metro >>

Assistance With Living.
ABOVE AND BEYOND

a

Israel Advocates

Enjoy friends from the
old neigborhood and
make new friends.

Teens organize rally to support Israel.

Stacy Gittleman 'Contributing Writer

g

:

0

Fleischman Residencc/
Blumberg Plaza

,

- --N, i

Y

w

•

' organizers:

,a,

_

I - 7

6710 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield

.`

Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus

ISRAEL?
ISRAEL.

°-

o ■

.

Rally

.

Cole Levine,

aNnisdimBeNnesimov

I

- ... —

Rashty.

moo 0-

hen three local Jewish teens
recently witnessed a pro-Pal-
estinian rally on the corner
of Maple and Orchard Lake roads, they
decided to counter it with their own rally
for Israel at the same location on Sunday,
Nov. 9.
About 200 Israel supporters waved
Israeli flags, sang and danced to Israeli
music, and visibly showed their sup-
port for the Jewish State.
Several weeks ago, Ben Rashty of West
Bloomfield said he was driving to meet
some friends for dinner when he passed
a "large, well organized anti-Israel rally."
"From my car, I heard them chanting
very cruel things about the Land of Israel
and its people said Rashty, who has
immediate family in Israel and traveled
there many times to visit. He pulled into
a parking lot and started calling friends
to gather on an adjacent corner to coun-
ter their protest. With only minutes to
respond, Rashty was only able to get five
friends to come out with Israeli flags,
stand on an adjacent corner and sing
"Hatikvah."
He decided that was not enough.
"The [anti-Israel demonstrators] were
cheering with joy and celebration as if
they had 'won,;' Rashty said.
He realized that planning a counter
rally on his own was more easily said
than done. So he called on the help
of some of his school chums Nisim
Nesimov and Cole Levine. Together,
they created a Facebook event, made
flyers and spoke to leaders in the Jewish
community for publicity. Rashty also
contacted the West Bloomfield Police
Department to notify them for planning
purposes and security, he said.
A big challenge of getting numbers to
the rally was it coincided at end of the

•

• Personal Care Assistance
• Laundry,
• Medication Administration
Housekeeping and
• Health Clinic
Transportation
• Safe, Secure Environment
• Beauty/Barber Shop
• Complete Kosher Meal Service • Nosh Nook/
• Respite Rooms
Gift Shop

Recreational, Educational, Cultural & Spiritual Programs
Sunday tours available by appointment.

A A IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY
AUTUMN
SPECIAL DUU off First Month's Rent

For information or to visit us call

Tracey Proghovnick, Lmsw

248-661-1836 TTY# 711

www.jslmi.org

People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome.

a residence of

Supported by

The Jewish Federation

JEWISH SENIOR LIFE

OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

2045560

18 November 19 • 2015

community-wide Fall Fix Up sponsored
by Jewish Family Service. But people
came. They traded in work gloves from
the day's volunteer assignments out on
Belle Isle, the B'nai David Cemetery or
helping homebound seniors for Israeli
and American flags. Passersby in cars
honked in support as rally participants
waved their flags, sang and danced.
Debbie Szobel Logan, 57, a freelance
writer from Bloomfield Hills, came to
the rally with her husband, Stuart Logan,
59, to "be counted and show their vocal
support for Israel" She said she did not
realize that teens had organized the rally
until she arrived.
"It was so heartening and gave me
so much hope to learn that teens cared
enough about Israel to organize this
rall' said Szobel Logan. "I see and hear
so much virulent anti-Israel rhetoric
from unsurprising and surprising sourc-
es. It was important for me to contribute
to the numbers and visibility of pro-
Israel supporters, and it was thrilling to
see all the smiles and waves from people
passing by in their cars:'
Globally and across the country, pro-
Israel supporters have rallied throughout
the fall to show solidarity with Israel as it
faces the latest wave of terror and calls to
boycott Israeli products and academics
in Europe. Recently, the European Union
announced it would start labeling all
products created in Judea and Samaria
with a special label.
"Everywhere you look in the media
there is a lot of anti-Israel propaganda
popping up in an effort to destroy the
Jewish people and Israel," said Rashty,
who attends Frankel Jewish Academy. "I
felt it was a vital time to hold this rally to
show our community's support" *

