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This Week's Top Stories
Some Jews Can't Stand Partnership Sails Ahead
The knot gets tighter as winds of change blow toward the year 2000.
Not Standing
DAVID ZEMAN STAFF WRITER
W
hen National Basket-
ball Association star
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
claimed his Islamic
faith prevented him from stand-
ing for the national anthem, he
received mixed reviews from
Jews active in free speech and
religious issues.
Though the controversy was
resolved late last week when
Mr. Abdul-Rauf agreed to a com-
promise, his antipathy toward
the anthem divided civil liber-
tarians and sports fans alike.
For many Jews, the player's
refusal to face the flag during
the anthem was undermined
by what they saw as a lack of re-
ligious foundation for his posi-
tion.
"Standing for the anthem is
showing respect; it's not wor-
shiping," said Richard Loben-
thal, executive director of the
Michigan regional office of the
Anti-Defamation League of
B'nai B'rith. "It's not prayer. It's
not idolatry. It's showing re-
spect. No religion in the world
says that it's a sin to respect a
country's anthem."
Indeed, several Islamic schol-
ars were quoted in the days fol-
lowing Mr. Abdul-Rauf's sus-
pension by the NBA as saying
they could find nothing in the
Koran or any other religious
writing that would-make stand-
ing for the anthem anathema to
devout Muslims.
Herschel Fink, a Detroit at-
torney who works on First
Amendment constitutional is-
sues, concurred.
"I would feel differently if it
was an article of his faith," said
Mr. Fink, who represents sev-
eral media clients, including
The Jewish News. "For instance,
a Jehovah's Witness as a tenet
of faith is not allowed to stand
and pay respect to a flag. I think
that's a different situation."
Mr. Fink, like others inter-
viewed, said the player's stance
clearly was borne of political —
rather than religious — convic-
tion. He noted in particular Mr.
Abdul-Raufs provocative com-
ment that the American flag
was a symbol of oppression and
tyranny.
"I think it's just that he wish-
es to express a view that is odi-
REFUSAL page 14
At"'
4
4. :
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
T
he challenge: finding tal-
ented, business-minded
Americans to help a Russ-
ian proctologist in Israel
market his device for hemor-
rhoid removal.
In one of the latest Partner-
ship 2000 adventures, students
from the University of Michi-
gan's graduate school of busi-
ness, eager to lend a hand, flew
to metro Detroit's sister region
in the Central Galilee.
Partnership 2000, a program
linking Israelis and Diaspora
Jews through cultural, econom-
ic and academic exchange, shift-
ed into overdrive this month
with several cross-continental
Israeli medical professionals visit metro Detroit: Left to right, Shuly Shay, Dr. Raul
visits.
Once in Israel, the U-M busi- Raz, Dr. Edith Flatau, Dr. Natan Tzur, Dr. Eliezer Shazev, Dr. Stavit Alon-Shalev.
ness school students met with
the struggling Russian proctol- Adamczyk — traveled with U-M ital funding," Mr. Camiener says.
ogist — who has little problem Professor Andrew Lawlor. The "This wasn't just theory in a text-
designing scientific marvels, but dean of the business school, Joe book."
Another group of U-M stu-
remains clueless about what to White, in cooperation with the
Jewish Federation of Metropol- dents with similar goals depart-
do next.
"Oftentimes, inventors don't itan Detroit, is responsible for ed for the Central Galilee
understand markets. This is es- spearheading Partnership 2000 (specifically, the principality of
Migdal HaEmek) yesterday.
pecially true of someone who was projects at U-M.
"The trip enabled us to work During the four-week trip, they
not brought up in a market econ-
omy," says Jeff Camiener, a sec- with a real inventor with a real will assist an Israeli agriculture
ond-year student in the MBA product. He's someone who company with its finances, mar-
needs support developing a busi- keting and advertising.
program at U-M.
U-M students in both groups
The group — Mr. Camiener,. ness plan, help understanding
John Stein, Amir Rubin, Scott how to penetrate the U.S. mar- - have promised to submit corn-
Dougall, Matt Haile and Brad ket and help getting venture cap- plete business plans to their Is-
raeli partners by the end of April.
On the local front, Partnership
2000 delegates from Israel trav-
eled to metro Detroit earlier this
month to meet with Sinai Hos-
pital staff. Another group of Is-
raelis visited representatives of
Jewish communal agencies, like
the Jewish Vocational Service
and Fresh Air Society.
At Sinai, the medical profes-
sionals discussed ways to com-
bine resources in the fight
against hepatitis, a disease in-
flaming the liver, and the treat-
ment of HIV/AIDS patients.
"This represents a new and
evolving relationship between
peers," says Federation Execu-
tive Vice President Robert Aron-
son. "We are identifying and
focusing on some real results."
One of those results is a new
machine for breast cancer de-
tection. Developed by scientists
in the Central Galilee, the ma-
chine bases its diagnosis on elec-
trical charges at the site of a
potential malignancy.
Jeanette Pesamoska, 10, and her
As a result of discussions be-
mother, Debbie, check out the
tween local and Israeli physi-
PARTNERSHIP page 18
r
Jewish children
have fun and learn
the joy of giving at
tzedakah event.
PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT
Debate swirls over an NBA player's refusal to stand
for the national anthem.