EDITORIAL
Changes In Moscow
New and interesting events are occurring in the Soviet Union.
Last Sunday, the first official Jewish cultural center opened in
Moscow since the 1920s. Speaking at the center's dedication were
Edgar Bronfman, president of the. World Jewish Congress, and Nobel
laureate_Elie Wiesel. Neither is known for being shy to criticize the
Kremlin's treatment of Jews.
A few days before the cultural center opened, a Moscow newspaper
published an article by two Soviet historians who equated their coun-
try's anti-Zionist propaganda of the last two decades with Hitler's
Mein Kampf They also acknowledged the widespread discrimina-
tion against Jews- in the workers' paradise, especially during the
Stalin and Brezhnev years.
These two events, coupled with last year's largest Jewish emigra-
tion from the USSR since 1979, surely suggest that the situation
of Jews in the Soviet Union is easing. Such criticism of Soviet
authorities and such acknowledgement that Jews do, indeed, have
their own culture,. even in the classless, Godlesss milieu of corn-
munism, would have been unthinkable before the current era of
Mikhail Gorbachev.
But there is still much lacking from this mini-renaissance of
Jewish life in .-the land of the Urals. There are still too many con-
straints on Jewish emigration, still too many violations of human
rights, still too many Jews (and others) forced to be exactly where
they do not want to be. And, as Elie Wiesel suggested, present
Kremlin chiefs have still not conceded that the Soviet Union pur-
sued wrong-headed and, sometimes, vicious and, often, murderous
policies toward Jews. Wiesel, quite properly, addressed three con-
cerns to Mr. Gorbachev: Reestablish diplomatic relations with Israel;
reveal all it knows about Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat
arrested by Stalin's secret police after he had saved thousands of Jews
from the Nazis; and change the inscription at Babi Yar, near Kiev,
to make it clear that the 80,000 slaughtered there by Nazis were
all Jews.
But there is one point that Wiesel did not mention: The new
cultural center in Moscow is essentially a gift from abroad. The in-
itiative for it did not come from the Soviet government. Nor did the
funds. The center suggests the breadth of Gorbachev's relative
tolerance for Jews (and, hopefully other ethnic and religious
minorities), but it does not indicate that the Kremlin will under-
take any initiatives to make life more accommodating for those who
wish to practice a faith that is not Marxist-Leninist. Until the
Kremlin itself takes some initiatives to improve the lot of Jews, much
of what it does can be seen as efforts to curry favor with the West.
If this results in more liberties and freedoms for Soviet Jews, fine.
But a true change of the Russian heart would be signaled by liberaliz-
ing measures that emanate originally from the Kremlin, not from
abroad.
Outsiders created the new cultural center because Soviet Jews
could not have, due to oppression and fear. As one Soviet Jew said
at the dedication of the cultural center, "This center was created
mostly by foreigners, out of friendship. When the initiative comes
from Soviet Jews, it will be a sign of real health?'
Hopefully, the new center will give Soviet Jews a greater sense
of boldness and identity, a keener sense of who they are and not who
the Kremlin would like them to be.
Change At Home
.
A supplementary campaign by the United Jewish Appeal to aid
resettlement of Soviet Jews has fundamental questions that need
answering.
At issue will be the effect on Jewish charities independent of the
local campaigns. Will a supplementary campaign reduce charity
dollars available for other worthy causes? And how do American Jews
respond to our Israeli brethren, who would prefer to see the Soviet
Jews settle in the land of Israel? Do we support freedom of choice
for our long-suffering Soviet brothers or do we push Jewish immigra-
tion for the upbuilidng of Israel?
These issues have simmered for decades on the American Jewish
scene. They deserve a thorough airing as the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion of Detroit decides whether it should join in a supplementary
campaign.
LETTERS
Older Businesses
Helped Royal Oak
On Jan. 20 you featured an
article on the recent
renaissance of Royal Oak. I
was glad to see the city and
people get the recognition
that they deserve but I feel
that it is also the established
businesses that have for
decades made Royal Oak an
attractive growing
community.
We welcome the new en-
trepreneurs to the area and
wish them success but please
do not overlook the
6
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17, 1989
forefathers of this royal
revival.
Kevin J. Dean
Superior Fish Co.
Royal Oak
Royal Oak Story
Ignored Negatives
Your recent article (Jan. 20)
about Royal Oak was a
typical chamber of commerce
excerpt.
It failed to mention:
1) The city lacks parking for
all except city employees who
enjoy free parking. Every inch
of Royal Oak that can be
metered is metered except for
some space in front of the
main post office.
2) The merchants along
Woodward Avenue are denied
the use of neighborhood
streets for customer parking
because the neighborhoods do
not want traffic.
3) The renovation of one
building meant the loss of
businesses such as Leading
Lady (women's clothing) and
Grandma's Best (children's
clothes). Also, it lead to an ex-
cessive cost of rental per
square foot.
4) Who can forget the recent
sign war unleased on the mer-
chants by the city led by
Royal Oak's Commissioner
Patricia Paruch. This was
where the merchants were
not allowed to place any signs
on the sidewalks under threat
of court action.
5) Royal Oak has more nar-
row streets than any com-
munity around.
6) In the summer months,
the sidewalks of the southern
downtown section belong to
the main street eateries and
not the pedestrians by city
decree.
Let us be fair and show both
sides of the issue. Royal Oak
is not ready to accept the 20th
Century.
Neal Kushner
Royal Oak
The Enemy
From Within
Yeoshafat Harkabi, the self-
proclaimed "Machiavellian
Dove" (Dec. 30), says, "I don't
pretend I have a good solu-
tion," yet he promotes his
"land for peace" solution us-
ing false accusations that
Israel is expelling Arabs. He
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