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Into The Light

Sadly, we learned of IDF Cpl. David
Gordon's death reported in the Jewish
News. His lonely death was encap-
sulated within his painful, written
memories of having been sexu-
ally abused during his childhood. To
compound this tragedy, we learned,
through those same writings, that this
occurred in Jewish institutions near
his Oak Park home.
It is hard not to make a correlation
between these heinous acts and those
uncovered within the Catholic Church.
We trust these acts will not be covered
up and that the perpetrators brought
to justice. We also wish to commend
the Jewish News for bringing this into
the light.

Richard and Harriet Cooper

Waterford

Maccabi Success

Recently, the JCC Maccabi Games &
ArtsFest were hosted by the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit. The entire community in and
around Detroit graciously and gener-
ously opened their homes, arms and
hearts to more than a thousand ath-
letes, artists, coaches and visitors in
the true spirit of the kindness theme
we adopted for the week.
The special event started with the
exciting Opening Ceremony at the
majestic Fox Theatre, which was a
sight to behold for all who attended.
The city again was spotlighted as one
of the evening events took all partici-
pants back downtown to the Fillmore.
We were thrilled, but not surprised, to
hear many comments throughout the
week about the beauty and splendor of
Downtown Detroit.
As athletes and artists competed and
mastered their craft during the week,
hundreds and hundreds of volunteers
made sure they did so in friendly sur-
roundings and at venues with fields,
courts, stages and other facilities in
flawless condition. New friends were
made as host families welcomed the
participants into their homes and
treated them as they would their own
children ... sometimes even better!
Throughout the week all of the ath-
letes and artists selflessly gave back
to our area with their involvement
in many meaningful JCC Cares proj-
ects. The Games and Artsfest came
to a close when we passed the torch
to the 2015 host communities: Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla., Dallas, Texas, and
Milwaukee, Wis., and while doing so,
we challenged all present to carry on
our theme of kindness throughout the
year and at next year's JCC Maccabi
Games & ArtsFest.

None of this could have happened
without our fabulous neighbors and
friends. Thank you so much to all
who volunteered, hosted, drove, did
laundry, smiled, made our guests feel
welcome and helped to maintain our
rich JCC Maccabi tradition of being a
wonderful host community.

Ariella Monson, director

2014 JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest

Karen Gordon and Rick Zussman, co-chairs

2014 JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest

13th Anniversary of 9-11
I like anniversaries both happy and
sad as it allows us to revisit seminal
events in history that may be forgotten
or blurred with the passing of time.
We markof the 13th anniversary
of 9/11 — when planes were used as
weapons to destroy the World Trade
Center in Manhattan as well as part
of the Pentagon. Terrorists in another
plane, possibly targeting the White
House, were overpowered by extreme-
ly courageous passengers who brought
the plane down, killing the passengers
and terrorists alike.
The number 13 is very meaningful
in Jewish life. This is the age of bar
mitzvah, when a Jewish child actually
becomes an adult, Jewishly speaking.
He becomes eligible for Judaism's myr-
iad commandments and responsible
for his own transgressions, something
his father was before.
Similarly, since the biggest terror
attack perpetrated on American soil,
the United States matured enough
to realize that terror is not only the
problem of a country like Israel, but
that even the most powerful country
in the world is just as vulnerable. And
the appearance of the most brutal ter-
ror groups, such as ISIS, pose a mortal
danger to Americans as well.
The 13th anniversary of 9/11 is
a sad anniversary, no doubt taking
the lives of thousands of innocent
Americans. Yet as strange as it sounds,
one can also find a silver lining in that
tragedy as it woke us up to the horrific
danger of terror, and during these 13
years made us more ready to fight that
terrible scourge.

Rachel Kapen

West Bloomfield

CSZ Moving Forward

In response to the article regarding
Congregation Shaarey Zedek that
appeared in the Sept 4 edition (page 1)
of the Jewish News, we wish to present
facts and thoughts not addressed.
As lifelong and active members of
Shaarey Zedek, we have experienced
all facets of the life of the congrega-
tion, including the many clergy who

have served.
The petition, as referenced in the
Sept. 4 article, contained the names of
approximately 400 actual members,
representing approximately 275 mem-
ber families in our congregation of
1,300 families.
Having attended one of the
"Congregational Conversations," we
have a comprehensive understand-
ing of the reasons and purpose for
which the Executive Board and the
Board of Trustees made the decision
to not renew Rabbi Krakoff's contract.
We urge all members to attend an
upcoming meeting in order to be fully
informed.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek is
a founding member of the United
Synagogue for Conservative Judaism,
established in 1913, as the umbrella
organization for Conservative
Congregations. CSZ has always been
a leader and in the forefront of the
movement. CSZ is respected, admired
and looked up to as a leader and a
model among Conservative congrega-
tions in North America.
This is a time for the members of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek to work
together to preserve our 150-plus
years of existence. It is time to move
forward, not rehash and place blame.
We should, all of us, as members of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, partici-
pate actively to build for the future.

Judith Blumeno, member and

past president, Sisterhood CSZ

West Bloomfield

Ruthe Goldstein, member and

past president, Sisterhood CSZ

West Bloomfield

Song And Spirit

Thank you so much for publishing
Judy Greenwald's detailed article about
the Song and Spirit Institute for Peace
in the Sept. 4 Jewish News (page 32).
As a regular worship service attend-
ee and volunteer at Song and Spirit,
I was delighted to see the publicity
for the institute, and I appreciate that
Judy included so much detail about
the history of the institute, about the
interfaith Havdalah service and quotes
from so many of us who were there
that night. I'll share it with everyone I
know who values what Song and Spirit
is doing.
The article was wonderfully done;
kudos to Jewish News for its good
reporting, and to Judy Greenwald for
her professionalism and the respect
and interest she showed in what we're
doing at Song and Spirit.

Karla Joy Huber

Farmington Hills

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