Essays and viewpoints

Well, if this happened, I know when it happened. I was in that middle time frame between childhood and teens, after my bar mitzvah, before I learned to drive a car and was ready to look for a parttime job. I was every parent’s nightmare … a teenager with time on his hands. And to up the ante, I had a best friend to help me concoct interesting things to do to fill that time.

I met Wally sometime after the end of sixth grade, when my family had moved from Pinehurst to Roselawn, from the neighborhood near MacDowell to one near Bagley Elementary. Though we had met earlier, we solidified our friendship in French class with a teacher Wally dubbed Miss McFoggy.

I loved Wally’s creative sense of humor, how he coined nicknames for everyone, including me. He often called me Lindy Lundy in those days. And we just clicked. Though we would go on to experience high school, college and beyond as friends, this was a time when we were inseparable, joined at the hip. We made up our own shared language. “Dion” (as in Dion DiMucci, our favorite singer) was our word for anything cool. We loved to make up crazy games, like Buddy Bomar basement bowling, when we slept over at each other’s houses (one block apart on Roselawn and Greenlawn, both on the corner of Pickford). And we both had July birthdays and Wally’s family had previously also lived in a house on Pinehurst, a few years before. So of course, we were charter members of the “July Pinehurst Club.” Our best friendship was obviously “beshert” (even though I had never heard of that word at the time!).

I will spare you the details of most of our plans, but I vividly recall the summer when we would both turn 14. We were at the height of our collective imaginations. When you have a best friend at that age, you think anything you can dream up together is possible, even though an underdeveloped part of your brain senses it may not be the best idea. So, not surprisingly, we together developed what I now call the Great Adon Olam Caper.

We had not known each other at the time of our respective bar mitzvahs. I had attended Shaarey Zedek Hebrew School while Wally went to the Chaim Greenberg Hebrew-Yiddish School, located in the Morris Schaver Auditorium. (Really, that’s what he called it every time he talked about it!) We had both had attended many Shabbat services nearby, mostly at the bar mitzvahs of our respective friends.

We both had opted to cease our formal Jewish education post-bar mitzvah, although my decision involved a deal with my mom to continue my piano lessons (which I kept only for the requisite six months). So, we were both quite familiar with the pattern of Saturday morning services at nearby synagogues.

You might wonder why two 14-year-old boys were discussing religious services at that time. We were not longing for spiritual awakening nor missing the davening and chanting from our pre-bar mitzvah days. Our needs were much more basic than that. We missed the seven-layer cake served at the kiddush after services. And so, we began to think of finding a way to have our cake and eat

it too, which did not involve us sitting through a long religious service. Jeff London Obviously, the idea of going to a synagogue for a Saturday morning service, after which we would be eligible to eat a slice of seven-layer cake was much too simple a plan for the Dynamic Duo! We began to contemplate various options. We could play cards, one of our favorite past times, and have the loser go to services and sneak some cake out for the winner. Nah! We had to do this together to make it worthy of our partnership. We could go to Zeman’s and purchase a sliver of our favorite cake with our allowance money. Nah, that was no fun at all! Gradually, over the next few weeks, we fleshed out a plan worthy of our partnership (with a dose of Mission Impossible): We would arrange a Friday night sleepover at Wally’s. I would sneak my bar mitzvah suit into my overnight bag. We’d sleep in the next morning, until Wally’s father and stepmother had left the house. Avoiding both of his sisters, we’d put on our bar mitzvah clothes, including a tie (oh the brilliance of our disguises), and sneak out of

Only positive things come to mind when I reflect on my 11th grade Israel trip with the Frankel Jewish Academy. Regardless of the flight trouble and COVID-19 experience, I celebrate my whole trip with no regrets. After hours of weather delays, our plane finally made it to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. As I entered Israel, my Jewish homeland, for the fifth time, I appreciated the feeling of welcome that engulfed me. I remember thinking that all the obstacles along the way were completely worth it to be in Israel, where I strengthened bonds within my religion, culture and people.

Every time I travel, a trip to Israel truly becomes a unique experience. I have had the opportunity to be there for three bar mitzvah celebrations, including my own, and an eighth-grade trip with Hillel Day School. Each time, I learn something new about myself, my relationships with those around me, and my spiritual connection to both Israel and God.

