THE JEWISH NEWS
THIS ISSUE 60'
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
CLOSE-U P
JUNE 2, 1989 / 28 IYAR 5749
Groves Students
Don't Feel Threatened
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
Ellen Kogan, like many aspiring
liberals, wants to do something to
make this world a little better. For
now, the Wylie E. Groves High School
sophomore will settle for teaching her
peers about cultural differences.
On a daily basis, she talks with
friends about the dangers of prejudice.
And when opportunities arise, she
also expresses her views with
students she does not know well.
Kogan doesn't think she has a
choice. Groves, in affluent Beverly
Hills, consistently made headlines
after several racist and anti-Semitic
incidents that began last November.
"I'm not expecting world peace.
But we have to get people to unders-
tand differences while they are young
enough to listen," Kogan said. "Peo-
ple in high school are willing to listen
more than adults, who are set in their
ways."
Despite some isolated acts of
hatred and the sensational media at-
tention given to the school, life ap-
pears normal for Jewish students at
Groves. Of the many Jewish students
interviewed, none felt threatened by
racists. Some advocated combatting
prejudice; and others suggested
passive behavior.
Groves' cultural problems mirror
those at other schools in the nor-
thwest suburbs, where increasing
numbers of minorities in the past
decade have led to racial tensions.
A few Jewish students said pen-
nies have been thrown at them. Most
just walked away. One girl said she
picked up the penny and put it in her
pocket. None reported the incidents.
Many who were called Jewish
American Princesses ignored the
comments.
Freshman Rebecca Grant is tired
of people asking her if she feels safe
at school.
Grant and other Jewish students
have been flooded with such questions
Continued on Page 20
Passage To Freedom
May Not Be Repeated
RICHARD PEARL
Staff Writer
Justice For All
The Anti-Defamation League
is dedicated to fighting
prejudice on all fronts.
Mandell L. (Bill) Berman, presi-
dent of the Council of Jewish Federa-
tions, believes this year's massive ef-
fort to resettle Soviet Jews in America
can't be repeated.
Berman joined fellow Detroiter
Edward C. Levy, Jr., president of the
American Israel Public Affairs Com-
mittee, as a keynote speaker at the
Jewish Community Council's annual
meeting last week, held at Congrega-
tion Shaarey Zedek.
Describing the upcoming refugee
situation as "the immense moral
issue" that will be facing North
American Jews, Berman told the
Council that, "at the moment, it's
pretty clear, it seems to me, that we
cannot do this again."
One reason is, "We couldn't raise
the money ($75 million for the
Passage to Freedom) again. Congress
wouldn't give us the money if we
didn't share it, plus we've got the
Gramm-Rudman (federal spending
control act) out there."
The American Jewish communi-
ty is raising $75 million this year to
help resettle Soviet Jews. Congress is
working on a bill that would provide
a matching amount.
Berman later clarified his
remarks, saying "it is unlikely that
the dollars that the system will need
for a second year, which would have
to come from both the Jewish com-
munity and the American govern-
ment — it is unlikely that those
dollars would be available for a second
year, particularly in view of the in-
creased volume (of Soviet Jews) that
would be coming out."
He expressed concern that the
American Jewish community
"wouldn't be able to raise the money
without taking money away from
Israel and hurting Israel, which we
definitely don't want to have happen!"
Berman said a reassessment con-
ference will be held in mid-July in
Chicago so that North American Jews
can see how to plan for the next year.
Berman told Council members
that the $75 million transmigration
bill "which will be passed, God will-
ing . . . is the only bill in Congress
Continued on Page 22