I DETROIT
ewish Community Council
Campus Issues Survey
The Task Force on College-Related Issues is dedicated to
helping Jewish students cope with the rising tide of anti-
Semitism and anti-Israel propaganda on Michigan's college
campuses. We would greatly appreciate your taking a few
minutes to complete this questionnaire, so that we may have
input into the issues our Jewish students are facing. When
complete, please mail to:
Campus Issues Survey
Jewish Community Council
163 Madison
Detroit, Michigan 48226
Do you know any Jewish college students enrolled on
Michigan campuses? If yes, which campus?
Does he/she live on campus?
Has he/she brought to your attention any problems he/she
is having on campus associated with being Jewish? Please
describe.
Is he/she encountering any problems as they relate to Israel?
Please describe.
Would you like to be sent information which could be of
help to this student? If so, please complete the section below.
Name
Address
Phone
-
Thank you for your input.
,c1)/ Silberg Loebl, Chairperson
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REURABFR.2U9Q(1
Howard I. Wallach, Co Chairperson
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Students Get Tips
On Fighting Bias
SUSAN GRANT
Staff Writer
ith reports of in-
creases of anti-
Semitism on college
campuses around the coun-
try, Jewish students must
deal with more than just the
pressure of getting good
grades. .
Fifty-one incidents of anti-
Semitism have been re-
ported on campuses during
1989, including three in
Michigan, said Dr. Jeffrey
Ross, Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith direc-
tor of campus affairs That's
a jump from the six reported
incidents in 1984 and the 38
cited in 1988, he said.
Speaking to more than 100
parents, students and com-
munity leaders Sunday
night at Temple Emanu-El,
Dr. Ross gave advice on how
to combat the increasing tide
of anti-Israel propaganda on
college campuses.
The incidents range from
letters and cartoons con-
demning Zionism to edito-
rials in the University of
Michigan's student news-
paper, the Michigan Daily,
insinuating that Israel was
responsible for the bombing
of Pam Am flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland.
In the larger Jewish com-
munity, anti-Israel groups
are perceived as a fringe
element, Dr. Ross said.
However, on campuses
around the country anti-
Israel groups are perceived
as a larger majority in part
because the moderate posi-
tion on campus is a two-state
solution, he said.
The argument runs "that
the Palestinians have a just
cause. The PLO (Palestinian
Liberation Organization) is
a legitimate representative.
The only compromise is a
Palestinian state run by Pa-
lestinians," he said.
Although anti-Zionist
groups are spreading their
literature, the real threat to
Jewish identity comes from
Jewish students, Dr. Ross
said.
"The greatest threat to
Jews is not anti-Semitism,
but apathy and ignorance,"
he said. "The big problem is
not external, but internal.
We cannot expect people
who don't know how to
translate the Shema to face
questions about Israel."
Larry Seegull, president of
the Hillel student board at
Michigan State University,
said he is unhappy when
speakers like Nation of
Islam leader Rev. Louis Far-
rakhan visit the campus or
when classes begin on Rosh
Hashanah. But, he said, ex-
ternal threats have a way of
uniting Jewish students.
"When Farrakhan spoke
(last February) there was an
outpouring of Jewish sup-
port," Mr. Seegull said. "The
big problem is assimilated
Jews and apathy. Students
are losing their Jewishness
faster than any anti-Semite
can take it away."
Sharon Goldstein, a- senior
at Wayne State University,
said while Jewish programs
in both college and high
school are expected to in-
crease the sense of Jewish
identity, parents have to be
involved.
"If you as parents don't
start preparing kids before
they get to college, if you
don't teach it at home, the
"The greatest
threat to Jews is not
anti-Semitism, but
apathy and
ignorance."
Jeffrey Ross
facility can't do it for you,"
said Ms. Goldstein, presi-
dent of the WSU's Zionist
Student Organization and
the Michigan Alliance of
Students for Israel (MASI).
Jewish student groups, in-
cluding Hillel and MASI, are
trying to combat anti-Zionist
propaganda and Jewish
apathy.
At Michigan State, Hillel
is trying to reach out to the
school's estimated 400 Jew-
ish students with moderate
success, Mr. Seegull said.
On the University of Mich-
igan campus, groups like
Taga•, which monitors the
Michigan Daily for inac-
curacies about Israel and
has planted a tree in Israel
for each mistake, also strive
to reach students.
Mr. Ross urged Jewish
groups to work with admin-
istrators to sensitize them to
Jewish needs, concerns and
values and use ADL study
guides to prepare incoming
freshmen for campus anti-
Semitism.
Jewish groups should not
be on the defensive when an-
swering anti-Zionist attacks,
Mr. Ross said. Instead of