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An Opportunity To Vote
In The Zionist Elections
Rabbis from pulpits of every denomination are
taking a moment lately to talk not only of the
week's Torah portion.
They and Jewish leadership are asking that
we take very seriously the 33rd World Zionist
Congress coming up later this year. It will be
celebrating 100 years since Theodor Herzl's orig-
inal Basel meeting, the modern foundation of
Zionism.
The World Zionist Congress is the policy-set-
ting body of the World Zionist Organization
(WZO). This election comes at a time of height-
ened tension within Israel between the Ortho-
dox and other Jewish denominations, especially
after the Knesset began considering a bill dele-
gitimizing non-Orthodox conversions.
There are many serious issues facing the
World Zionist Congress and every Jew is enti-
tled to register to vote. At stake is some $400
million raised by Diaspora Jews. The WZO's
most effective functions are tied directly to the
Jewish Agency for Israel, which allocates mon-
ey to Israel. The head of WZO also leads the
Jewish Agency. WZO selects half of the Jewish
Agency's board and works with the organiza-
tion to determine where Diaspora money is
spent.
Some 56 percent of the $400 million raised
goes to immigration and absorption. Other mon-
ey funds Jewish education projects through
grant allocations.
It's important that Jews of all spiritual, eco-
nomic and political walks of life participate in
this process. The stakes are too high for it to be
perceived as an Orthodox, Conservative or Re-
form issue. This is, indeed, a process where the
Jewish people have an opportunity to fit them-
selves under the same umbrella.
Applications for voter registration can be
found on Page 66 of this week's Jewish News,
at most area synagogues or by writing to the
American Elections Committee, P.O. Box 1250,
Westwood, N.J. 07675.
The Need For
Appropriate Sensitivity
T H E
PROMISED LAND fle
THE CONTINUING STORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN THE DIASPORA
by Jordan B. Gorfinkel
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40
stacles in the way of Jews looking to collect what
restitution they are owed.
And what restitution? For most families, it
comes down to an extra $300 a month. That's
how the German government has enumerated
the pain of the survivors: $300.
Among the 800 present on Sunday, there were
certainly several whose families had lost monies
deposited in Swiss banks, maybe even the Union
Bank. Whether or not a shopping mall is suc-
cessful or not in Auburn Hills based on Swiss
money is not going to affect their lives.
Indeed, the aging survivor population will be
fortunate to live long enough to see even a frac-
tion of their family fortunes returned by Switzer-
land. So, it is even more important that the
business world and especially the Jewish mem-
bers of that world heighten their awareness and
show the appropriate sensitivity.
It's one thing to have Mr. Taubman's name at
the entrance of the Jimmy Prentis Morris Jew-
ish Community Center in Oak Park. The irony
is that a number of the clients served by this JCC
are Holocaust survivors.
What's appropriate sensitivity? It's an issue
not just specific to Mr. Taubman. With all the
money, power, intelligence and resources in-
volved, it is important that business deals aren't
done on the backs of the people who have faced
the unthinkable. More research, more informa-
tion, more contact with those that could be of-
fended is needed. The answer is difficult, but the
Now the modern German bureaucracy puts ob- effort needs to be made.
Certainly, no one could ever doubt the level of
charity of an A. Alfred Taubman. His is one of
the names that help carry this community. And
he is part of a list of philanthropists, alongside
names like Fisher and Davidson, that make De-
troit a worldwide leader in giving.
We also have no thought that Mr. Taubman
consummated a business deal with the United
Bank of Switzerland with any notion of harm to
Holocaust survivors (see Page 3).
We wonder how many Jewish businessmen
have signed deals with governments who have
had their share of corruption, human rights vi-
olations and even connections to Hitler. Certainly
countries like Japan, China and Argentina come
to mind, among others.
In the arena of international business, it is of-
ten difficult to know beyond a shadow of a doubt
what your client or your collaborator's dirty laun-
dry is all about. There probably would be few
business deals made these days if human rights
dealings were checked as closely as credit rat-
ings.
Yet last Sunday, we sat with 800 Holocaust
survivors and their relatives at a packed Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek. They were there for
one reason: to learn how to fill out a form or get
a question answered that would help them beat
the red tape of the German bureaucracy.
In that same country, the killing of little chil-
dren, men and women in their prime, and the
frail and elderly was never held up by red tape.
Letters
Republican
Before David
bar in 1877. He practiced law in
Detroit for the remainder of his
life.
I quote from his obituary pub-
In your issue of May 9 ("Exodus lished by the Detroit News, a
From the Dome"), you comment copy of which is in his file at the
on the loss of Jewish lawmakers Burton Historical Collection at
from the Legislature due to the the Detroit Public Library: "In
term limits law. With that I have 1890, with the Democrats hold-
no quarrel, but you go
ing almost complete
on to state: "Former
sway in Wayne poli-
state Sen. David
tics, Mr. Weiss, a Re-
Honigman, the first
publican, was elected
and only Jewish Re-
to the state Senate.
publican to serve in
He was re-elected in
the Legislature ..."
1892, and in 1894 was
I do not know the
chosen to head the
source of your infor-
consolidated Republi-
mation, but nothing
can committees of city
could be further from
and county. In 1898
the truth. More than
he was nominated for
100 years ago, a Jew-
sheriff but was de-
ish Republican David Honig man
feated; and in 1896 he
served in both hous-
was back in the Legislature as a
es of the Legislature. He was Republican representative."
Joseph M. Weiss.
There was a Jewish Republi-
Mr. Weiss was born in Detroit can serving in the Legislature
in 1856, he attended old Cass before David Honigman, or for
School and was a member of the that matter any of us was born.
graduating class of 1873 of the
old Detroit High School. He stud-
ied law and was admitted to the
Sylvan Rapaport
Huntington Woods
r-/