EDITORIAL Complacency The winds of change are blowing across the Soviet Union. The world watches with interest as Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika — openness and restructuring — give hope to the Soviets and the people of the world that a new regime will ease tensions both inside and outside Soviet borders. But have we been lulled by these events? Yes. Immigration of Soviet Jews has increased in the last year, ostensibly with fewer roadblocks than in the past. But Soviet discrimination against the practice of Judaism and higher education quotas for Jews — to name just two areas — continue unabated. Gorbachev may have the right idea, but old habits die hard. So imagine our surprise that the Moscow Circus is coming to the Jewish-owned Palace of Auburn Hills, and that Jewish-owned Farmer Jack's supermarkets are promoting the appearance by pro- viding half-price tickets to the public. And after several years of in- formation picketing at Soviet entertainment performances in Detroit and Windsor, the Jewish Community Council's Soviet Jewry Com- mittee is still deciding how to respond to the circus. Last December, more than 1,000 Michigan residents participated in the massive Soviet Jewry demonstration in Washington, D.C., showing our solidarity with the two million Jews of the Soviet Union. Have we forgotten so quickly why we traveled to Washington 10 months ago? Tuesday, it would be "a major disaster" for Israel and the prospects of peace. This new strategy is an effort to boost Peres and his Labor par- ty, but whether or not endorsements from Hussein and the PLO will succeed with Israeli voters remains to be seen. Peres has acknowledg- ed his role in helping to orchestrate Hussein's television appearance. While Shamir criticized Peres for introducing an Arab leader into the Israeli election process, Peres responded that if it will help the cause of peace it should be supported. Of course there is a good chance that the Peres effort, which has been clumsy, may backfire. How many Americans would vote Democratic next month if Mikhail Gorbachev came out in support of Michael Dukakis? Peres must have figured that the risk was worth it, or necessary, but it will be the Israeli people who will decide whether they want to hold firm with Likud or explore trading land for peace with Labor. Surely they will make their choices based on what they think is best for them, their families, and their country, and not on whether Arafat and Hussein approve. STEP svita "US"P 1 11101 (1 11 11 1 1. w 1 .1 i l 1 L 1 riot ROW WE - ENDED UP STRANDED HERE TIE LAST TIME Israel And • • Arafat?! With only a few days left until Israel's national elections, voters familiar with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir are now confronted with a new face in the campaign: Yassir Arafat. The Palestinian Liberation Organization and its leader are try- ing to influence Israel's election, urging Arabs and Jews to vote for "the forces which represent the real peace choice" or face the pro- spect of war. Arafat's message comes close on the heels of King Hus- sein of Jordan's appearance on "Nightline" last week, where he asserted that if Shamir's Likud party wins a decisive victory next ift h b • : -.1f.strim pe • ,„, mfig0 . , 47/ UNITSIc,G04.541mi.wr LETTERS Countless Programs Bring Jews Together On Oct 6 my family and I and hundreds of other families like ours attended the "Knowing Noah" pro- gram at the Jewish Com- munity Center. It was a thoroughly en- joyable, fun-filled day for all of us. Your paper, the Federa- tion's Jewish Experience for Families and the Jewish Community Center are to be commended for sponsorship of this event. I wish that the speakers, writers and program developers who spend so much effort analyzing the issues that divide our corn- munity would attend a pro- gram like this. They would see that, thanks to the above- mentioned sponsors, the Neighborhood Project and other fine organizations, there are now countless pro- 6 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1988 grams that bring Jews from all walks of life and background together right here in our neighborhoods. At the . "Knowing Noah" program, I saw a balance of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and unaffiliated families having a good time together. Let's not focus on that which divides us. Let's sup- port and encourage the groups and organizations that sponsor these events. Rabbi E.B. Freedman Administrative Director, Yeshivath Beth Yehudah Coach's Comments Not Accurate As the highest ranking of- ficial of the Jewish faith in the Royal Oak Youth Soccer Association (ROYSA), I take offense and am embarrassed by the comments of Mark Phillips in "Observant Kickers," (Oct. 21). While he is correct about the ROYSA making accom- modations so that Jewish children can play after atten- ding religious services, the association does not condone its players "kicking-ass" after services. The whole purpose of the ROYSA program is to teach youth soccer in a friend- ly environment; it is not designed to cause a schism between Jew and non-Jew. The children from Oak Park and Berkley who play in the ROYSA program are from all races and religions. No one is favored over another and every child is treated equally. The tenor of Mr. Phillips' comments, however, gives a false impresion that Jews receive special treatment. It simply is not true. Because of this false im- pression, I publicly apologize to those players and parents of the Christian, Moslem and other faiths who read or heard of the article. Mr. Phillips' quoted statements might have been his own thoughts, but they certainly were not those of the ROYSA. Sheldon G. Larky Vice President, Royal Oak Youth Soccer Association Civil Liberties Get Little Media Notice There is one aspect of the current presidential cam- paign relevant to American Jews which has received little attention in the media, as far as we have observed. Civil liberties and the separation of church and state are of para- mount importance to Jews in the need for a never-ending effort to protect our existence as a minority in an over- whelmingly non-Jewish coun- try .. . In the current campaign, we need to ask ourselves about the positions of the two candidates on issues such as school prayer, religious displays on public property, detention of people without trial (preventive detention) and enforced oaths. It is clear that Michael Dukakis, and not George Bush, is supportive of posi- tions on these issues which help protect us all. It could be argued that each of these matters is only a minor threat. But these things, Continued on Page 12 Let Us Know Letters must be concise, typewritten and double- spaced. Correspondence must include the signa- ture, home address and daytime phone number of the writer.