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Pride In Israel

Walk for Israel draws record crowd for show of support.

Keri Guten Cohen I Story Development Editor

Members of Congregation B'nai Moshe in West
Bloomfield, with Barry Kaufman and Larry Gunsberg
in the lead, participated together in the Walk.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

greeting each other with hugs and smiles.
Parents proudly showed off their children
and reported their accomplishments. You
could hear people talking about their latest
trip to Israel or upcoming ones. Even the
color scheme of blue-and-white clothing
to match the colors in the Israeli flag had a
unifying effect.
"The Walk for Israel is important
because of the way it unifies our communi-
ty:' said Andre Douville, Shir Shalom exec-
utive director and head organizer of the
Walk. "It's the one day out of the year that
Orthodox and Reform Jews, Republicans
and Democrats, conservatives and liber-

als, Jews and non-Jews come together for
one reason: to show their support for the
State of Israel. The feeling as we collectively
raised our U.S. and Israeli flags in support
of Israel and proudly walked up and down
Orchard Lake was truly a special moment:'
In addition to a performance by the Kidz
Klez Band of Michigan, speeches by politi-
cians including U.S. Rep. Gary Peters and
Israeli Consul General to the Midwest Roey
Gilad from Chicago, a free kosher lunch
and a multitude of tables offering informa-
tion about local organizations, many par-
ticipants sat in on a talk with Aron Zoldan,
a Holocaust survivor who helped shape
Israel's early history.

Zoldan tells his story to groups at the
Holocaust Memorial Center. He speaks of
being a youngster from Czechoslovakia
who was in four concentration camps and
survived with his brothers while most of
his family perished.
He focused this day on his experience
in Israel, which included a long stay in
Cyprus beforehand. In Israel, he was a
mechanical-minded teen who, with the
help of the Haganah, developed a rifle
capable of shooting accurately for 400
yards. He and his rifle were put to work by
Moshe Dayan, then head of the army, but
Zoldan declined to explain exactly what
he did.

"In 1948, he told the crowd, "I danced
in the street with 200 other Holocaust sur-
vivors celebrating independence"
After a lunch of kosher pizza and
salad, participants began the walk south
on Orchard Lake Road to Orchard Lake
Middle School and then back up to Shir
Shalom. The line of people waving Israeli
flags, carrying signs supporting Israel and
celebrating the Jewish State stretched sev-
eral blocks. A 5k run had been held earlier.
"The Walk for Israel is an event I always
look forward to participating in:' said Bob
Rollinger of West Bloomfield. "It's impor-
tant for the Jewish and Detroit communi-
ties to know we support Israel:'

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David Lieberman and Alvin Lewis of the Jewish War
Veterans of Michigan led the Walk for Israel, which

stretched to both sides of Orchard Lake Road.

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Maccabi supporters: golf coaches Wayne Lusky and Kevin
Taylor, Rebecca Hoffheimer, Maccabi Director Ariella
Monson, Karen Sherbin, tennis coach Donna Sklar, Miriam
Bergman and Doug Victor.

Ray Rebeck of West Bloomfield proudly holds the

Israeli flag aloft as Israeli Consul General to the
Midwest Roey Gilad, right, applauds.

Danny and Linda Friedman of West Bloomfield

"^-
—
Chana, Michael and Tova Weiss of Ann Arbor

12

May 29 • 2014

Holocaust survivor and Israeli military veteran Aron Zoldan spoke at

the Walk. He is with his grandchildren: Jaclyn Colvin of Ann Arbor,
Dayna Zoldan of West Bloomfield and Steve Colvin with his girlfriend
Bethany Pester, both of Ann Arbor.