•

5 !RMdi`

Israel Fund (NIF), has seen donations
increase by 25 percent this year.
"Lots of people, unbidden by 'us,
are shifting their gifts or parts of it,"
said Gil Kulick, NIF's director of
communications. "We've been urging
people to support us in addition to
UJA, but we know some people may
be [shifting gifts] • because they want
to send a message."
Arlene Johnson of Farmington Hills
is one of those people interested in
sending a message. A Reform Jew who
is married to a convert, Johnson feels
personally offended by the legislation.
"Before, I felt there was a unity and I
donated haphazardly," she said. "Now,
in light of what is going on, I'll look
closely at who I give to and will make
sure not to give to Likud and the right
wing...I voted in the World Zionist
Organization elections last spring, and
I'll let my financial support continue
to convey that message."
In Detroit, Ann Arbor and Flint,
Jewish Federation leaders say they are
concerned about the potential impact
the religious conflict will have on their
fund-raising campaigns. However,
they stress that most donors -- partic-
ularly major donors — are continuing
to give as usual.
"The issue came up on Super
Sunday, but we still had a record
Super Sunday," said Michael Gilbert,
Federation's campaign director.

Jews are sending
a message.

Bob Aronson, Federation's executive
vice president, agreed. "We've had a
strong campaign," he said. "People
have been very good about expressing
concern but not cutting their gifts."
Morley Witus, 1998 campaign
chairman for the Jewish Federation of
Washtenaw County, said that although
contributions and pledges are on tar-
get for now, "a lot of people are
worked up over the issue and we're
certainly concerned about the impact
on the campaign."
To address the issue, the Ann
Arbor-based Federation last year allo-
cated $4,300 of the $391,552 desig-
nated for overseas organizations to
groups fighting for religious pluralism.
And a larger allocation is likely this
year, said Witus.
In addition, Federation leaders are
working to convince donors that the

campaign is not an appropriate battle-
ground for the conflict. "I try to
explain to people that the dollars
going overseas are going to humanitar-
ian causes, both in Israel and else-
where," said Witus. "Their dollars
aren't being handed over to some
ultra-Orthodox rabbis, but to social
service programs." Slightly over half of
the Federation of Washtenaw County's
allocations go overseas.
Joel Kaplan, executive director of
the Flint Jewish Federation, said he's
noticed a modest effect from the reli-
gious pluralism controversy. "We've
had some impact, but on the lower
end of our donor base. There have
been limited cuts and declines this
year due to this issue, and some of
them are guarded in the sense that if
the issue gets resolved, those donors
will be back on board." Thirty percent
of Flint's campaign revenues goes over-
seas.
Despite their concern about reli-
gious pluralism, local Reform and
Conservative rabbis say they are not
telling their congregants to withhold
UJA contributions.
"It's a difficult issue and I'm torn,
but my position is that we still give to
Federation," said Rabbi Michael
Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom.
"The majority of where our money
goes are places I believe in."
Moskowitz added that he is encourag-
ing his congregants — many of whom
have approached him about the issue
— to supplement their Federation
gifts with contributions to the Reform
and Conservative movements in Israel.
Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Beth
Abraham Hillel Moses said most of his
congregants are more concerned about
local Jewish issues than the controver-
sy in Israel, and estimates that few
Detroiters will cut their Federation
giving.
"I'm hoping it's not going to have a
negative effect on UJA and that it will
have a positive effect on other organi-
zations that support pluralism," said
Bergman. "I don't think withholding
money from the UJA will have the
effect of convincing people our way is
the right way. It would just cut off
relations."
But former Jewish Agency employ-
ee Robert Oppenheimer, of Ann
Arbor, disagrees. "People should vote
with their checkbooks. I say, support
organizations in Israel that you would
support in the United States. If you
choose where your money goes in
non-Jewish ways, why not choose
where it goes in Jewish ways?"

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