viewpoints >>
Send letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
theJEWISHNEWS.com
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher / Executive Editor
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
editorial
Scrutinize, Then Resume Syrian Refugee Process
M
ichigan Gov. Rick Snyder vows
to lift his suspension of accept-
ing Middle East refugees once
Washington affirms the stringency of
federal guidelines for vetting prospective
immigrants and refugees.
And that's good.
The process in place may well prove
ultra-secure — as HIAS, the refugee advo-
cacy group spurring Jewish activism on
behalf of Syrian refugees, and the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL) believe.
But our Republican governor's call
for a U.S. Department of State and U.S.
Department of Homeland Security review
"of security clearances and procedures"
resonates in the wake of the Paris terrorist
attacks on Nov. 13. Democratic President
Barack Obama shouldn't wait to order
such a review to assure the process is insu-
lated to minimize terrorist exploitation.
In no way should a nation so proud of
its ethnic diversity rebuff humanitarian
values by letting political wrangling dis-
credit Syrian refugee processing.
THE LEADUP
On Nov. 15, two days after the ISIS-
inspired Paris attacks, Snyder announced
Michigan would halt Middle East refugee
processing. More than 30 other governors,
most of whom are Republican, also have
suspended taking in Syrians seeking politi-
cal asylum. Unlike some governors, Snyder
eyes only a temporary suspension.
"Given the circumstances of recent
events, isn't it important to stop and say:
Are there things that could be done to
improve the process — to learn from the
terrible incidences we've been seeing to
make them safer?"' the Detroit News quot-
ed Snyder as saying Nov. 17.
He added, "Let's make sure refugees
coming here want to build a better life. We
want to help them build a better life. There
are terrorists out there in the world. Let's
make sure they aren't part of the process:'
Michiganders can pressure the governor,
an early supporter of bringing Syrian refu-
gees to Michigan, to stay committed to the
refugee crisis, the worst in Europe since
World War II, according to the ADL.
A U.S. House bipar-
tisan vote supports
holding off accepting
Syrian and Iraqi refu-
gees pending a process
review (Michigan's
delegation voted along
party lines). Obama
maintains that the
multilayered, lengthy
vetting process for all
immigrants, including refugees, is robust.
He says America will take in at least
10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.
While governors don't have the legal
power to keep out refugees, Washington
does try to coordinate resettlement with
state governments. Snyder says he'll com-
ply with federal mandates.
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
ethnic groups have had similar aspirations.
Michigan is home to the largest Middle
Eastern community in the U.S.
Since taking office on Jan. 1, 2011, Gov.
Snyder has welcomed a mix of immi-
grant groups, not just Syrian refugees. He
knows immigrants will help strengthen
Michigan's economy.
Syria's civil war broke out in early 2011
amid the Arab Spring. Since Oct. 1, 2011,
the U.S. has resettled more than 2,260
Syrian refugees. California, Texas and
Michigan have taken in almost a third,
Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@renmedia.us
Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen
kcohen@thejewishnews.com
Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin
lkonstantin@renmedia.us
Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs
dsachs@renmedia.us
Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@renmedia.us
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net
Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar
rsklar@renmedia.us
Contributing Writers:
Ruthan Brodsky, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen,
Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen,
Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Ryan Fishman,
Stacy Gittleman, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier,
Esther Allweiss Ingber, Harry Kirsbaum,
Gov. Snyder is seeking a
speedy but diligent protocol
Barbara Lewis, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz,
Steve Stein
Creative Services
Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz
dschultz@renmedia.us
review to fortify safeguards.
MICHIGAN CONTEXT
Immigrants are part of what we are as a
nation. America's opening of its shores
enabled hundreds of thousands of poor
European Jews beginning in the late 1800s
to seek a better life. Over the years, other
Editorial
Advertising Sales
Sales Director: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Senior Account Executive: Melissa Litvin
mlitvin@renmedia.us
reports the Washington-based Migration
Policy Institute.
Snyder isn't reversing course on provid-
ing Syrian refugees a safe harbor. Rather,
he's seeking a speedy but diligent protocol
review to limit risk and fortify safeguards.
While the chance of success is remote,
jihadists will try to infiltrate the pool of
Syrian refugees fleeing their war-ravaged
homeland.
In the name of national security in this
day and age of ultra-vigilance, it's vital
to assure the process of seeking entry to
America is as rigorous as our president
insists it is. *
Account Executives: Kathryn Andros, Wendy Flusty,
Annette Kizy, Paige Lustig
Sales Manager Assistants: Andrea Gusho,
Karen Marzolf
Business Offices
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner
Collections Analyst: Hazel Bender
Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki
Designers: Amy Pollard, Pam Sherevan,
Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker
Published by: Renaissance Media
Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt
President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett
kbrowett@renmedia.us
Controller: Craig R. Phipps
Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz
dschultz@renmedia.us
guest column
Fulfillment
circu lationd es k@t hejewishnews.com
Customer Service Manager: Zena Davis
Making The Real Change
T
he movie Crossing the Line, a
documentary by the nonprofit
Jewish educational organization
Jerusalem U, focuses on the anti-Israel
activity and anti-Semitic rhetoric on North
American university campuses and dem-
onstrates when reasonable criticism of
Israel "crosses the line" into anti-Semitism.
I was invited to talk on a panel after
the screening Nov. 18 at the Maple
Theater in Bloomfield Township. I joined
students from both MSU Hillel and
University of Michigan Hillel as well as
Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of
Hillel International. It was an amazing
opportunity; seeing the full theater made
me proud of our community and what we
stand for.
Working with college students has
Departments
General Offices: 248-354-6060
Advertising: 248-351-5107
taught me that the first thing we
are the resources, we give them
need to be good at is listening. We
the tools; but they are the cus-
have bright students who are well
tomers, and it's up to them when
educated and committed to being
and how to consume them.
pro-Israel and to standing up upon
My mission as the Jewish
need. Our job is to make each one
Agency for Israel program asso-
of them feel comfortable with their
ciate at Hillel of Metro Detroit is
opinions, allowing them be curi-
to make every Jewish student see
Eviata r Baksis
ous and to ask questions. We don't
Israel as their home, as a com-
teach them to always defend Israel,
fortable home.
rather to agree to disagree. But in order to
For each student, Israel can be some-
disagree, you first need to discover, and
thing different — and that's OK. The
Israel is yours to discover.
understanding that Israel and Judaism are
Education is the key word in that sense,
bound together and inseparable is crucial
and we need to help our students become
for the sake of the Jewish world. Many
comfortable learning more about Israel,
anti-Israel activists are trying to separate
and we encourage them to experience
the two to rationalize the delegitimization
Israel by going there as well as having
of Israel — "We are not anti-Semitic; we
Israel experiences. The way I see it — we
are just anti-Zionism:'
continued on page 7
6 December 3.2015
Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049
Circulation: 248-351-5174
Classified Ads: 248-351-5116
Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m.
Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885
Deadline: All public and social announcements must be
typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine days
prior to desired date of publication.
Subscriptions:
1 year
2 years
3 years
1 year out-of-state
2 years out-of-state
Per year foreign
$85
$153
$204
$125
$225
$300
Detroit Jewish News
29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110
Southfield, MI 48034
°copyright 2015 Detroit Jewish News
v Ar ,0\1" JEWISH At ,
41'
.C < ) (( - - 00OND AT/ 041
To make a donation to the
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfounadtion.org