As I think back, I can remember a few highlights from the trip that impacted my outlook on my identity and spirituality going forward. Our first beautiful sight of the trip was that of Makhtesh Ramon, known as the Ramon Crater. Its beauty tells an amazing story of history that realizes the evolution of the land.

We also visited the Ilan Ramon (Israeli astronaut) Visitors Center, which reminded me that anyone of any background can accomplish their goals as long as they put their mind to it.

The next day we experienced our first real hike, Ein Avdat, another fascinating example of historical erosion

in the land of Israel. After we hiked upward, we saw the beauty of the Negev, Israel’s desert section. Looking over the Negev, we took in the history that lies at David BenGurion’s gravesite and saw what was, in his mind, the Ethan Grey future of Israel. On our last day in the South, my favorite day of the entire trip, we woke up before dawn to hike Masada. We reached the top and were amazed to view the most gorgeous sunrise we had ever seen. From there, we headed

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to the Dead Sea, where we were able to cover ourselves in the special mud and float in the water. We then began our experience in Jerusalem with a lookover of the city including the Temple Mount. We finished the night on Ben Yehuda Street, which had an amazing atmosphere and delicious food.

Many people will say that Jerusalem is their favorite place in Israel. Whether it is the somberness at Israel’s Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, the atmosphere of Machane Yehuda Shuk or the spirituality of Kabbalat Shabbat at the Western Wall, Jerusalem offered us many emotions and thoughts throughout our experience.

Shabbat in Jerusalem was like nothing else; all were there to enjoy everyone’s company, truly a day to relax and refresh. While in Jerusalem, we got the opportunity to volunteer in a pantry as well as at an archaeological dig site. During our time in the Old City, we enjoyed the Jewish Quarter and even got the chance to walk through a water tunnel in the City of David, the same tunnel that was used to send water throughout the city thousands of years before.

After Jerusalem, we toured the north of Israel. During this section of the trip, we learned about many different religions and cultures aside from Judaism in Israel and how they are a part of the 9 million people living there today. We visited Caesarea and then Tzfat, a city known for its art galleries and Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah.

As we approached the Sea of Galilee, we went rafting on the Jordan River. One of the most fun experiences of the trip was Aqua-Kef, literally translating to “water fun,” It was an outdoor obstacle course full of slides and jumps in the Galilee. I will definitely remember the memorable time that I had there.

Shabbat in the north was a whole different experience. Everyone was outside either sitting by the pool, playing cards or throwing a ball or frisbee. We were all enjoying the day. That was until I started feeling ill and then tested positive for COVID 19.

Being sick is tough, but being sick outside of your home country is extremely difficult. However, in spite of being away from my family in America, I never really felt the horrible feeling of being away from home. That was because I knew that I truly was home. I know that forever and always Israel is a second home, but when I had to quarantine with friends, I experienced hospitality and comfort like nowhere else. In my previous visits to Israel, I have never felt the same feeling of Israel being such a casual home for me.

Now that I have returned to Michigan, I have taken the time to reflect on what Israel meant to me. One of the first activities we did as a group in Israel was to write down two facts that you thought no one else would know about you. My first fact was that Israel makes me feel the safest of any place in the world. Call it a coincidence, but without realizing it until my return to Michigan, I did not comprehend how true that statement came to be. I should mention that my second fact was that Israel feels like a second home to me.

Although there were some downsides to being delayed in my return, I now can understand the many unexpected benefits that came along with my experience. Without a doubt, I felt safe in my second home, and I know that I will continue to feel the same way, without hesitation, when I have the opportunity to return to my Jewish homeland.

THE GREAT ADON OLAM CAPER from page 4

his house and casually walk to Beth Abraham, the nearest synagogue.

One of us would walk up to the front door and check that the coast was clear. Waving the other guy in, we would grab two taleisim from the collection and hang them up near the bathroom, so that it would appear we had been present for services all morning. Checking ourselves in the mirror, we would make sure we looked presentable (sharing the comb one of us had strategically remembered to bring along). Then we would leave the rest room, put on our borrowed taleysm, and enter the sanctuary together, greeted by those sweet words from the bimah: “Will the congregation please rise for our concluding prayer, Adon Olam!”

After joining the congregation in song, we would then casually join the queue and leave the sanctuary, heading over to the kiddush, waiting respectfully for the bracha before we each claimed our rightful slice of seven-layer cake.

