Opinion

Justifiable Anger
Over Olympic Myopia

NEIL RUBIN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

was absent from their speeches
hrough the telephone re- emonies. He started a movement and interviews.
now
at
a
crescendo.
ceiver, I could virtually feel
No one is shocked that
Billy Payne didn't show up.
the steam coming out of Is-
IOC President Juan Antonio
Had
he
done
so,
he
might
have
rael Southeast Consul Gen-
wiped away tears for many of Samaranch has been mute on
eral Arye Mekel's ears.
the matter. But Mr. Young, a
He shared with me his fury us. Later, he might have seen an preacher, understands the need
Israeli
athlete,
his
head
bowed,
at how people such as Atlanta
to mourn and heal. Mr. Camp-
Mayor Bill Campbell, the standing silently before the bell, always so sensitive to Jew-
Munich
11
memorial.
And
he
Atlanta Committee for the
ish concerns, should have known
Olympic Games' Billy Payne might have heard the echoes of better. Why didn't they —
the
600
in
attendance:
We'll
and Ambassador Andrew Young
or anyone else — simply recog-
are unknowingly grinding salt move forward, but we'll never nize this as the second time that
into already deep Jewish forget.
Those present or who have terror has ripped apart the
wounds.
heard
the Munich 11 delegation Games?
Media from around the world
have spent the past
few weeks interviewing
the Munich 11 delega-
tion, the Israelis whose
husbands and fathers
were murdered by
Palestinian terrorists
at the 1972 summer
games.
But for Jews, the
remarkable story of this
Olympics — bombings,
medals and glitches
aside — is an actual in-
crease of insensitivity
by the International
Olympic Committee
(IOC) and the Atlanta
Committee for the
Olympic Games
(ACOG) toward that
slaughter. The widows
and children of those
slain were promised The specte r of Munich hung over Atlanta.
recognition by the IOC
Would it have been too polit-
now understand this tragedy's
of their suffering.
ical? Would it be any more so
human
dimension
and
why
we
When a bomb ripped at At-
than hosting Olympic delega-
lanta's spirit this week, many Jews keep returning to it.
tions from "Palestine" or "the for-
Yes,
these
days
Mr.
Payne
is
thought it would be a convenient
mer Yugoslav Republic of
one
of
the
planet's
busiest
per-
excuse for the Olympic powers
Macedonia"? A statement, a
sons.
Yet,
a
letter,
a
statement,
to mention how terrorism — in
press conference. It's not so
something
was
called
for.
Atlanta or in Munich — was
much.
bound to fail. And it would be a
The issue has caused an up-
chance to recall the victims of
roar in the Jewish world. By
Call Campbell,
both places.
Tuesday afternoon, faxes were
So when Billy Payne promised
flying to ACOG, the IOC and
Payne
and
Young.
some local Jewish leaders that
others from Israel's government,
he would attend Sunday's At-
the Atlanta Jewish Federation,
Call
now
lanta Jewish Federation Munich
national Jewish bodies and in-
11 memorial ceremony, it set the
and often.
dividuals. In the next 48 hours,
stage for a historic acknowl-
we must do more.
edgement.
Share your thoughts.
Mr. Mekel asked Oshrat
• Ambassador Young is at
Mr.
Payne,
we'll
print
an
Romano, daughter of the mur-
(404) 224-1950; fax: (404) 224-
unedited
version
of
why
you
dered Yoseph Romano, to tone
down her prepared re-marks for were absent. And while contem- 1966.
• Mr. Payne is at (404) 224-
the ceremony. She agreed. She plating your words, think of this: 1901; fax: (404) 224-1998.
The
Palestinians
made
it;
you
and Guri Weinberg, son of the
• Mayor Campbell, who spoke
dead Moshe Weinberg, both didn't.
movingly on Sunday night, is at
Mayor
Bill
Campbell
and
choked back tears of anguish
(404) 330-6000; fax: (404) 658-
while delivering eloquent ad- Ambassador Andrew Young,
6158.
no
doubt
unintentionally,
dresses.
Mr. Samaranch doesn't live in
added
to
the
insult.
Both
have
Throughout the evening,
Atlanta. But the others do. We
warm
and
close
ties
to
and
speakers vowed to press the
deeply appreciate their past ef-
cause of recognition. Israel are genuine friends of Atlanta forts with us — and know they
Deputy Minister Moshe Peled Jewry.
Last Friday, Mr. Young met want us to support them in the
went a step further. "It's not too
with
the Munich 11 delegation. future. Thus, about 10,000 or so
late," he said, urging the crowd
Mayor
Campbell did so Sunday. polite, yet firm, calls and faxes
to push for a moment of silence
Both
promised
to do what they about recognizing Munich's
during the Olympic closing cer-
could. We take them at their tragedy at the closing ceremonies
word. Tuesday morning, during would be appropriate.
Neil Rubin is editor of our sister
So what are you waiting
the reopening of Centennial
paper, the Atlanta Jewish
for? ❑
Olympic
Park,
Munich's
pain
Times.

l.

