THE JEWISH NEWS Serving Detroit's Metropolitan Jewish Community with distinction for four decades. Editorial and Sales offices at 20300 Civic Center Dr., Suite 240, Southfield, Michigan 48076-4138 Telephone (313) 354-6060 PUBLISHER: Charles A. Buerger ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Arthur M. Horwitz EDITOR EMERITUS: Philip Slomovitz EDITOR: Gary Rosenblatt CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elie Wiesel ART DIRECTOR: Kim Muller-Thym NEWS EDITOR: Alan Hitsky LOCAL NEWS EDITOR: Heidi Press STAFF WRITER: David Holzel LOCAL COLUMNIST: Danny Raskin ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Lauri Biafore Millie Felch Randy Marcuson Rick Nessel Danny Raskin • OFFICE STAFF: Lynn Fields Percy Kaplan Pauline Max Marlene Miller Dharlene Norris Mary Lou Weiss Pauline Weiss Ellen Wolfe PRODUCTION: Donald Cheshure Cathy Ciccone Curtis Deloye Joy Gardin Ralph Orme .C) 1986 by The Detroit Jewish News (US PS 275-520) Second Class postage paid at Southfield. Michigan and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: 1 year - $21 — 2 years - $39 — Out of State - $23 — Foreign - $35 CANDLELIGHTING AT 4:43 P.M. VOL. XC, NO. 15 Irangate It seems, noted one Washington cynic this week in commenting on the current Iranian crisis, that the only lessons the Republicans have learned from the Watergate trauma is to destroy the evidence as soon as possible. Indeed, President Reagan seems to be plagued with a cover-up mentality that makes parallels to Watergate inevitable. That's a shame, especially because the American people are only too willing to forgive politicians who simply say they are sorry when they have made a mistake and appeal to our humanity. The Iran crisis was clearly brought about by mistakes on the part of the Administration, whether it was trying to keep foreign policy decisions secret or having woefully inadequate lines of communication. Certainly the upcoming investigation in Washington will shed more light on the situation and how it happened. Israel's role in all of this, and the impact it might have on U.S.-Israel relations, is of great importance to the Jewish communiy, as noted in reports in this issue by correspondents Wolf Blitzer in Washington and Helen Davis in Jerusalem. Israeli officials are fearful that their government will be made the "fall guy" in this affair to protect President Reagan, with Israel transformed from a strategic partner to an accomplice in an offense. Was she aiding an enemy in Iran or helping out a friend in Washington? Israel has always had a pragmatic approach in dealing with less-than-friendly governments, whether it's related to arms sales or negotiating for the release of hostages. The difference is that when hostage talks have broken down, Israel's next step is to take military action, with Entebbe but one example. In the case of Iran, Israel has been dealing with Teheran since the Shah fell seven years ago, in part because Israel sought to buy protection for the 50,000 Jews still living in Iran, in part because Iran was willing to buy arms for its war with Iraq, and in part because it was in Israel's interest to see that war continue. In acting as a conduit for the U.S., Israeli leaders no doubt felt that they would be promoting their own interests while proving their strong cooperation with Washington. It's too early to draw conclusions here. One has the feeling that we are still in the midst of this crisis, that not all the facts have come to light yet. Until they do, Jerusalem's credibility is on the line, along with Washington's. Soviet Essence Former refusenik Rabbi Eliahu Essas reminded Detroiters this week that they can, and do, make a difference to the Soviet Jews locked behind the Iron Curtain. Although many Jews in the West become discouraged or complacent when letters to refuseniks or Soviet officials go unanswered or are returned, Rabbi Essas assured us that those communication link are an unparalleld pressure point for the Soviet hierarchy, and a lifeline for the two million Jews of the Soviety Union. OP-ED A Very Merry Christmas In Our Homes And Schools MIRIAM L. SUSSMAN m erry Christmas! A very Merry Christmas to you all! It comes as a shock to see this greeting in a Jewish publi- cation. Yet how many times in the next few weeks will you be saying "Merry Christmas"? As a Jew, do you send Christ- mas or season's greetings cards to your Jewish friends and business associates? Or perhaps you feel that your children are missing something dur- ing the Christmas season and in order to make them feel a part of the festivities you are planning to put gifts under a "Chanukah bush"? If you do, you are depriving the children and youself of one of our great heritages, the Chanukah story and all that it symbolizes. The only link between Christ- mas and Chanukah is that they usually occur within two or three weeks of each other. This year, Chanukah will be observed two days after Christmas. The similarity ends right there. There is no connection between the observance of Christ's birth and the recapture of the Tem- ple. Any attempt to cross pollinate the symbols confuses the children and bastardizes both holy days. For example, a toy store last year was selling an expensive stocking to be hung on the fireplace. Traditional? No. The stocking was woven in an overall pattern of blue Mogen Davids on a white background. It is common practice in many of the public schools to present assem- bly programs about both holidays during the month of December. What doei a parent say when the child's teacher requests the family Miriam Sussman is a freelance writer in Florida. menorah to be used in the mid-year pageant so that all the children can share the holiday spirit? The parents can send a note to school with the following message: We appreciate your good inten- tions in wanting to observe Chanukah in school this year. We regret that we cannot share this ceremony with you because we • feel that religion is a very personal mat- ter and religious rites — yours or ours — do not belong in the public schools. If you like, I am sure that your church and our synagogue can ar- Any attempt to cross pollinate the symbols confuses the children and bastardizes both holy days range a fellowship day where we can explain our cultures to each other in an ecumenical way to anyone who cares to participate. "Please understand that we are sincerely grateful for your efforts, but since there is absOlutely no cor- relation between Christmas and Chanukah, which was celebrated 165 years before the birth of Christ, it deprives both holidays of their true meanings when they are pre- sented together and may tend to point out the differences between the children rather than the common areas where they can work together to build our American democracy. "Again, your consideration is sincerely appreciated." One of two things will probably happen: the teacher will be so de- lighted not to have to do the annual cantata that the whole matter will be dropped, or the request will go out to some other Jewish parent who