Notebook from page 96

the trend that has reduced our numbers
from 72,000 to an estimated 60,000 or
fewer since a 2005 demographic study. By
2020, half of our community is projected
to be above the age of 65.
• Advocate for an unprecedented com-
munal effort and investment, spearheaded
by Federation, to recruit and incentivize
Jewish families from across the country to
relocate and stay here. A recent national
study identified Detroit as the best — and
most affordable — place in America to
raise a committed Jewish family. Patting
ourselves on the back is not enough.
Remarkable investments have been made
recently in our Jewish preschool, day
school, religious school and overnight
camping facilities and infrastructure.
Absent more young Jewish families with
children, these facilities will join the roster
of other overbuilt monuments to a bygone
era of our community.
• Repeat its call for full coordination
and integration of efforts within our
Jewish community to identify current and
emerging job opportunities throughout
Southeast Michigan — including Ann
Arbor — and match them with unem-
ployed and under-employed of all ages.
There are many, especially JVS, Young
Israel of Southfield and other synagogues
and under-the-radar groups of busi-
nesspeople, who are engaged in signifi-
cant portions of this. It should all come
under a "job czar" who works out of the
Federation's executive offices and eats,
sleeps and breathes this — and only this
— every day.
• Encourage individuals and organiza-
tions within the Jewish community to fur-
ther engage with the various racial, ethnic
and religious communities in Detroit and
Southeast Michigan to build the mutual
trust and respect needed to address our
broader economic and educational issues
that continue to stifle our region's progress.
• Call for greater transparency in how
Jewish communal organizations, agencies,
synagogues and day schools make deci-
sions of importance to the community
and communicate them. In an era when
tweets, texts and postings can topple gov-
ernments and almost everyone can be a
reporter:' our hierarchical models more
closely resemble the white-smoke-up-the-
chimney decision-making of the College of
Cardinals.
We at the Jewish News wish you a year
of peace, health and contentment infused
with daily gratitude for those things —
large and small — that strengthen you,
your family and our community. May Rosh
Hashanah serve as your tool for navigating
the path of challenges and opportunities.
We appreciate the opportunity to con-
tinue to serve you.

Eshanah tovah.

Guest Column

Seeking Peace Partners

I

t was hot, muggy and partly
sunny on Sunday morning, Aug.
31, as I left my home to drive to
Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit to
speak at the Islamic Society of North
America (ISNA) conference. My feel-
ings reflected the weather: I was fear-
ful, anxious and wanted to be hopeful.
This was the third time I attended
an ISNA conference. In 2007, I was
part of panel presenting ways to bring
Jews and Muslims together. At that
conference in Chicago, I presented
highlights from Reuniting the Children
of Abraham toolkit for peace – a
documentary and compre-
hensive educational pack-
age developed with the
University of Michigan.
In 2010, with Sofia
Begg Latif, I presented
Friendship and Faith: the
wisdom of women creating
alliances for peace, stories
of interfaith outreach.
What made me fearful
and anxious this time was
a demonstration against
Israel that was planned to
take place outside Cobo at 1 p.m. – a
demonstration not sanctioned by the
conference. What made me hopeful
was the opportunity to speak to hun-
dreds of Muslims from across North
America who has come to the 51st
annual ISNA conference.
Cobo was bustling. More than
15,000 Muslims attended the confer-
ence, mostly families, many with mul-
tiple strollers. ISNA's hospitality was
extraordinary. They provided me an
onsite personal assistant Sana Ahmed,
who happened to be a doctor from Ann
Arbor, an overflowing hospitality bag,
breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
My first presentation was at 10
a.m. I shared the podium with Robbie
George, a Christian scholar from
Princeton, and Imam Zaid Shakir from
Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif. I
was asked to speak about what we
have in common as Christians, Jews
and Muslims. I listed the 18 values
that we share, including loving your
neighbor as yourself, helping the poor
while respecting their dignity, wel-
coming strangers, educating children,
honoring parents and teachers and
the importance of family.
I spoke of the necessity to use
bridges – to walk across them to
meet each other and learn about each
other so that we no longer fear our
differences but see the value of them.
I suggested we each give up on try-

ing to change the
other. In the Quran
49.13, it states "0
Mankind, We cre-
ated you from a
single (pair) of a
male and a female
and made you into
,ice Sir ,
nations and tribes,
0 ,14.tioxi
that you may know
Et1
each other."
Anti-Israel demonstrators at the ISNA conference
I said, "We can
be Jews, you can be Muslims, and we
versation on the hot topic of Israel and
can work together to make our world
Gaza." I shared the program's goal to
a better place."
minimize hate speech and inspire bet-
I ended my presentation
ter understanding through responsible
by asking who wanted to cre-
and productive communication.
ate a coalition of Christians,
I then took questions from the audi-
Muslims and Jews willing to
ence. All were inquisitive and valid
stand together to end racism, enquirers but one. A gentleman stood
Islamaphobia, anti-Semitism
and said, "I have nothing against
and the killing of Christians?
Jews. Zionists are the problem." My
Six women signed up.
heart stopped. I had heard this so
I then joined Najah Bazzy,
many times: The rant against Zionism.
longtime friend and interfaith
Zionist are terrorists. Zionists want
activist, at her session called
to get rid of all Palestinians. Zionists
"Identity Intersection: The
don't want a two-state solution.
Muslim Interfaith Advocate."
I asked for the microphone and
Najah addressed an audience
replied, "I am a Zionist. I care deeply
of 30 young Muslim women on how to
for Palestinians and I care deeply for
effectively participate in interfaith work.
Israel and Israelis. Words can be pow-
Around 1 p.m. the demonstrators
erful tools for understanding or words
started to gather. ABC reported there
can be used to demonize. Let us come
were 500 participants. To me, it
together and create understanding so
looked like less than 200. What was
we can find solutions that help both
most disturbing were the 20 partici-
Palestinians and Israelis."
pants in large black hats, long black
coats and payot – the attire worn by
Rosenberg's Advocacy
ultra-Orthodox Jews. I never spoke to
them, so I don't know who they are
Join me in helping deconstruct
or where they were from. The demon-
the negative narrative of Zionism
strators chanted and ranted but were
that is prevalent in the Muslim
non-combative. I breathed a little
and Christian communities.
easier and met my husband for lunch.
Hadassah has a wonderful webi-
My last panel was titled "Toward
nar series: "Defining Zionism in the
Peace in Palestine." My longtime
21st Century." The free program
friend Syeed M. Syeed, national
is an effective tool to deconstruct
director of ISNA's office for inter-
the negative narrative about
faith and community alliances, was
Zionism and Israel, and it provides
the moderator. He spoke about the
helpful talking points for conver-
long-term relationship between ISNA
sations with Jews and people of
and Rabbi David Saperstein of the
other faiths. It's available at www.
Religious Action Center (RAC) and
Hadassah.org .
the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ)
There are only 13.7 million Jews
in Washington. Ambassador Warren
in the world. There are 1.2 billion
Clark, executive director of Churches
Muslims and 2 billion Christians.
for Middle East Peace, spoke about
If we are to survive, we must
the necessity of a two-state solution.
raise our voices with moderate
Anwar Kahn, CEO of Islamic Relief,
and peace-seeking Muslims and
addressed the humanitarian needs of
Christians. The majority cannot
the Palestinians in Gaza.
be irrelevant. Let's work together
I spoke about our Tectonic
and inspire the silent majority in
Leadership program for churches,
all communities – otherwise the
mosques, synagogues and community
zealots will win.
groups and how to have a "cool con-

❑

JN

September 18 • 2014

97