The 1960s anti-Semitism of
the South End "made a deep
impact on members of the
Jewish community."
"The conclusion was that a
Jewish studies (degree) program
with a format like the one at the
University of Michigan is not what
would serve best here. It was
thought that, given the proximity
of the Jewish community to Wayne,
and the relatively small number of
Jewish students on campus, an on-
campus/off-campus program would
be more desirable.
"Beginning in the fall, one or
more Jewish studies scholars will
come to the Detroit area for a
period of four to five days at a
11 1110
time, and take up some contempor-
ary issue in Jewish life. Specific
presentations will (focus on) what-
ever is suitable to the scholar and
Glen Triest, Benyas-Kaufman
what's wanted by the Jewish com-
Cohen, who was head of the local munity. Major presentations will be
school board, sort of took their held at synagogues and on campus,
bright young kid — me — under and there'll also be special discus-
his wing. And much of my counsel- sion groups and smaller meetings.
ing and advising about going to col- (The program) is basically an effort
lege and law school was from to explore, in depth, issues in con-
Jewish friends of the family "
temporary Jewish life."
Adamany says the program, to
• A program, funded by the
Jewish Welfare Federation and
Wayne State, will bring noted
Judaica scholars to the Detroit area
to speak both on and off campus
about contemporary issues in
Jewish life.
"There's been a long consulta-
WaYne State University
tion between us in the university
and the Jewish Welfare Federation be conducted over a three-year
about what kind of program at period, will be headed by Dr. Jacob
Wayne would be most welcomed by Lassner, director of the Department
the Jewish community," says of Near East and Asian Studies at
Adamany. (Although a number of Wayne.
Though problems do still exist
courses on Jewish history, politics,
art, and language are offered at at Wayne (among them, a faculty
WSU, a degree program in Jewish not entirely happy with the initia-
Continued on next page
studies is not in existence.)
410
Jewish organizations are resuming
their relations with Wayne State
again."
He's particularly encouraged
by several new projects which, he
believes, indicate a promising fu-
ture shared by Wayne State and
Detroit's Jewish community:
• The new $15 million Louis
M. Elliman Clinical Research
Building will be erected at Canfield
and Brush, starting in the spring,
and is scheduled to open its doors
late next year. With a $2 million
contribution, Louis Elliman desig-
nated $1.5 million for construction
and $500,000 for research in vascu-
lar surgery.
• The WSU Press has gained a
national and international reputa-
tion as a publisher of Jewish
studies. In September, the Press
published The Jews of Detroit:
1762-1914, as part of its popular
Great Lakes Books series, along
with other important Judaica titles.
Plans are underway to put together
a second, more extensive volume,
which will trace the history of the
Jews of Detroit to the present day.
• A new scholarship fund has
been set up by the Arab
American-Jewish Friends Organ-
ization, a loosely-knit local group
working to establish better under-
standing between the Arab-
American and Jewish communities
in the Detroit area. They will also
sponsor a lecture series on the
civilization and culture of Arabs
and Jews during the Golden Age.
I'm very much in sympathy
with their objectives," says
Adamany, whose ancestry is
Lebanese. "And my sympathy
arises partly out of very strong per-
sonal experiences. My own parents
were immigrants to this country
and were not college-educated. One
of their very close friends, Myron
23