THE
JEWISH NEWS (USPS 275-520)
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075
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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
ALAN HITSKY
News Editor
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
HEIDI PRESS
Associate News Editor
DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 16th day of Elul, 5739, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 60:1-22.
Candle lighting, Friday, Sept. 7, 7:38 p.m.
VOL. LXXVI, No. 1
Page Four
Friday, September 7, 1979
ERASURE OF ILL WILL
American Jewry is not on the defensive.
Neither does it concede that it is on the defen-
sive. The occurrences of the past two weeks un-
fortunately gave evidence of a poisoning of
minds which should have operated for clear
thinking and for the encouragement of truth-
searching. Instead there is an imposition of a
serious duty to ask for understanding based on
facts and realities rather than distortions and
permitting the spread of misconceptions that
have led to hatred and distrust. It is never too
late to correct errors, and if the spreading
poisons are retained in the body politic of this
country's citizenry it can be damaging to the
unity of the people who make up this land and to
the truth that is so vital in upholding the
foreign policies of our government.
Conditions affecting the Middle East and its
related issues as well as the peoples involved
are of great concern to Jews everywhere, and
the American interest is deeprooted in this mat-
ter. This makes all citizens of this land linked to
the policies of the American-Israel friendship.
For an assurance of retention of this friend-
ship, which has much to do with the stakes the
U.S. has in protecting American rights in the
Middle East,- Israel's security is uppermost on
the agenda of American foreign considerations.
Citizens of all faiths and races grant this com-
mitment to justice for Israel. Intruding this
basic principle is the injection of a Palestinian
issues which has polluted the air, has poisoned
the media, gave cause to misunderstandings
that threaten amity in American ranks. It is
urgent that the issues be understood, lest they
be so utterly confused that what is not a limited
hostility in some ranks will become a violent
divisiveness. Because it is so completely un-
called for, there must be a correcting of the
existing ills in the American society.
Many public expressions by the black fellow
citizens, letters to newspapers, feature articles,
all give the impression that the utterances are
out of the conviction that the rights Israel
cherishes for herself are denied to the Arabs.
Because this is such a gross distortion of fact it
must be refuted, and the hope is that the an-
tagonists of Israel will not resort to the Big Lie
which always disrupts unity and good will.
It is unfortunate that the term Palestinian
should have been misapplied and misinter-
preted. Israel does not reject Palestinians, and
Jews are equally Palestinian in the sense that
when they live together with Arabs in a Pales-
tinian area they share the same nomenclature.
It is the destructive element that would destroy
the Arab-Jewish kinship that is rejected by
Jewry, in the same sense that blacks would do,
must reject any affiliation with the Ku Klux
Klan. One never sits with an enemy who bran-
dishes a gun and says he aims to kill and to
destroy those who could be his cooperative
neighbor.
- There is, however, a regrettable linking of
those who would annihilate with those who are
and should remain good neighbors. The tragedy
is doubled by the fact that the Palestinians who
are in Israel's midst and are her neighbors are
being influenced by an element not in their
midst, domiciled elsewhere, functioning with
an aim. to undermine every effort leading to
peace. That's where Israel's chief obstacle exists
— that either out of fear or under pressure the
Palestinians for whom there is a plan for self-
rule are acting as agents for PLO. The opposi-
tion to the latter by Egypt, the fact that PLO is
not welcomed in other Arab quarters, have not
been helpful. Israel's friendly negotiations are
made difficult by the PLO threats from Beirut
headquarters.
The occurrences in the United States, with
the blacks suddenly emerging as the advocates
of the PLO cause, is not helpful to the cementing
of pea"ceful relations. It contributes to discord,
and it is this that must be avoided.
Where are the black leaders who have studied
conditiohs in-ISrael, who have witnessed the an-
xieties of the Jewish state to assure an adher-
ence to the most dedicated efforts of friendly and
cooperative co-existence that is elevating the
standard of living of the Arabs, is providing for
them the most desirable health and educational
provisions? If and when there are shortcomings
they can surely be corrected, but that can be
achieved only when there is good will and
amity.
