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. Jews Shouldn't Be Complacent Targets The bombs fly overhead in Israel but Iron Dome missiles intercept them. So why should we worry? Hundreds of Jews are trapped by pro- Palestinian protesters in a Paris syna- gogue. Hey, but that's France for you. Europe will never change. Three young Jews are murdered in Israel, but the young Palestinian murdered by Jews shocks the world, inspiring David Horovitz to write that "ongoing rule over the Palestinians ... is blackening our hearts" (July 10, page 26). The media floods us daily with the high death count in Gaza vs. low Israeli death count, and we answer, "What do you expect from the anti-Israel press, right?" Mark Jacobs is spot on when he writes (July 17, Page 41), "Israel's crisis is our crisis ... Doing nothing besides lending moral support is no longer an option:' Intense anti-Israel hatred is spread- ing through almost every nation on Earth, fueled by radical Islamists, and yet we Jews feel safe and complacent in our American homes. We must no longer be blase when someone is murdered because they're Jewish. We need to feel every single bomb blast randomly scattered in Israel as if those deadly weapons were directly targeted toward our homes, designed to blacken us with soot, dust and death. Arnie Goldman Farmington Hills Carol Kent during a recent stint with Sar-El in Israel Volunteers Help IDF Behind The Scenes Regarding the 'Anxious, But Proud" article (July 17, page 18), we applaud the brave, dedicated Lone Soldiers who risk their lives in harm's way protecting our Israeli brothers and sisters dur- ing this time of war and any time they serve. We wish them safety while they fight for all of us and the Jewish people, and we appreciate their family's dedication and strong upbringing in the Zionist tradition. We remind readers of the JN of an alternate service that supports the Israeli Defense Forces and these brave warriors. Sar-El/Volunteers for Israel. Volunteers typically spend two or three weeks living and working along- side Israeli soldiers at an army base, IDF warehouses or service bases. Currently, there are hundreds of Sar-El volunteers, many of them young people, from the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia and Australia replenishing medical and field sup- plies as well as servicing vehicles and other equipment for the soldiers in the field. The IDF uses these supplies immediately, as they are ready for dis- tribution. Volunteer assistance will also be needed in the fall to replenish all the supplies prepared previously by Sar- El/VFI and being used for this war. Volunteers will also be asked to help prepare for future IDF needs. The Sar-El/VFI Program offers a way to contribute to the State of Israel in a very direct way. The program accepts volunteers between the ages of 17 through senior citizens. For information, call or email Ed Kohl at (248) 420-3729 or michgan@ vfi-usa.org; Carol Kent at (248) 865- 8580 or carolkent@aol.com ; or visit the VFI-USA website, www.vfi-usa. org. Carol Kent, Paul Matlin, Ed Kohl VFI regional directors Teen Mission Participant Praises 'Awesome' Trip I would like to thank the Detroit Jewish Federation for the awesome 2014 Teen Mission. As a participant, I would describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime expe- rience. I experienced many activities that I could never imagine that I would par- take in. I was also able to make many new friendships that will last a lifetime. Through this trip, I developed a con- nection to my religion, along with a love for Israel, which I am proud to call my home. In addition, the Federation did an outstanding job of taking care of our safety. Throughout the trip, our well- being was always taken into consider- ation, and I never had any doubt that I was in good hands. When the deci- sion was made to send us home, they worked diligently to make sure every last member of the mission had a safe voyage home. This was a very special trip, which would not have been possible without the hard work of the entire Federation leadership and staff. Tim Kaplan, 17 Teen Mission 14 Participant West Bloomfield Shortened Teen Trip Sends A Bad Message It is ironic that the Jewish News' front-page headline of July 17 reads "Standing With Israel," while on page 14 the reader learns of the Detroit Teen Mission to Israel returning home dur- ing the present crisis. While I can understand the con- cern for the safety of our youth, the vast majority of North American tour groups are staying the course and continuing their journeys in Israel. I have friends on tours in Israel with NFTY, USY, Ramah, NCSY, BBYO and Birthright and volunteering for Magen David Adorn. Undoubtedly, there have been more deaths in Detroit than in Israel since the start of the current conflict. Yet, this is not the first time Federation has displayed timidity. In 2006, Detroit's Teen Mission was one of the only North American tour groups to return home early when the Second Lebanon War broke out. How can we sustain our own nation if this is how easily we are willing to leave it in the dust? How are we as a people supposed to remain undeterred and resolute in our principles if this is how easily we are shaken? What mes- sage does this send to diaspora youth? Could not the teens' itinerary in Israel have ensured their safety yet sent a mes- sage of solidarity with the Jewish people in Israel? Might not volunteering on an army base or other institution for the duration of the trip have sent a better message than "cut-and-run?" But, even more disturbing are the comments many of the teens displayed on the Internet in the past few days after they returned to the safety of Michigan making light of the situation in Israel with bad-taste puns and displaying little, if any, sympathy, much less empathy, for our brothers and sisters in Israel. If this is the primary reaction of our community youth after returning home from a two-week journey in the Jewish homeland, then we have a very serious communal problem. Our teens had a rare opportunity to experience Jewish history firsthand. If our teens can look these hor- rors in the eye and still come back bereft of any meaningful lessons learned, what is the point of conducting these trips? Jesse Arm West Bloomfield Get SMART about selling your home Introducing SMART, the SellerNation Market Activity Research Tracker. At SellerNation, we believe that an educated seller is the best seller of all. That's why we've developed SMART, the easy way to get insider access to the market so you know exactly what local agents do. Sign up today for daily, weekly or monthly updates of the real estate market in your neighborhood— every new listing, every home that goes under contract, and every home that sells. Best of all, there's always a local expert on hand to help you make sense of it all. 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