Murder of a D.C. Jewish Merchant and Jewish Dilemma
SAVE
50c
TWICE
BY MILTON FRIEDMAN
(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)
WASHINGTON—The bullet that
killed Meyer Kanter in Washing-
ton, D.C., bad an impact on every
white merchant who continues to
operate in the black ghetto. It had
special significance for Jews. Mr.
Kanter, vice president of a syna-
gogue, was gunned down by Negro
thugs in his small furniture store.
Community leaders insisted that
neither Mr. Kanter nor other re-
cent Jewish murder victims were
slain because they were Jewish.
The real murderers were poverty
and despair, not the two youths
charged with the crime, they said.
The accused pair were merely
striking out in understandable rage
against the nearest white target.
The leaders went on to say that
law-abiding Negroes are also the
victims of black brutality. Jews
should not be hypersensitive mere-
ly because more whites are being
assaulted and murdered. The Jews
should show compassion and re-
spond constructively by contribut-
ing to humanitarian projects to
redeem t h e black community.
They should help the Negroes con-
vert the ghetto into a visible and
healthy community where local
residentS would control police and
schools.
This concept is being rejected
today by many Jews; like those
who shed tears at Mr. Kanter's
grave. They see growing terror-
ism inflicted by Negroes upon
whites. They believe that anti-
Semitism is rising in the black
community They feel that Jew-
ish merchants in the ghetto are
subjected to the cutting edge of
the black revolution.
Many Jews are now convinced
that black criminals are being
coddled and the police restricted.
They want social justice for all—
but they also desire a community
where people will not be victim-
ized because of their color—white
or black.
A call for "more effective police
protection" was issued by Dr.
Isaac Franck, executive vice presi-
dent of the Jewish Community
Council of Greater Washington.
"This was not the first such loss
of a precious human life, and no
excuses can be made for it. It
was an act of sheer criminality
and lawlessness."
Chairman John W. Hechinger of
the District of Columbia City Coun-
cil is also a Jewish merchant.
His business does not involve a
small shop but a prosperous chain
operating throughout the capital
and its suburbs.
"With the rise of demagoguery
and the pressure of the public call
for law and order," said Hech-
inger, "I fear the withdrawal of
certain portions of the Jewish
community." Hechinger sought to
minimize Negro anti-Semitism and
warned against "a cop-out for
those Jews who have other rea-
sons for wanting to abandon the
struggle."
The council chairman of a
city now three-quarters black,
Hechinger said the issue was
not "simply a problem of Jew
Barton's
Continental
Chocolates
Reg. $3.50
NOW $3.00
Barton's
Fruit Cake
Reg. $3.00
NOW $2.50
Luscious! Barton's Conti-
nental Chocolates. Centers
of nuts, fruits, cordials and
cremes. 1 lb. 6 oz. Reg.
$3.50, now $3.00. Double
Size-2 lbs. 12 oz. Reg. $7.00,
now $6.00.
Scrumptious! Barton's rum-
flavored Fruit Cake with
nuts and glazed fruits. In a
colorful gift tin. Reg. $3.00,
now $2.50.
These two specials on sale
till December 5th only. If
you wish, we'll also take
your order thru Dec. 5th
and deliver on any day you
name before Christmas.
(THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
and Gentile or black and white. theid American police state may
Friday, November 29, 1968-9
The problem is man's inhuman.
emerge, they fear.
ity to man."
Hechinger said "the 1 o c a 1
establishment," Jewish and non-
LJ
Jewish, shared blame for allowing
INTRODUCING TWO NEW
"a black Ghetto with rat-infested
CHILDREN'S HANUKA BOOKS .
slums, decaying housing, an abom-
inable overcrowding to exist with-
in 10 blocks of the White House."
He told a Jewish audience that
"the District of Columbia leads
the nation with the highest infant
mortality rate, except for Mississi-
Delightful Reading for The Little Ones.
ppi. Washington has the unfortu-
nate distinction of being the city
with the highest gonorrhea infec-
tion rate in the United States.
Hechinger added that "out
of every five children receiving
welfare assistance, two are illegiti-
mate. Of those pupils in the 9th
grade, only one out of three will
Values to $8.95
graduate from high school. We
have 185 school buildings, and one-
third of these were constructed be-
DO ALL YOUR HANUKA SHOPPING AT
fore World War I."
The Washington Jewish commu-
nity faces a dilemma. Its solution
affects all those concerned with
perpetuating a Judaic heritage in
a free society. Tougher law en-
forcement may soon come, many
observers believe. It may lead to
wholesale police roundups of Ne-
gro extremists and guerrilla re-
13535 W. 7 MILE at Schaefer
prisals. If security is obtained at
DI 1-0569 or DI 1-3268
the expense of justice, an apar
a
"HANUKKAH ABC"
"THE GLORY OF CHANUKAH"
L
ELECTRIC HANUKA SIGNS & MENORAS
99c $395 $495
BoRENsTEINs
BOOK & MUSIC STORE
Technion Friends Raise
Computer School Funds
DETROIT
18309 WYOMING
1 Block No. of Curtis
OAK PARK
24790 COOLIDGE
Next to Dexter-Davison Mkt.
26048 GREENFIELD
Lincoln Center—Next to
Nosherie
• Featuring a Large Selection
of Fine Imported Gifts and
Greeting Cards
•At Oak Park Stores Only
Oak Park Stores open-7 Days
• . ' . '
N E W YORK — The American
Technion Society, supporter of the
Technion-Israel Institute of Tech-
nology•in Haifa, will focus on com-
puter science at its national din-
ner Thursday at the Americana
H _ oteL •
David Rose, chairman of the
ATS board of directors, is chair-
man of the event, which will hon-
or Charles Frost, retired business
executive and philanthropist.
Guest speaker will be Dr. Eman-
uel R. Piore, vice president, chief
scientist and board member of
International Business Machines
Corp.
Members of the society plan to
.establish. a, s, hoof for , colrip.uley
science -at - tfiC Are'chnion; =
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1968 -7 P.M.
COBO HALL
General Chairman, Robert Brody
.
Chanukah Music by Eric Rosenow and his Continentals
Call DI. 1 5707
-
for Reservations
$6.50 per person
Dietary Laws Observed
411*"•1`1`'?4.
—ael'Iltbliie'1furfirfa-Sifti''''."3 '1 "
'''''''''''''' for '1968.- ist