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Another Jewish VP Candidate

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

Ralph Nader's Green Party has a Jew in the vice-presidential slot.

1990

DANIEL TREI MAN

A)

Jewish Student Press Service

New York

mid all the hubbub over Democratic vice-presiden-
tial nominee Sen. Joseph Lieberman, few noticed
that Green Parry presidential candidate Ralph Nader
eat Al Gore to the punch in picking a Jewish run-
ning mate.
For the second time in as many election cycles, the
famed consumer advocate is joined on the Green
Party line by environmentalist and American Indian
activist Winona LaDuke, the daughter of a Jewish
mother and an Anishinabekwe father.
Unlike 1996, when Nader and LaDuke didn't
bother to mount a serious campaign, this time
around they are garnering some national media
attention with their relentless critique of corporate
influence on the government, economy, society, envi-
ronment — and not least of all
on the two major
political parties.
The 41-year-old LaDuke, who lives on the White Earth
Reservation in Minnesota with her three children, has a long
record of activism on behalf of American Indians and the envi-
ronment.
She is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery
Project, which buys back historical tribal lands, and has served
on the board of Greenpeace USA. In 1994, Time magazine
named her one of America's 50 most promising leaders under
the age of 40.

Spiritual Influence

That LaDuke's Jewish heritage has gone largely unnoticed is
not entirely inexplicable. She's certainly not as Jewishly obser-
vant as Lieberman.
While she does celebrate Chanuka and Passover, she mainly
practices American Indian spiritual traditions.
Asked if she considers herself Jewish, she equivocates: "I con-
sider that I come from a family that has Jewish ancestry" She
adds, however, that she is "really proud" of her Jewish heritage.
LaDuke says her activism was nurtured by her Jewish moth-
er and her grandmother, who was a member of the legendary
International Ladies Garment Workers' Union.
"I come from a family of very progressive Jews,", she says.
She says her mother and grandmother taught her, "You
shouldn't be afraid to say what is right, and you should think
when you buy things if it was made in a sweatshop or if they
were unionized when they built this, and you should ask ques-
tions about equity and justice."
The Nader/LaDuke candidacy has sparked considerable
debate on the left where many find Gore's centrism off-put-
ting. But many progressives fear that Nader will siphon off just
enough votes from Gore to toss the election to Republican
candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

LaDuke admits that under a hypothetical system of prefer-
ence voting, whereby voters could indicate a second and
third preference for each office — something the Greens
have championed — Gore would be her second choice.

Engaging Others

But LaDuke makes no apologies for the possibility that her
candidacy could give the Republicans a victory in November
by attracting voters away from the Gore-Lieberman ticket.
She cites the importance of engaging a broad-
er spectrum of American voters, building the
Green Party and qualifying the party for federal
matching funds.
LaDuke acknowledges that on issues like the
environment, Bush is "much worse" than Gore,
contrasting the low level of environmental spend-
ing in Texas under Bush with Gore's authorship of
a book on the environment, Earth in the Balance.
Gore, she says, "knows what's right."
But LaDuke is dissatisfied with Gore's record on
the environment in the Clinton administration. She
cites Gore's championing of the North American Free Trade
reement and what she calls an "absence of leadership" on
alternative energy and global warming.
She sees at least one similarity between Bush and Gore on
the environment. "They both have their public policy large-
ly influenced by corporate interests. And those corporate
interests are not environmentally based."
She says her ticket has a chance of getting elected if those
who do not ordinarily vote will get out and cast their bal-
lots this time. Nonvoters, she says, are "the largest voting
parry in America."
It's a parry LaDuke belonged to herself until recently,
never having voted in a presidential election until she first
ran with Nader in 1996. "I was one of those disenfran-
chised voters. Nothing resonated with me, as far as what
was being said or the candidates."

On Israel

And what would the U.S.-Israel relationship look like in a
Nader-LaDuke administration? LaDuke says the two coun-
tries should maintain good relations and that she's basically
pleased with the way the Clinton administration has han-
dled relations with Israel, with one caveat.
Citing the use of American-made weapons in conflicts
throughout the world and U.S. military aid to Colombia,
she says she is very concerned with the "militarization of
foreign policy," adding that the U.S.-Israel relationship falls
into that category.
"We need to diminish the amount of military aid
given to Israel, as well as other countries, significantly."
Asked whether Israel needs U.S. military aid for self-
defense, she replies, "I think we need to be waging
peace, not waging war."

❑

The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem and Humboldt
University in East Berlin signed
an agreement of cooperation.
The latest in Hollywood fads is
reported to be trading rabbi cards.
Bais Chabad Torah Center dedi-
cated its new marble ark, built by
Avi Benaderet.

1980

Shirley Taub was honored at a
Wabeek Country Club luncheon
for 20 years' service with New York
Life Insurance Company.
Twenty-five senators requested that
President Jimmy Carter publicly con-
demn the Soviet Union for reducing
the emigration of Soviet Jews.
There are approximately 500 Jews
who call Singapore their home.

1970

Hyman Safran has been named to
receive the Fred M. Butzel Award for
distinguished community service.
Construction started this week
on a residential quarter for Jews in
the West Bank town of Hebron._
Charles and Florence Milan
dedicated the new B'nai B'rith
Youth Conference Center in Belle
River, Ontario, Canada.

1900

Paul Zuckerman was named chair-
man of the 1961 Allied Jewish
Campaign.
The Finnish government author-
ized the sale of State of Israel Bonds
in its territory.
The Shapero School of Nursing
at Sinai Hospital in Detroit gradu-
ated 31 students.

1950

Vandals painted bright red
swastikas on the doors and win-
dows of Los Angeles' largest
Conservative synagogue and on the
doors of the Yiddish Culture Club.
The Haifa airfield in Israel,
closed since January, reopened to
domestic and international traffic.

— Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant

9/15

2000

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