The American black community has been
helpful in the establishmerit of good relations
with Israel and its spokesmen often asserted
their understanding and interest in a whole-
some Israeli society. The incident of the Andrew
Young resignation, which was a result of White
House and State Department policies, caused a
change that is inconceivably puzzling. There
were no Jewish pressures and the charge of
bugging has been denied, and even if these ac-
cusations were true they could have been ad-
justed as differing reactions which are possible
in human relations. But they have been
engineered into a campaign of such inexcusable
venom that they compel an appeal to reason.
Jews and Israelis are not anti-Palestinian,
and the rejection of even the remotest fraterni-
zation with the PLO must be understood and
encouraged. Those who would destroy cannot be
dealt with. The blacks are invited to endorse
this view and to understand that Israel aims for
just political, social and economic rights for all
Arabs living in her midst or on her borders.
The appeal to the blacks is for an under-
standing of the facts and for cooperation to
encourage the Judea-Samaria Arabs, the
mayors of Arab populated cities, all who now
live in Israel-administered territory, to seek an
accord and to cooperate in the establishment of
peaceful conditions for all. Anwar Sadat and the
Egyptians have helped pave that road. All
Americans can be helpful in this task. The black
leadership have been, can remain, must con-
tinue to be a factor in encouraging peaceful re-
lations and to reject divisiveness. There is much
to be desired towards that end. May the reten-
tion of good will be an inspiration towards that
end.
While good libertarians will, as they should,
reject uniformity, they will insist on unity in
American ranks. To attain it there must be a
total elimination of animosities. This is a duty
for all citizens.
Detroit Federation Figures
Prominently in Philanthropy
Detroit's Jewish Welfare Federation has an important role in the
analysis of Jewish philanthropic activities in this country as defined
in a definitive work, "Understanding American Jewish Philan-
thropy," (Ktav) edited by Prof. Marc Lee Raphael of Ohio State Uni-
versity.
In the first of 22 essays by the most authoritative evaluators of
American Jewish philanthropic activities. Prof. Arnold Gurin of
Brandeis University provides an interesting account of accom-
plishments and aims in the Greater Detroit communities.
Because of the emphasis given in this as well
as the other major articles to the responsibility
felt toward Israel, the priority given to Jewish
education and the concern for involvement of
youth in community affairs, it is important to
note that the president of the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit, George M. Zeltzer,
authored an essay on "Operation Israel." While
dealing in the main with the benefits derived for-
the United Jewish Appeal, through the Allied
Jewish Campaign, from missions of leaders in
the community to Israel, Zeltzer tells of the iden-
tification of youth, stating:
GEORGE ZELTZER
"The total of the giving of the mission
participants usually ran somewhere in excess of a half a million
dollars. We had six father and son sets; four of the sons were
alienated from Jewish life and three seemed alienated from
their families for whom the miracle of Israel temporarily
bridged the gap of alienation.
"This is not really medication for alienation but it was hearten-
ing for the families and for the community that fathers and sons were
able to go. I think the combination is interesting and it certainly
affords the opportunity to bring young people into our campaign
work."
The changing generations figure prominently in the interviews
the author conducted with Federation leaders for an account of their
attitudes and the interests they displayed in the roles assumed
through Federation, while affirming their obligations to the United
Foundation agencies.
Of additional interest is the reference to the religious affili-
ations of Federation leaders. Prof. Gurin points out:
"It does not necessarily follow that there is a great deal of overlap
and integration in the leadership power structure of the Jewish popu-
lation. As a matter of fact, the indications from our data are somewhat
in the other direction.
"The group of Federation board members included in our sample
were, it is true, members of the congregations, but their responses
indicated that they were not taking leadership positions in the reli-
gious institutions, at least at this time. Only seven out of the total
group of 104 respondents indicated that they were active members of
synagogues or temples in the sense that they were members of the
boards of such institutions or attended most meetings. On the other
hand, there were 44 who reported active membership in some other
type of secular membership organization."
Ideologically, the views of Jewish community leaders are treated
en masse, without identifying those interviewed (two exceptions
being Max M. Fisher and his daughter, Jane Sherman).
That which is credited to and learned from the specific Detroit
experiences is applicable to many other communities. This makes
"Understanding American Jewish Philanthropy" vital to an under-
standing of the developments in..these fields in the total American
Jewish community.