SH
American Jewry: What Is a Jew?
By the Editor of
Seven Arts Features
The recent decision by the
Small Business Adminis-
tration (SBA) to reject an
application to designate the
100,000-150,000 Hasidim
in the United States as "a
socially and economically
disadvantaged group" on
the grounds that it would be
a violation of the Constitu-
tional requirement of sep-
aration of church and state
was an example of bureauc-
ratic nitpicking.
The Hasidim are, of
course, a definite religious
coup. But they were not
king for federal funds for
eir yeshivot, but as spe-
cial designation as a minor-
ity group. The SBA readily
ANSWER
BACK
You're ate a party and
someone makes a dispar-
aging remark about Israel —
"Israel is intransigent. - "Is-
rael gets too much from the
United States, - "Begin was a
terrorist. -
You know what he's say-
ing is wrong. but you don't
have the facts to back you up.
An emotional reply leaves you
feeling that you've let Israel —
and yourself — down.
Don't let this happen again.
Now. more than ever, you
should be better informed.
Get the new. updated . .
thousands of years. But in
the U.S., Jews have always
been officially considered
just another religion.
This has been of enor-
mous benefit to the growth
of the American Jewish
community. But at the same
time, Jews are more than a
religion. They are a people
who also share a common
experience, history, culture.
However, when Jews have
sought to claim that they
are more than just a reli-
gious group, this has come
in conflict with the Ameri-
can ethos. Just witness the
fact that you could not list
yourself as a Jew in the re-
cent census since it did not
ask people to state their
religion.
This conflict is becoming
more urgent because of the
question of Israel, because
of the problems of the large
number of poor Jews and
because many Jews have
become part of the Ameri-
can trend toward ethnic
pride.
In Israel, the argument is
over "Who is a Jew." Ameri-
can Jewry will have to come
to grips with "What is a
Jew."
THE MICHIGAN CHAPTER
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY
invites you to add your name
to the growing roster of
community leaders who are
participating in the gala
1980 SCOPUS
AWARD LUNCHEON
Honoring
JCRC Asks Postal Service
for Aid in Stopping Hate Mail
NEW YORK (JTA) —
The Jewish Community Re-
lations Council (JCRC) has
asked the U.S. Postal Serv-
ice to launch an investiga-
tion into the source of anti-
Semitic literature being
mailed to organizations and
individuals throughout the
metropolitan area and to
find out what steps can be
taken to end this harass-
ment.
The-hate literature, in the
form of cards, features a
map of the United States
covered with swastikas
marking various key loca-
tions across the country.
The address and tele-
phone number of the Jewish
Defense League are given.
The cards have no return
MYTHS . AND
FACTS
1980
A Concise
Record of the
Arab-Israeli
Conflict
Leon Uris says Myths &
Facts "is a clear. concise rec-
ord of a conflict that has
been rendered unclear and
over-simplified by 30 years
of propaganda and uneven
reporting. - This easy-to-use
book is complete with index.
maps and charts. Order
now.
Send $2.95 plus 40C post-
age for each copy of Myths
& Facts or receive a free
copy by ordering a subscrip-
tion to Near East Report. the
weekly Washington newslet-
ter on American policy in
the Middle East. Keep
abreast of fast-moving events
and critical issues that shape
the future of Israel and the
Arab world.
address, but are post-
marked "Central Illinois."
Malcolm Hoenlein,
executive director of the
JCRC, said that his office
has received calls from a
variety of people that re-
ceived the card in the
mail during the past
week.
"The only common factor
among the recipients is that
all placed ads in major
Jewish publications in re-
cent weeks," he said.
"It appears from the way
the envelopes are addressed
that they are being taken
from ads. The text on the
card also is similar to lan-
guage used in several ads
that appeared in Jewish
publications."
Bnai Brith Cites Levenson
Li Send me a one-year Near
East Report subscription
and a free copy of Myths
& Facts. Enclosed is my
check for $18.00.
copies
El Send me
of Myths & Facts. En-
closed is my check for
$
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
admits that the evidence
was overwhelming that
Hasidim experienced prej-
udice and discrimination in
employment. The SBA did
try to mitigate its decision
by noting that "it is frankly
anticipated that the typical
Hasidic entrepreneur will
have little difficulty in es-
tablishing his or her social
disadvantage."
the
difficulty
The
Hasidim are undergoing
with the SBA is one that
Hasidim and other poor
Jews have been experienc-
ing in other areas where
Jews have sought to be in-
cluded among the disadvan-
taged minorities entitled to
federal akd. It is also part of
a larger issue which will
eventually have to be dealt
with by the entire American
Jewish community.
