EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Jews And Politics

lla etro Detroit Jews aren't sitting on the sidelines
this election year, I'm glad to say.
Over the past few months, I've received
upwards of a dozen announcements of Jewish
candidates for local, state and congressional offices and judge-
ships. More, no doubt, will come, especially as the candidate
filing deadlines approach in April and May.
There's not a flood of announced Jewish candidates yet, but
there's enough to notice, and that's good. Jews should get
involved in government. Such involvement is a hallmark of
the democratic ideals we so cherish as Americans. Remember:
Our layers of government are only as vibrant
and responsive as the public servants we
elect.
We should never dismiss political involve-
ment as "not Jewish." Rather, it's recognition
of, and a salute to, this great land of freedom
and opportunity.
One of Detroit Jewry's sharpest political
observers is Allan Gale, assistant director of
ROBERT A. the Jewish Community Council, the Jewish
SKLAR
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's public
Editor
affairs voice. Like me, he's heartened by -
renewed Jewish activity in the hectic world of
elections, which takes in everything from candidate campaign-
ing and service to voter registration and education.
Since the mid-1990s, Gale says he has noticed "fewer Jewish
legislators, county commissioners, city council members and
school board members than there were 10 or 15 years ago.
"Some," he says, "regarded this as a turning away from
politics, as had been seen in other segments of the popula-
tion, or as a result of the quest by most Jews for a more pro-
fessional, higher-paying career than politics
can provide."
But this trend is shifting, perhaps because
of either the affect of Sept. 11 on the
American psyche or today's depth of signifi-
cant issues.
The shift, however, is more important
than the reason. As Gale puts it: "Ours is a
participatory democracy. We shouldn't sit on
the sidelines while important decisions are
Allan Gale
being made."
Neither should we discount the sweep of
our political impact. "The reality," Gale says, "is that only
about 1 percent of Americans are active in political parties or
run for public office, so Jewish involvement increases our
influence."
Notably, Jews aren't just seeking public office. They're main-
taining a tradition of getting behind candidates through vol-
unteer and financial support. Jews were among backers of
both candidates in last fall's hotly contested mayoral race in
Detroit. They're integral players in this year's brewing guber-
natorial race. And they've long been donors to presidential
hopefuls, with Detroit industrialist Max Fisher leading the
pack in longevity.

Using Our Voice

The U.S. Constitution doesn't compel citizens to be involved
politically, or to even vote. We can ignore Election Day, if we
want, without losing the right to challenge the records of
elected officials.
But I'm certain that the representative democracy we live in
works better when we're informed, open-minded and outspo-

ken — and we vote.
In Oakland County, where we're most concentrated, Jews
are, at most, 10 percent of the population. But we're plugged
in at all levels of government, working hard for the common
good.
As a minority group in America, Jews must stay involved.
That's the only way to, as Gale says, "hold our nation to the
credo of 'majority rule, but with minority rights,' particularly
protection of civil rights."
In that light, it would be a mistake for us not to acknowl-
edge that we have a political agenda. That agenda includes:
• religious issues, like church and state separation, autopsy
limits and kosher food fraud;
• senior issues, because our community has a higher per-
centage of elderly than the population as a whole;
• labor issues, like workplace discrimination because of eth-
nicity or gender;
• human rights issues that embrace Jews in other countries;
• education issues, ranging from support for public educa-
tion to what to do about tuition vouchers.
We also have the matter of assuring a safe and secure Israel,
our beloved Jewish homeland.
Gale is right when he says, "This agenda can best be
advanced by Jewish involvement in politics."

Wide Acceptance

It wasn't until after World War II that Jews, by now accus-
tomed to the whims of America's melting
pot, began running for, and achieved, elec-
tion to political office in areas where the
Jewish vote didn't carry them — a signal
that anti-Jewish sentiment was fading.
Today, Jews are a popular choice almost
wherever they run, not just in New York.
Al Gore's near-successful presidential bid
with U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of
Connecticut as his openly Jewish running
Martin Baum
mate underscores that.
In addition, two states have two Jewish
senators: California, with a Jewish population of nearly 3
percent, and Wisconsin, with a Jewish population of less
than 2 percent. On the U.S. Supreme Court, two of the
nine justices are Jewish, though Jews are only 2.2 percent of
the U.S. population.
In Michigan, the Levin brothers, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and
U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, are both long serving despite the
state's unpredictable political winds.
In dictatorships, people in the streets yearn for a chance to
raise their voice in protest, something too many of us take
for granted. You don't need to be politically astute, or even
casually aware, in Syria, Cuba, Iraq, Libya or North Korea
because you don't have a real say in who's governing anyway.
Martin Baum, president of the Detroit area chapter of the
American Jewish Committee, says political vigilance discour-
ages the emergence of breeding grounds for bigotry against
minority groups and others who are vulnerable. AJC is a
civil rights champion.
"An altruistic aspect of Jews actually has, at its core, a large
measure of self-protection," says Baum of Detroit, an attorney.
Jews advocate anti-discrimination laws in the larger com-
munity, he says, because "discrimination, wherever it
appears, ultimately will come back to bite us."
In summary, Detroit Jewry does seem more engaged in
the ways and means of public life. But we must guard
against political indifference. It's best for us, as Jews, to
remain a political force.

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