Editor's Notebook

The Lessons I Learned
From Two Teachers

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

nlike most people I know, counter that I opted not to ma-
I don't like to spend much jor in child development and in-
time reminiscing about stead graduated with a
the "good old college days" bachelor's degree in political sci-
because, frankly, they were pret- ence.
That I did not end up becom-
ty awful.
The school I attended was ing a university professor (be-
mediocre. Half the students were cause, let's be honest, what else
brain-dead. And above all, I was is there to do with a degree in po-
an absolute dolt. Thank good- litical science?), and instead have
ness, I hardly recognize the per- spent my entire professional ca-
son I was back then. Who was reer in Jewish fields, is in part
she? I cannot help but wonder. due to another professor of mine,
Where did she come from and a remarkable man named Isaac
how did she manage to invade Crosby.
Dr. Crosby was born poor and
my body?
The college I went to was a black in a small town in Missis-
women's school, Stephens, pri- sippi. His wife, Willa, had been -
marily known for its drama pro- my typing teacher in high school,
gram which is really quite good, and he had a boy, Eric, my broth-
even though its leading er's age. That was about all I
spokesman is Dawn Wells, best knew about Dr. Crosby's per-
known as "Mary Ann" from sonal life, though, because he
"Gilligan's Island." (Ms. Wells was a private man.
loves to talk about Stephens, What I did know, as did every-
though she always carefully one who came to know him, was
avoids mentioning the year she that he was an absolute genius
graduated.) But Stephens also when it came to philosophy and
offered a degree in "equine sci- religion.
I was part of a Stephens fresh-
ence," where you learned the
bast way to brush a horse's mane man program that dictated a
(I am not making this up) and number of courses I took, one of
normal things, like English and which was philosophy taught by
math and political science and Dr. Crosby. At first, I was sim-
child development. ply incredulous. "I'm not going
While at Stephens, I met two to major in philosophy, you
teachers who forever influenced know," I would announce in my
my life, and in doing so taught typically arrogant college stu-
me early on what a profound im- dent approach. "So I can't believe
pact a single person can have on Pm actually going to have to
another. The first was a woman spend hours reading this stuff
whose name I don't even re- and then be tested on it. I mean,
member. The second was my what kind of people spend all
philosophy professor, Isaac Cros- their days wondering whether
they exist or not?"
by
Pd rather get the bad out of But Dr. Crosby won me over.
the way, so I'll talk first about Not to the value of studying phi-
the woman. She was older, wiry, losophy, mind you, but to the
with glasses. She had short hair. wonder of intellectual pursuit.
She was my instructor in child It became clear to me, early
development, a subject I'd con- on, that Dr. Crosby was not an
sidered as my major. ordinary man. He actually un-
it was clear early on that this derstood these philosophers and
teacher, I'll call her Ms. X, and I got excited about what they pro-
had a very different approach to posed, and so managed to spark
child care. She basically advo- us all to curiosity about the sub-
cated standing there, man- ject. I know he had taught the
nequin-like, while the class many times before, but you
preschoolers entertained them- wouldn't have thought it. He was
selves. A teacher's role was to su- so excited about philosophy, so
pervise and not, heaven forbid, intrigued by it all. "What do you
to become involved with chil- mean you don't want to learn
dren, she said. about why we exist and why we
I, on the other hand, believed suffer and how we define our-
in the value of interacting. I liked selves?" he would ask me, in-
to toss the ball back and forth credulously. "It is central to who
with the children or hear their we are as human beings."
As a sophomore, I was so
stories about the pictures they
drawn
to Dr. Crosby's teaching
painted.
The differences between Ms. style that I took another class
X and I reached a head after I with him. And besides, it was
dared, one afternoon, to go on a "Introduction to Judaism" —
piece of playground equipment what could be an easier "A"?
I was so naive.
with the children. The teacher
Perhaps,
in retrospect, I
called me into her office.
"How could you?" she de- should have realized that Dr.
manded. "You must never, nev- Crosby was not the kind of man
er go down the slide with them!"
I was so wounded by this en- LESSON page 26

U

