This

at

Ex-Nazi talks
on tolerance; giving
thanks, in English;
faithful youth;
Congressional clout.

With American History X and Apt Pupil
out, Nazis and ex-Nazis are grabbing
the nation's movie screens.
In keeping with the trend, an ex-
Nazi will deliver a lecture at the Dec.
11-13 Kornwise Weekend, a commu-
nity-wide retreat for Jewish teenagers.
Tom Martinez, a former activist in
such hate groups as the Ku Klux Klan,
The National Alliance and The Order,
a neo-Nazi underground terrorist group
specializing in armored car robberies,
counterfeiting, bombings and murders,
was a key government witness in the
federal racketeering trial of leading
members of The Order. He also played
a crucial role in the FBI's conviction of
suspects in the 1984 slaying of radio
talk-show host Alan Berg.
Now a speaker for the Los Angeles-
based Simon Wiesenthal Center, Mar-
tinez will speak for 90 minutes about
his experiences and the importance of
tolerance.
"Unfortunately, teens have become
desensitized to victims, so that when
Holocaust victims visit it's effective but
it's almost old hat," said Jeff Lazar, teen
services coordinator for the Agency for
Jewish Education, which is sponsoring
the weekend. "Hearing from the other
side ... hearing Martinez's perspective
and why he thinks what he did was
wrong is just amazing."
To register for the Kornwise Week-
end, call (248) 354-1050 by Dec. 1.
Cost is $40 and dietary laws will be
observed.

Two national Jewish youth groups —
one Orthodox and one pluralistic —
recently completed studies linking par-
ticipation in their programs to high
levels of Jewish involvement.
According to "Faithful Youth: A
Study of the National Conference of
Synagogue Youth" 92 percent of the

dale Public Schools, which runs the
1,070 NCSY alumni surveyed were
English as a Second Language pro-
affiliated with a synagogue and 98 per-
gram. "For many of them, this is their
cent were married to other Jews.
first Thanksgiving, and for those facing
A similar study of 603 randomly
their citizenship exam, they have to
selected Young Judaea alumni found
know the basic information."
that 79 percent belong to synagogues
About 150 of the 225 students
and 95 percent marry Jews.
were at the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC
In contrast, the 1991 National Jewish
in Oak Park on
Population Study,
Monday to sing
found only 38
American
songs
percent of Ameri-
and
explain
what
can Jews are affil-
they
have
learned
iated with a syna-
about the story of
gogue and that
Thanksgiving.
fewer than half
marry other Jews.
A local foe of fed-
Sponsored by
eral spending,
the Union of
U.S. Rep. Joe
Orthodox Jewish Students belted out "Getting to Know
You"
for
the
Thanksgiving
program.
Knollenberg, will
Congregations of
have a double
America, NCSY
opportunity
for
budget-cutting
in the
has approximately 200 members in
next
Congress.
The
Bloomfield
Hills
the Detroit area. Young Judaea, which
Republican was tapped by the incom-
is sponsored by Hadassah, does not
ing leadership to be the House Appro-
have any local chapters, but will be
priations Committee liaison to the
working this winter to revive chapters
House Budget Committee.
in East Lansing, Ann Arbor and possi-
The position gives the three-term
bly West Bloomfield, says Tara Katz,
lawmaker
a potentially key role in
assistant regional director for the
shaping
the
overall budget as well as
Greater Midwest Young Judaea.
for fashioning those last-minute special
favors that showed up in force in the
For the second consecutive year, recent
last budget.
immigrants put on a JCC Thanksgiv-
Knollenberg, who represents the
ing program that showcased their new-
11th District in southern Oakland
found knowledge of the holiday.
County, said he would stand firm for
"We do a lot of thematic program-
protecting Social Security, tax relief and
ming this time of year," said Debbie
paying off the national debt; i.e., apple
Hitsky, the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC
pie, but no free lunch.
coordinator of the program for Fern-

Marking
100 Years
Of Detroit
Jewry

Remember
When • • •

From the pages of The Jewish News
for this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

1988

The United Jewish Appeal made its
first appearance on a MasterCard
issued through the Banco de Ponce of
Puerto Rico. About 1 percent of the
total purchases charged to the card
will go directly to the UJA. The bank
is a strong Israel supporter with a his-
tory of contributions to the UJA.

1978

Two thousand delegates to the
annual convention of the Women's
League for Conservative Judaism
voted to table all discussion on the
ordination of women as rabbis.
Eleven Torah scrolls from the Great
Synagogue of Alexandria were
flown to Britain following an
appeal to Anwar Sadat by Lord
Segal, a deputy speaker of the
House of Lords. There are still
another 50 scrolls left in the Great
Synagogue.

1968

The French National Radio started a
daily 15-minute broadcast in Yiddish
to be beamed to Eastern Europe. It
will be heard clearly as far away as
Moscow. The program carries news
of a nonpartisan nature as well as
cultural and educational items.

1958

Queen Elizabeth of England con-
ferred upon 88-year-old Viscount
Samuel, who was the first British
high commissioner for Palestine,
the Order of Merit on the 15th
anniversary of his admission to the
Privy Council, composed of all cab-
inet and former cabinet members.

1948

Vivian Felsot and her son,
Ron, solicit Ida Hillman
for a gift to the 1949
Allied Jewish Campaign.

Photo courtesy Leonard N. Simons Jewish
Community Archives/Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.

Henry Ford II was honored with a
citation from the National Confer-
ence of Christians and Jews. He
made a plea for cooperation among
all faiths and for earnest efforts for
peace.
Jewish Book Month began for
Detroit young adults when Maurice
Samuel addressed an open youth
rally sponsored by the Detroit Jew-
ish Young Adult Council at the
Jewish Center.

11/2''

199E

Detroit Jewish News

31

