"because, as we made it very clear, the Jews really got along better with the black people than a lot of the other groups." The stories pointed out that non- Jewish whites responded to blacks moving into their neighborhoods by forming neighborhood councils to oppose them or by sometimes using violence. "In that respect, I was glad it was a Jewish block because if it were some other block we might have had to get into some of the ugly stuff. Our point was to try to explain the movements of populations." Some Jews were concerned about how whites would react to the story's focus on Jews. But others, such as Gad-Harf,.involved in Jewish outreach 'to Detroit, and Baum, who lives in Detroit, are concerned about negative reaction against Jews from blacks because of the series. "I have to be concerned about the reaction of the Detroit African American community," said Gad- Harf. "We don't want Detroiters to think that Jews were leading the way in the exodus from Detroit or were responsible for the demise of Detroit neighborhoods. "And it's very disappointing, in as much as there's so much going on - today in which the Detroit Jewish community, individually and corpo- rately and institutionally, is taking the lead in supporting Detroit in so many facets of Detroit life. I'd hate for peo- ple's attitudes to be shaped by one newspaper series rather than what is actually going on on the ground." Detroiter Baum agreed. 'And while I, as a leader in the Jewish community, don't hear it from other black leaders, as a resident, I do see it on the street level — animosity towards whites and sometimes Jews. But it isn't among the leaders. It's among average people." But overall, Baum gave the series credit. "Frankly, I thought this was a very difficult article to write, and, frankly, I thought the article was rela- tively fair." "It appeared the author was trying to portray the subtleties and nuances." Reporter McWhirter summed up his view: "I hope the stories made Jewish people and black people and white people of all persuasions uncomfort- able, because I was uncomfortable writing it. "It's uncomfortable stuff— that's the point of the story. These are Black Reaction uncomfortable subjects; that a lot of "In a way, I'm kind of glad that we did people would rather just brush this stuff under the rug. choose a Jewish block," said Simison, "When correlated with generational, socioeconomic upward mobility, such a prolonged exodus seems to have sprung from a desire for larger homes, more space, and the pursuit of the symbols of economic success." He also cited fears or prejudices held by Jews and blacks against the other as fostering the Jewish moves. He also stated that Jewish merchants and professionals tended to follow retail markets, which moved further from downtown. Shiovitz denied race was a motive for moving. "We had planned to live there for five years and try to save money to get a better house," he said. "When the broker told me about selling my house, I saw the opportunity that iiiy goal was going to be reached a little earlier. This was a used home; I bought a new one. "It had nothing to do with blacks. Racial problems were never a prob- lem in my house to begin with." Martin Baum is an attorney in Bloomfield Hills who has lived in the city of Detroit for 35 years. As presi- dent of the American Jewish Committee's Detroit chapter, he par- ticipates in outreach to the black community. He says he enjoys his Sherwo6d Forest home in the Seven Mile- Livernois area and .isn't sure all Jews who moved out of Detroit did so out of fear. "Jews tend to be communally minded," Baum said. "When Jews start to move, the exodus becomes snowball. They want to stay together. Burton Freedman is a Farmington Hills real estate investor who has boue't and sold houses in Detroit for more than 35 years. He said the resumption of home building after World War II, plus the upwardly mobile returning soldiers, made for a volatile home market. Workers, including blacks, who came to Detroit to work in the defense plants, had accumulated wealth as well. "Now you had a huge demand for homes and they had to expand," he said. "People moved. "No matter Who moved in, if they weren't of your racy, creed, color, people moved. This was a factor of the times. Today, if a black moves in, nobody moves." . ❑ ON A JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER MEMBERSHIP GET 15 MONTHS FOR THE PRICE OF 12 DURING OUR SUMMER MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL! '?•4110 1%, ' ni rshiP 7- Your Mebe good at both is cations` %ICC D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48322 Jimmy Prentis Morris Building A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus 15110 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park, MI 48237 On% POTS *Application fee waived. Some restrictions apply. Must not have been a member in the last 12 months. For more information or additional membership options, call (248) 967 - 4030 in Oak Park or (248) 661 - 7621 in West Bloomfield.