A husband and
wife team are
trying to bridge
Zionism's
generation gap
he jury is out," George
Mann says simply. "I cannot
guarantee you that ten years from
now the Zionist movement will
have a renaissance."
Mann and his wife Ann Man-
delbaum are among a handful of
Detroiters in their 30s and 40s
working to rejuvenate Detroit's
Zionist organizations. Theirs is
strictly an uphill battle. "It is in an
incipient stage. It all depends on if
we can find an echo in the Jewish
heart," Mann says.
Mann and Mandelbaum were
instrumental in forming the De-
troit Young Zionists last year. The
group is a branch of the local
Zionist Organization of America.
With about 70 people on its mail-
ing list and a core group of 15, the
group, Mann says, hopes to become
strong enough to inherit the man-
tle of leadership from those cur-
rently heading the ZOA.
"The average age in the ZOA
is the 70s," he explains. "If we
don't step into their shoes now, it's
going to die out."
But rejuvenation involves more
than just adding young faces to
veteran institutions. It also means
restoring to Zionism what Mann
likes to refer to as "idea content,"
that lively intellectual and histori-
cal approach to Jewish nationalism
— beyond the simple emotional ap-
peal taken by other pro-Israel
groups — that once rallied Jews
around the dream of a Jewish na-
tional home.
Says Mandelbaum: "A new
ideal has to be created that will
give us something to work for, to
look forward to. It's become too
easy, just write your check and be
done with it."
The ZOA, they point out, is not
primarily a fund-raising organiza-
tion, so "idea content" is of
paramount importance if it is to
survive. Other local Zionist and
Jewish groups are also working to
bring a new generation into the ac-
tivist fold (See sidebar). The idea-
Bill Pugliano
HE IDEA
ACT
millm••• ■
DAVID HOLZEL
Staff Writer
based Zionist groups are struggl-
ing, while the fund raisers and de-
fense organizations are having a
much easier time.
George Mann and Ann Man-
delbaum have had the opportunity
to view things from both sides of
the organizational fence, as mem-
bers of the ZOA and as board
members of the local branch of the
American Jewish Committee, a de-
fense organization. "There the av-
erage age is the late 50s," Mann
says, indicating a less pronounced
generation gap within the Commit-
tee.
Both types of organizations
play vital and complementary roles
in the Jewish world, the couple be-
lieve. "Zionism is the inward look-
ing self-realization of the Jewish
people," Mann explains. As for the
AJCommittee, "Secure in our
Jewishness, we reach out to the
rest of the world. Both views are
necessary."
Sitting side by side, the couple
offers complementary approaches to
the issues they are trying to tackle.
Mann, a lawyer, is analytical and
dwells primarily on theory, while
Mandelbaum, with a doctorate in
modern languages, tends to look at
the human, individual element.
Most striking about American
Zionism is the "lost generation" be-
tween the leadership and those
preparing to replace them. Why are
the 45 to 60 year olds virtually ab-
sent from Zionist organizations?
The Zionist dream was not able to
inspire the leaders' children, says
Mann. "We are almost the grand-
children's generation."
Mann and Mandelbaum each
have a theory about why the
Zionist idea is largely unattractive
to Jews today.
"It has suffered because of at-
tacks on Zionism," says Mann.
"Anti-Zionism is just another way
of being anti-Israel and anti-
Jewish. There's no way you can
distinguish the two. So people
think that Zionism has something
wrong with it."
Says Mandelbaum: "People
may identify Zionism with making
aliyah. They live well and don't
want to make the sacrifice. (Stres-
sing aliyah) is an error that has
indirectly killed some of the
enthusiasm."
The couple argue for a change
in the traditional emphasis on
aliyah. "It's very hard for the older
generation to accept this," says
Mann. "But the writing is on the
wall."
That writing spells out the
growing numbers of Israelis who
are leaving Israel, surpassing the
numbers of Jews who are moving
there. "I believe in aliyah," Mann
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