jews d
in
the
MARTY ABRIN’S ASSOCIATES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
continued from page 16
Faithkeepers
Coalition promotes new fi lm about genocide
of Mideast Christians and minorities.
A
voice to the horrors of the ongoing
coalition of Jewish and
genocide using victims’ personal tes-
Christian religious and com-
timonials.
munity organizations jointly
The Christian community was 20
presented a program on the geno-
percent of the Mideast popu-
cide against Christians and
minorities in the Middle East ABOVE: The lation 100 years ago, yet now
crowd watches
is only 4 percent. The forced
on July 24 at Shenandoah
the film
expulsions of the Jewish popu-
Country Club.
Faithkeepers.
lation in North Africa and the
Organized by the Zionist
Middle East (outside of Israel)
Organization of America-
went from 950,000 in 1948 to a
Michigan Region, the event
few hundred.
featured a powerful, new docu-
The film’s harrowing detail
mentary from the Clarion Project,
describes the killing, torture, rape,
Faithkeepers, with presentations by
forced conversions and sexual slav-
Assyrian activist Nahren Anweya
ery practiced by ISIS against “non-
and Egyptian Christian Marvie
Neubauer, adding light to the atroci- believers.” Anweya and Neubauer
reinforced the film with heart-
ties being perpetrated in Iraq and
wrenching accounts of what is tak-
Egypt, respectively.
ing place in Iraq and Egypt. Anweya
Clarion Project’s Ryan Mauro
detailed the crucifixion of her two
provided an overview of the current
great-grandfathers, the present situ-
geopolitical situation. The audience
ation in Iraq and her family fleeing
signed postcards encouraging all
Iraq with only money sewn in cloth-
14 members of Michigan’s congres-
ing.
sional delegation to support HR565:
Neubauer spoke of the kidnaping
Save Christians from Genocide
of Christian girls into forced mar-
Act, which is co-sponsored by
riages, destruction of churches and
Congressman Mike Bishop.
the horror experienced by those who
ZOA-MI Past President Eugene
attempt to leave Islam and convert
Greenstein introduced the program,
to Christianity. She highlighted the
recounting his meeting with the
case of Hope (not her real name), a
Chaldean community and a State
girl who was beaten by her father
Department representative earlier
and raped by three of his friends for
this year. He said he could only
the crime of becoming a Christian.
imagine the feelings of the Jewish
The event was promoted by
community who petitioned the inac-
tion of the Roosevelt Administration the Armenian Congregational
during the 1940s. “For over a decade, Church, Adat Shalom Synagogue,
Chaldean Community Foundation,
the Holocaust was relinquished to
the Chaldean American Chamber
the New York Times’ back pages and
of Commerce, Detroit Armenian
our government was deaf to appeals
to rescue Holocaust victims,” he said. Women's Club, the Iraqi Christians
Advocacy and Empowerment
Greenstein pointed out that the
Institute (ICAE), Hadassah Greater
recent murder of three members
Detroit, Friends of Israel Ministry,
of Israel’s Salomon family for being
the Ishtar Cultural Center, MEA TV,
Jewish is another example of the
Michigan Jewish Action Council,
horror in the region, and only the
One World Medical Mission, St.
Israel’s IDF is preventing another
Mark Coptic Orthodox Church,
genocide of Jews.
the Syriac Assembly Movement,
Faithkeepers traces the past cen-
tury’s persecution and devastation of United Community Family Services,
Volunteers for Israel and ZOA-MI
the Chaldean, Armenian, Assyrian,
Region. •
Jewish and Coptic communities in
the Middle East and puts a face and
18
August 3 • 2017
jn
ABOVE:
A volunteer
helps a young
child shop.
IT TAKES A COMMUNITY
An NCJW program that has continued to grow each year,
the Back 2 School Store is made possible by more than 250
trained community volunteers and the generosity of sponsors
that include DeRoy Testamentary Foundation, Marjorie &
Maxwell Jospey Foundation, Mandell and Madeleine Berman
Foundation and The Village Club.
As NCJW/Greater Detroit Executive Director Susan Gertner
says, “Fundraising, shopping, training volunteers and set-up
for the store itself all involves a year-round effort, scores of
suppliers, vendors and community volunteers who contribute
one way or another. It’s a labor of love.”
Levine says, “I signed up as a worker bee four years ago; but
like so many volunteers, I have stepped up to a larger com-
mitment to the program. Many of our volunteers sign up for
one shift, and then stay for the day. Because when you see the
looks on those kids’ faces, knowing that some of them have
never in their lives been able to go into a store and select an
article of clothing, you realize that’s not the life we know.”
Sharyn Gallatin, an attorney in private practice specializing
in special needs advocacy, has served as co-chair of NCJW’s
Back 2 School Store since its inception in 2014. “I became
active with NCJW almost immediately after moving to Detroit
five years ago, and when I was approached about co-chairing
the Back 2 School Store project, I jumped at the chance.
“It’s an amazing project — one that has been close to my
heart from the day I started working on it,” Gallatin says. “One
of the reasons the work of NCJW speaks to me is that it gives
me the opportunity to support an organization that’s respon-
sible for helping advance the ideals of women, children and
families. The Back 2 School project in particular works with
families and children to help put them in a better place than
they ordinarily would be before they start school. ”
THE INTERFAITH HEALTH FAIR
Organized by the JCRC/AJC as an adjunct to the Back to
School Store, the Interfaith Health Fair opens on-site access
to potentially life-saving medical screenings and health care
referrals for parents and guardians while their children shop.
Physicians and health care providers of all faiths will volun-
teer their services and social workers will be available to assist
with referrals to direct service agencies. Henry Ford Health
System, the Huda Clinic, Karmanos and Kindred Healthcare
are participating in the health fair. United Way 211 will be
giving out information; attorneys from Legal Aid will be avail-
able for parents; and Home Depot will provide free home-care
items. •
Vivian Henoch is editor of myjewishdetroit.org, where this story first appeared.