LETTERS

camouflages his evil. The
Jewish News is correct to ex-
pose that evil on Page One.

Series Missed
The Positives

After following closely the
"Southfield At Risk" series
and your most recent, "The
Sleepwalkers," I wonder what
kind of message you are sen-
ding to the Jewish and black
communities by highlighting
the negative and ignoring the
positive.
By emphasizing the lack of
similar goals and agendas as
well as Jewish flight from the
southern-most suburbs, you
are not only reinforcing
stereotypic beliefs, but also
putting your stamp of ap-
proval on such stereotypes.
Two years ago, the Anti-
Defamation League initiated
a Black and Jewish Dialogue
Group with the South Oak-
land NAACP. We met mon-
thly at people's homes, shared
meals, conversed about "safe"
topics such as what it means
to be black or Jewish, and
"unsafe" topics such as Far-
rakhan and Israel. We have
shared family picnics; we
have prepared a meal at a
shelter for the homeless; we
have attended each other's
events; we have partied
together at Ortheia's Place,
and we have planned and ex-
ecuted two black-Jewish
seders together, the last of
which was attended by more
than 300 people.
We at ADL had a goal: to
foster better understanding
between the two communities
and to promote dialogue bet-
ween blacks and Jews on
issues of concern to both com-
munities. Some of us had a
personal agenda: to enlarge
our lives, to meet new, friends,
to confront racism head-on.
We cherish the relation-
ships that have developed in
our dialogue group — we con-
tinue to search and struggle
together for a better world.
We realize this is a small
beginning. But we are mak-
ing a difference in our lives,
in the lives of our families,
and in our community.

Linda Soberman
The Black and Jewish
Dialogue Group

Many Groups
Working Together

While some of the issues
discussed in your Jan. 10 ar-
ticle, "The Sleepwalkers," are
valid, I feel it is important to
point out that there are many
people in both the Jewish and
African-American com-
munities of Detroit who con-
tinue to work together in
peace and with mutual
respect.
For almost a year, Thmple
Israel has been working close-
ly with the leadership of the

Elliott Shevin
Oak Park

Readers Thanked
For Food Donations

First graders at Leonhard Elementary.

-

Wilshire Block Association, a
68-block area on Detroit's
east side, to develop an on-
going dialogue as well as joint
programming.
In November 1991, to-
gether, representatives of our
two groups raised funds to
purchase the contents of
Thanksgiving food baskets to
be distributed to Wilshire's
elderly and needy. Together
we packaged 110 food bas-
kets, complete with turkeys.
Together, we distributed the
baskets in the Wilshire
neighborhood.
This effort is not an isolated
one. We are continuing to
work together on two other
significant projects. Represen-
tatives of both our com-
munities are currently ex-
ploring legal and political
means to address the pro-
blems of absentee land-
lordism in the neighborhood.
We are also working together
to raise funding to build what
would become the only bas-
ketball court/playground in
this 68-block neighborhood.
The important concept in
this relationship is that we
are working together. In the
process, we have begun to
develop mutual friendship,
trust, respect and under-
standing. We have become
allies in the joint struggle to
fight against prejudice,
racism and poverty.
We are working diligently
to erase the artificial Eight
Mile Road barrier which
separates our two
communities.

Charles H. Tobias
President, Temple Israel

Giving Exposure
To The Evils

In the 1930s, Alan Cran-
ston, now senator from Cali-
fornia, read a disturbing book
while in Europe. On his
return, he discovered an
abridged version of the same

book was available here. Con-
vinced of the importance of
the missing text, he publish-
ed an unexpurgated transla-
tion of this significant new
work in 1938.
Hardly had his volume hit
the shelves when he was suc-
cessfully sued by the book's
author for copyright viola-
tion. Cranston's uncut
translation was banned, and
the censored version
remained.
The book was Mein Kampf,
by Adolf Hitler. The words he
didn't want Americans to see
were his plans for conquest of
Europe . . . and for extermina-
tion of the Jews.
The Jan. 10 Jewish News
contained the second letter in
recent months criticizing the
front-page attention given to
anti-Semites like David Duke
and Yassir Arafat. The writer
suggested that this place be
reserved for more deserving
people such as Max Fisher or
David Hermelin, while news
about undesirables be buried
inside.
This idea assumes ap-
pearance on the front page of
a newspaper is an honor. That
may be so for philanthropists.
But when Duke, Arafat, Far-
rakhan and others like them
appear, it is an alarm. Hiding
their activities on the inside
pages (or worse, not reporting
on them at all) conceals the
danger.
We'll never know whether
the Holocaust could have
been averted had Cranston
succeeded in exposing
Hitler's designs. But there
can be no doubt that Hitler
knew his nightmare would
more easily be realized under
a cloak of secrecy. No wonder
the first task of every new dic-
tator is to control, or silence,
the press!
David Duke would like to
finish what Hitler started.
How close he comes to his
goal depends on how well he

I want to thank The Jewish
News and its readers for their
generous response to our holi-
day appeal for help.
In spite of the fact, or rather
because of the fact that times
have been difficult, contribu-
tions were up more than 25
percent.
It is important to realize
that the food you provide not
only nurtures the body, it also
lifts the spirit and awakens
hope in the hearts of those
who feel isolated and helpless
in their need.
You are part of the miracle
of compassion that enables
the 80 volunteer organiza-
tions we supply to provide
food to 50,000 people every
month.

James Macy
Executive Director,
Food Bank of Oakland County

Saudi, Israel
War Lessons

Among the tens of
thousands of words which will
no douLt be written in the
course o the next few weeks
marking the anniversary of
the Gulf War and the
"lessons" of the war, one
hopes- that "Khafje" is not
forgotten.
The Saudi city of Khafje
was successfully invaded by
Iraq despite the presence of

the largest build-up of
American forces in recent
history.
The explanation given for
the failure to head off the at-
tack was that mechanized
forces move quickly on the
ground, so it was reasonable
to expect that an enemy force
could grab seven or even 14
kilometers of territory before
an adequate resistance was
established.
Strategic depth anyone?

Aaron Lerner
Kfar Sava, Israel

Dry Bones Cartoon
Is Called Offensive

I am writing this letter
regarding the comic strip run
in your newspaper, "Dry
Bones," drawn by an ar-
tist/author who has the sense
to make his or her name il-
legible, specifically the one
published Jan. 10, 1992.
Now that I am actually
writing this letter, I am sorry
and somewhat embarrassed I
have not done it sooner. The
cartoon portrays Arafat, I
think, although it could be
any Arab (again, I think). The
person pictured has dark
glasses, and an excessively
large nose, mouth and lips.
To me, it looks like a cheap
shot that plays on Jewish
fears. I find the caricature of-
fensive to me as a Jew who
sees no help or role in this in
resolving the current Israel-
Arab problems, whatever the
solution ultimately may be.

Dr. Cary Gottlieb
Marquette

Dry Bones

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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