6 MONTH CD ization out of the middle-management level and to the communities where members are and where future mem- bers and leaders will come from." For more than a decade, the organization has been battered by declining membership as younger Jews choose more focused Jewish organizations — or opt out of the communal world altogether. Several sweeping restructuring plans have not reversed the trend, group insid- ers say; B'nai B'rith has yet to find a way to attract younger Jews without angering longtime members who like things the way they are. Heideman conceded that reform efforts have not moved as quickly as he had hoped because of "a natural tendency of people to protect turf and want things to remain the way they were, or even go back like they may have been decades ago. Acting On Hate Last week's speech by Vice President Al Gore accepting the Democratic presi- dential nomination was widely seen as a major step by the candidate to rede- fine himself to a doubting electorate. But for a group of Jewish activists, it had special meaning because of Gore's promise to actively promote new hate-crimes legislation. "We will honor the memory of Matthew Shepard, Joseph Ileto and James Byrd, whose families all joined us this week — by passing a law against hate crimes," Gore told dele- gates. "[Such crimes] are different. We need to embody our values in that new law. It's time." Actually, Jewish officials are hoping a hate-crimes bill gets passed before the January inauguration. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the Senate in June, but faces an almost impossible time frame in the House, which will reconvene after Labor Day to face a barrage of appro- priations bills as members race toward early adjournment. But Jewish groups are ratcheting up the pressure for quick action. On Monday, the American Jewish Congress brought together four New York members of Congress to sign a "Statement of Unity" pledging to push passage of the bill. Several others — including Rep. Ben Gilman, a New York Republican — sent letters of sup- port. The measure would expand existing hate-crimes laws to include crimes based on the victim's gender, disability or sexual preference, and make it easi- er for federal authorities to help inves- tigate and prosecute local hate crimes. The fact that Gore is making the legislation a plank in his domestic platform could help — although some Jewish activists worry that political concerns about provisions including gays and lesbians under federal hate- crimes statutes could add to lawmak- ers' reticence. MONEY MARKET Dancing At Auschwitz? ** The news that a disco will open in a former tannery used to house prison- ers outside the Auschwitz site in Poland — other reports say it is already open — could complicate efforts to renew negotiations over a site plan for the former German death camp, said the leader of a Jewish coali- tion involved in those negotiations. "It was bad news; it has the potential to turn ugly," said Miles Lerman, who came close to negotiating an agreement with Warsaw last year. He was thwarted when Polish extremists set up hundreds of crosses to register their disapproval of what they said was a government cave- in to Jewish interests. Talks have been on hold for months; Lerman said an attempt will be made to resume them in September. But the Polish disco will add to the woes of a Jewish negotiating team that is already wobbly because of internal wrangling and criticism by Holocaust activists, such as Rabbi Avi Weiss. The disco is about a mile from the Auschwitz site, Lerman said, but it is housed in a former tannery that used slave labor during the Nazi years. Press reports also say the building served as a warehouse to store goods looted from murdered Jews. Still, Lerman said he is optimistic that negotiations can resume soon, focusing on several issues: creating bet- ter links between Auschwitz and Birkenau, sites of the Nazis' largest death camps on the southern border of Poland near Czechoslovakia; pro- tecting the perimeter of the camps from inappropriate development; and dealing with the large "papal cross" that has been a flashpoint for bitter controversy. This week, the Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned Polish officials for allowing the disco, and two groups — Sholom International and Rabbi Weiss's Coalition for Jewish Concerns- Amcha — announced plans for a demonstration in front of the Polish consulate in New York on Sunday, Sept. 3 to protest the disco. WITH RATES THIS BIG WHO NEEDS A GIMMICKY HEADLINE? Visit our brand new headquarters and branch in Farmington Hills, or call 1 800 421 Bank to discover the bank where personal service - - - and BIG RATES are Paramount. MAIN OFFICE / BRANCH BRANCH 31000 Northwestern Hwy. 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