TIFFANY & CO.
Ms. Nessel's position is
largely undefined. She will
be based in Detroit and will
travel on a regular basis to
Lansing. There, Ms. Nessel
hopes to get acquainted with
as many key players in the
legislature as possible.
"It will be a step-by-step
process. We will start with a
narrow agenda and work our
way up," Ms. Nessel said.
"We will launch some grass-
roots lobbying. Since we
have no previous history, we
are lucky to be starting with
a clean slate. We can estab-
lish relationships with gov-
ernor-elect John Engler."
David Gad-Harf, executive
director for the Jewish
Community Council who
will supervise Ms. Nessel,
said this is a good time to
begin the job. A team of new
players will join the Engler-
administration in Lansing
in January.
"The Engler administra-
tion will find it beneficial to
get acquainted with the Jew-
ish community," Mr. Gad-
Harf said.
Since its inception last spr-
ing, the Michigan Jewish
Conference has met four
times. Its mission is two-
pronged: uniting for joint
advocacy and sharing infor-
mation among statewide
Jewish communities.
Ms. Nessel will be directed
by a newly appointed board:
President Ralph Gerson of
Detroit; Vice President
Gilbert Aschendorf of
Muskegon; Vice President
Peter Goodstein of Flint;
Vice President Morris
Kleiman of Grand Rapids;
and Secretary Dorothy Silk
of Lansing.
The part-time position, ex-
pected to be three days a
week, will be funded by
United Jewish Charities and
the other communities.
Michigan Jewish Conference
will operate on a projected
$30,000 start-up budget.
The Conference is an
outgrowth of a concept pro-
posed two years ago by past
Federation President Dr.
Conrad Giles, who suggested
opening a Lansing office to
represent political needs of
the Jewish community.
A University of Michigan
graduate, Ms. Nessel is a
former legislative assistant
to U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. At
AJC, she served as a liaison
to Congress, the administra-
tion and diplomatic corps. 0
Politicos Don't Panic
Over New Governor
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
p
olitical insiders say
some members of the
Jewish community
are unnecessarily worrying
that special interests may
not be supported by Repub-
lican governor-elect John
Engler.
"Everyone must just stop
panicking," said Oakland
County Republican Corn-
mittee Chairman Jim Alex-
ander. "John Engler is a
very competent human be-
ing and has good rapport
with the president of the
United States, business peo-
ple and Jewish leaders."
One area some fear is in
jeopardy is the Michigan-
Israel free trade agreement
signed in 1988 by Israeli of-
ficials, former Commerce
Director Doug Ross and Gov.
Jim Blanchard. It has been
supported as well by current
Commerce Director Larry
Meyer.
"Everybody throughout
Michigan, including the
Jewish community, can rest
assured that John Engler
will do his best to meet their
needs and be accessible and
open to them," said John
Truscott, spokesman for the
Engler camp.
"We have not made any
decisions as far as specific
programs, however. John
Engler has a very strong
commitment to opening new
markets around the world
for our products and
expanding trade to help di-
versify our economy," Mr.
Truscott said. "I am sure
that Israel would play a key
part in that type of trade
policy. It is a very strong
country with strong finan-
cial interests from which
Michigan could stand to
benefit."
Although the Jewish vote,
estimated at 2 percent of the
U.S. population, has not
been analyzed for this past
mid-year election, Jewish
voting allegiances historical-
ly have favored the Dem-
ocratic Party.
Jews, especially young
professionals, have become
increasingly active within
the Republican Party ever
since Ronald Reagan swept
the 1980 presidential elec-
tion.
Yet in the corning decade,
says pollster Louis Harris,
Jews will return to their
Democratic roots.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alexander
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