Friday, July 15, 1983 3 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Max M. Fisher, at 75, Has An Optimistic Message sense of interdependence of Israel and the Diaspora. If you have any doubts that American Jewry under- stands this, consider the probability that we will reach the $600 million mark for the 1983 United Jewish Appeal campaign, an increase of $25 million over 1982!: 3 My -fellow Detroiter, Marty Citrin (president of the Council of Jewish Fed- erations), predicted the pos- sibility of increased Cam- . What about Jewish edu- paign income, and you may cation? Is there sufficient be sure this is based on the motivation in this country? understanding and appre- It is very very strong, . ciation of American Jewry both here and abroad. There of Israel's needs. Are you satisfied with the is a realization developing that something must be cooperation of the Israel done, and I notice that the government relative to ad- Reform and Conservative vancing the Diaspora-Is- movements, as well as the rael partnership? American Jewish Commit- There have been ups and tee, have been conducting downs in the Jewish Agen- important dialogue on this cy's relationship with the issue. Israel government. In the As you know, Jewish edu- areas of greatest concern to cation was a central issue of the Agency — aliya and the Jewish Agency Assem- rural settlement, Jewish education and the quality of 7 bly. Through our (Louis) Pincus Fund, we have been life in Israel — there must carrying out invaluable be clear definition of gov- programs throughout. the ernment and 'Jewish Diaspora by strengthening Agency responsibilities. teacher training, raising The Caesarea Commis- the standards of our school sion on Aliya recommended systems and, most impor- the closest collaboration be- tant, giving children the tween the Agency/ World benefit of the Israel experi- Zionist Organization and ence. In your role as chairman the government in the work of the Jewish- Agency, and of aliya and absorption. in your constant quest for And, in fact, as part of the support for Israel, have you ongoing organized commu- met with any antagonism nity responsibility of Ameiican Jewry, you can from American Jews? On the contrary. The expect to see a greater local trauma engendered by the involvement in the work of threats to Israel in the aliya. But if you're looking for Six-Day War and the Yom , Kippur War reinforced the an example of improved (Continued from Page 1) We hear so much gloom and doom from those who feel that assimilation would destroy the Jewish people. I don't believe this at all, and I think we will gain added strength with the involve- ment of young leadership. They ask penetrating ques- tions and are not satisfied with "pat answers." I notice, for example, that they identify with the cause of Jewish education in all its facets. . (- 1 7 cooperation between the Jewish Agency and the Is- rael government, I would point to their coordination on Project Renewal. Can you expand on that? Working relations be- tween the government, Project Renewal neighbor- hoods and their twinned communities abroad are really excellent. Detroiters who have visited Ramla can attest to the genuine out- pouring of affection from the neighborhood residents. When Project Renewal was initiated five years ago, there appeared to be many questions, even an- tagonism, among the Is- raelis. I have not found this to be the case because people on a local level are making deci- sions and moving Project Renewal ahead. Time will show that this great humanitarian undertaking has pushed our relationship with the Israelis a great - step forward. tively rechart their direc- tion in life. And knowing this, their parents show a new excitement and op- timism. have you met with any Arab leadership? Any Hope in this area? I have not had much occa- sion to meet with Arab representatives. However, I did spend time with (Egyp- tian) President Mubarak and several members of his cabinet which I think has been very useful. I am hopeful that conver- sation is possible in the fu- ture, and only by setting up dialogue can we eliminate some of the antagonism. Dialogue of a different sort: How do you judge the New Jewish Agenda and the Jewish Defense League? Do you favor welcoming these movements into organized How accurate is the pic- ture portrayed in the press of severe divisions between Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews in Israel? Will Project Renewal have any impact on alleviating this divisive- ness? . The situation is not as bad „ as portrayed. Education, of course, is the answer. And here is where Project Re- newal shines. People who had no hope now speak of the future. And most of these people are of Sephardi