OP 0 1
CONTENTS
24
CLOSE-UP
Bridge Over
'froubled Waters
MICHAEL WEISS
The Conservative movement learns
the middle is a difficult place.
SPORTS
54
Not So Softball
Jews Should Keep
A 'Healthy Paranoia'
RICHARD H. LOBENTHAL
T
wenty-five years ago,
a Jewish community
informal boycott
almost put a local restaurant
out of business, when a rumor
alleged — incorrectly — that
the owner had had connec-
tions with the Nazis during
World War II. Much more
recently, Jews stopped patron-
izing another restaurant after
the owner, long friendly with
Jews, engaged in gutter anti-
Semitism in a fit of anger dur-
ing an argument with a Jew.
Thday, Jews are still am-
bivalent about dining at
another restaurant after one
of the owners displayed ex-
traordinary insensitivity and
The problem for
Jews, as it is for
blacks, is to keep
that "healthy
cultural paranoia,"
with emphasis on
"healthy."
hostility toward Jewish con-
cerns about Nazism — so
much so that his sisters were
prompted to write a letter to
the editor of The Jewish News
assuring Jews that they were
not anti-Semites. And today,
Jews are wondering what to
do about another business,
following a blatantly anti-
Semitic letter from the owner,
who admits he wrote his let-
ter when he "was upset,
awfully upset;" but that he is
"not in any way a prejudiced
person . . . my choice of words
was probably hasty, but . . . I
meant no insult . . ."
Richard H. Lobenthal is
Michigan regional director of
the Anti-Defamation League
of B'nai B'rith.
I'm reminded of the advice
to blacks, from two black
psychiatrists, writing in their
book Black Rage, that blacks
must have a "healthy
cultural paranoia." In short,
given the existence of racism,
prejudice and discrimination,
and given that bigots don't
usually admit it, blacks have
to be cautious enough to pro-
tect themselves from vic-
timization, but not. so
"paranoid" as to become
dysfunctional. What a very
thin line! Rut what a helpful
analysis.
We Jews have always been
close enough to that advice
that we at least flirt with the
sentiment: "scratch a Chris,
tian deep enough and you will
find an anti-Semite." Clearly
that does cross the line; there
are many — very many —
Christians who truly are
Christian, don't harbor a scin-
tilla of anti-Semitism, and as
the revelations of Righteous
Gentiles continue, would risk
their own lives fighting anti-
Semites. And it's true that
there are those Christians
who don't engage in any anti-
Semitism until stressed; often
we say "their true feelings
come out," although that is
far too simple an answer. And
of course there are un-
Christian Christians who in-
deed wallow in gutter anti-
Semitism; ADDS files are fill-
ed with such examples.
The problem-for Jews, as it
is for blacks (and other
minorities) is to keep that
"healthy cultural paranoia,"
with emphasis on "healthy,"
The businesses and all the
others, do lapse into anti-
Semitism when stressed, to
be sure. But just as certainly
there are those who, no mat-
ter the provocation, wouldn't
dream of recourse to bigotry.
Continued on Page 12
RICHARD PEARL
What keeps older boys and girls
coming back to the ballpark?
59
PROFILE
This Endures
And Will Not Diminish
59
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Henry Leopold's work is part of
children's drawings in the Nazi era.
ENTERTAINMENT
71
Grand Pianist
KAREN KATZ
Ninety-year-old Mischa Kottler
is still in tune with music.
TEENS
71 Camp man Wins!
101
Can the Joker create havoc?
Not at this camp performance.
LIFESTYLES
104
Mayor's Aide
CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ
Nadyne Edison is showing
the best side of Detroit.
DEPARTMENTS
30
32
40
46
50
Inside Washington
Capitol Report
Life in Israel
Synagogues
Education
52 Business
103 Singles
106 Weddings
110 Births
138 Obituaries
CANDLELIGHTING
101
August 25, 1989
8:02 p.m.
Sabbath ends Aug. 26 9:07 p.m.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
7