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Friday, March 30, 1984
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
Serving Detroit's Metropolitan Jewish Community
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rd) 1984 by The Detroit Jewish News
(US PS 275-520)
Second Class postage paid at Southfield. Michigan and additional mailing offices. Subscription $18 a year.
CANDLELIGHTING AT 6:36 P.M.
VOL. LXXXV No. 5
Wooing Jewish voters
These are heady times for American Jewish voters. For proof, just
witness the spectacle of Sen. Gary Hart and former Vice President Walter
Mondale trying to outdo each other this week in showing their support for
Israel.
The other day, while Hart was giving a speech in New York to the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations that
sounded like it was written by Menachem Begin, Mondale was in Los Angeles
explaining that he had done all he could in 1978 to oppose the Carter sale of
AWACS planes to Saudi Arabia.
Hart said he considered Israeli settlements on the West Bank to be legal,
noted that if King Hussein wants us to provide stability to his regime, let
him recognize the State of Israel," and asserted his opposition to the sale of
sophisticated weapons to Arab enemies of Israel. He criticized Mondale for
not only not opposing the AWACS sale but for "lobbying vigorously" for it.
Mondale responded by saying that it is well known that while Vice President
he had lobbied privately within the Carter Administration against the sale.
Both Hart and Mondale spoke out loud and clear in favor of moving the
U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the only difference being
who favored the move first and most forcefully.
It doesn't take a cynic to notice on the calendar that all of these pro-Israel
declarations come on the eve of the New York primary, with its significant
Jewish constituency. For those of us who don't know whether to feel flattered
or insulted by all of this attention, it is important to keep in mind that it is
more wise to judge a politician by his record rather than his rhetoric.
Fortunately, in this case both Mondale and Hart have had excellent records
on Israel.
But it is also worthwhile to recall the saga of Joe Clark. He's the former
Canadian Prime Minister who pledged to move Canada's Embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem and finally backed down, cowed by Saudi threats to cut off oil
supplies.
The point is to encourage candidates to take stands we favor, event() prod
them. It's all part of the political process. But we must never take their
pledges too seriously, and balance the memory of what they've said and the
reality of what they've done to further the interests of the Jewish community.
Community conscience
Overwhelming in its totality of 'responsibilities to practically all of the
Jewish needs on an organized community basis, the Allied Jewish Campaign
represents the aspired completeness of aims to make philanthropy the most
workable of instruments.
Approaching another fulfillment of aims in its annual fund-raising
tasks, this major Jewish duty once again has an anticipated success, in
tribute to the devotions of a dedicated community.
With some few days to go before the annual drive concludes, there should
be the admonishment that triumph cannot and must not be assumed, and
must be labored for tirelessly.
From the reports thus far obtainable, thousands of contributors are yet to
be enrolled — several million dollars in gifts are yet to be obtained.
To those, therefore, who are yet to be reached for their gifts, this must be -
stated:
While Israel's needs are paramount, and the Jewish state's functions
predominate in the perennial appeals, there are some 60 agencies dependent
upon the Allied Jewish Campaign for income provided by Detroit Jewry's
.generosity.
The important Jewish agencies serving the aged, the schools, the new
settlers from the USSR, the handicapped, have a share in the funds now being
either fully paid for or pledged during the fund-raising season which is about
to conclude.
Many national agencies, universities and civic protective movements
look to a successful Detroit campaign for income vital to their needs.
Those yet to be reached must share in the responsibilities which will
assure a conscience that has human sparks in behalf of this entire
community.
Hopefully, the several thousand yet-to-be-reached donors will respond . as
generously as those who have already established a foundation for a good
Campaign. Therefore, this appeal for action, for generosity, for a partnership
not to be shunned. This community is a leader-in philanthropic generosities
and it will hopefully continue conscientiously as an inspiration for all Jewry.
The continuity thus to be retained is what makes Detroit Jewry a proud
factor in American Jewry.
A Canadian look at Israel
BY WOLF BLITZER
Special to The Jewish News
Ottawa — A brief visit to the
Canadian capital underlined some of
the differences and similarities be-
tween U.S.-Israeli and Canadian-
Israeli relations.
It also demonstrated the basic na-
ture of the clearly influential Ameri-
can and Canadian Jewish com-
munities in their respective political
efforts to promote closer ties between
their own countries and Israel.
They use the same basic tech-
niques, although the U.S. Congress
plays a considerably more influential
role in the Washington foreign policy
decision-making process than the
Canadian Parliament does in Ottawa.
In addition, there is much more of a
tradition of lobbying in Washington
than in Ottawa — although this is
slowly changing.
The Canadian Jewish commu-
nity, in many respects, is the Ameri-
can Jewish community in microcosm,"
said Michael Chernack, the CIC's di-
rector of communications.
Aaron Pollack of Montreal, the
founding president of the organiza-
tion, underlined a basic difference in
the U.S. and Canadian systems. In
the United States," he said, "the
Jewish community does not consider it
a right to petition their government. It
is a duty for them. They are exception-
ally well organized. They fully under-
stand how to massage the system. The
Canadian tradition of lobbying is still
rather young."
Pollack also pointed to the fact
that much of the approximately
350,000 Canadian Jewish community
is "first generation" in Canada. As a
whole, therefore, they are not yet at
home in the country as aresthe six mil-
lion Jews of the United States.
This last point was made obvious
in a handbook for community activity
which the CIC has just published.
"Some community members are reluc-
tant to engage in advocacy on
Canada-Israel relations on the
grounds that their `Canadianism' will
be questioned," it said. In fact, the
results of our public opinion poll indi-
cate that a majority of Canadians per-
ceive that Jewish Canadians have a
loyalty to both Israel and Canada. In
their view, this does not affect the
`Canadianism' of Canadian Jews.
Rather, it is a reflection of their com-
mitment both to their country_ and to
their heritage. In other words, Cana-
dians expect us to be concerned about
Israel's fate and to articulate this con-
cern to them."
Jewish community leaders from
around Canada — mostly from On-
tario and Quebec but also from the
maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and
Halifax to the west coast of British
Columbia — gathered to hear lectures
on the current state of Canadian-
Israeli relations, the overall situation
in the Middle East and other related
topics. There was a special session de-
voted to the unique aspects of the polit-
ical process in Canada — or how best to
influence politicians north of the U.S.
border.
Just as is the case during the an-
nual policy conferences of AIPAC in
Washington — the next one is
scheduled for April 8-10 — top Cana-
dian parliamentarians came to meet
with their constituents. Again as in
Washington, this was something more
important this year since Canada is
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