Arts & Life

Button Man

Collector amasses social and cultural history
in metal and plastic.

SUZANNE CHESS LER
Special to the Jewish News

p

who works on economic development
for the Maryland Department of
Planning. "I continue to collect them
because they are part of my interest in
history"
Feldstein, a self-published author of
geographical history books that cover
regions in Maryland and West Virginia,
attends demonstrations to build his
stockpile. He went with his wife and
oldest daughter to the March for
Women's Lives on April 25 in
Washington, D.C., and wound up
with participant badges, including one
identified as the "Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism."
"I want to make sure the buttons I get
are official," says the hobbyist, who
recruited friends to get buttons during
the Republican National Convention in
New York City — the messages on
metal and plastic worn by delegates and
the disks of conviction worn by protest-
ing demonstrators.
"I've begun sharing the buttons by
loaning out parts of the collection for
exhibits and selling a new poster,
`Buttons of the Cause,' which shows 375
of the items I've gathered."
Feldstein was a political science major
at the University of Maryland when his

residential campaigning — both
Democratic and Republican —
is pushing all of Albert Feldstein's
buttons. That's because the race gives
him a chance to vastly enlarge his collec-
tion of political and social memorabilia.
Feldstein, who has been amassing
metal and plastic disks with messages for
some 40 years, has a display of more
than 9,000 in his basement den. During
national election years and times of tur-
moil, he makes 150-mile trips from his
Maryland home to Washington, D.C.,
to scout the latest slogan-laden designs.
The collector, while in his den, is
deciding on spots to put his newest
additions, including "Bush —
Freedom/Liberty," "Kerry/Edwards" and
'African-Americans for John Kerry" He
can turn his head toward one part of a
wall and look back on a 2000 Gore-
Lieberman campaign button that has
the men's names in both English and
Hebrew lettering with the year expressed
according to the English and Hebrew
calendars.
As John Kerry and his opponents
speak across television about the presi-
dential hopeful's Vietnam
service and his and-fighting
activism later, Feldstein can
turn his head in another
direction and see a disk
that communicates, "You
don't have to be Jewish to
oppose the Vietnam War."
The Maryland resident,
54, even displays Michigan
badges — although he
never has visited the state.
One, in the shape of a
highway sign, reads
"Romney, Michigan," to
declare the late George
Romney's run for governor.
Another badge is covered
with the words, 'American
Agricultural Movement,"
from a national convention
in Mackinaw City.
"These buttons are
graphic and colorful repre-
sentations of our First
Amendment rights regard-
ing free speech and public
Al Feldstein: "These buttons are graphic and
assembly," says Feldstein,
colorful representations of our First Amendment

10/22
2004

70

rights regarding free speech and public assembly."

ligh t, include "Never Again,"

"Free Soviet Jews," "Zionism:
Badge of Honor" and "It's
Not Kosher to Be a Male
Chauvinist Pig."
The anti-Israel movement
is shown through a button
that reads "Free Palestine,
One State With Equal Rights
for All." It was distributed by
the International Socialist
Organization.
"My poster is meant to be
historical and educational as
opposed to ideological," says
Feldstein, who offers it
tit
through his Web site,
vvww.buttonsofthecause.com,
for $10 plus postage and
handling. "The Jewish com-
ponent, though significant
A smattering of Feldstein's
and highly visible, is only one
Jewish-themed buttons
of many issues captured on the
poster."
interest began. He noticed how various
The pictorial display, printed in color
buttons were being designed and circu-
and filling 36 inches by 24 inches, also
lated to go along with campus concerns.
documents movements connected to
As he followed news reports while a
civil rights, feminism, worker treatment,
student and afterward, he looked for
international uprisings, the environment
buttons that would express the head-
and gay-lesbian opportunities. The disks
lines, and he can now think of where he
are reproduced at fiall scale in a montage
was in his life when the topics were
appearance.
being discussed.
"The buttons themselves are depicted
Just this past August, the button col-
at the top and cover most of the poster,"
lector observed a Ku Klux Klan march
Feldstein says. "I have included a narra-
in Sharpsburg, Md., where there were
tive portion that spans the bottom and
nine Klansman but many more repre-
leads off with the 1968 quote from
sentatives of opposing organizations.
Eldridge Cleaver: 'If you are not part of
While the Klan did not have any disks
the solution, you are part of the prob-
to wear or distribute, the other groups
lem.'
did, and Feldstein picked up "Fight
"I have simply listed more than 260
Hate, Celebrate Diversity" from the
events, milestones, personalities and
Southern Poverty Law Center and
organizations identified with the buttons
"Inclusiveness Counts" from the
or theissues. The dates of marches and
General Commission on Religion and
demonstrations, as well as bill signings
Race of the United Methodist Church.
and organization formation, also are
"I have several dozen buttons that
included when they could be deter-
relate to Jewish or Israeli issues," says
mined."
Feldstein, whose grandfather founded
Feldstein, who paid a quarter or even
Allegany County's once Orthodox syn-
nothing for many of the buttons, esti-
agogue, Beth Jacob, in 1913. "I also
mates that some now are worth hun-
have buttons that represent Palestinian
dreds of dollars, but he is not interested
thinking to provide the other side of
in selling them. He prefers displaying
the issues that have to do with Israel."
and discussing them. In February, desig-
Among the buttons that relate to
nated as Black History Month, Feldstein
Judaism is one that has the phrase, "Let packed up relevant disks and conducted
My People Go"; it has a white Star of
a program at the African Methodist
David in chains standing out against a
Episcopal Church near his home.
red background and was issued jointly
"Buttons opposing the Iraq war are
by the Union of Orthodox Jewish
among the most recent in my collec-
Congregations of America and the
tion," Feldstein says. "I have one that
National Conference of Synagogue
reads 'No War Iraq' and another that
Youth.
states `No Blood for Oil.'"
Another button, with a longer mes-
sage — "Israel Is Ours. Not One Inch.
Feldstein's "Buttons of the Cause"
There Is No Palestine" — was distrib-
poster may be ordered through his
uted by the Jewish Defense League.
Web site, vvww.buttonsofthecause.com
Related Judaic messages, serious and

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