Trust and experience
are the most important factors
when hiring a Realtor.

Five local Rabbis
have trusted us with
their real estate transactions.

We offer two generations and
20 years of experience,
having sold over 1,000 homes.

JEFF & MATT
BARKER

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commentary

A Letter To Elected Offi cials

W

e, scholars of Jewish stud-
country of immigrants. At its best, it
ies from across the United
has stitched together the fabrics of
States, call upon our gov-
different cultural backgrounds into a
ernment to maintain its commitment
rich mosaic. Shoring up our borders
to welcoming refugees; to protect
by building walls and excluding whole
the rights of undocumented immi-
classes of newcomers based upon tests
grants; and to resist the
of religion are un-American acts.
basest impulse of building
So, too, is requiring police forces
walls — whether actual or
to treat undocumented immi-
metaphorical — around our
grants as felons before they are
nation and its ideals.
given any due process.
As scholars of Jewish stud-
Our country is enriched by
ies, we devote our lives to
the labor, culture and creativity
studying a people defined,
of newcomers who often have
in part, by its experiences of Deborah Dash
entered because they could no
expulsion and refugeehood. Moore
longer live in their homelands;
Throughout their history,
our democracy rests on the abil-
Jews have been expelled or
ity to extend liberties and rights
barred from entry from countries on
as widely as possible.
the grounds of their perceived threats
We ask that you, our elected offi-
to security and unity. While Jews found cials, do everything in your power to
refuge in the United States throughout stop our country from enacting isola-
the 19th and early 20th centuries, in
tionist policies and fencing ourselves
the 1930s and 1940s, Jewish refugees
off from the world in which we live.
from Nazi-occupied countries suffered
The “benefits” of isolationism will pale
at the hands of our country’s then-
in comparison to the risks it poses to
newly-enacted restrictive immigration
refugees and immigrants and to the
policies.
very founding ideals of the United
We know Jews have not been alone
States of America. Those ideals — and
in facing expulsion and being denied
the people brought to our country as a
places of refuge. In our world today,
direct result of them — have inspired
human beings living under repressive
the best in all of us.
and life-threatening regimes seek asy-
Join us in protesting policies and
lum so they can protect their families
orders that threaten these American
and survive. Just as Jews who were
ideals and use your positions to
turned away from entrance to the
advance legal protections for refugees
United States in the 1930s and 1940s
and all classes of immigrants. •
met deadly fates when our country
Deborah Dash Moore is the Frederick G.L.
failed to meet the most basic test of
Huetwell Professor of History and Judaic
humanitarian and moral action, so
Studies at the University of Michigan. She
might the refugees denied entry today.
shared this letter, also signed by 350 profes-
The United States of America is a

sors of Jewish studies, with the JN.

letters

Record 85 Homes Sold in 2016
Top 1% of Realtors Nationally

Young Adults Making
A Difference

As a parent of one of the “36 under 36,”
I take exception to the letter in last
week’s Jewish News about no “Torah-
observant” individuals on the list. This
was not about “observant vs. nonob-
servant” but rather young adults who
are making a difference in the Jewish
community for everyone — regardless
of affiliation. These young adults are
not just making a difference locally but
globally and spreading their messages
way beyond just our community. I
applaud all of them and hope this list
continues to grow.

248.425.6000

jeff@jeffbarkerhomes.com
www.jeffbarkerhomes.com

Marla Weiss
West Bloomfield

More Info On JWV

275 S. Old Woodward Ave,
Birmingham, MI 48009

2151320

10

February 9 • 2017

jn

Jewish War Veterans of Michigan
appreciated your article in the Jan
25, 2017, edition that described our
annual trip to the Battle Creek VA
Hospital. Readers who might want

additional information about our
organization — especially veterans
who might be interested in joining
us — should go to our website, www.
jwv-mi.org.

Mark Weiss
JWV-Michigan Webmaster

ObamaCare
Conversation

Continuing the dialogue emanating
from my Jan. 26 op-ed “Uncertainty
Over ObamaCare,” in response to
Marty Wiener’s Feb. 2 letter, I don’t
have a crystal ball, but wish I did.
What I wrote, and still stand by, is if
the ACA is repealed, lots of people
won’t have health insurance. That’ll be
a problem in lots of ways. I didn’t write
anything about a potential replace-
ment. I welcome ObamaCare 2.0 or
even TrumpCare, if it serves people
better.

Perry Ohren, Chief Executive Officer
Jewish Family Service

