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