I OPINION

CONTENTS

Reflections On July 4:
Full Citizenship For Jews

LEONARD WINOGRAD

Special to The Jewish News

n Jewish history, the
significance of the
Declaration of In-
dependence is that America
became the first country in
history that did not require a
constitutional amendment
granting full citizenship to
Jews.
From the very moment of
the country's birth, all na-
tive-born Americans were
assumed to be full citizens
regardless of religion, color
or parental origin.
July 4 has always been
celebrated as the birthday of
the United States of
America. It was, in fact, the
anniversary of the adoption
of the Declaration of In-
dependence by the Con-
tinental Congress on July 4,

There are no
existing written
records of this
declaration.

1776. Not until 1941 did
Congress make it a legal
public holiday.
The founders of this new
nation considered July 4 to
be a suitable occasion for re-
joicing. "I am apt to believe
that it will be celebrated by
succeeding generations as
the great anniversary fes-
tival," John Adams said. "It
ought to be commemorated
as the day of deliverance, by
solemn acts of devotion to
God Almighty, with pomp
and parade, with shows,
games, sports, guns, bells,
bonfires, and illuminations
from one end of this conti-
nent to the other, from this
time forward forevermore."
Independence Day was
first observed as such on
July 8, 1776, in
Philadelphia, home of the
Liberty bell and Betsy Ross.
The declaration was read,
bells were rung, bands
played and the people rejoic-
ed.
Independence Day has
been celebrated ever since
by the states as well as the
territories, and gradually
became the day for setting
off fireworks.
In Israel, where In-
dependence Day is observed
on the 5th of Iyar, the day

Rabbi Leonard Winograd is a
retired rabbi living in Pitt-
sburgh.

before is Yom Hazikaron, a
memorial day for the 20,000
men and women, soldiers
and civilians who died
defending the State of Israel.
This has been done for the
past 42 years, ever since the
founding of the state. This
puts the celebration of in-
dependence into proper
perspective, as a nation re-
members the extremely high
cost of its autonomy.
Ceremonies are held in all
the army cemeteries as well
as the central ceremony on
Har Herzl.
Over a year before
America's Declaration of In-
dependence, on May 20,
1775, a group of citizens, liv-
ing in Mecklenberg County,
N.C., passed a resolution
now known as the
Mecklenberg Declaration of
Independence.
The source of this
historical episode is the
statement of several men
who claimed in 1819 that
they had attended the
meeting, wherein they
declared their independence
from Great Britain.
There is valid proof that on
May 31, 1775, a group of
Mecklenbergers did meet to
protest the unjust treatment
of colonists by Great Britain.
They resolved to refuse to
recognize British officials
temporarily. Despite linger-
ing doubts of historians, the
state of North Carolina offi-
cially recognizes the
Mecklenberg Declaration of
Independence.
This year, declarations of
independence abound on all
the borders of the Soviet
Union. In some cases, the
claims are more impressive
than in others.
For example, although the
Baltic states were forcibly
annexed by Russia early in
World War II, it was until
the treaty of Brest- Litovsk
at the end of World War I
that these countries were
part of the Russian empire.
They were independent only
about 25 years, thus making
it harder for the Soviet
Union to accept the fact of a
Lithuanian nationality.
All of which has given rise
to this year's favorite Israeli
riddle. The political party
Degel HaTorah is heavily
Lithuanian in membership.
The riddle is, "What do Gor-
bachev and Shamir have in
common?" The answer is
"The Lithuanians are driv-
ing them both crazy."

❑

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

DETROIT

Report From Moscow

15

KIMBERLY LIFTON
Oak Park's Jim Rosen
is a UPI bureau chief.

CLOSE-UP

Mobsters For Zion

22

22

ROBERT ROCKAWAY
Some big gangsters were
supporters of Israel.

EDUCATION

Discovering Judaism

45

SUSAN GRANT
A new museum makes
Jewish learning fun.

50

SPORTS

Israeli Net Gain

45

RICHARD PEARL
A tennis program helps
Jewish and Arab youths.

FINE ARTS

The Cutting Edge

63

MICHAEL WEISS
A Kalamazoo artist
is a cut above the rest.

76

TRAVEL

The Day Mountains Wept

STEFAN KANFER
An era came to an end
when Grossinger's died.

LIFESTYLES

Holocaust Studies

50

79

CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ
Sid Bolkosky is dedicated
to teaching the Holocaust.

DEPARTMENTS

31
40
44
56
63

Inside Washington
Synagogues
Business

Cooking

Entertainment

74
80
86
91
122

Travel
Engagements
Births
Classified Ads
Obituaries

CANDLELIGHTING

, ou

oi

04

Friday, June 29, 1990
8:56 p.m.
Sabbath ends June 30 10:08 p.m.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

7

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