What a plan! I still remember it in surprising detail. The story lives on, at least in my imagination. But the question haunts me … did we really follow through and do it? I honestly wasn’t sure. So, of course, I went directly to the source. With some trepidation, I called my old friend Wally, now retired in Arizona. Did he remember the plan? Absolutely. Now the big ask: Did we actually pull it off?

He asked me why I needed to know. I explained that I was writing an article about that time and our relationship. I could hear the smile in his voice. “It’ll make a better story if you write it as if it happened.”

And then, I remembered one of our favorite sayings from those days of intense friendship. When one of our friends who had a higher risktolerance than either of us teenage wannabes suggested a dubious plan, Wally and I would turn to each other and together in unison say those words of wisdom that saved us from ourselves more times than we could count: “Let’s not and say we did!”

Looking back to those simpler times, I still remember how special it was to have a friend like Wally. Sixty years later, we are both older and perhaps wiser, but, as you can see, Wally also still remembers those times — and he’s still got my back!

Ethan Grey is a junior at Frankel Jewish Academy and a graduate of Hillel Day School.

This is Kalkidon. Her name, in Amharic, means “promise or covenant to God.” She is one of the many Ethiopian Jews who recently made aliyah. I had the privilege of accompanying these olim from Ethiopia to Israel.

Our community helped make Kalkidon’s journey possible. The Detroit Jewish Federation’s Israel & Overseas Allocation Committee, under the leadership of Richard Broder and Leah Trosch, allocated $8,525,130 from the Detroit community for projects around the world. This allocation included $250,000 to the Jewish Agency for Israel to rescue 3,000 Jews from Ethiopia and bring them to Israel.

Shortly after those allocations were approved, I boarded a plane to Addis Ababa with Robert Hertzberg and George Roberts. We joined approximately 70 other Jewish lay leaders and professionals from around the world and spent three days learning and better understanding the Ethiopian Jewish community.

I finished Micha Feldman’s diary On the Wings of Eagles the day before we flew to Ethiopia. His book is a retelling of Operations Moses and Solomon, of which he played an integral part. Micha relayed personal accounts of people’s harrowing journey toward the promise of Israel. It gave me the foundation I needed for my trip, to see the land that he talked about in the book and to meet the next generations of those who told their stories. To be there with Micha was an incredible gift. His knowledge and familiarity with the landscape is unparalleled. He knows everyone. And everyone knows him.

After those operations took place in the ’80s and ’90s, it was believed that all the “Beta Israel” Jews had been rescued. And they had … sort of. With those operations, everyone who was halachically Jewish (had at least one parent or grandparent who was Jewish) was eligible to make aliyah. Those who were not eligible under the guidelines were left behind.

Today, we are trying to reunite families that were separated. This latest effort began in 2020/2021 with Operation Tzur Yisrael (Rock of Israel), which brought 2,150 Ethiopians to Israel. Now the Operation continues following a government decision to bring at least 3,000 additional new olim from Ethiopia home to Israel in 2022.

Under Operation Tzur Yisrael, they need to have (or have had) either at least one parent, sibling or child living in Israel. Spouses and children under the age of 18 can accompany someone who gets approved for aliyah. Children above age 18 can also accompany an approved parent, but only if they do not have children of their own.

On our first full day in Gondar, we participated in Shacharit services. More than 500 people packed the synagogue. There was a mechitzah. The women were shuckling and davening. It was awe-inspiring. The service ended with everyone singing the most beautiful rendition of “Hatikvah”

I have ever heard. It was apparent they took this seriously and that it was very meaningful to them. They gathered in this space and held services every day. After the service, we toured the building. It included a mikvah and a free food program for children ages 0-6. Someone asked about the children who were over the age of 6. The answer: “Well, many of them manage to survive.” Next, we toured the village. Jennifer Levine We stepped into a compound of a dozen or so “homes.” We met an older woman who lived in a tiny room with her four grandchildren. She would be making aliyah in the next two days. Her “apartment” (a room smaller than most closets I have seen with no kitchen nor bathroom) cost $32 a month. To put this into perspective, a police officer in Gondar makes $62 a month. Some of the people we met had left their villages 20 years ago. Some had left three years ago. Once they leave their villages, they give up their status. This means they cannot obtain a permit to work. They are now considered refugees, and

“WE LEFT GONDAR TODAY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TEAR MYSELF AWAY FROM THESE BROTHERS, THE BEAUTIFUL, SUFFERING, BELIEVING BETA ISRAEL. NEVER HAVE I PACKED SO MANY EXPERIENCES INTO SUCH AN INCREDIBLY SHORT TIME. DURING THE BRIEF FLIGHT FROM GONDAR … THE PICTURE CROSSED MY MIND AGAIN OF … EACH SPECIAL PERSON I HAVE MET. I WANT TO PACK THEM ALL UP AND BRING THEM WITH ME TO ISRAEL, BUT INSTEAD, I HAVE TO LEAVE THEM ALL BEHIND.”

