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Should FJA Board Decide
Who Is Jewish Enough?
We read, with sadness, the poi-
gnant article by Lauren Blazofsky
("Compromise Needed At Jewish
Academy:' July 25, page 43).
She distilled the ongoing (and embar-
rassing) dispute at the Frankel Jewish
Academy down to its basics: a school
dedicated to the non-denominational
teaching of Jewish studies has adopted a
policy that prevents Reform and many
Conservative rabbis — regardless of
knowledge, dedication and teaching
skill — from teaching Jewish studies
courses at the school.
This is because the current insular
academy board has decided to take it
upon itself to determine who is, and
who is not, Jewish enough.
It really is beyond comprehension
that this extraordinary jewel of a Jewish
school is now being tarnished by a
majority on the FJA board because of
their doctrinaire stance that even well-
respected, learned scholars and rabbis
— who are Reform or Conservative but
who are not also shomer Shabbas — are
somehow not Jewish enough to teach
Jewish studies.
If the board cannot see the highly
negative message they are sending to a
large number of Jews in this community
— including wonderful and dedicated
students like Ms. Blazofsky — then
maybe it is time for them to consider
the necessary Jewish qualities required
to continue to be a board member for
all (not just some) of the students at the
Academy.
The board's stance is doing damage to
our Jewish community by sowing divi-
sion and by arrogating to themselves the
determination of who is Jewish enough.
Please end this policy.
Phillip and Mimi Seltzer
West Bloomfield
Meningitis Vaccination
Should Be A Family Affair
Thank you for the article regarding
the risk of bacterial meningitis for col-
lege students ("Spreading Awareness"
by Ruthan Brodsky, July 25, page 68).
After I was interviewed for this article,
I was invited to Atlanta by the National
Meningitis Association to become
trained as a parent advocate, where I
learned more about this disease. NMA
Moms on a Mission (M.O.M.$) are
dedicated to educating about meningitis
symptoms and prevention.
It is important to know that the cur-
rent CDC recommendations for menin-
gococcal prevention are focused on
vaccinating adolescents at age 11, with
a booster dose at age 16. These ages
were chosen to provide our teenagers
the greatest amount of immunity during
their most vulnerable years.
Interestingly, on Aug. 1, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration expanded the
indication for Menveo, a meningococ-
cal conjugate vaccine, for use in infants
beginning at 2 months of age.
It is important to note, anyone can
contract meningococcal disease. I tell
the people I care about that they should
consider vaccinating their entire family.
Whether or not you or your loved ones
have been vaccinated, it is important to
know the symptoms of bacterial menin-
gitis. Meningococcal disease comes on
quickly and can lead to death or disabil-
ity within hours.
While the current vaccination protects
against most strains, it does not protect
against every strain. Sadly, when my sweet
Emily contracted this dreaded disease, she
contracted the one strain that is not cov-
ered with this current vaccine. However, I
am glad Emily was vaccinated. It is impor-
tant to me to know that I did everything
in my power to provide her with all the
protection available at that time. Since
then, I and all my loved ones have been
vaccinated. Have you and yours?
Alicia Lewis Stillman
West Bloomfield
Jewish Fund Supports
Prescription Program
The Jewish Fund, established in
1997 with proceeds from the sale of
Sinai Hospital, just renewed its com-
mitment to support the Affordable
Prescriptions Program administered
by World Medical Relief, a Detroit
charity, with a grant of $50,000.
Low-income, uninsured people
in Metro Detroit have called on
World Medical Relief for prescrip-
tion assistance since 1966 when the
agency launched its local Prescription
Assistance Program for Seniors.
In 2007, the program expanded its
service to accept clients 18 years and
older under the new name Affordable
Prescriptions Program. Since its start
in1966, more than 1.3 million pre-
scriptions have been dispensed. In
2012 alone, the value of the prescrip-
tions dispensed exceeded $4.2 million.
Enrollment in the program is solely
based on income and the absence of
insurance coverage for prescriptions.
Jewish Historical Society
Celebrates N.W. Detroit
The Jewish Historical Society of
Michigan (JHSM) thanks the Jewish
News for sharing the story of our
recent bus tour of Historic Jewish
Windsor. Your Aug. 1 story and pho-
tos (pages 10-12) captured so well the
enthusiasm and camaraderie of that
event. The bridge that links our two
communities is clearly strong; people
are already asking when we will repeat
the tour.
Our next tour, the Sunday, Aug.18,
JCycle bicycle tour of Northwest
Detroit, is intended not only to share
and celebrate that area's proud Jewish
history, but also to show how Jews are
helping Detroiters there today.
In August 2011 and 2012,
our partnership with the Isaac
Agree Downtown Synagogue, the
Reconstructionist Congregation of
Detroit and Hillel of Metro Detroit
produced highly praised bicycle tours
in Downtown Detroit. This month,
the four sponsoring organizations
are confident we'll do it again, with
up to 200 cyclists seeing the former
Meyers/Curtis JCC, former synagogues,
Mumford and beautiful residential
streets and gardens.
Because Northwest Detroit evokes
fond memories for so many Jews,
JHSM will also conduct a bus tour of
Northwest Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 22.
That tour will include a walk through
part of Palmer Woods, visits inside sev-
eral buildings important to our com-
munity history and a bus route beyond
where cyclists will travel. Details on
these two tours are on our website,
www.michjewishhistory.org .
Jerry Cook, president
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan
Farmington Hills
Correction
• In "Garden Geeks" (July 25, page 8),
the name of Marc Rothenberg was mis-
spelled.
Ask
Marc
:
33rd Annual Fall
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MESCRS
MU 11 02N BRUM
Cteatedoy,
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Thursday
1/04teMaelti
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The show will be an
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FOR A PREVIEW OF THE SHOW
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watch?v=batlxFtVnVA
CORPORATE PRESWING
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People that qualify do not receive
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❑
G LBERT
F LMS
GARY GILBERT
-IENENSTOCK
NATIONWIDE COURT REPORTING k VIDEO
August 8 • 2013
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