COMMUNITY VIEWS

Giving To Israel:
Not A Political Move

become a political activist, using the
he reaction of Diaspora
pages of the New York Times to ask
Jews, including those in the
Jews not to contribute unless those
United States, to recent
receiving funds in Israel pass his lit-
political struggles in Israel
mus test which includes, yes, support
should make every Jew's heart ache.
for
the Oslo Accords.
Upset with political developments
Friedman's lack of under-
within Israel —both in the
standing about his role as a
secular and religious com-
political columnist notwith-
munities — Diaspora Jews
standing, the decisions to
are increasingly withholding
withhold funds not only
their financial support.
reflect a degree of chutzpah,
Their reluctance to con-
hypocrisy,
and insensitivity
tribute to Israel and various
but
a
misconception
about
non-political causes in the
what contributions to Israel
country apparently stems
mean.
from two factors:
Since the founding of the
Opposition to the policies of
BERL
State
in 1948, financial sup-
the Netanyahu government
FALBAUM
port
has
never, or should
and anger over the so-called
Special to '
never,
have
been inter-
"Who is a Jew" issue.
The Jewish News preted as a political
Thus, organizations seek-
contribu-
ing contributions for Israel
tion. A contri-
are struggling to maintain a flow of
bution to Israel
funds to the Jewish state.
was
not analogous
Unfortunately, their constituencies
to
giving
money to
apparently are making no distinctions
the
Democratic
or
on causes, whether they involve pur-
Republican
Party
chasing of Israel Bonds or helping to
or a political
finance hospitals or university
action commit-
research.
tee.
Washing their hands of support for
The principle was
the Jewish homeland, the boycotters
—
and
remains —
have turned patriotic and humanitari-
that
contributions
are
an motives in a political idealogy.
intended
to
assure
a secur
Almost unbelievably, New York Times
and
safe
Israel
and
that has not
columnist Thomas Friedman aban-
changed.
dons his mantel as a journalist to
Is there anyone who really does not
Bed Falbaum is a public relations spe-
believe — the peace process, the Oslo,
cialist and a freelance writer.
Hebron Accords and the very cold

T

EDITOR'S
NOTEBOOK

In Search Of
Spiritual Vitality

This is the day.
It's whispering new beginnings.
The sun shining over us,
as we journey on our way.

— songwriter Debbie Friedman

ROBERT A. SKLAR
Editor

Shabbat shalom.
Today marks a new
beginning for me —
the first issue of the

Detroit Jewish News published under my
editorship. And what a whirlwind first
week it has been — a stirring, emotional
journey that the legendary Philip
Slomovitz, the founding editor of The
Jewish News, first made in 1942.
What drew me to The Jewish News
was the chance to unite my passions for
journalism and Judaism. As I embark on
a new era as editor of a newspaper I've
read with regularity for three decades,
I'm truly excited about the challenge
and opportunity. I've worked in secular
journalism for nearly 25 years but I have
no qualms about facing the shifting
sands that make Jewish journalism
something special.
My family has been part of the fabric
of the Detroit Jewish community since
the early years of this century. That's
when my grandfather, Jacob Isaiah Sklar,
an Orthodox rabbi from Russia's Minsk
region, fled from the Cossacks and
brought his family through Ellis Island

•

peace with Egypt notwithstanding —
that it is only the military superiority
of Israel which keeps some 20 Arab
nations from attacking the state?
The entire idea of suggesting from
this side of the ocean how Israel
should conduct its foreign or domestic
politics — whether secular or religious
— smacks at chutzpah indeed.
It is the blood of Israelis, the blood
of their children and grandchildren
that is on the line. Israel is the only
country in the world which for the
last half century has lived with war
daily and which every day worries
about the ugliness of terrorism.
For Diaspora Jews who live in safe
and economically advantaged environ-
ments to suggest to those in such
mortal danger each day how to
manage their politics is hypocrisy,
indeed.
American
Jews, in partic-
ular, have been a
very generous in
their support of
Israel. Recognizing
Israel's dangers,
they have
given with "no
strings" attached
whether the Israeli
administration in
power was liberal or
conservative.
Aside from secular and reli-
gious politics of Israel, there are, of
course, other reasons for a lack of
attachment to the Jewish state.

Many baby boomers and other
young adults do not have the same
emotional attachment to Israel of pre-
vious generations. In what has been
labeled the post-Zionist era, the
importance of the State of Israel, the
Holocaust and the overall historic
plight of Jews have less significance to
young people who do not know
Jewish history, do not share the
Zionist philosophy or the pain suf-
fered by those who thought they
would never see their dream of a
homeland fulfilled.
The younger generation is philo-
sophically, economically, socially and
psychologically comfortable with its
place in American society and the
"controversies" are an unwanted and
unwelcome intrusion into their assimi-
lated lives.
They feel no moral, historic, reli-
gious or philosophical obligation to
support Israel, particularly if they dis-
agree with Israel's politics.
They apparently have no reserva-
tions or qualms about the possibility
that financial weakness might further
endanger a state totally surrounded by
enemies.
If those who are angry with Israel
cannot be convinced to help Israel
financially because they-should care
about the lives of Israelis or for
humanitarian reasons or because they
may someday make aliyah or because
"we are one" or because of the contin-
ued threat of war or the ongoing ter-
rorism, then perhaps they can be con-
ISRAEL on page 36

in New York Harbor, lured by tales of
good fortune in North America. He
held pulpits in Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia, and Salem, Mass., before settling
in the Hastings Street area on Detroit's
near east side as the rabbi of Cong. Beth
Tefilo on Farnsworth. He also was a
shochet (ritual slaughterer) and a mohel
(circumciser).
Hastings was Detroit's shtetl of sorts.
It was where East European Jews espe-
cially sought refuge, relief and opportu-
nity from pogroms, oppression and
poverty. For a quarter of a century,
before onset of hegira (the northwesterly
mass migration of Detroit's Jews),
Hastings thrived as a Jewish enclave.
The spirit of the community wafted
through the bakeries, fish markets,
butcher shops, laundries, liquor stores,
pawnshops, clothing stores and shuls,
even as congestion and 'disease struck
the overcrowded tenement houses.
As debate rages among Americans

over pluralism in Israel, we should
remember that turn-of-the-century
Detroit, then home to 10,000 Jews, also
pitted Jew against Jew. As their social
standing rose, German Jews (Yahudim),
more eager to assimilate, looked down
on the more-traditional East European
Jews (0.5Vuden).
Orthodox Jews, larger in number,
strove to maintain Old World religious
practices as Reform and Conservative
Jews wooed congregants with a more
modern approach to prayer, study and
ritual. My grandfather, devoutly obser-
vant, helped stoke these competitive fires
when he joined other Orthodox manhig
(leaders) in founding the Taylor Street
Shul, formally known as Cong. Beth
Tefilo Emanuel, in the Twelfth Street
area in 1924.
Much like the shuls and synagogues
throughout Detroit history have had to

VITALITY on page 37

1/23

1998

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