National Group's Jewish Conservatives
On the Rise With The Right

C

ontrary to popular belief,
not all Jews are liberal. A
West Coast rabbi, who is
fed up with that popular
notion, established a political
group for Jewish conservatives.
"Every Jewish synagogue,
agency and organization is dom-
inated by a liberal doctrine," said
Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who found-
ed Toward Tradition, an organi-
zation for Jewish conservatives
who feel excluded by communal
Jewish establishments.
'We are an educational orga-
nization refuting the notion Ju-
daism is associated with
liberalism," he said. 'We are not
an arm of the Republican Party,
although what they say makes
sense."
Many Jewish members of the or-
ganization prefer not to be identi-
fied because they feel a sense of
exclusion, according to officials with
Toward Tradition, who attribute
this feeling to a perceived negativ-
ity within the Jewish community
toward conservative views.
Several weeks ago, Toward
Tradition placed an advertise-
ment in the New York Times
headlined "Mazel Toy, Speaker
Gingrich — We Know All About

10 Point Contracts." The ad prais-
es the Republicans' "Contract
With America" as being rooted in
Jewish values.
"Many of the Republican per-
spectives on hot political issues
are found within Jewish Law,"
Rabbi Lapin said. "The funda-
mental conflict in education is
over who is in charge — the state
or the parent. We agree with the
conservative viewpoint that par-
ents should be making choices for
their children."
Toward Tradition shares some
of its political vision with the
Christian Coalition, one of the
fastest-growing political organi-
zations in the country.
Led by 33-year-old Ralph Reed,
the Christian Coalition boasts a
membership of 1.6 million and is
credited with helping religious Toward Tradition's Rabbi Daniel Lapin
right-aligned candidates win nu-
Said Rabbi Lapin, "We both
merous political seats in Novem-
have an overlapping concern for
ber.
family, strong values and im-
Both Rabbi Lapin and Dr. parting knowledge." The rabbi
Reed have spoken at each other's also voiced his opposition for po-
conferences.
litical tenets like deficit spending,
Dr. Reed, who also addressed which he called morally wrong,
the Detroit Economic Club last and entitlements.
month, talked about some of the
"They (entitlements) are at
commonalities shared by Jews odds with Jewish tradition which
and the Christian Coalition.
venerates work," he said.

Who Judges The Judges?

W

hen a private citi-
zen does some-
thing wrong, he
often ends up
making his case in front of
a judge.
But what happens when
a judge is suspected of pro-
fessional misconduct?
The state constitution ad-
dressed this issue by creat-
ing the Michigan Judicial
Tenure Commission. Its
nine members oversee all ju-
dicial misbehavior and han-
dle grievances made against
judges.
First elected to the board
in 1988, Oakland County
Probate Judge Barry Grant
was recently chosen to serve
as the board's secretary.
"It's a real honor and re-
sponsibility to serve on such
a -commission," said Judge

Barry Grant: Secretary
of the Judicial Tenure
Commission.

The rabbi, who supports
"Rabbi Lapin is effectively
prayer in the public schools, does working in the arena of ideas to
not understand why liberal Jews bring about a reawakening of tra-
are opposed to the concept.
ditional values in our country,"
"It's not a good idea for the Mr. Sullivan said. "His mission
most strident voices to be Jewish at Toward Tradition is very much
because the polls show more than in line with our work at Hills-
75 percent of Americans want dale."
prayer in school," Rabbi Lapin
In 1991, the Orthodox rabbi
said. "It's potentially threatening told his congregation if he were
for the people who introduced to send a child to college, he
God in the world to be the most would "probably choose Hillsdale
strident protestors.
over a university like Brandeis,"
"There should be prayer in according to a report in Heritage,
schools. The whole debate is an a California Jewish newspaper.
eloquent argument for vouchers.
Rabbi Lapin said he approves
If parents do not like the prayers of Hillsdale because of its reli-
being said at one school, they gious orientation.
should have the opportunity to
"Whether you are a Jew or a
attend a school that accommo- Christian, those who embrace
dates their beliefs."
God through the Judeo-Christ-
Since its inception in 1991, To- ian tradition have more in com-
ward Tradition has grown from mon with one another than each
a handful of supporters to a fol- one does with secular members
lowing of over 10,000 nationwide, of his own tradition," he said in
including both Jews and gentiles, Heritage.
Rabbi Lapin says. Among the or-
As for future newspaper ad-
ganization's supporters in Michi- vertisements, Rabbi Lapin said
gan is Tim Sullivan, the director they are forthcoming. 'We will
of corporate development at Hills- continue to provide intellectual
dale College, who met the rabbi fuel to drive the Republican
a few years ago when he spoke at revolution and the role of Jewish
the small college south of Jack- tradition in the revolution," he
son, near the Ohio border.
said. ❑

Jewish Staffers Behind
The Political Scene

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

Grant, who lives in Bloom-
field Township. "Unfortu-
nately, most people don't
realize there is a commis-
sion that oversees judges."
The board meets month-
ly and is made up of one pro-
bate court judge, one circuit
court judge, one district
court judge, two governor
appointees, two State Bar
elected members and one in-
dividual elected by the
lawyers. The commission
can admonish, suspend or
remove any of the state's
650 judges for judicial mis-
conduct.
For 18 years, Judge
Grant has held a seat on the
Probate Court bench. ❑

ehind every member of
Congress is an office filled
with staff who often work
long days to keep their
bosses up-to-date on constituent
concerns and policy issues.
While it's the elected official
who gets all the attention, a good
staff can be key to running a suc-
cessful congressional office.
Behind the scenes of Michi-
gan's freshman delegation are
several Jewish staffers working
in various capacities.
"This is a dream job," said Dan
Senor, a legislative aide to Michi-
gan's Republican Senator
Spencer Abraham. "My work
gives me an opportunity to com-
bine my commitment to Jewish
issues and a strong U.S./Israel re-

B

lationship, while working on Re-
publican issues. That means a lot
to me."
At 23, Mr. Senor advises the
senator on positions he should
take regarding U.S. policy issues
in the Middle East. He also han-
dles budget, labor and social is-
sues for Sen. Abraham.
Conducting research is not un-
common. For example, when Sen.
Abraham wanted background in-
formation on foreign aid to Israel,
Mr. Senor provided him with the
materials.
"Growing up in a traditional
Jewish family, tikkun olam (re-
pairing the world) was always im-
portant," said Mr. Senor, who was
born in upstate New York and

JEWISH STAFFERS page 76