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Proceeding With Caution
With ADIN Recent Report
ADL Michigan Region Director Richard Loben-
The Anti-Defamation League is correct in its de-
thal
is correct in his assessment that one year of
cision to view the results of its 1995 audit of
decreased
figures doesn't necessarily mean we're
crimes of anti-Semitism with caution.
Perhaps the biggest mistake we as Jews can looking at a trend. Yes, it's a start, but there's
still a long, long way to go.
make is to live with a false sense of
We look forward - to the begin-
security. Yes, we are more assim-
ning
of Michigan's Bias Crimes
ilated and accepted, and for that
Task
Force in June. Those num-
matter intermarried, than ever be-
bers,
as Mr. Lobenthal has indi-
fore. However, as history is our
cated,
will show us in a more
judge, whenever we've felt this good
meticulous
way what is really go-
about our lot in society, we've typ-
ing on out there.
ically had to pay for that "security"
For now, though, we're glad
in terms of Jewish lives and liber-
we're reporting on a decrease
ties.
rather than an increase. That
The decrease in hate crimes
doesn't mean we're going to stop
should, therefore, motivate us to
reporting
on these crimes, though.
work even harder to educate soci-
We
as
a
people
shouldn't think
ety on hate of any kind, be it
that
the
momentum
of a decrease
against Jews or gentiles. We
is
enough
to
stop
any
of us from re-
shouldn't take time to sit back and
porting
to
the
police
or
ADL what
celebrate. If hate crimes were re-
Richard Lobenth al:
we
perceive
as
an
anti-Semitic
duced by 50 percent, that's still 50 No trend yet.
crime. Crimes of hate are hardly
percent too many hate crimes.
There are, unfortunately, many individuals trivial. It's important that we aren't so com-
and groups in this country who will make every fortable, as our social acceptance climbs, to think
that hate crimes will assimilate as well.
effort to add to the numbers.
Waging The Battle
Against Demagoguery
Have you ever been wondering about the eerie
silence from Jewish groups about GOP presi-
dential candidate Pat Buchanan's demagoguery?
The agencies that would usually step forward
to remind the country of his string of anti-Se-
mitic rhetoric and brushes with Holocaust de-
nial are muzzled by a law that prohibits
tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations from en-
dorsing or opposing political candidates. Tech-
nically, they could inform the public about such
a person, but they are not anxious to test the rule.
So, on this matter, don't expect to hear from the
Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish
Committee or the Jewish Community Council,
just to name a few.
That's why we are picking up the pace. Mr.
Buchanan's extremism — noted in this space last
cf)
week — has been exposed nonetheless. The past
u-a
= week saw his campaign co-chair take a leave of
= absence following questions about his connec-
t ons to the militia movement and white
premacists. And the campaign was also forced
to distance itself from an aide in Florida with
a; white supremacist ties.
This exposure of Mr. Buchanan's intolerance
c,E
— without the need for the Jewish community
to cry anti-Semitism — is welcome. For one thing,
it demonstrates that good people will often come
forward to denounce hate and fear mongers. And
0 it helps shape the discussion of Mr. Buchanan
0 without making him a Jewish issue.
o
The second point is important. Long after the
Republican Party comes to its senses and nom-
inates Sen. Bob Dole or Gov. Lamar Alexander,
the "radical right" supporters of Mr. Buchanan
will endure.
At that point, it will be important to differen-
tiate between what much of the conservative
Christian movement stands for and what Pat
Buchanan stands against. In many ways, Mr.
Buchanan is the worst nightmare of Ralph Reed
and his Christian Coalition. Ever since Mr.
Buchanan's "culture war" speech at the 1992 Re-
publican convention in Houston, Mr. Reed has
attempted to steer his group toward a more main-
stream candidate. But with the commentator's
strong showing in Iowa and New Hampshire,
Mr. Reed's four years of trying to live down the
divisive diatribe seem lost — at least for the mo-
ment.
Mr. Buchanan's success signals that the fight
against state-legislated morality and state-de-
fined religion must be waged anew.
The Jewish community can and ought to keep
reaching out to Mr. Reed and the Christian Coali-
tion to find common ground on social issues. And
we must remind others why we differ on other
positions.
We may never agree on abortion or prayer in
schools, but Jewish groups must not cede the dis-
cussion of family values to the worst elements of
the radical right.
Letters
Ten Heroic
Individuals
stein ignores that heroic Ten,
their defense of the First Amend-
ment and their struggle against
anti-Semitism.
Susan Bernstein's article, "Un-
Dan Greenberg
friendly Treatment: Jews and the
Farmington Hills
Hollywood Blacklist," in your Feb.
9 edition, does a great injustice
to 10 heroic individuals who
fought anti-Semitism and were
jailed for their defense of the First
Amendment.
In addition to several minor er- I found your article (Feb. 9) that
rors, I was appalled that Ms. covered the Council of Orthodox
Bernstein's article on this dark Rabbis' condemnation of assist-
chapter in American history ig- ed suicide disturbing when the
nores the Hollywood Ten, the ma- writer says there are many rab-
bis in Michigan who back Dr.
jority of whom were Jewish.
In October 1947, the Holly- Kevorkian's cause.
This would, in effect, let the
wood Ten challenged the House
Un-American Activities Com- reader believe that many rabbis
mittee's (HUAC) right to ask the are stacked on both sides of this
question, "Are you now or have very sensitive issue. If indeed
you ever been a member of the there are any Orthodox, Conser-
Communist Party?"
vative or Reform rabbis who back
A critically important omission physician-assisted suicides, then
in Ms. Bernstein's article is the the public should know who they
fact that they challenged HUAC are and on what theological ba-
on the grounds of the First sis they permit it. To be sure, your
Amendment, which, they writer failed to identity them. I
claimed, protected their right of feel a clarification is therefore in
freedom of silence as well as of order.
speech: hence, they did not have
Rabbi Elimelich Silberberg
to answer such an onerous ques-
Council of Orthodox Rabbis
tion simply "yes" or "no."
Politics, left-wing or otherwise,
had nothing to do with their po-
sition.
Their actions were on advice of
counsel, one of whom, Bartley
Crum, a great friend of Israel, lat-
er committed suicide, reputedly I was impressed and inspired by
in despair at the punishment the your Feb. 9 article about Rabbi
Hollywood Ten received for fol- Marla Feldman's accomplish-
ments as a rabbi and attorney
lowing his advice.
In addition, Ms. Bernstein's ar- and her contributions to "the
ticle clouds the historical record poor, the elderly, immigrants and
victims of genocide" in her new
in a number of other ways:
1. It ignores the fact that mem- post as assistant director for do-
bership in the Communist Party mestic concerns at the Jewish
was not illegal at the time these Community Council.
But I mainly was delighted
individuals' memberships were
that
"one of her top priorities
being questioned.
would
be to help the Jewish corn-
It
minimizes
the
anti-Semi-
2.
munity
build sturdier relation-
tism of HUAC's attack on Hol-
lywood. In fact, one of the ships with other ethnic and
Hollywood Ten, Samuel Ornitz, religious communities," and not
focused his response on issues of in a superficial way, but by "de-
anti-Semitism rather than left- veloping programs in which these
diverse communities work side
wing politics.
by
side to create a more mean-
3. It implies that all those
blacklisted were left-wingers or ingful bond."
To me, this woman has an ex-
Communists who took the Fifth
Amendment, a widely held inac- tremely intelligent and farsight-
ed view of what is good for Jews
curacy.
it
But
most
of
all,
as
noted,
4.
is unforgivable that Ms. Bern- VIEWS page 12
`Many' Rabbis
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