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guest column

My Bond With U-M And Israel

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come from a family of big
strong bond to this special place.
University of Michigan fans. My
As my and my family’s relationship
parents, both alumni, started tak-
to Judaism and Israel grew stronger, I
ing my sister and me to football games made my first significant investment
in Ann Arbor as toddlers. I
in Israel bonds and started
have fond memories of pre-
purchasing bonds as gifts for
game lunches at Drake’s and
relatives’ and friends’ life cycle
one particularly cold game
events. I also became a volun-
day when my parents forgot
teer lay leader for Israel Bonds
to have us wear gloves.
and now serve as the chair of
Growing up in an affluent
the Chicago Women’s Division.
Detroit-area suburb with
Supporting Israel through
a large Jewish community,
Israel bonds is different than
Tracy Goode
my family belonged to a
writing a check to support a
Conservative synagogue, but Loewenthal
nonprofit. Israel bonds are an
we were not observant at
investment for the security of
home nor were we actively
Israel, as well as for my own
involved in Jewish causes. However,
financial portfolio.
I always felt a strong Jewish identity,
Since I’ve become more involved
which I developed further with a for-
with Israel Bonds, anti-Israel activ-
mative teen trip to Israel one summer. ism and anti-Semitism on college
By the time I applied to colleges, the campuses have been on the rise. Two
maize-and-blue blood had been cours- recent studies, one by researchers at
ing through my veins for too long to
Tel Aviv University and the other by
seriously consider attending any other the AMCHA Initiative, which tracks
school. As my dad put it, as I had the
and works to oppose anti-Semitism on
grades to get into such an excellent
campus, both reported a significant
in-state school, it was hard to justify
increase in anti-Semitic incidents last
going elsewhere.
year, compared to the previous year.
On campus, my relationship with
Reports of vandalism on and
the Jewish community remained the
around Michigan’s campus in 2017
same — connected, though not deeply have included incidences of spray-
involved. I had Jewish friends and
painted swastikas and phrases such
joined a historically Jewish sorority,
as “Jews Die,” as well as anti-Semitic
but I didn’t feel compelled to partici-
imagery near the West Hall Arch and
pate in Jewish life on campus; we had
the C.C. Little building. These are
one another, and many of us had our
places I walked by throughout my
own connection to Israel. In many
seven years on campus, without ever a
ways, we took that all for granted.
feeling, let alone a fear, of such a threat
Everything changed during my
to my Jewish identity.
junior year, in 1991, when the United
Clearly, today’s college students live
States went to war with Iraq. There
in a very different environment than I
were anti-war rallies on campus, as
did. We cannot take support for Israel
well as students who supported the
or the Jewish community for granted,
U.S. involvement in the Middle East. I
as perhaps I or my parents did when I
was not politically active as a student,
was in college. I’ve asked myself, how
but I tried to make sense of the issues. can I make a difference so students
When Iraq began to launch Scud
today, and soon, my own children,
missiles into Israel, I felt sad, helpless
can rest assured that their university
and scared. This beautiful homeland
is doing everything it can to welcome
I had experienced a few years before
and celebrate the Jewish community?
was under attack. I watched TV foot-
The answer: I can buy Israel bonds.
age of the missiles hitting Tel Aviv at
And in this case, I bought bonds and
night and civilians donning gas masks donated them to the University of
in shelters. Among them were fellow
Michigan.
University of Michigan students study-
By purchasing Israel bonds for the
ing abroad. War suddenly felt much
University of Michigan, I am fulfilling
closer to home, and my Jewish identity my commitment to support my alma
felt like something I needed to protect. mater. This year, I made donations to
Years later, after I received my mas-
each of the three U-M schools I gradu-
ter’s in health services administration
ated from in the form of Israel bonds.
and business administration at the
I am proud to bolster the investment
University of Michigan, my husband
coffers of the university and invest in
and I started our family in Chicago.
the State of Israel at the same time.
Like my parents, we joined a syna-
Moreover, I am supporting the cre-
gogue and sent our three children
ation of a connection between the
to Jewish preschool. We took our
University of Michigan and Israel. •
first family trip to Israel, and I was
Tracy Goode Loewenthal is a volunteer chair of
so grateful to enjoy with my children
Israel Bonds Chicago Women’s Division. She
Israel’s beautiful land, food, history
earned a BA from the University of Michigan in
and people and, most of all, to feel a

1992 and an MBA/MHSA in 1996.

8

November 16 • 2017

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