Editor's Letter
Rousing Jewish Activism
S
andwiched between two Metro Detroit grassroots
walks for Israel, I met with the top professional of
American Jewry's umbrella public affairs agency.
He laid out an intriguing vision for raising grassroots public
activism within the Jewish community.
I listened intently as Steve Gutow, executive director of the
New York-based Jewish Council for
Public Affairs (JCPA), talked for the
first time publicly about encouraging
local community relations councils to
adopt causes they can build consensus
around. He plans to pitch the idea at
the 2007 JCPA plenum.
"This initiative is based on hav-
ing more Jews wear Jewish hats,"
said Gutow, a lawyer, organizer,
Reconstructionist rabbi, Zionist and
activist for social justice.
"There has been a decline in Jewish
activism, in activists wearing Jewish hats and in people doing
cause-related things as part of the Jewish community. We've
largely retreated into a much more isolated kind of Judaism:'
said the former American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Southwest regional director.
His message is foreboding at a time when we must speak
up and show our resolve as a people against the backdrop of
radical Islam's hatred of Zionism.
Gutow paid a July visit to the Detroit
Jewish News offices in Southfield. I pon-
dered how his initiative would play out
locally. The Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit has the wherewithal
to rally large groups of Jews around centrist
causes requiring action — like stem cell
research or Medicaid funding. But it steers
clear of politically divisive issues; as a result,
it sometimes puts interfaith relations ahead
of confronting Muslim loathing toward Israel.
That's where activism beyond the Council
Steve Gutow
also can take root and grow.
No Mandates
Under the JCPA plan, local community relations councils
would receive suggestions for grassroots platforms and sup-
port to recruit volunteers. Non-polarizing issues that matter
to a critical mass of Jews would be what's important.
I appreciate Gutow's desire to have community relations
councils be catalysts for change. Too often, such groups are
seen only as Israel information providers and programmers
— not activists that promote causes that could have a signifi-
cant local or statewide affect.
"There are a lot of people who want to do things and who
want to see that the institutional community is doing things
that matter to them," Gutow said.
I agree.
For example, Detroit Jewry's two Israel walks in West
Bloomfield this year were the brainchild of one man, Mark
Segel. He put together a grassroots team that included several
communal cosponsors. The team organized the marches and
demonstrated that Jewish Detroit is passionate about Israel's
right to a secure existence.
The August walk attracted 1,000 people, three times the
number of the May march. In July, the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit-sponsored Israel rally drew 3,500 people
to Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. These throngs
illustrate that local activism can resonate.
Detroit Specific
Confident it has consensus; a JCCouncil committee will rec-
ommend a "no" vote on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative,
which would amend the state Constitution to end racial and
gender preferences in college admissions and government
hiring and contracting. A majority of Jews indeed will vote
"no" to keep the preferences. But more Jews than you might
think will vote "yes" to end them.
The Council likely could amass consensus on immigration
reform. Clearly, there's a need to secure our borders, address
the 12-million undocumented people living in America and
develop a reasoned approach to new immigration.
Still, consensus doesn't mean everyone will buy in. Over
the years, the JCCouncil has sparked uproar by taking stands
and by not taking them. In other cases, it has brought about a
positive impact.
Gutow is committed to JCPA member councils taking a
stand, but getting individual Jews more involved also is a
priority. His bottom-line assessment of America's community
relations councils should echo far: "We must do something to
encourage more Jews to make a difference."
I worry about Jewish apathy. Muslims and
Christians are much better at fighting in the arena
of public opinion for what they believe. Gutow put
it well: "We're not engaged in society like we used
to be."
The Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit vows to do more beyond its comfort
zone of consensus building. It must if it hopes to
remain relevant. Executive Director Robert Cohen
knows that. He says the first call to activism must
be done well so its success can spiral.
"There are more than enough problems out
there that need to be dealt with," said Cohen,
Gutow's local host. "We'll be able to find projects
that not only really engage the Jewish community,
but also help us find outside partnerships to work with us."
That scenario also could excite young adults looking to
express their Jewish identity without a huge time commit-
ment. Moreover, it could serve as a gateway for 20- and 30-
somethings to further activism and ultimately philanthropy. A
youthful infusion would be a lightning rod for involvement.
As a Jewish community, we win by creating thousands of
activists on both sides of our median age of 47. We'll be stron-
ger and closer, even in disagreement. We'll be enriched and
emboldened with the potential to yield a lasting bounty for us
as Jews and as Americans.
REK LAM
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Are Jews generally too self-serving to
seek out social activism?
How can our Jewish Community Council
inspire you to action?
E-mail letters to: Ietters®thejewishnews.com
August 24 e 2006
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