4 Friday, June 8, 1984 • THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS THE JEWISH NEWS Serving Detroit's Metropolitan Jewish Community with distinction for four decades. Editorial and Sales offices at 17515 West Nine Mile Road, Suite 865 Southfield, Michigan 48075-4491 TELEPHONE 424-8833 PUBLISHER: Charles A. Buerger EDITOR EMERITUS: Philip Slomovitz EDITOR: Gary Rosenblatt BUSINESS MANAGER: Carmi M. Slomovitz ART DIRECTOR: Kim Muller-Thym NEWS EDITOR: Alan Hitsky LOCAL NEWS EDITOR: Heidi Press EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Tedd Schneider OFFICE STAFF: Marlene Miller Dharlene Norris Phyllis Tyner Pauline Weiss Ellen Wolfe ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Drew Lieberwitz Rick.,Nessel Danny Raskin Seymour Schwartz PRODUCTION: Donald Cheshure Cathy Ciccone Curtis Deloye Ralph Orme © 1964 by The Detroit Jewish News (US PS 275-520) Second Class postage paid at SoUthfield, Michigan and additional mailing offices. Subscription $18 a year. VOL. LXXXV, No. 15 CANDLELIGHTING AT 8:48 P.M. Auschwitz jokes Auschwitz jokes are the rage in West Germany these days. That depressing news comes from a report by an American anthropologist and _ German ethnologist who note that this form of "gallows humor" fills some psychic need for those who tell them and those who listen to them and "they demonstrate that anti-Semitism is not dead in Germany." An article in the current issue of Harper's magazine cites several examples, but we will spare you. The point is that jokes are a reliable barometer of the attitudes of a group, and these jokes show little evidence of remorse. Centuries of German anti-Semitism apparently did not end in the ashes of Auschwitz. Bridging racial gaps A call issued by Reform.Jewish leaders to black fellow citizens to preserve their mutual social interests and thereby eliminate the "traumas of the moment" which were engendered in the current Presidential campaign, is linked with a strong declaration calling for the bridging of the racial gaps between two peoples. On that score, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, deplored the befouling of the political arena with anti-Semitism and the . glorificaion of Hitler by a supporter of Jesse Jackson. Schindler declared: "Our commonality far outweighs our differences. Our agendas for America, if not identical, are felicitiously congruous. In the final analysis, only our common enemies will benefit if we allow ourselves to be torn apart. "We must not permit the offensiveness of Jackson's rhetoric and manner obscure the moral worth of his domestic agenda. We cannot permit the stresses and strains of the hour to divert us from our historic pursuit of social justice and human decency." This is an admonition that strikes at the very root of human decency and honorable American citizenship. There is every reason to believe that in the main this sentiment has the support of responsible black leadership, just as it commits Jewish representatation in the American society. Therefore, the duty to bridge the gap and to raise high the standards of American citizenship. `Sanctified' evil . Inevitable emphasis on the evils which have polluted the morals of a noble Israeli society appear to have gained a distressing limelight. The shocking "fundamentalism" of evil-minded people in the Jewish state gave the media a topic on a large platter. It is an experience that must be exposed not only for the evils perpetrated but also for the exaggerations that tend to give Israel a sad image. The shock of Israelis emulating the worst in terrorism is all the greater because there are factually so few among the perpetrators of the criminal acts. They do not even number a portion of one percent of the Israelis. But those who have resorted to the crimes are quoting Scriptures. They are in the lowest forms of "fundamentalism." Therefore, the impressions are so distressing, the experience so shocking, the earned contempt so deeprooted. There is no room for such forms of bestial terrorism anywhere, and especially in Israel. Jewish alternatives suggested for Jesse Jackson 'campaign' BY RABBI IRVING GREENBERG Special to The Jewish News negotiation, there might be some room for improvement on his part, Besides, Jackson is highly ambitious. He might undo some political dam- age if, with some Jewish help, he can back off the racial, anti-Semitic limb onto which he has climbed. The problem is that all this would take great political deftness and gentle handling. The other organizations would have to restrain their criticisms of the Reform while nevertheless pursuing alternate op- tio'ns. The others would have to work behind the scenes to make sure that the Reform do not split the moral force condemning anti-Semitism nor give away Jewish interests for a pit- tance in such negotiations. Here again, ideally, Jews should work both sides of the street. Currently, there is no mechanism to allow e Jews to explore this possiblility. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is too weak in staff and process to handle this. It is likely, then, that the absence of Jewish internal political process will preclude this approach. This is proof again that we need a community think tank in public affairs. The Jewish alternative is to bring heavy pressure on Walter Mondale —and on the press and opinion molders — that anti- Semitism be confronted and put be- yond the pale. American Jewry should reinforce the Administration for Vice President Bush's outspoken critical comments on the failure to challenge Jackson. Far from dis- counting Bush's comments as politi, tally motivated, the community should seek to generate political rivalry among candidates to disown anti-Semitism in the public affairs arena. - The Jewish side has one great strength going in this struggle over Jackson's role and, views. Unless Jackson shifts — repents — his can- didacy will prove to be a dead end for Jesse Jackson's success in the Democratic primaries has created a political dilemma for American Jewry. The overwhelming bulk of Jews are angry at Jackson's "Hymie" and "Hymietown" slurs. The anger moved toward contempt after Jackson's refusal to repudiate a "sur- rogate" who called Hitler "a very great man" (albeit "wickedly great"). There is danger that Jackson's cam- paign in the '80a will complete the restoration of anti-Semitism started It would take a dramatic shift on the Jewish • question to make a Jackson opening to white America credible. by some white radicals and black nationalists in the 1960s. Ideally, there should be some centralized mechanism for the var- ious Jewish groups to assess policies and come to an overall community set of choices. The Reform movement, with its strong liberal, pro-black cre- dentials should be delegated to go be- yond its call for renewed Jewish- black cooperation and to directly ap- proach Jackson and explore some moves to break the present cycle of alienation and hostility. Some of Jackson's wrong direc- tion stems from his easy drift into "third world" and conventional "pro- gressive" positions. He has risen to political prominence without re- socialization from childhood anti- Semitic exposures. Jackson's low ability to self-criticize locks him into his initial mistakes. The absence of Jewish (as well as other white) advis- ers further desensitizes him to the need to correct his views.With Rabbi Greenberg is president of the National Jewish Resource Center. Continued on Page 22 • '