Insight Ideas & Issues Activism Begins With You Hadassah Mideast expert Amy Goldstein offers insight and suggestions for Israel advocacy. SHARON LUCKERMAN Staff Writer IV hen Amy Goldstein arrived in Detroit last week, she spent the day with pro-Israel activists at the University of Michigan. "Anti-Israel demonstrators target campuses because they know that this population is very liberal and doesn't have a lot of background — it can be manipulated," says Goldstein, 35, Hadassah's New York City-based director of Israel, Zionist and International Affairs Department. _ While in Ann Arbor, she says, she talked with students who faced intimidation tactics by pro-Palestinian sympa- thizers. "One girl was punched; a Jewish leader had a rock thrown at him ... Those screaming at the Jewish students were not interested in answers [to their accusations], but in trying to make speeches," Goldstein said. Her first suggestion to Jewish students: Unify. Secondly, Goldstein says, people have to remain calm in these emotional interactions. Don't get into a fight, and know your target audience. "You're not going to make a Zionist out of [Palestinian spokeswoman] Hanan Ashwari," Goldstein says, but you can be an information resource for that audience. Former Detroiter Goldstein was in town to do programs for Hadassah, Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit and Temple Kol Ami, where she gave a program on Israel activism April 14. A graduate of Southfield High School, Goldstein earned a bachelor's degree in Mideast history and politics at the University of Michigan and a master's degree in Judaica at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She is proficient in seven lan- guages, including Arabic and Hebrew. "Twenty percent of the American population is never going to like the Jews. Three percent of the population is Jewish, while roughly 73 percent can be swayed and are usually on our side," she told those at Kol Ami. "We need to help our friends help us [Israel]," says Goldstein. Those friends include President George W. Bush, members of Congress, the media and members of our community, she said. For example, if you see inaccuracies about Israel in the press, Goldstein says, write and correct them. Educate yourself and talk to friends, she says, adding that her fanta- sy is getting public relations materials about Israel to all dinner parties in the country. "Yes, Palestinians are suffering," she says. "They're upset and have reason to be. Their leaders are not providing for them — they didn't accept a peace deal, they haven't estab- lished adequate medical or infrastructure facilities, like plumbing — while Israelis are under siege daily." Amy Goldstein speaks about Israel advocacy activism at Temple Kol Ami. When TV News Isn't Enough One question people often ask Goldstein is why Israel did- n't allow ambulances [to hospitals] out of the West Bank. Her answer comes partly from information gleaned from Israeli government and White House briefings and from reading 15 daily newspapers, including the Arab press. "[Israel] waited for the Red Cross, an independent third party, to certify that the Palestinians had been using ambu- lances to ferry bombs as well as patients across the Israeli border [before making the information public]," she says. But many people only heard the first part of the story. Rabbi Norman Roman of Temple Kol Ami added his personal experience in Israel a month ago. 'A 19-year-old Israeli soldier posed his dilemma," says the rabbi. "What do I do when I see an ambulance is coming at me, making no attempt to stop? My Jewish values say I'm supposed to help save lives, but I also know that yesterday my comrades in a similar situation found explosive belts under the seat." Goldstein's solutions for Israel's survival range from the creation of a Palestinian state to a decent energy policy that breaks U.S dependence on Saudi oil, much as Canada did, she says, adding that this country might consider becoming OPEC-free. To Detroiters, she advises, "Don't be intimidated by a large Arab population. There's a lot of Jews here. Speak out calmly and become a resource for the majority, the non- invested population." ❑ Find Goldstein's reports on Israel by selecting "Hot News and Topics" on Hadassah's Web site: http//www.hadassah.org/IZAIA Remember When • • From the Jewish News pages for this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago. Nine-year old Rivka Huffstutter of Akiva Hebrew Day School in Lathrup Village wins first place in the WKBD Fox 50 kids Newsbreak contest at her school and will read her essay on TV The World Jewish Congress reports 100 gravesites were vandal- ized in the southern Chile town of Temuco. Congregation Beth Shalom, the only synagogue in Alaska, commissions an artist to paint water colors in Israel, and on his return, use them to raise funds for the heavily used synagogue. Jewish Family Services has received a four-year certificate of accreditation from the Council on Accrediation for Services for Families and Children. vg§1 A coin found in an archaeological dig on the shore of the Danube River have been identified as one of the Bar Kochba coins, issued dur- ing the revolt of 132-135 C. E. The English version of the prize- winning Israeli musical Only Fools are Sad comes to Detroit at the Jewish Community Center. 1902eatt „ ,xM Dr. Solomon Grayzel, lecturer and historian, will deliver three major addresses at the Metropolitan Detroit B'nai B'rith Men's and Women's Council. Detroit attorney Irwin I. Cohn presents a gift of $25,000 towards the completeion of the new campus of the University of Givat Ram. Israel's first Reform Synagogue is dedicated. lativan 'MOMS Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt joins in the farewell tribute to Golda Myerson, Israel's Minister of Labor, at a din- ner in New York. Detroiter Dr. Norman Drachler, assistant principal of Roosevelt School, addresses the Center Open Forum in celebration of Jewish History Week — Compiled by Holly Teasdle, archivist, the Rabbi Leo M Franklin Archives at Temple Beth El 1 4719 2002 29