OPINION
What Is The Paper's
Role Here, Anyway?
PHIL JACOBS
Managing Editor
g
efore you read this
column, I want you to
turn off the television,
put the kids to bed, and take
the phone off the hook. We
need some time alone
together to talk.
There are a few issues we
need to cover here, so have a
seat. First, I think it's im-
portant that we understand
what the role of The Jewish
News is in this community.
The best way I can get this
across to you is by telling a
story.
When I was working for
our sister paper, the
Baltimore Jewish Times, I
had a reporter do a story on a
Jewish-owned hotel fran-
chise that was filing for
bankruptcy. The hotel was
located in the middle of the
Jewish community and its
restaurant and nightclub
were frequented by clientele
who were Jewish.
After we reported the story
of the hotel's demise, we
received a phone call from
the owner's attorney. He and
his client were outraged and
wanted to meet with our
publisher, the reporter and
me. When they showed up at
our office, they were boiling.
They said we had damaged
their reputation and that we
were furthering the demise
of this hotel.
We asked them if the
published information was
inaccurate. They said, "No."
We asked them if there were
any misquotations. Again,
"No." We asked them if the
headline was misleading.
And, once again, the answer
was "No."
We then said, "So what is
the problem?" Their answer
has stuck with me for years.
The owner told us that he
would not have been as
angry if the story broke in
one or both of Baltimore's
daily newspapers. He just
didn't want to read about it
in "my Jewish Times."
That's the difference right
there. For many of our
readers, we are their news-
paper, in some ways, their
hometown newspaper. In
Jewish journalism, which for
years was considered
nothing more than the
mouthpiece of the local Jew-
ish federation, a place to
watch rites of passage or to
check out a sale on chicken
fryers, the rules are chang-
ing.
In the past 10 years, pro-
fessionals in the secular
press are making their way
into the Jewish press as
reporters, editors and pho-
tographers. • Jewish news-
papers are trying to become
more balanced, with a feel
for breaking news stories,
features and editorials, as
well as the old reliable social
notes.
But besides the frequency
of publication and staff size,
the major difference between
this newspaper and the
dailies is that we don't
report on an area and then
leave that night to live in
another area. By and large,
we live with our readers, we
send our children to the
same schools, we worship at
the same synagogues and
temples, we exercise
together and we share simi-
lar concerns.
Contrary to what many
might believe, we don't in-
News vs. social
notes . . . we've
been accused of
being part of the
problem.
vent stories that might be of
a controversial nature.
When the Federation's dem-
ographic report showed that
20 to 40 percent of
Southfield's Jews were
thinking about leaving the
city, we wrote a front page
story about it.
After the story appeared,
we were accused of being
part of the problem. People
were angry at us for even
printing the story or for ig-
noring certain facts that also
appeared in the report.
Folks, we didn't invent that
story. It was there. If it had
appeared in another publica-
tion — a daily secular news-
paper — the same finger
pointing would not happen.
It is also the responsibility
of a newspaper to seek the
truth, to advocate for what it
believes is right. And when
this publication went out on
a limb almost in a confronta-
tional way to call for the
Federation to relocate to
Southfield, there was no
human outcry. Precious , few
called and offered opinion.
Task forces did not form. The
same people who criticized
us for reporting a news story
about the demographic
study stayed silent.
When Bob Steinberg left
Sinai Hospital's presidency,
Arn•art tn. tn. Roan. Tema & W.I:I-News by Kwin KranK, Copyciptst 1969, R.:. Knne.t. Olsenbutoi by Los Anpsies Times S•vy...
we reported it. When the
physicians hinted at a possi-
ble takeover bid, we reported
it. We didn't make any of
this up; we simply told you
about it.
Still, there were some
telephoning The Jewish
News and accusing us of be-
ing the reason for Sinai's
demise.
One other point. Re-
member how I mentioned
that the course of Jewish
journalism is changing. I
met a group of college jour-
nalists at the Council of Jew-
ish Federations General
Assembly last fall who
didn't think Jewish .jour-
nalists were aggressive
enough. This is who is com-
ing up in the future.
But for now, we freely ad-
mit that we're learning
about ourselves almost on a
daily basis. Some weeks, we
might feel like we're letting
you down; other weeks will
bring complete satisfaction.
But the direction we're char-
ting, we're charting now, to-
day. We can go from cover-
ing a Federation Campaign
opening to reacting to a Scud
attack on Tel Aviv all in one
issue.
There is hardly a day that
goes by that someone in this
community doesn't want to
mention something to me
about what they've read. At
times, I'd like to melt into
the woodwork because the
timing of complaints and
comments might seem inap-
propriate.
But for those of us who
chose this profession and see
it as a passion, what would
be even more inappropriate
would be if we didn't hear
anything at all. After all,
this is your Jewish News. 0
Security Of Israel: Non-Negotiable
MICHAEL BAUMAN
S
tudents of statecraft
understand that gov-
ernment policies of all
sorts often have unintended
consequences. That fact of
political life is one to which
Saddam Hussein, like all
policy-makers, is subject.
By launching his missiles
into the civilian centers of a
noncombatant nation, he has
unintentionally demonstrated
to a watching world the true
measure of Israel's long-
standing peril: Israel has
mortal enemies; it has them
on all sides; and it has them
in all situations, regardless of
its conduct.
Nevertheless, we are asked
to believe that, for the sake of
regional security, the United
States ought to suppoit an in-
ternational peace conference
Michael Bauman is associate
professor of theology and
culture, and director of
Christian studies, at Hillsdale
College.
in which the question of a
Palestinian homeland, pre-
sumably carved out of cur-
rent Israeli territory, will be
the centerpiece of negotia-
tion. ib such a suggestion we
must never consent.
Israel's security is not
negotiable.
We now know how difficult
it is to protect Israeli civilians
from missile attacks launch-
ed from 400 miles away, even
though missiles launched
from that distance can
(sometimes) be intercepted.
Missiles launched from 3,000
yards cannot.
lb put the PLO, Saddam
Hussein's closest ally in the
Middle East, on the West
Bank, is to put an armed
enemy of Israel on the high
ground just two miles from
the Knesset and 12 miles
from the beaches of Tel Aviv.
If you want to get a feel for
what that would be like, im-
agine armed Soviet troops at
the foot of the Lincoln
Memorial, weapons aimed at
the Capitol. That this is no
recipe for security and peace
the Lithuanians and the Lat-
vians can eloquently attest.
For Israel, as for all nations,
such a prospect is absolutely
unacceptable. Israel will
never set the lives of its
citizens, indeed its very ex-
istence as a nation, at risk.
Expect no nation to sign its
own death warrant in the
name of peace.
Like the peace of slavery
and of conquest, the peace of
political death is not a peace
worth having.
The only acceptable peace
is a defendable peace. If your
nation's security depends
upon the good will of your
enemy, you have no security.
In international affairs, the
only peace you can depend
upon is the peace you yourself
provide. Israel understands
this.
It understands the ancient
maxim that he who would
have peace must be prepared
for war. It understands that
Continued on Page 12
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
7