A
Part

Amway has made it into the living
rooms and hearts of several area Jews.

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

ersonal testimonials are not
uncommon at Amway meet-
ings, but Susan Weingar-
den's had a twist.
"I got up and said, Tm Jewish, I'm lib-
eral, rm a Democrat.' rm very proud to be
Jewish, and every chance I get I want peo-
ple to know."
Pride aside, her true motive was to dis-
pel the stubborn and widespread miscon-
ception that Amway distributors are
overwhelmingly white, conservative and
Christian.
The fact is, she and other Jewish
Arnway distributors say, religion is not a
barrier to getting involved or gaining ac-
ceptance in the Amway community, de-
spite the deeply Christian leanings and
ultraconservative politics of Amway's
founders and owners, Richard DeVos and
Jay Van Andel. One of their pet causes
is Campus Crusade for Christ.
"If the owner of Amway is Republican,
that's his business. If the owner of Neiman
Marcus is Republican, that's his business.
I don't ask," said Ms. Weingarden, a West
Bloomfield freelance writer.
Susan and her husband, Terry, an or-
thopedic surgeon, were introduced to
Amway a year ago and say they have spon-
sored other Amway distributors — the
road to success in the company.
"Many corporations give money to or-
ganizations I might oppose. Jews buy Ford

products," said West Bloomfield cardiolo-
gist Joel Kahn, referring to the carmak-
er's notoriously anti-Semitic founder,
Henry Ford. He and his wife Karen were
introduced to Amway by a physician friend
two years ago and say they are starting to
see financial rewards from their hard
work.
Neither the Weingardens nor the Kahns
would say how much monthly income their
businesses are generating. They also re-
fused to be photographed for this story.
At 38 years old, Amway, short for
"American way," is one of the older net-
work marketing organizations around.
Originally a door-to-door soap-selling op-
eration, the Ada, Mi.-based company has
become a multibillion dollar operation with
a base of 2.5 million distributors, includ-
ing the Weingardens, the Kahns, Lisa
Kartaginer, Jon and Peggy Jacobs, and
clinical psychologist Bob Handelsman.
Getting into the business means buy-
ing a "kit" for about $150. Building it be-
gins with buying Amway products for
personal use and distributing them to oth-
ers at retail cost. The buyers, in turn, are
encouraged to become distributors them-,
selves, and if they also successfully spon-
sor others, their original sponsor — the
one whose products they first bought and
who showed them the Amway plan
starts to get bonuses from the company.
While the Arnway faithful insist the corn-

pany is not organized in "pyramid" fash-
ion, profits from product sales do move up-
ward.
Ultimately, distributors try to reach the
status of "crown," a rank whose members
are invariably pictured near a yacht or a
huge house, bedecked in gold and dia-
monds, in the company's monthly maga-
zine, AMAGREW Most important, they're
at leisure while the residuals roll in.
The promise of attaining a dream —
which is almost always cast in material
terms — is at the heart of the Amway sell.

R

effecting Amway's mantra —
that anybody can get rich with
a bit of hard work and fortitude
— these Jewish distributors say
they take what they need and leave the
rest.
"Hindus are the biggest growing faction
of Amway. If they can do it, why can't Jews
do it? Just because it's Christian-domi-
nated doesn't mean I can't get a piece of
the pie," said Southfield resident Lisa
Kartaginer, an Orthodox Jew who became
an Amway distributor over a year ago.
Plus, she noted, Amway features 40 or
50 brand-name kosher products among
its soap, furniture, clothing, vitamins, wa-
ter purifiers and thousands of other items.
"From my 5-year experience, there's al-
ways been a religious outlet for Jewish

people if they so desire," said Jonathan Ja-
cobs, who continues to work his day job as
a sales representative and run his Amway
business with his wife Peg. "During some
meetings where banquets are included,
kosher food is available."
These Jewish distributors all noted that
Amway has attracted a sizeable contin-
gent of Orthodox Jews, many from the
East Coast. Seas of yarmulkes are a reg-
ular sight at national Amway gatherings
meant to inspire the legions, even though
they begin on Shabbat.
It was a rabbi in Florida, in fact, who
inspired Joel Kahn to get involved in
Amway.
"He was excited about it. He told me
everything I needed to know. He told me
it would take me anywhere, financial-wise.
Yes, maybe the business was owned by
gentiles and the majority actively build-
ing it were gentile, but he said it never vi-
olated his religious beliefs," Dr. Kahn said.
The rabbi, Heschi Reisel, could not be
reached for comment.
Dr. Kahn said he sees Orthodox Jews
at the weekend Amway seminars but they
stay in their hotel rooms during Shabbat.
"In New York and Miami there are big
Orthodox groups that have their own
teaching seminars that are not on Sat-
urday. [Amway] will accommodate any-
body," he said.
A recent editorial by the Amway Policy