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Editorials are posted and archived on JN Online:
wwvv.detroitjewishnews.com

Active To The Core

Dry Bones

.

laine Driker has quietly, but passionate-
ly engaged the Jewish community in
helping rejuvenate the city of Detroit,
the urban core of Southeast Michigan.
An urban planner by training, Driker has made
cities her passion. Detroit, where she lives, holds
a special place in her heart. And she holds a spe
cial place in the hearts of all who care about the
city, which Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick vows to
make "world class."
Driker, a longtime activist in the city, is a
founding co-chair of the Detroit Jewish Initiative
— a project of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and its public affairs voice,
the Jewish Community Council. She also
chairs its new executive advisory board.
Driker richly deserves the Council's
2002 Activist of the Year Award. The
honor goes to a person who advances Jewish
interests and strengthens ties with our ethnically
and religiously diverse neighbors. She has served
on the JCCouncil board for almost 20 years.
Accepting the award last week, Driker unwit-
tingly opened a window into the beauty of her
soul. As she put it: "The Jewish Community
Council gave me a means to find a voice — to
work with people within the Jewish community
who believe as I do that there is so much to be
gained if we can look at each other as individuals
with distinct and remarkable characteristics, even
though those characteristics may be different
from our own."
This is a woman who has watched the city she
loves mirror national urban trends and witness
the departure of many residents, business and

industry to the suburbs.
ISRAEL IS
This is a woman who has helped
the JCCouncil to, in her words,
R46- O1418
"find paths through and around
CoUKSCR
these trends" and unite Jews with
THE
people of diverse backgrounds,
Wog IUD
whatever their race, religion or eth-
nicity.
This is a woman who created the
Detroit Orientation Institute at
Wayne State University to teach the
history and values of Detroit to
business, nonprofit and biisiness
leaders.
A dear friend and one
of Detroit's young black
leaders, attorney Melvin
"Butch" Hollowell, intro-
duced Driker at .the award ceremo-
ny at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield. Capturing her sense
of purpose, he said: "Throughout
your life, you have taken the road
less traveled, and for this communi-
ty, it has made all the difference."
Working just beyond the lime-
light, she's a quintessential role
model with a radiant smile and an
understated grace. .
Cheered on by her husband,
Eugene, she is always there for oth-
one another. She inspires bridges of understand-
ers, bringing support, praise and honor.
ing, not moats of disharmony.
Driker believes we can build a better world by
Thank you Elaine, for all that you do for so
building friendships and working together. She
many.
urges that we learn from each other and celebrate

The Bigger Picture

backing Republican candidates.
Gaining support for Israel is, of course, hugely
important. But it often comes with a price, for the
conservatives who embrace the Jewish nation are the
ones most likely to be opposed to the stands on
social justice issues that historically have engaged
many American Jews. Getting votes for added aid
and moral support to Israel could mean having to
support these proponents of prayer in public school
or opponents of abortion, affirmative action, gun -
control, minimum wages and adequate
financing for Social Security. AIPAC is
comfortable with that trade-off, but indi-
vidual Jews may not be.
The dilemma is even more plainly seen in Europe
where the political right has scored some surprising
successes recently in France, Italy, Switzerland,
Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands, to name just
a few. Those gains are largely built on nationalist feel-
ings accentuated by resentment of a flood of immi-
grant workers, many of them Muslim. The result may
be a partial reversal of the knee-jerk anti-Israeli and
pro-Palestinian declarations from European nations,
but it is not likely to stem the rise of anti-Semitic
actions these countries are also experiencing.

E

-

EDIT ORIAL

T

he American Israel Public Affairs
Committee enjoyed a curiously symbolic
moment at its annual convention in
Washington last month. The organization,
which is the leading lobbying force for Israel, applaud-
ed two Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle and House Minority Leader
Richard Gephardt. Then it gave a standing
ovation to Hause Majority Whip Tom
DeLay, as staunch a Republican as they
come.
So much for the stereotype of Jews as mono-
lithically dyed-in-the-wool Democrats. In fact, a
lot of American Jews have come into the GOP
fold in the last two decades, dating back at least
to the 1980 presidential election when Ronald
Regan got nearly 40 percent of the Jewish vote.
George W. Bush got only half that percentage
two years ago, but his generally strong support
for Israel as it combats Palestinian terrorism has
won the hearts and checkbooks of a lot of U.S.
Jews who formerly never would have considered

❑

EDITORIAL

Even in the core issue of support for Israel,
American Jews need to be thoughtful and analytic.
The Bush policies reflect a greater realism about
the day-to-day facts of the Mideast than former
President Bill Clinton's hopeful and hopeless pursuit
of a permanent peace accord between Israel and the
Palestinians. Secretary of State Colin Powell has
been actively working with Arab leaders to advance
a political process that would stem the current vio-
lence, but the only long-range vision on the table is
an ill-defined proposal from Saudi Arabia that does
not seem to assure Israeli security. And, of course,
no plan stands any chance until the Palestinians
stop the violence and show a genuine interest in
bargaining for reasonable goals.
Jews who have long provided both the brains
and the bankrolls for Democratic candidates are
smart to broaden their vision. But we ought to be
very careful about our enthusiasms. That we may
agree with what a politician says and does about
Israel should not blind us to how that same per-
son might vote on a U.S. Supreme Court nomi-
nation or school vouchers. Our money and our
votes do count. We should use them both in
principled ways. ❑

5/31
2002

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