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U-M Press Sets New Guidelines
The policy-setting committee for the University of Michigan Press
(UMP) has adopted new guidelines that could end its role as the
exclusive American distributor of Pluto Press publications. Jewish
groups have challenged U-M's relationship with
the self-defined "radical" British publishing house,
whose large catalogue of books on the Middle East
are uniformly critical of Israel and Zionism, with
several attacking Jews and Judaism.
Last November in testimony before President
Mary Sue Coleman and the University regents,
the Michigan directors of StandWithUs, the Anti-
Defamation League and B'nai B'rith International
Mary Sue
raised concerns about the university's relationship
Coleman
with Pluto. In December, the locally based Jewish
Community Relations Council and the American
Jewish Committee joined them in sending a letter
and supporting documents again making their case.
Neither the testimony nor letter has received any
official response.
But the UMP's new "Distribution Guidelines"
seem to address the structural concerns raised by
the Jewish organizations and several regents. The
Jonathan
new policy allows for the distribution or marketing
Harris
of books only from "scholarly publishers whose mis-
sion is aligned with the mission of the UM Press and whose academic
standards and processes of peer review are reasonably similar to
those of the UM Press!'
Peggy McCracken, chair of the UMP executive board, was quoted
in the Michigan Daily on Jan. 23 saying she didn't think Pluto's review
policies were "reasonably similar" to those of UMP adding, "but we're
going to look into that further in the coming months!'
"If the new guidelines have the practical effect of ending the distri-
bution of books marred by anti-Semitism and poor scholarship, that
would be great; but there is still something missing;' said Jonathan
Harris, director of StandWithUs Michigan.
"The university has been legitimizing these books and promoting
them for years. They need to apologize and explain their actions to
the community."
Mistake, Misrepresentation Hurt Mezza Grille
Heartland Payment Systems, part of Cleveland-based-KeyBank, made
a mistake, but it may be Mezza Mediterranean Grille on Orchard Lake
in West Bloomfield that is paying the price.
It has been 14 months since Mezza broke all ties with La Shish, the
chain of Middle Eastern restaurants owned by federal fugitive Talal
Chahine. But Heartland, a credit/debit card transaction processing
service, continued to list La Shish's name on the monthly statements
of Mezza's credit card customers. Mezza's owner was unaware of the
mistake. A Dec. 20 letter from Heartland's Servicing Manager Jannette
DeCourcy admitted embarrassment for its mistake, writing "we apol-
ogize for any inconvenience or consternation this may have caused."
According to Mezza owner Samir "Sam" Saleh, there was consterna-
tion. He received complaints from customers who felt they had been
duped by Mezza into putting money in the pockets of Chahine's corn-
pany. Others just never came back.
In addition to the error by Heartland, Salah cites harm done by
misrepresentations of his religion, politics and business dealings. For
example, Saleh, a Greek Orthodox Christian with distant ties to his
Lebanese homeland, says he has been wrongly portrayed as a Muslim
and a supporter of terrorism because of his Middle Eastern back-
ground and former business ties with Chahine.
Chahine fled to Lebanon in 2005 for allegedly funneling money
there to avoid paying almost $7 million in U.S. taxes. There were alle-
gations that some of Chahine's millions had gone to the Islamist ter-
rorist group Hezbollah, a charge Chahine denies. In late 2007, Chahine
A8
January 31 • 2008
was indicted twice by federal grand juries for participation in a mar-
riage fraud scheme and for bribing an immigration official.
Saleh is posting the letter of apology from Heartland in his West
Bloomfield location. He also has a Mezza on Grand River in Novi and
is putting one in the new Wyndham Hotel going into the old Holiday
Inn on Telegraph in Southfield. Saleh also posted a personal letter of
support from Jewish and Israel activist Hannan Lis of Farmington
Hills.
Lis writes of his friendship with Saleh and his family, who have
shared Passover seders together.
"They have proven that they are true friends of Israel and our local
Jewish community;' Lis writes.
You've seen the printed sec-
tion each month in the JN;
now Teen2Teen goes online!
Look for Web-only stories,
blogs and photos. Though the
Web site is for Jewish teens
by Jewish teens, other gen-
erations can check it out, too.
Only at JNt2t.com .
Help Those Facing Infertility
Fifteen percent of all couples face the heart-wrenching journey of
infertility.
Since 1996, the Jerusalem-based Zir Chemed Medical Center has
helped thousands of couples resolve their infertility by reconciling
the complex and sometimes competing demands of science, Jewish
law and human emotion. Medical treatment and emotional counsel-
ing is provided within a religious framework to couples who visit
the Jerusalem center and to couples who call from abroad. Many
couples, frequently dispirited by a lack of understanding encountered
elsewhere, have been encouraged by the Zir Chemed team to persist
— and have achieved their dream of becoming parents.
To help fund this important work, Jerusalem Friends of Zir Chemed
have devised a clever fundraiser occurring simultaneously worldwide
on the evening of Feb. 2. To be part of this annual trivia quiz, call
(718) 232-0376 or register online at quiz@zirchemed.org . Host a pot-
luck dinner, divide into teams and have fun with trivia while contrib-
uting to a worthwhile cause.
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'Red' The Book Readings
Fifth-generation Detroiter Amy Goldwasser, now living in Manhattan,
will be giving two readings Feb. 1-2 from her book, Red: The Next
Generation of American Writiers — Teenage Girls — and What Fires
Up Their Lives Today. The book, which has received critical national
acclaim, is a collection of essays by 58 brave and honest teen girls
from around the country, including three from this area, who also will
be at the readings.
In writing about their lives, Jewish teen writers talk about such
things as "Jewish hair" and feelings toward Judaism and the syna-
gogue.
The book has spawned a social network surrounding the authors,
a "soundtrack" featuring songs chosen by the authors and a fashion
collaboration.
Goldwasser and the local girls will appear at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at
Borders Books & Music in Birmingham, 34300 E. Woodward Ave., and
at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Borders in Dearborn, 5601 Mercury Drive.
Copies of the book will be available for signing. For more information,
check out www.redthebook.com .
Look for an in-depth story about Goldwasser and her book in next
month's JN Teen2Teen.
E-Newsletter
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Celebrations!
Find weekly listings of births,
b'nai mitzvah, engagements,
weddings and anniversaries
as well as past simchahs all
online. They are all bundled
under each week's publica-
tion date.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on Lifecycles on the left.
- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
A Fun Safari
Temple Israel's Early Childhood Center will host a fun-filled family
Silly Safari Supper, featuring snake-ghetti, ferocious fruit kabobs and
jungle bug juice, 5:45-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7.
Imaginations will permit travel from West Bloomfield to West
Africa; entertainment will be provided by puppeteer Maureen
Schiffman and her monkey, Coco, and the Like Water Drum & Dance
Troupe.
Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger. RSVP:
Sharon Anders, (248) 661-5750 or sanders@temple-israel.org .
This Week's Question
Do primary results accurately
show how voters feel about
gender or race in the elec-
tion?
Visit the JNonline.us homep-
age, below the left menu, to
cast your vote.