• The War That Went Wrong 3 Good News, Bad News For American Jews 44 Elie Wiesel Says A Jew Alone Is A Jew In Danger 88 Esther Broner: Feminist And Zionist 25 1■111■■■•■=i THIS ISSUE 50c SERVING DETROIT'S METROPOLITAN JEWISH COMMUNITY JUNE-14, 1985 Public Perceptions Worry Carl Levin General community sees Jewish groups as 'one- issue' oriented. BY ALAN HUSKY Craig Terkowitz News Editor Two rabbis at left blow shofars while being ticketed in Washington. Sending A Message Local rabbis diverge on colleagues' activism outside the Soviet Embassy in Washington. BY TEDD SCHNEIDER Staff Writer A pair of Detroit-area rabbis in- volved in community efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry differed sharply this week over the merits of political ac- tivism by religious leaders following Monday's arrest of 21 rabbis during a demonstration outside the Soviet Em- bassy in Washington. "I support their cause and the way Births B'nai Mitzvah Classified Ads Editorials 72 Engagements Obituaries Purely Commentary 52 Danny Raskin 34 Singles 66 Synagogues Women's News 58 68 73 4 87 2 41 they went about it," Rabbi David Nel- son, of Cong. Beth Shalom said Tues- day. "I find their efforts worthy of emu- lation." Rabbi Nelson, who is an active member of the Jewish Community Council's Detroit Soviet Jewry Com- mittee, said such protests not only "make a statement to the Russian leaders, but let the world know that Soviet Jews are not going to be forgot- ten as our brethren were 40 years ago in Germany." But Temple Beth El Associate Rabbi Norman Roman thinks there are other, better ways of getting the message across. "I doubt very much that I would try to do anything that was illegal. I think activism is neces- sary within the context of being Jewish, but I don't support illegal ac- tivism in that particular situation." Rabbi Roman also serves on the Detroit committee, although he called his role with the organization "mini- mal." He is a member of the commit- tee's speakers bureau and says he tries to promote educational programs on the plight of Soviet Jewry. The Temple Beth El associate rabbi sees more conventional methods of activism as being just as effective as the recent rash of public demonstra- tions and arrests. He cited a 1983 trip to the Soviet Union during which he Continued on page 32 "How are you going to keep them down on the farm" may be one of the most serious issues facing the Jewish community. U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D- Michigan) is so concerned about farm-state perceptions of the Ameri- can Jewish community and Israel that he took a trip recently to Nebraska and the Dakotas with his brother, Rep. Sander Levin (D-Southfield). Senator Levin told a Southfield meeting of the local United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership Cabinet this week that the first person they were introduced to told them, "You guys are Jewish. It's a good thing you're here. There's a lot of anti- Semitism going on because people are losing their family farms and they are blaming it on the (alleged) Eastern Jewish banking establishment." "It struck us," Levin told the breakfast meeting, "how fragile our position is in America. What would happen if we hit another Depression? Which members of Congress could withstand the pressure if someone gets up and wants to move $1 billion from foreign aid to the farm program, or unemployment programs, school lunches or programs for seniors.. . "People are afraid. What if some- one gets up and plays to those fears?" Continued on Page 12 IIIIMINIIIM11111111111111111 CLOSE-UP Ada Bandalene gets them exercising. FILLING THE GAP The Jewish Center branch is undergoing a resurgence, fulfilling inter-generational and geographic needs. See Page 14