CONTENTS
OPINION
24
CLOSE-UP
Wiping The Tears
RUTHAN BRODSKY
Temple Israel is working
with the bereaved
to help them through
their grief.
30
BACKGROUND
Re lig ious News Service
Spy Catching
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. accepts the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize
Black-Jewish Relations Stumble
In The Footsteps of Dr. King
MITCHELL BARD
T
he birthday of Dr. Martin Luther
King has become a day on which
Jews try to reaffirm their tradi-
tional ties with the black community. This
is appropriate because Jews stood side by
side with King during the civil rights mar-
ches and have been at the forefront of the
causes that he championed. Jews also feel
an affinity to King because of his longstan-
ding support of Israel.
Perhaps the most significant remark
that King ever made with respect to Israel
was his impassioned statement: "Anti-
Zionism is anti-Semitism." One of the
causes of tension between the black and
Jewish communities stems, unfortunately,
from the failure of many of the professed
followers of King to recognize what he
found self-evident.
This is particularly true on many of the
nation's university campuses, where the
most vocal and vitriolic anti-Semitic
statements tend to come from black stu-
dent groups that insist on portraying Israel
as an imperialist nation bent on the sub-
jection of blacks in Africa and the Palesti-
nians in Israel. In fact, it was in response
to a student's remark to this effect that
King condemned anti-Zionism.
While Jews believe that Israel should
be seen as a model of what can happen in
a developing country, it has become
fashionable to see Israel as a tool of the
United States. Even when Israel took the
heroic action to save black Jews in
Ethiopia, the American black community
reacted with indifference or worse. Jesse
Jackson, for example, refused to intervene
to help save Ethiopian Jews — blacks —
because he saw them as potential assets to
the Israeli army and the settlement
movement.
Mitchell Bard is a political science analyst in
Washington, D.C.
Ironically, the black African states have
looked to Israel for assistance in develop-
ing their countries. Most of the programs
Israel supported in Africa were halted
when the African states severed relations
with Israel in 1973. The Arab states that
pressured the Africans to take this step
subsequently failed to deliver on promises
to help them so, gradually, several African
states have begun to renew their ties with
Israel.
The issue of South Africa remains pro-
blematic for black-Jewish relations
primarily because of a misunderstanding
of Israel's relationship with the apartheid
regime. The truth is that Israel was one of
the first nations to condemn apartheid at
the United Nations and would probably not
have the relationship it does if the other
African states had not severed relations in
1973. As it is, the relationship is, while
closer than some would like, relatively
trivial compared to South Africa's relations
with the United States, Europe and,
ironically, black Africa. Nevertheless, no
matter how many letters Jewish students
write to campus newspapers in an effort to
place Israel's relations with South Africa
in proper perspective, black students insist
on singling out Israel for vilification at
anti-apartheid protests.
In general, blacks are far less suppor-
tive of Israel than whites, according to
public opinion polls, and although the vast
majority of black political leaders, in-
cluding almost the entire Congressional
Black Caucus, supports Israel, future
leaders will no doubt be drawn from among
those who are expressing negative at-
titudes on the nation's campuses.
Like the Jewish community-at-large,
Jewish students do attempt to reach out to
their black classmates, but these overtures
often prove futile because of the hostility
of the black student leadership. Those in-
dividuals see no compatibility of interests,
Continued on Page 10
HELEN DAVIS
A Soviet Jewish emigre
was caught in Israel's net.
40
LIFE IN ISRAEL
Realizing A Dream
LISA JACKNOW ELIAS
Former Detroiter Sheldon Klimist
has re-launched several careers
in the land of Israel.
42
SPORTS
Pugilistic Politics
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Battles in and out of the ring
have punctuated the career
of boxing commissioner
Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum.
center
Tzedakah and Tu b'Shevat are
the themes of this month's
Jewish News family section.
ENTERTAINMENT
But Seriously Folks . • •
57
RITA CHARLESTON
Comedian Jackie Gayle has paid
his dues and is now trying
the world of film.
FOR SENIORS
Door To Door
LINDA ROMAN
A new transportation service
is helping isolated seniors.
DEPARTMENTS
32
36
57
68
78
84
86
110
Inside Washington
Synagogues
Entertainment
Youth
Engagements
Births
Single Life
Obituaries
CANDLELIGHTING
January 22, 1988
5:16 p.m.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
7