Jews have found greater
freedom, equality and pros-
perity in the U.S., despite
discrimination, partly be-
cause of the separation of
church and state. In the
countries from which they
came they were not consid-
ered true citizens even
though they had lived there
for hundreds and even
ZIP
Make checks payable to
Near East Report
444N wth Capitol St . N.W.
Washington. D.0 20001
••••=111,
WASHINGTON — Say-
ing that "Jews are builders,
not destroyers," folklorist
and humorist Sam Leven-
son emphasized to a
predominantly Jewish
audience the importance of
applying "human values" in
interacting with people.
Addressing a luncheon
session of the annual meet-
ing of Bnai Brith's Commis-
sion on Community Volun-
teer Services here, Leven-
son provided a 45-minute
sampling of his humor to
illustrate his theme.
Bnai Brith honored
Levenson with its Chai
Award for his "outstanding
contributions to community
service, citizenship and
humanitarianism." He was
given a gold, illustrated
Bible with his name in-
scribed on the cover.
Levenson asserted his
credo has been to teach his
listeners "how, to be a
`mensch2 " His humor, he
explained, is universal, al-
,
J
•
4 •
though the traditionalist
Hebrew background under-
lies all his material.
"I describe, at nobody's
expens, the experience of
my people," Levenson said,
adding that, in essence, he
talks about "the hopes and
dreams of any human be-
ing."
Kosher Hotel
JERUSALEM (ZINS) —
A fully kosher hotel will
open in Cairo this month,
the general manager of
Knitted Skullcap Tours, Eli
Blau, announced. Knitted
Skullcap Tours and Interna-
tional Travel Agency have
leased the Vendome Hotel
in Giza, Cairo, and turned it
into a top-class kosher hotel
which will employ a full-
time _religious cook, rabbi
and kashrut supervisor
from Israel, Blau said.
All the meat served at the
hotel will be supervised by
the Glatt laboratories.
EMMA LAZAROFF SCHAVER
12 Noon
Sunday, May 18, 1980
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
27375 Bell Road, Southfield
Thomas I. Klein
Chapter President
Harold Berry
Luncheon -Chairman
Max M. Fisher
Gov. William G. Milliken
Honorary Chairmen
Luncheon - Co-Chairpersons
Mrs. Goldie Adler
. James August
Louis Berry
Paul D. Borman
Mrs. Allen Charlupski
Samuel M. Cohodas
Sidney I. Feldman
Mrs. Edith Frank
Dr. Conrad Giles
Irwin Green
Dr. William Haber
Mrs. Samuel Hamburger
David B. Hermelin
David B. Holtzman
Yale Levin
Samuel Rothberg
Julian Venezky
Erwin C. Ziegelman
Paul Zuckerman
LUNCHEON COMMITTEE IN FORMATION
Charles N. Agree
. Normal Allan
Dr. Eli V. Berger
Leonard E. Baron
Harold Beznos
Allen Charlupski
Martin E. Citrin
Irwin I. Cohn
Willard Cohodas
Lewis Daniels
Dr. Mark Diem
Charles E. Feinberg
Dr. Manuel Feldman
Mr. & Mrs. Walter L. Field
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Frankel
Dr. & Mrs. Jason- A. Goode
Rabbi Irwin Groner
John M. Haddow
Dr. Joel I. Hamburger
Ben Hershkovitz
Dr. Maxwell M. Hoffman
Betty Hyman
Joseph H. Jackier
Bernard Klein
Justice & Mrs. Charles Levin
Mrs. Michael M. Levin
Dr. Joseph M. Markel
Milton J. Miller
Max Nosanchuk
Sponsoring Organizations:
Irving Nusbaum
David Pollack
, Rabbi M. Robert Slime
Mr. & Mrs. Saul Saulson
Sam Schiff
Dr. & Mrs. Leo Shipko
Samuel J. Simmer
Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Simons
Mr. & Mrs. Philip Slomovitz
Herbert Sott
Sylvan Rapaport
Joel D. Tauber
David P. Zack
Mr. & Mrs. N. Ziegelman
Dr. & Mrs. Arnold Zuroff
Aesculapian Society, Sam Kaplan; Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, Dr. Ronald A. Miller; Detroit
Women of Alpha Omega Dental, Mrs. Edward Haenick; Metropolitan Detroit (Council) Hadassah,
Mrs. Russell Meskin; Maimonides Medical Ladies Auxiliary, Mrs. Floyd Tukel; Detroit Men's ORT,
Irving Nusbaum; Michigan Region Women's American ORT, Mrs. Martin H art; Detroit Chapter,
National Council of Jewisn Women, Mrs. Robert Welling.
Mrs. Marie Levitan
Field Representative
David Koren
Director, Midwest Region
Martin Hecht
Chairman. Midwest Region
For Reservations or Information Please Call
353 4800
Mrs. Marie Levitan
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