DECEMBER 5 • 2024 | 7
J
N
of “The Churkendoose,
” a parable
of tolerance about a barnyard
misfit (part chicken, part turkey,
part duck) scorned by the other
animals until they learn the lesson of
tolerance.
When I entered junior high, I
heard the words “dirty Jew” for the
first time. The slur wasn’t directed at
me, but the sting was considerable.
Growing up, I had heard stories
about evil people named Nazis who
hurt and killed Jews, but that had
happened in another country and
another time. I began to grasp that
the acceptance I’
d enjoyed at Paul
Best was not universal.
“There was a magic to that
school,” someone said at one of our
Best reunions. A couple of grads
who went on to be teachers say
they’ve tried to recreate the qualities
that made Best special; it’s not easy.
We were fortunate that most of us
kids came from stable, middle-class
homes, with parents who valued
education. Volunteer “Room Moms”
made school camp, our all-day fair
and museum visits possible.
And it was a different time. We
felt the optimism of the postwar
years in the new homes springing
up, in the excitement of the space
flights we saw on the news. We
didn’t see students shouting their
hatred of the State of Israel.
But a very good principal can
profoundly affect a school. A certain
lightness of approach helps. Not
stern lectures on “oppression;” but
student artwork on Christmas trees;
reminders that “Hate is a bad word;”
and some tongue-in-cheek greetings
of “Merry Chanukah” can help.
Because no matter what’s
happening outside its doors, a good
school creates a sense of community.
Which is why more than 50 years
after graduation, my non-Jewish
classmate felt the urgency to send off
the message “I’m with you, guys.
”
Eve Silberman is a a freelance writer living
in Ann Arbor.
Our groups prepared many tens
of thousands of meals that were
needed, and we completed a lot of
farm work. Our collective work was
critical.
In addition, showing up made a
difference. Israelis saw people who
put their lives, families and jobs
on hold, paid for their own travel,
and spent weeks of their time
working for Israel. We volunteers
stood shoulder-to-shoulder with
Israelis letting them know they are
not fighting a war and persevering
alone.
It was also important for the
volunteers to see the sacrifices
made by the Israelis on a daily
basis. The Israelis are the ones
ensuring that we have a Jewish
country, of which we consider
ourselves to be a part in our hearts
and souls even though we do not
live there.
It was important for the Israelis
and Jewish volunteers to see
the non-Jewish volunteers, so
that we know we are not totally
alone, although we feel the ever-
increasingly hostile world against
us. It was important for the non-
Jewish volunteers to help the
Jews and Israel in a concrete way
because their religion or conscious
motivated and compelled them to
do so.
As the world increasingly isolates
Israel and Jews in ways that we
have not seen in our lifetimes
until now, the Jews in the diaspora
increasingly need Israel and vice-
versa. The volunteers made a
difference.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Todd Mendel is a local attorney.
continued from page 4
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