NCRAC Report Rejects Charges of Anti-Semitism During Riots

• By BEN GALLOB
JTA Staff Correspondent

(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)

NEW YORK—Jewish community

relations councils in a number of
cities hit by Negro rioting last
summer were active in efforts to
help restore order or contain the
violence and—after the riots—to
help hard-hit Jewish merchants in
the slums and "to restore or create
sounder community and inter-
group relationships," according to
a survey by the National Com-
munity Relations Advisory Council.
NCRAC, coordinating agency for
the councils, repoits on a question-
naire distributed last August on the
impact of the riots on Jewish en-
terprises in the ghettoes and on
Jewish attitudes toward the civil
rights struggle. Respcinses were re-
ceived from 36 communities, in-
cluding 19 where riots or lesser
disorders occurred one or more
times during the preceding three
years.

The survey found that the ex-
tent of Jewish ownership of
ghetto business places varied
widely from none in Canton, 0.,
to an estimated 90 per cent in
Elizabeth, N.J. It was 25 per
cent or more in 21 of the 32
communities responding on that
question and was 75 per cent or
higher in four of them.
The survey found that a number

of other ethnic groups had sub-
stantial business interests in the
ghettoes. Fifteen of the 27 com-
munities responding to this ques-
tion mentioned Negroes, with at
least three indicating that business
owners in the ghettoes, other than
Jews, were "mostly" (Erie), to a
"considerable extent" (Cleveland)
or "about 30 per cent" (Columbus)
Negro.
The survey found that "all 19
cities that had experienced riots
or disorders reported that Jewish-
owned establishments had suffered
neither more nor less damage
(proportional to their number and
size) than other white-owned busi-
nesses in the ghetto areas affected.
Similarly, with a single exception,
all reported that there had been no
manifestations of over t anti-
Semitism during the rioting. The
exception is Minneapolis, where,
'after the riot, young people de-
nounced Jews for their business
ethics and absentee landlordism.' "
CRC officials responding to the

questionnaire believe that Jewish
merchants in their communities
"concur in their judgment that
Jewish property was not singled
out for destruction or looting and

that there were no overtly anti-
Semitic manifestations during the
rioting." The NCRAC report
summary added that "this must
be regarded as an impression,
rather than a confirmed finding,

in most cases" but, "it Is given
added credibility by the fact that
the judgment has been found to
be shared by Jewish business.
men in Cleveland, Detroit and
Newark who were interviewed
in the aftermath of the riots."

The findings also provided in-
formation on the degree to which
Jewish merchants were hit so hard
that they had to close their enter-
prises. Some Jewish merchants,
especially in areas heavily dam-
aged by rioting before 1967, notably
Cleveland, "have closed their es-
tablishments, some to relocate
elsewhere, others to discontinue
business altogether. Some of those
whose stores were destroyed or
gutted in the 1967 riots have not
yet reopened and do not plan to
do so. In instances in which in-
surance coverage was inadequate,

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trict Court by the state prosecutor.
His trial had lasted 18 months, the
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businesses were simply wiped out.
In general, the finding was
that the intention of affected
Jewish merchants depended on
the nature and success of their
enterprises. The respondents sug-
gested that "the established prof-
itable businesses would stay, the
marginal ones would tend to
close."
"On the whole, Jewish business-

men in the ghettoes were depicted
as fearful and anxious—not only
about their businesses but about
their physical safety—and this was
reported of those in cities free
from riots as well as those in riot-
torn areas. Many were reported
to be seeking opportunities to get
out on terms that would not be too
onerous, or even ruinous finan-
cially. But buyers on such terms
are not available. There was no
reported 'panic' selling" by Jewish
merchants.
Several respondents indicated
also "that the future of Jewish
small business ownership in the
ghettoes is dim, regardless of
violence and disorder; the children
of present owners of 'mom and
pop' stores are finding their liveli
hood in other endeavors, and new
entrepreneurs in predominantly
Negro neighborhoods are most
often not Jewish."
Efforts by councils in seeking to
help restore order, contain the
violence, assist stricken Jewish
merchants and seek restoration of
sounder intergroup relationships
took place in all of the larger
cities reporting riots — including
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and
Newark—and sonic of the small
ones, including Milwaukee, Min-
neapolis-St. Paul, New Brunswick
and New Haven.
"Programs directed specifically
toward Jewish merchants were re-
ported only in the larger cities,"
the summary found. "These in-
cluded assistance in pursuing in-
surance claims and tax reviews,
loans and counseling regarding
business or employment oppor-
tunities, and efforts to create
neighborhood projects enlisting the
cooperation of merchants a n d
ghetto residents for better condi-
tions and relationships." It was
noted that during the summer of
1967, the NCRAC issued a hand-
book, "Working with Landlords
and Tenants in Ghetto Areas,"
which provided guidance for the
organization and operation of such
projects.
The report of the American Jew-
ish Congress on the impact of the
1967 Newark, N.J., riots on the
Jewish community states that
Jewish landlords and merchants
in Newark and other cities with
slums "face a hard future in the
ghetto" with the. increasing likeli-
hood that "they will be the targets
of Negro anger, hostility and vio-
lence."
The report was based on a series
of visits and interviews with Jew-
ish and other white store owners
in Newark riot areas made by
David Stoloff, director of the
AJCongress commission on com-
munity interrelations.
A basic finding was that the
merchants of Newark were "an-
gry, frightened, uncertain of the
future and confused about their
feelings toward Negroes. They are
angry at society for seeming to
tolerate Negro violence and per-
haps even encouraging it by ex-
cess concern for Negro rights."
Some 1,200 business establish-
ments in the ghetto were damaged
during the riot. Most of the
heavily-damaged stores were
owned by whites, of whom an esti-
mated 90 per cent were Jews.
Despite predictions that most of
the stores could not or would not
reopen, about 90 per cent did, "al-
though there was tension and hos-
tility between storekeepers and
their customers."

The Jewish merchants oper-
ate mainly four types of busi-
ness in the Negro ghetto: "mom
and pop" stores; Kosher butch-
ers and delicatessens; service
businesses; a n d "exploitative"
enterprises, such as pawnshops

and other credit enterprises.
There are reportedly only two
Jewish-owned pawnshops in the
Newark ghetto.

retired a bit earlier than they
would have normally, or were able
to get help from adult children,"
or from Jewish communal agen-
cies. Liquor dealers, dime stores
and drugstores all reported that
their suppliers and other retailers
came to their aid immediately and
helped them restock their stores.
Stoloff also reported that the
"exploitative" businesses were
both "profitable and tenacious."
Among the hardest hit by the riot,
they were also the quickest to re-

The rioting had varying effects
on those enterprises, the report
found. Some of the merchants had
planned to retire before the riot;
some wanted to sell but could not
find buyers, and some were able
to resume activities.
The report called "minimal"
the extent of hardship suffered by
the owners of "mom and pop" and
specialty stores, many of whom
were elderly people "who merely THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

turn "to business as usual."
The owners of the exploitative
enterprises did however, "take ac-
tion to improve relations with the
Negro community." One pawnshop
owner reported he had changed
one of his credit practices about
which Negro customers had com-
plained. These merchants felt they
had been "good" to their cus-
tomers, frequently giving credit
otherwise not obtainable. "They
seemed surprised at the Negroes'
lack of gratitude," the report said.

Friday, March 15, 1968-19

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