— MICHA FELDMAN, ON THE WINGS OF EAGLES

they must wait. They cannot go back, even if they wanted to.

After a whirlwind visit to Gondar, it was time to accompany them to Israel.

Once the plane was in the air, someone stopped me as I was walking down the aisle and said, “She wants you.”

“She”was Kalkidon. She was about 5 years old. She launched herself at me and excitedly pointed at the seat for me to sit while holding onto her. She hugged me; she tried to kiss me. She put her forehead to mine and stared deep into my eyes. She wanted to feed me crackers. I politely refused, and it became a laughing game. I pretended to eat, and she pretended not to mind that I was pretending.

Kalkidon donned my name tag and proudly marched with it around the plane. She tried to take my phone, too, but I quickly hid it. She was no stranger to technology. These kids, like my own, have grown up with it. Their parents use phones to communicate with their loved ones in Israel. In many ways, phones are their lifelines as it’s also the means through which they receive money from their family in Israel. Since they can’t get jobs, they primarily live on the funds being sent from their family members in Israel. We landed in Israel to the most inspiring rendition of “Am Israeli Chai” I have ever heard.

Before our journey came to a close, we stopped at one of the Jewish Agency’s many Absorption Centers where these 180 new olim will spend the next couple of years learning Hebrew, receiving job training and settling into their new lives.

We met kids from Ethiopia who made aliyah just last year. Their Hebrew and English were both impressive. They were able to articulate so well how far they have come and, more importantly, how far they can dream to go.

I am so grateful to Federation and this community for giving Bob, George and me this incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I fall asleep wandering what Kalkidon is doing. How is she settling in? What about the woman who was too scared and overwhelmed to open her eyes during the flight? Or the woman who couldn’t figure out how to use a fork? What about the people who are still sitting in the synagogue in Gondar singing “Hatikvah” with all their hearts? I know they are praying that they will be called for an interview next. That it will soon be their turn to be reunited with their families in Israel. Praying, most of all, that we will not forget them.

Jennifer Levine is the senior director of the Israel and Overseas Department at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

Agroup of representatives from Middle Eastern nations, as well as the United States, met in the House of Representatives June 12 for a monumental roundtable discussion on the proposed JCPOA’s (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) repercussions on the Abraham Accords.

The roundtable was hosted and moderated by Robert (Bobby) Rechnitz, a prominent leader who was instrumental in the passage of the Iron Dome legislation. Through his Bomel initiative, Rechnitz decided to take a preemptive strike and do all that can be done to influence every community, Democratic and Republican, about the importance of demanding transparency in this agreement in order to be fair and loyal to the members of the Abraham Accords.

Rechnitz traveled to Israel and the United Arab Emirates to conduct highlevel meetings regarding the JCPOA prior to this roundtable and flew back to the United Arab Emirates following it.

Prominent members and organizations were in attendance, including leaders from the Israel Policy Forum, the Zionist Organization of America, NORPAC, the International Organization of Lawyers of the United Nations, the Coalition for Jewish Values, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and Project Interchange.

The roundtable voiced concerns and apprehensions to the newly proposed JCPOA bill as a threat to the security of the Abraham Accords; this peace agreement, passed in 2020, encourages diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab states in the Middle East. By overseeing this bipartisan agreement, the U.S. has agreed to support actors who agree to the Abraham Accords and to ensure continuous progress of peace by signing on more nation-states. The Abraham Accords’ member states currently include Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan.

The Abraham Accords aim to encourage diplomatic relations, rather than violence, between Israel and Arab nation-states, trailblazing for a peaceful Middle East; representatives from member states including Bahrain and Morocco were present at the conference to vocalize their appreciation for the peace agreement and the progress they’ve witnessed occurring over the past few years. Under the previous administration, the United States demonstrated its support of Israel and the signed-on member states in achieving peace. Nations have found solace in the agreement, whose values and accomplishments could be unraveled by the JCPOA.

