friends of Israel groups, enabled us to quickly fill three planes. Notably, all of the organizations helped in the recruitment process by graciously postponing their individual mission programs. While most of the participants lived in Metro Detroit, the utilization of the newly formed Michigan Jewish Conference and its network added an additional dimension to the mission, as we were joined by people from other communities within the state. As the departure date neared, the profes- sional staff and lay leadership worked on the logistics and planning necessary to coordinate the activities of more than 1,300 participants, navigating Israel in 30 buses. The variability in the prior experiences of the travelers provided a challenge. For some, this would be their first trip to Israel, while for others this experience would be one of many. For all, however, the sheer size and opportunity to share Israel with so many Detroiters reduced the challenge and 48 April 18 • 2013 made this trip unique. As all of the partici- pants gathered at the Metro Detroit airport terminal, the palpable excitement created by our mission generated an early emotional high that infused the entire 10-day mission. Whether it was your David Hermelin first or fifth trip to the Masada, your first encounter with new Russian émigrés or your 10th visit to the Western Wall, the shared com- munity experience was memorable. Few will ever forget the tree planting in Israel or when the ever-ebullient David Hermelin led us in Hebrew songs at the Southern Wall. All of us can recall bonding with our bus mates and our brethren in Israel. Highlighting the last minutes of our trip in Israel was the appearance of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at our closing cer- emony. His presence served as a reminder of the bond between the Jews of the Diaspora and the importance of our Mission to help make us one people. We pride ourselves on being one of the truly great Jewish communities in the Diaspora. We believe that this is not a chance occurrence but the result of a thoughtful, reasoned approach to community building. This mission was an important piece in that building process. While the passage of 20 years causes memo- ries to fade, few can forget the impact of this trip that remains with us to this day! ❑ To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Miracle Mission, join the Walk for Israel Sunday, May 5, beginning at 11 a.m. at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. Register at walkforisraeLorg. Dr. Conrad Giles of West Bloomfield is an ophthalmologist at the Detroit Medical Center and the former chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Budding Alliance Spurs Social Justice Pursuit hen rabbis give a sermon, they don't know who's truly listening. After giving his High Holidays sermon encouraging social action, Rabbi Joshua Bennett of Temple Israel not only found attentive listeners in congregants Diane and Melvyn Rubenfire, but also proactive doers. The result: the West Bloomfield synagogue's lead Rabbi Bennett participation in a healthy habits initiative with the Northwest Activities Center (NWAC), which is the old Jewish Community Center in northwest Detroit ("The Old Neighborhood," March 28, page 1). The first installment of Project Healthy Community is Mobile Pantry, which provides food and preparation ideas for needy families near the NWAC, at Curtis and Meyers. The sky's the programming limit as other charitable groups join the interfaith regional effort. Already on board are Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan and Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit. Following Bennett's sermon to act, it didn't take long for the Rubenfires to visit the neighborhood near the old JCC, where Melvyn, now a prominent cardiologist, grew up in the 1950s. They toured the NWAC, met its open-minded executive director Ron Lockett and cap- tured the rabbi's interest. In its heyday, the Curtis-Meyers JCC was an educational, cultural and recreational powerhouse as well as a rallying point for Israel and for Soviet Jewry. Today, the NWAC is a hub of social activity, giving sur- rounding neighborhoods stability and purpose. Project Healthy Community's success hinges on organizers gathering resources and volunteers; there's no shortage of beneficiaries. While the partnership and the planning develop, hope springs eternal given all the humanitarianism nurtured in the corridors of the Curtis-Meyers JCC and now the NWAC. ❑ Shalit Froze Under Fire A new report suggests Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit contributed to his 2006 capture by armed Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. He and other members of his tank crew failed to properly respond to the attack, according to a Jerusalem Post report by Ben Caspit. It's clear that even Israel Defense Forces (IDF) training doesn't guarantee brilliance in battle. Shalit was taken prisoner, but two members of his tank crew died in the cross-border raid in the predawn of June 25, 2006. According to the March report, Shalit failed to act on several chances to fire on his assailants, military inter- views following his 2011 release disclosed. The Merkava III tank he was a gunner aboard was fully operational, even after the terrorists struck it with a rocket-pro- Gilad Shalit pelled grenade. Shalit knew how to operate the tank; he could have fired a cannon or machine gun or driven away. Instead, he gave up, later owning up to not doing his duty in combat. The infiltrating cell had seven terrorists. Two targeted the tank. They killed commander Hanan Barak and driver Pavel Slutzker, who had aban- doned the tank against regulation. Shalit emerged later, without his M-16 assault rifle; he told his captors not to shoot. The tank crew had been warned about abduction or attack based on intelligence. They not only ignored the warning, but also failed to alert nearby reinforcements, Caspit reported. Shalit was released in 2011 thanks to a stunning deal between Israel and Hamas; Israel freed 1,027 prisoners, many convicted terrorists. It's disconcerting that the tank crew was so ill-prepared. There's no point in blaming Shalit, who survived five years of captivity. The IDF would be best served reassessing combat assignment to better predict combat readiness. ❑