Q uality you can build on, a name you can trust. Jewish Units Struggle With Justice Nominee JAMES D. BESSER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT I Recognized by Re-014144g Mac/ line for excellence in design and construction. Quality craftsmanship. Whether it's for your home or business, we take your ideas and bring them to life...with creativity and cost efficiency. t ilt e 4 e peAlecithil a le sic a l efrt die pia pa. We specialize in design & build for Americans with Disabilities. ADA... Barrier free construction. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of the REMODEUNG INDUSTRY Regional "CONTRACTOR of the YEAR" QUALITY , CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL QQ INRECON Call for a FREE estimate: 846-5735 system. 7937 Schaefer Road • Dearborn, MI. Hugo SolornonatSon„Inc SELLING SECURITY SINCE 1921 Lock Doctor® LOCKS ALL TYPES Locks for Wood - Steel Doors Sold - Service - Repaired - Master Key Systems Combinations Changed - Auto - House - Safes Industrial MON-FRI Residential 8:1-5:o0 Commercial 9-1 f ite9' Pentitetee PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ALL YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS SINCE 1921 342-6775 12911 W. 8 Mile Road • Detroit (Between Meyers & Schaefer) CI) 00/. OFF SERVICE CALL & IN HOUSE PURCHASE] Farmington Hills • 553-4867 THE TABLE CONNECTION LU Cr) w CC U-1 C:1 LU Heating and Air Conditioning Ask about our Preventive Maintenance Program 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE 54 he Jewish community is trying to figure out how to oppose a high- level nomination for the Justice Department that could vex black-Jewish rela- tions. The question centers on Lani Guinier, a black law pro- fessor at the University of Pennsylvania chosen last week by President Clinton to head the Justice Depart- ment's civil rights division. Ms. Guinier, an expert in voting rights law, has sup- ported a number of contro- versial ideas, particularly the concept of proportionate rep- resentation. This would ensure that blacks serve in the House of Representatives in propor- tions equal to the proportion of African-Americans in the states which they represent. While intended to correct what most observers agree is an underrepresentation of blacks on Capitol Hill, it smacks of quotas to many Jews, who have thrived un- der the "one-person one-vote" Phone: 335-4555 custom designed furniture laminates, wood, lucite MURIEL WETSMAN 661-3838 r CLASSIFIED GET RESULTS! Call The Jewish News 354-5959 Some observers say pro- portionate representation would almost certainly cut back on Jews' presence in Congress. "Any plan that suggests that a group is entitled to a certain number of represen- tatives based on their pro- portion in the population raises questions for the Jew- ish community," said Jerome Chanes, co-director for na- tional concerns for the Na- tional Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council. Most Jewish groups hope to avoid a public showdown that might worsen black- Jewish relations. So far, the American Jew- ish Congress is the only ma- jor Jewish group to publicly raise questions about Ms. Guinier. Most groups are gathering more information on Ms. Guinier's legal writ- ings and trying to meet. with her so they can work out dif- ferences without a public im- broglio. The Senate will hold hear- ings on Ms. Guinier's nomi- nation next month. NCSJ Fights Merger A quiet struggle is brewing over the future of the Na- tional Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ), the umbrella group that has so effectively protected the Jews of the for- mer USSR. In recent months, talk has renewed about eliminating NCSJ or merging it with an- other organization, probably the National Jewish Com- munity Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC). This is not a new idea. But with most Jews free to leave the ex-USSR and a cultural renaissance underway among those choosing to stay, it may have new appeal in a Jewish world where organizational budgets are getting tighter. Last week, Larry Rubin, NJCRAC's executive vice chair, met with Mark Levin, NCSJ's executive director. Mr. Rubin reports that Mr. Levin NCJS strongly opposed the idea. "From our point of view, the idea is now dead," said Mr. Rubin. "In my judgment, the Jewish community's in- terests would be served by a closer relationship between the organizations. But if NCJS is not interested, we're not interested in pushing it." Although some observers say pressure for a merger will continue, NCJS president Richard Wexler said, "The ru- mors of our demise appear to Talk has renewed about eliminating NCSJ or merging it with another group. be premature. With the emer- gence of 15 republics and the chaos we hear about every day in the former Soviet Union, NCSJ is cheap insur- ance for Jews in that part of the world and for the Jewish community here."