“This dialogue is not about Israel, rather it centralizes on upholding the commitment to support the Abraham Accords member states and to discourage any policy which could abandon the nations who rely on this agreement — such as Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE and Sudan,” Rechnitz says. Representatives of these nation-states elaborated on the ways in which they have found peace and democratic hope in this agreement. “The outcome [of the Abraham Accords] is absolutely vital for the security and well-being of Europe as well … I’m fully convinced the [Abraham] Accords can unleash huge potential for cooperation [in the Middle East],” Slovak Ambassador Radovan Javorcik said in his opening remarks. “These accords are showing the essence of dialogue,” or the foundation for communication and diplomacy amongst differing nations.

By passing the JCPOA as it currently stands, the United

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States would be backing two sides of a conflict, incentivizing Iran’s lack of nuclear weapons, rather than encouraging two peaceful sides using agreements such as the Abraham Accords.

“My government ceased diplomatic relations with Iran because of its malign activities in Morocco … we would love to see peace happening but [Iran] has to change their attitude, they have to abandon the malign activities and the threat to peace, not only in the Middle East, but also in North Africa,” Ayoub Houchem of the Moroccan Embassy stated.

The threat of the JCPOA is that the U.S. would reward Iran for a lack of weaponry, rather than encouraging the prospect of peaceful interactions and diplomacy. It is a flawed, contradictory approach to creating enduring peace.

By turning its back on these allies, the U.S. discourages new member states from signing onto the Abraham Accords moving forward. “It’s a great cooperation so far, we’re very proud of it … [but] the adherence to these accords is just the beginning of the peace process, you count on other countries to join,” said Hatin el Fethouni of Moroccan Embassy when asked how he views the threat of passing the JCPOA.

“We need to encourage the legislators … to demand transparency, and really understand and analyze what this deal is about,” Rechnitz said.

All members present at this conference urge legislators to demonstrate transparency and allow for national input on the implementation of the JCPOA. It is essential to not lose sight of the peace and progress built through the Abraham Accords in pursuit of suppressing Iran.

Radovan Javorcik, Slovakia’s Ambassador to Israel, makes a noteworthy point mentioning that “the Abraham Accords are about peace. The JCPOA is about … the nuclear weapon [policy]. If there is any agreement with Iran, it has to be about peace and the future, not about [nuclear weapons].”

The U.S. must support actors who sign onto peace agreements rather than through compromise and suppression. A lack of commitment to these peace agreements could harm the actors relying on them and the peace they actively create.

The United States must demonstrate its integrity and support in standing by its Middle Eastern allies.

“They have to back up their friendships and they have to back up their alliances … By turning their back and making a deal with Iran, the historic Abraham Accords have a very distinct possibility of unraveling … We have an agreement between democratic alliances, not every country is democratic, and that is something that should be encouraged, because it’s a model for peacemaking,” Rechnitz said in his final remarks.

This analysis was distributed by the Friedlander Group, a NY-based organization that provides government and public relations counsel to nonprofit organizations as well as corporate and foreign entities.

Hebrew Free Loan is excited to welcome Jeffrey

and Carly Schiff to the Hebrew Free Loan Board of Directors.

Nominated and elected at our recent Annual Meeting, the members of this dynamic “freshman class” join one of the Michigan Jewish community’s longest-serving agencies in its mission to support Jewish families, individuals and businesses across Michigan with interest-free loans.

These great leaders will become part of a very active Board whose members interview potential borrowers; represent the agency at public events and to groups throughout our state; share the HFL story in the community; serve on active committees to steward Hebrew Free Loan into the future; act as cheerleaders and mentors for borrowers; help raise loan capital; and serve as guardians of our 127-year legacy.

Hebrew Free Loan supports Michigan Jews with interest-free loans for a wide variety of purposes that range from in-vitro fertilization and adoption to summer camp fees, college or job training, small business loans, home improvements, Simchas, health care, senior needs, and so much more. Learn more about our loan funds, or donate to help support the community at hfldetroit.org. Loan capital is raised entirely through donations from our community, and remains here in Michigan, helping support local Jews.

Pictured above, left to right: David Gach, Jeffrey Aronoff, Amy Ersher, Julie Trepeck Harris, Carly Schiff and Kevin Chupack.

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