OPINION I CONTENTS Criticize Israel, But Don't. Help Its Enemies ALAN DERSHOWITZ I am here to complain about those Jews who have the chutzpah to stand in front of the United Nations to complain about Israel. Do you know what it means when Ed Asner, representing people like Woody Allen and other naive critics of Israel who have no sense of the difficulties and realities, complain about Israel to the United Nations? Let them stand and protest in front of the Israeli em- bassy; let them go to Israel and exercise their fredom of speech and freedom of press there, but let them not give aid to the enemies. Let them not become part of an effort to I'm here to complain about those Jews who emphasize that which divides us. _0 de-legitimatize Israel in the international community by standing in front of the United Nations where more racist, anti-Semitic and anti- Zionist propaganda has emanated from than any other single building. I'm here to complain about those Jews with newfound Jewish identities; those Jews who have never before iden- tified themselves as Jews — those Jews, who if you would go to and ask to give money to the United Jewish Appeal or Israel or any other Jewish organiztion would say (this is a real experience): "Oh, I'm not Jewish. My family has Jewish background, but don't presume to ask ,me for a Jewish contribution." Suddenly they're Jewish when it comes to signing an ad that says "We Jewish critics of Israel who are em- barrassed among our friends about what THOSE people are doing." I'm here to complain about American Jews — devoted, dedicated American Jews who are frightened into silence by false charges of dual loyalty — people who would never be frightened if they belonged to another group or another background, but who feel scared by what my grandmother used to feel afraid of — the kind of "sha shtill" attitude. Let us never forget that we Alan Dershowitz is professor of law at Harvard University. are America. We have given more to this country than we have taken back; we are as first-class citizens as any other group! We, along with other im- migrant groups, along with Italian Americans and Asian Americans and Irish Americans and black Americans liberated from slavery — this second century of America, with the help of Jewish Americans, has been the greatest century of America. Let no one tell us that we are guests in someone else's country; we, along with other Americans of immigrant background, are the hosts. We are the Americans. We have no dual loyalty. As Americans, we have every right and every respon- sibility to tell the con- gressmen and senators that it is in the interest of America to support Israel. Nobody tells Americans out of a heavenly word what is in the best in- terest of America. The truth is that it is good and right for America to sup- port Israel in the way that it has been supporting Israel and even more. That's the American way. I'm here to complain about those American Jews who emphasize more that which divides us from each other rather than that which unites us. There are some things that we disagree about; not everybody in this room agrees and not every Jew in America agrees. There are some issues that divide us, but the issues that unite us are so much more profound than the issues that divide us. I'm reminded of the story of the rabbi who was given a new congregation in the suburbs. For the first time he goes and conducts the Fri- day night service. When it comes to the "Sh'ma Yisrael," half the congregation stands up and half sits down. The half that stands up yells at the half that sits down; the half that sits down yells at the half that stands up. "There's no way to conduct the service," the rabbi says. "Look, at the end of the ser- vice, we'll go to the old rabbi in town and we'll find out what was the tradition of the congregation." They go to the old rabbi, and the stand-up group says, "Is it not the tradition that we stand up?" And the rabbi shakes his head and says, Continued on Page 12 24 CLOSE-UP 'ime Colors ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM Gay and lesbian Jews are seeking their place in the Jewish community. FOLLOW-UP The Man Upstairs 49 STEVEN M. HARTZ Ron Coden is still busy, performing on weekends and taping commercials. 52 BUSINESS 24 Costly Strile JOEL BAINERMAN The loss of Palestinian workers is hurting the Israeli economy. 54 SPORTS Fame Games RICHARD PEARL The developmentally disabled look forward to their own Olympics. 65 ENTERTAINMENT • Sugar(man) STEVEN M. HARTZ 16-year-old Eddie Sugarman is entertaining through high school. 65 KIDS 91 Circus Day Adat Shalom's nursery school created their own big top. Shown at left: Steven Watzman, Amy Rosenberg. DEPARTMENTS 30 43 44 75 82 86 Inside Washington Community Synagogues Fine Arts For Women Ann Arbor 88 92 96 99 100 124 Cooking Engagements Births Singles Classified Ads Obituaries CANDLELIGHTING 91 8:11 p.m. August 18, 1989 Sabbath ends Aug. 19 9:18 p.m. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 7