SECOND CLASS THE JEWISH NEWS THIS ISSUE 60(P SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 9, 1990 / 14 SHEVAT 5750 Bigotry Protest For Farrakhan RICHARD PEARL Staff Writer J ewish students at Michigan State Uni- versity, reacting to the scheduled campus ap- pearance Feb. 18 of the Rev. Louis Farrakhan, are organizing an anti-bigotry rally to precede Farrakhan's address. The rally's goal will be "to promote ethnic and racial harmony in support of in- dividual freedom," accor- ding to Mark Finkelstein, executive director of the sponsoring Hillel Student Center on the MSU campus. Farrakhan, leader of the Chicago-based Nation of Islam, has made numerous anti-Semitic statements, calling Judaism "a dirty re- ligion" and saying Hitler was "a great man." Jeff Block, a junior from West Bloomfield, said about 20 students, Jewish and non- Jewish, attended an organiz- ing meeting at Hillel Feb. 4. Another rally planning meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Hillel. The students, operating under the acronym SOBAD — Students Opposed to Bigotry And Discrimination — are circulating a petition opposed to "racial and ethnic hatred" and "the advance of (Farrakhan's) minions at the expense of other groups." The petition supports, however, Farrakhan's "message of empowerment and self-esteem that is im- portant for enfranchise- ment." SOBAD is seeking dona- tions to publish the petition and signatures in the cam- pus State News prior to Far- rakhan's appearance. Finkelstein said organizers are attempting to get Gov. James Blanchard and others to speak at the rally. They hope to have 300- 500 pickets on hand, but said earlier this week that re- sponse from other campus groups has been slow. Finkelstein said Hispanic and Asian student groups "want to participate in the rally, but are leary of com- mitting themselves." He Continued on Page 14 Levin Circulates M.E. Aid Letter KIMBERLY LIFTON Staff Writer A letter sent to Presi- dent George Bush on Wednesday, signed by about 70 senators, sharp- ly criticizes Sen. Robert Dole's recent proposal to reduce foreign aid to its largest recipients. Drafted by Michigan Sen. Carl Levin and signed by some of Israel's staunchest supporters, the letter urges the president to oppose rec- ommendations by the Senate minority leader that the United States reduce by 5 percent financial aid to Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and the Philippines. According to the proposal, any money saved in such reductions would be shifted to communist countries within the Eastern European bloc now undergo- ing major political reforms. A White House spokes- woman said she hadn't seen the letter on Wednesday and could not comment. "It is vital that the United States act, and act vigor- ously, to reinforce the dem- ocratic trends in the nations of Eastern Europe," the letter states. "However, we should not and need not pro- vide this support in ways which damage other foreign policy or security interests of the United States. "In the Middle East, we should reaffirm the support of the United States for upholding our foreign assistance commitments to Israel and Egypt," the letter says. "We must realize that our historic and geopolitical interests in that region are promoted by this assistance. Continued on Page 14 How local women are turning homemade dishes into recipes for success.