Energized Del egates

Michigan's Jewish delegates to
the Democratic National Convention
bring their own agendas.

ALAN ABRAMS
Special to the Jewish News

F

or a quartet of metro Detroit
Jews who are among the 170
Michigan delegates to the
Democratic National
Convention in Los Angeles, an opportu-
nity to participate in the political process
has now become an opportunity to wit-
ness American Jewish history being made.
The four delegates are Stuart Brickner
of West Bloomfield, Deborah J. Goldberg
of Farmington Hills, and David Hecker
and State Rep. Gilda Jacobs, both of
Huntington Woods.
There are also two Jewish alternates
joining the Michigan delegation: Barry
Lepler of Huntington Woods and Rita
Vater-Darnton of Flint. "Half of the dele-
gates were selected in the congressional dis-
tricts and half by the [Democratic Party's]
State Central Committee," Goldberg said.
All four of the regular delegates reacted
enthusiastically to news of Sen. Joseph
Lieberman's selection as the running mate of
Vice President Al Gore. Both men will be
officially nominated at the convention,
which begins Aug. 14
However, Goldberg was disturbed by
the emphasis of the mainstream media on
Lieberman as a Jew. Said Goldberg, "That
shouldn't be the issue. The reason why he
was picked is because he is an ethical,
moral human being who sometimes votes
upon the ethics of an issue. That is some-
thing that we as Jews have grown up on."
Asked to define the major Jewish
issues of the presidential campaign,
David Gad-Harf, executive director of
the Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit, replied, "The focus
on the Middle East peace process. Unlike
other years, there is not an individual
burning issue such as Soviet Jewry or the
virulent antisemitism of a David Duke.
"Public education is also an issue that
resonates within the Jewish community,"
added Gad-Harf.
The delegates agreed. Goldberg identi-
fied continued prosperity, the quality of
life, health insurance, prescription drugs,
Social Security, the environment and for-
eign affairs as her agenda of convention

.

and election themes.
Jacobs puts support for Israel on top
of her list. "That's something we've been
very lucky to have with our last presi-
dent," she said.
Jacobs believes "Lieberman will bend
over backwards to appear to be fair. The
world will be looking at that." And like
Goldberg, Jacobs believes the most
important factor in Lieberman's selection
was his character.
Jacobs concedes the convention lacks
drama. But, she says, it will reenergize
the party, and that energy will carry over
when the delegates return home and rally
the local troops.
This will be the first time Jacobs has
attended a convention. "I am told that it is
an incredible scene. There are many events
and parties where you can share experi-
ences with people with similar. values."
Not surprisingly, given his position as
secretary-treasurer of the Michigan
Federation of Teachers, David Hecker's
expectations focus upon education. But
he also includes health care, the prescrip-
tion drug issue, retirement and Social
Security, environment and the economy
among his issues. This will also be
Hecker's first convention.
For Stuart Brickner, one issue is para-
mount — support for Israel. He is con-
cerned about "the pressure the Israelis have
been put under as a result of the so-called
Middle East peace talks." Like Jacobs and
Hecker; this will be his first convention.
Goldberg is a third-time delegate.
"The last time was 12 years ago in
Atlanta where I was an alternate delegate
when the party nominated [Michael]
Dukakis. And 12 years before that, in
New York in 1976, I was a delegate at
the convention which first nominated
[President] Jimmy Carter."
At 67, Goldberg is the oldest of the
four delegates. She first became active in
politics because of one of her sons. "He
was developmentally disabled and had
emotional problems and they tried to
drum him out of school," she recalled. So
Goldberg became involved with the PTA
and the Democratic Party. "I've been
fighting for special-needs kids for 30
years," she said.

Deborah Goldberg's political involve-
ment began at the grassroots level. "I
helped elect city council members,
school board members and judges,"
Gilda Jacobs
she said.
And her political involvement runs
in the family. She is corresponding sec-
retary of the Democratic Party in the
11th Congressional District, and her
husband Gerald is chairman of the
Farmington/Farmington Hills
Democratic Club.
She owns Freedom Real Estate Co.
and is a member of Adat Shalom
Synagogue.
Jacobs served as a city commissioner
in Huntington Woods from 1981-'94
and as an Oakland County commis-
sioner from 1995-98. She is serving
her first term as state representative.
Deborah Goldberg
Jacobs, 51, and her husband John
have two daughters and are members
of Temple Emanu-El.
A strong believer in the Judaic
tenets of equality, justice and fairness,
David Hecker comes from a strong
tradition of labor unions. In addition
to his post at the Michigan Federation
of Teachers, he is executive vice presi-
dent of the Metropolitan Detroit AFL-
CIO. A member of the American
Federation of Teachers for 23 years,
Hecker worked for 10 years at the
Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO before
assuming his present position three
years ago.
Stuart Brickner
The 47-year-old is married with
three children. A member of
Congregation Shir Tikvah, he serves
on the board of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit.
Attorney Stuart Brickner is part of a
political dynasty. His cousin Abraham
Brickner was an Oak Park city council-
man and county commissioner who
later became director of the Cleveland
Clinic. Another cousin, Barry
Brickner, serves on the Farmington
Hills City Council.
Stuart Brickner is a township
David Hecker
trustee in West BI6omfield who is
standing for reelection. His wife
Maxine was defeated in her bid for
state representative in the last election.
Brickner, 57, is in private practice and also works as a financial plan-
ner. He has been active in the Democratic Party for 30 years.
Brickner and his wife have two daughters, and they are members of
Temple Israel.

