THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, December 23, 1977 33
Black Jews Are Seeking Public
Recognition of Religious Identity
NEW YORK—America's
Orthodox Black Jews are
coming out of the closet.
"Black Jews have_been
all but invisible on the
American scene," says
Rabbi Avraham R. Cole-
man, spiritual leader-of the
Orthodox Black synagogue
in Brooklyn's Crown
Heights section.
"This was due in large
measure to the insensitivity
and misconceptions of a sig-
nificant number of Black
non-Jews concerning the
Black Jew and his religion.
"The fact that not a few
Blacks viewed any brother
or sister who worshipped at
a synagogue rather than a
church or mosque as a trai-
tor is not a new phenome-
non. As a result, the Black
Jew has been content to
hide his or her Jewishness."
Today, however. as Rabbi
Coleman writes in - Hao-
lam- (a new magazine pub-
lished by and for Orthodox
Black Jews), "the Black
Jew - like other members
of the Black community --
has greater cognizance of
his roots. It is of little con-
sequence to us ,that our
brethren of like skin pig-
mentation view as a 'trai-
tors' or a minority within a
minority.
"True our numbers are
small when compared to
other faith communities in
the Black world. This situa-
tion is compounded by the
fact that we cannot and do
not proselytize. Never-
theless we take pride in
being the original propaga-
tors of the belief in one God
- a belief later embraced by
both Christians and Mos-
lems alike.
It is our hope that our
Black brothers and sisters
will come to know us better
through this publication,
and in that way they will
also come to abetter under-
standing of themselves and
their own religions."
The first issue of - Hao-
lam - features articles on
Ethiopia's Black Jews, the
Falashas ; the role of the
Jewish woman in the Jew-
ish family; the historical
involvement of Moslems in
Africa's slave trade, and an
introduction to the Orthodox
Black synagogue in Crown
Heights—Cong. Zichron
Rabbi Eliezer Meskin—led
by Rabbi Coleman.
-
Shown holding a min-
iature Torah scroll is little
Levi Yitzhak Coleman, son
of Rabbi Avraham Cole-
man, spiritual leader of
Cong. Zichron Rabbi Eliezer
Meskin, an Orthodox Black
synagogue in the Crown
Heights section of New
York.
* * *
"The fact is that our ori-
gins are as old as the belief
in monotheism itself. Our
spiritual ancestors are none
other than the biblical patri-
archs Abraham. Isaac and
Jacob."
Rabbi Coleman is presi-
dent and chairman of the
board of the. new pub-
lication. In the magazine's
lead editorial, he writes:
For information on - Hao-
lam," write Ms. Yadine
Walker, editor, Haolam, 170
Second Ave., New York,
N.Y. 10003.
Polish Jews Here Invited to Poland
NEW YORK—The first of-
ficial delegation of Polish
Jews in America was in
Poland recently at the in-
vitation of the Polish gov-
ernment.
The invitation came fol-
lowing discussions between
the executive of the Feder-
ation of Polish Jews in the
United States and Polish
Ambassador Dr. Witold
Trampczynski.
Headed by Rabbi Alexan-
der M. Schindler, president
of the federation, the group
met with members of the
Polish government in War-
saw after visiting Auschw-
itz, Maidanek and Treblinka
and Jewish communities in
Cracow, Lodz, Wroclaw and
Warsaw.
The delegation presented
to the Polish Government
the following six-point mem-
orandum:
• Jewish institutional
• Appropriate memorials
and organizational property to be erected at the sites of
to be assessed • and com- mass graves of Jewish vic-
pensation earmarked for tims such as Treblinka and
preservation of the Polish- Maidanek.
• A special Auschwitz pa-
Jewish heritage.
villion to be constructed.
• Access to documentary
• Social Security and pen-
and historical material to be
sion payments to be made
provided.
by the Polish government to
• Sa_cred relics to be re-
turned to Jewish syna- former PoliSh citizens who
gogues and groups through- are now citizens of the
out the world. United States.
read that the door is left
open than to say negotia-
tions have failed."
Zaghloul: "Right. I
agree."
CAIRO (JTA)—If the
Mena House talks end with-
out real progress but the
participants want to pretend
otherwise, they would do
well to recall how this was
done by Ramsay MacDo-
nald and Zaghloul Pasha
more than 40 years ago.
The two men met here in
the same hotel to discuss
Egypt's desire for freedom
from British rule. Their
talks were fruitless because
the British Prime Minister
was already preparing to
resign.
This transcript of their
talks tells the rest of the
story:
, NEW YORK (JTA )-
"Twelve Jewish editors,
members of the American
Jewish Press Association,
left last week for a 10-day
tour of Morocco as guests of
the government.
They were invited by the,
government's tourism min-
ister as part of King Has-
san's policy of trying to
establish friendly relations
between Arabs and Jews.
The group is due to visit
Morocco's main cities
where most of the country's
30.000 Jews live: Casab-
lanca, Rabat, Fez, Meknes,
Tangier and Marrakesh.
MOVIE
GUIDE
Americana Complex
1, 2, 3, 4
Cultural Lag?
Greenfield N. of 9 Mile 339 - 2730
1 THEATERS IN ONE RI ILDING
RABAT, Morocco
(ZINS) — According to the
Egyptian newspaper Al Ah-
ram, more than 70 percent
of the world's Arabs have
never seen a motion pic-
ture. The newspaper called
on. Arab governments to fi-
nance more theatei-s and
produce original films.
Red. MATINEES ALL
THEATERS--I Shore only
at I:00 -S1.31)
MacDonald: - Shall we
make an announcement
saying that the door of nego-
tiations was left open
instead of negotiations have
come to an end for one rea-
Aon or another?"
BERKLEY
• •
• •• • • • •
_ NIA__ SEATS
S1.60
AT ALL TIMES
(.3 03
4.10 idge
12 Li
Mil2 e . - 0
"NEW POLICY"
JOHANNESBURG
(ZINS) — The four Jews
elected to South Africa's
Parliament are Mrs. Helen
Suzman, Alf Waldman, Har-
ry Schwarz and Theo Arons-
tam. Five Jews were de-
feated in the elections.
The number of Jewish
MPs is one of the lowest
totals in recent years.
Zaghloul: "I don't see
much difference." MacDo-
nald: "Oh yes there is. It's
much nicer for people to
•
"CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF
THE 3rd KIND"
"FIRST LOVE"
"THE STING"
"LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR"
Elect Jewish MPs
All seats $1.00
at all times
including Saturday night.
No Coupons Accepted.
A Great Comedy
George Burns and John Denver
"OH GOD" (pg)
•
•
• • • • • •
•
•
„Why doesn't anyone tell you there's a
•
•
difference between making love*and
NOW
being in love?
BONUS VALUE
••
• COUPONS
•
• Children's
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Matinee
•
26th Jan. 1st
• Dec. "RAGGEDY
•
• & ANDY" ANN
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1:00
&
2:45
•
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•
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-
WASHINGTON THEATRE
Royal Oak - 541-0082
Uniform
of the Day!
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Jewish Editors
Visit Morocco
-
If you sweep the whole
house, you will find
everything.
A Lesson in 'Door Opening'
Free! An official Red
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