origin. If you take children who were a step behind when they started school and give them a head start on their education, you can effec- Daily—Hospital Sympathy FRUIT BASKETS Jewish ranks? They represent two ex- tremes in a pluralistic society. I don't believe they represent a potent force in Jewish life. In advancing Israel's cause and needs, what is your impression of the level of understanding among non-Jews? How serious is the occasional, but well- publicized, anti-Israel re- sponse? To a great degree, I have found non-Jews to be sup- portive of Israel. Although with the Lebanese situation last year we did run into some negative feeling, I be- lieve that as time has gone on this response has tended to change. pealed the lower court deci- AJCongress filed a friend- of-the-court brief in support sion. The Seventh Circuit of the 'IRS position. Redlich said the Al- Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia over- liance's principal publica- turned last June 28 the tion, "Attack!" published in lower court order, ruling newspaper format, contains that the Alliance did not stories, pictures and edito- meet requirements , set up rials alleging that "non- by the Alliance did not meet whites" principally requirements set up by blacks = are inferior to Congress for tax exemption white Americans of Euro- because Alliance materials pean ancestry, and are ag- were not "educational" gressively harmful and under "any reasonable in- dangerous, and that "Jewish control" of United terpretation" of that term. The stated purpose of the States governMent policy is Alliance is "arousing in - harmful to the interests of white American of Euro- white Americans of Euro- pean ancestry an under- pean ancestry.. The appeals court deci- standing of and a pride in their racial and cultural sion declared that "even heritage and an awareness under the most minimal re- of the present dangers to quirement of a rational de- velopment of a: point of view, that heritage. Redlich said that deci- National Alliance mate- sion, if upheld on any , rials fall short. If the Alliance imple- further appeals, would ments plans to appeal, the insure that American taxpayers would not be Jewish Telegraphic Agency forced to subsidize the- was told, it has two options. publication and distribu- It may ask for a re-hearing tion, under the guise of of the case by the Court of educational activities, of Appeals or it may seek a crude anti-Semitic and Supreme Court review of the appeals court ruling. other racist materials. Redlich, who is dean of The JTA also was told AJ-1 the New York University Congress officials do not; law school, said the appeals have information on when court decision did not in any the Alliance will appeal the way endanger First circuit court ruling or which! option it plans to choose. Amendment rights. The JEWISH NATIONAL FUND OFFICIAL AGENCY 18877 W. Ten Mile Road Suite 104 Southfield, Michigan 48075 Phone; (313) 557-6644 OMEGA Monday thru Thursday, 9 AM to 5 PM Friday 9 AM to 4 PM AUTHORIZED SALES & REPAIRS George Ohrenstein Jewelers, Ltd. 3 Times Daily Nation-Wide •Delivery . $1 795 RODNICK- McINERNEY'S • 772-4350 Certified Gemologist American Gem Society HARVARD ROW MALL SOUTHFIELD, MICH. 4)3076 353-3146 b ra KEREN K ',NEMETH LEISRAEL Ways To Drive A New Oldsmobile - From Glassman Appeal Sought by Group on Tax Ruling NEW YORK (JTA) -- The National Alliance, de- scribed by the American Jewish Congress as an openly racist group, plans to appeal a federal appeals court decision denying it tax exempt status, the AJCon- gress said. A ruling which over- turned a lower court deci- sion upholding tax exemp- tion for the Alliance was hailed by an AJCongress of- ficial as a major step in clos- ing a tax loophole used , by such organizations as the Alliance to finance virulent anti-Semitic and racist propaganda. Norman Redlich, co- chairman of the AJCon- gress commission on law and social action, said this was the first known decision denying a federal tax exemption to a group whose program consists of issuing_ racist propaganda. The Alliance, a Virig- nia corporation with its office in Arlington, had a rgued_ that it was entitled to tax exemption because it served an "educational function." The federal district court for the District of Columbia, had ordered the Internal Revenue Service, on May 27, 1981, to grant the exemption. The IRS ap- SAY IT WITH TREES New '83 Cutlass Ciera Brghm : Air Conditioned T/Glass, Pwr. Wind., Pwr. Lks., B.S. Mldgs., Dr. Gds., Remote Mirrors, Cruise, Tilt, Super Stock Whis., Wire Whl. Covers, Glass Rad WW, Stereo, Stk. #301. You Pay Only I 0 889 \.t. • 44',Qk . • . 28000 Telegraph At The Tel-12 Mall Open 'Til 9:00 Mon. and Thurs. Eves. 354-3300