other Jews.
"For Jews to maintain our in
tegrity, we have to feel that w e
like being with other Jews bet
ter than we like those on th e
outside," Dr. Lichtman said. "I
we didn't feel this way, ther e
would be no more Jews. Whe n
it becomes a matter of indiffer
ence with whom we associate
we're done, and there will be n 0
more Jews."
The survey did not measure
reasons why so many Jews be-
lieve anti-Semitism is a leading
concern. Jewish community
leaders and those interviewed
on the street were not surprised
at the findings of the study.
"Jews are becoming increas-
ingly uneasy about anti-Semi-
tism," said Richard Lobenthal,
Michigan regional director for
the Anti-Defamation
League."In part, this comes
from new trends like the rise of
skinheads, the treatment by
blacks of Louis Farrakhan and
the elevation of bigots like Pat
Buchanan."
Dr. Lichtman said he would &"
be interested in further assess-
ing Jewish attitudes on anti-
Semitism. Several people
indicated that fears of anti-
Semitism are consistent with
attitudes that Jews feel they do
not have close ties with other
ethnic and minority groups.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lobenthal
said the numbers of anti-Se-
mitic incidents reported to his
office have not increased. He
said he has received more calls,
yet fewer written complaints.
He speculates that some of
the uneasiness about anti-
Semitism may have been trig-
gered by the country's political
climate of the last 13 years. Mr.
Lobenthal said the Jewish com-
munity had little national lead-
ership during the Reagan-Bush
years.
Mr. Lobenthal cites changes
Jews Have More Positive Feelings Toward Blacks and
Non-Jewish Whites Than They Believe Those Groups Have
Toward Jews. Jews Believe Their Negative Feelings Toward
Arabs and Galdeans Are Matched By Those Groups.
Positive
to
Dick Lobenthal
in the U.S. Supreme Court and
the large following of far-right
religious fundamentalist groups
that push for Christmas cele-
bration and prayer in the pub-
lic schools.
"When what we stand for is
symbolically violated, we get ner-
vous," Mr. Lobenthal said.
Editor Phil Jacobs and Intern
Jennifer Finer contributed to
this report.
The Why Behind This Research
D
Blacks
Whites
Arab/Chaldean
Jews' feelings toward others Gil is Perceived feelings toward Jews
❑
ARTHUR HORWITZ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
etroit's metropolitan area
contains a racially and
ethnically diverse popu-
lation in excess of 4 mil-
lion. The Jewish community,
numbering approximately
96,000, is concentrated in
southeast Oakland County.
Since the 1967 Detroit riots,
the Jewish community has dis-
tanced itself — geographically
and personally — from the city.
Old alliances, built around the
civil rights and labor move-
ments, were not re-energized.
The Jewish community,
through necessity and habit, is
inward looking, focusing its re-
sources on the diverse needs of
Jews locally and international-
ly. Yet, the success of Detroit's
Jewish community — econom-
ically, socially and politically
is closely tied to the success of
the entire Detroit region.
With this information and re-
cent surveys from the Anti-
Defamation League showing 34
percent of blacks holding
strongly anti-Semitic views,
Negative
The Jewish News contacted
Wayne State University's Col-
lege of Urban, Labor and Met-
ropolitan Affairs and the
Jewish Community Council
about the possibility of forming
a partnership to poll and track
attitudes of the Jewish com-
munity toward its non-Jewish
neighbors.
The partnership will:
— help to create improved
understanding between the
Jewish community and other
groups in the Detroit metro
area;
— provide data and analyses
permitting The Jewish News,
the Jewish Community Coun-
cil and Wayne State Universi-
ty to identify current and
emerging issues and develop ac-
tion agendas;
— lead to the creation of a
longitudinal data base that will
provide fertile opportunities for
research by both graduate stu-
dents and faculty at Wayne
State University. ❑
Jewish Organizations Should Put More Effort Into Developing
Ties With Blacks, Non-Jewish Whites and Arabs and C.haldeans.
0,
None
Blacks
Effort now put in
Whites
Arab/Chaldean
IN in Effort should put in
7