LETTERS

land, already waiting to visit and perhaps join them Tribute to new olim in making one day, we finally understood the Grateful to VFI Through Volunteers for (VFI), our group, We are writing this letter after attending Fuchs power of the shlichut in this community. Mizrachi School’s assembly in honor of graduates ranging in age from 18 to 82, spent several unforget- Next year in Jerusalem. who made aliyah on the Sept. 5 Nefesh b’Nefesh table weeks this past April and May at army and Hila Kfir and Rinat Katz flight. navy bases near Haifa. b’not sherut for Cleveland As we stood in the school assembly watching oth- In addition, I visited friends in Safed, spent lots of ers standing with tears in their eyes, we, too, tried time in Tel Aviv, swam in the Dead Sea, prayed at the to quell our own tears. Dangerous innuendoes Western Wall and at Masada on Yom Hazikaron, and As Cleveland’s new b’not sherut, having recently made friends I will cherish forever. The mean-spirited and dangerous innuendoes arrived here from Israel, we join with the school My new friends and I cleaned and painted trucks; expressed in the two full-page ads (CJN, Sept. 8) community and honor the “blossoming fruit” of the sorted uniforms; disassembled, cleaned and reassem- sponsored by so-called “Republican ” troubles Cleveland community making aliyah, fulfilling the bled equipment; cleaned and prepared untold me greatly. Mean-spirited because they immensely line said in our daily prayer, “May our eyes behold mounds of vegetables; did laundry; inventoried sup- distort the point of view of all of us who disagree, your return to in compassion.” plies; and participated in the many tasks that keep and dangerous because the statements are specious – military organizations up and running. Because of the strong support from Fuchs giving somehow the ring of truth, but are in fact We knew that the field packs we prepared and the Mizrachi School, B’nei Akiva, the Israeli schlichim false. (emissaries), and the vibrant Cleveland Jewish com- extra trucks we reconditioned were for “just in case.” To disagree (with US policy) is not a synonym for munity’s loving families, these individuals are able We did not imagine that “just in case” was going to appeasement. The Bush administration has honed to to travel far from their own families and friends to come so soon. perfection the manipulation of facts to such a degree follow the Zionist dreams burning within them. The presence of volunteers like our group taking that 43% of Americans now believe that Iraq was over the day-to-day chores makes it possible for Before we left for our national service in the responsible for the tragedy of the World Trade Israeli troops to go on leave, visit family, or do much Diaspora, many important people, noted educators, Center. and returning schlichim repeatedly told us that more important military work. This program has The approval of the Bush White House by Cleveland is a unique and special community. At the been in existence since the Six-Day War, and it is “Republican Jews” is based entirely on the adminis- time, we were happy to hear this but did not truly vital. tration’s attitude toward Israel – a very narrow, understand the meaning of unique. As I look back on all we accomplished, I am crimped and hypocritical yardstick. We were sent on shlichut to help foster a love of beyond grateful that VFI afforded me the opportunity As a Zionist and a citizen of the United States, I the Jewish nation, country and within the to go to Israel and make what unfortunately turned expect to have the right and the duty to express an lives of our family here in Cleveland and to support out to be a direct contribution to the war in Lebanon. opposing view to the irresponsible haranguing of those who dream of returning to Eretz Israel. As we Clevelanders interested in Volunteers for Israel the so-called Republican Jew. watched the ceremony with the proud mothers, can go to www.vfi-usa.org or contact the organization Ruth Dancyger Beachwood fathers, grandparents, siblings and friends who at [email protected]. were already envisioning themselves in our home- Rachel Zabell Bone Orange Village

MAR-LOU SHOES May You Be Inscribed SIZES TO 18+ AAAA TO EEEEEE in the Book of Life for a Year of SALE EXTENDED Health, Happiness Till September 29 th and Peace.

ANNIE $99 SAVE JAMIE $79 now now $89 $ $69 Entire10 Stock www.clevelandjewishnews.com

AMANDA $89 LIZ $69 now $ now $ 79 59 Dave Bizjak • CJ Bradler • BJ Hill • John Janoch • Mark Kangas • Scott Miller • Gary Posner Visit our expanded showroom. Matt Puflea • Ken Reeves • Dave Schroyer • Keith Smith • Dan Young Over 6,000 sq. ft. of Hard-To-Find-Sizes Mon.-Fri. 10am-8pm 5142 Wilson Mills Rd. 23240 Chagrin Blvd. • Beachwood, OH 44122 • 216-595-7900 Richmond Hts., OH 44143 Sat. 10am-6pm / Sun 12-5pm Across from Richmond Town Square (440) 461-6744 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS / SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 2006 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. • Member SIPC • agedwards.com 4 www.marloushoes.com 209955