Dogging Obama

ADL leader says candidate settled Farrakhan issue.

Ron Kampeas and Ben Harris
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Washington

T

he head of the Anti-Defamation
League says it's time to pack
away the Farrakhan fears when it
comes to Barack Obama.
"He was very clear:' said Abraham
Foxman, the ADEs national director,
describing the response of the Illinois sen-
ator who was asked in a debate about the
public praise he received
from the Nation of Islam
leader.
"He distanced himself
and condemned it and
rejected it," Foxman said.
"What more do we want?
On that issue, we should
move
on:'
Sen. Obama
The Farrakhan ques-
tion arose as Obama
has sought to aggres-
sively deflect falsehoods and distortions
disseminated on the Internet describing
the Democratic presidential contender as
everything from a secret Muslim to being
surrounded by anti-Israel advisers.
His campaign has blitzed Jewish voters
with fact sheets attempting to rebut the

Beyond The Haman Costume
Fulfilling the mitzvot of Purim includes
hearing the Megillat Esther, celebrating
with a festive meal and sending mish-
loach manot (food packages) to friends
and family.
But a fourth mitzvah: giving gifts to the
poor, is especially significant for the near-
ly 2,700 members of the Detroit Jewish
community receiving food, toiletries and
household items through Yad Ezra each
month.
Michigan's only kosher food pantry
has created a way to observe this mitzvah
with the purchase of specially designed
Purim cards.
"On Purim, we are instructed to give
to the poor in our community:' said Lea
Luger, development director of Yad Ezra
in Berkley. "Supporting Yad Ezra benefits
those in need and provides donors with a
meaningful way to pay tribute to friends
and family."

attacks, and Obama himself has twice per-
sonally reached out to Jews — once in a
conference call with the Jewish media and
most recently in a private meeting with
Cleveland Jewish leaders.

Clinton Camp
Steve Rabinowitz, a Washington politi-
cal consultant and a backer of Obama's
rival, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.,
praised Obama's ringing denunciations of
Farrakhan.
Rabinowitz noted, however, that Obama
was likely to be dogged about his relation-
ship with his pastor, Jeremiah Wright,
whose church has praised Farrakhan.
Wright has traveled with Farrakhan to
Libya.
"I think he's been handling Farrakhan
very well, Israel very well, the pastor
Wright stuff not poorly, but just less well','
he said.
"He has been doing reasonably well
with all this garbage short of cutting his
ties with his pastor;' Rabinowitz said,
adding that urging such a step would be
a "bissel chutzpandick of anyone to ask"
— Yiddish for "a little presumptuous."

The Backdrop
The Feb. 26 exchange over Farrakhan
occurred when Obama and Clinton met in

Donations help fund the more than
800,000 pounds of items expected to be
distributed this year.
"In addition to the regular pack-
ages, for every Jewish holiday we give
out appropriate foods when the clients
receive their groceries:' Luger said. "For
Purim, we distribute hamantashen."
The blank cards, ordered in packets of
six, can be sent on Purim, which begins
Thursday, March 20. ❑

To purchase Purim tribute cards,
or to send a donation to Yad
Ezra, mail a check to Yad Ezra,
2850 West 11 Mile Rd., Berkley,
Ml 48072, call (248) 548-3663,
or access the Web site: yadezra.
org/holidayappeals.php . Cost:
$36/packet of six tribute cards and
envelopes.

Cleveland for the 20th debate in the run
for the Democratic nomination for the
presidency.
MSNBC debate moderator Tim Russert
pressed Obama on Farrakhan's endorse-
ment, noting that the Nation of Islam lead-
er had often made anti-Semitic remarks,
once calling Judaism a "gutter religion."
"I have been very clear in my denuncia-
tion of Minister Farrakhan's anti-Semitic
comments:' Obama said. "I think that they
are unacceptable and reprehensible. I did
not solicit this support.
"He expressed pride in an African-
American who seems to be bringing the
country together. I obviously can't censor
him, but it is not support that I sought.
And we're not doing anything, I assure
you, formally or informally with Minister
Farrakhan."
Pressed by Russert to reject Farrakhan's
support, Obama said, "Tim, you know, I
can't say to somebody that he can't say
that he thinks I'm a good guy."
Russert continued to challenge the can-
didate, noting that Obama's pastor, Wright,
had expressed admiration for Farrakhan.
Obama countered by noting his pro-
Israel record, his calls on the African-
American community to confront
anti-Semitism within its ranks and his
strong support among Jews in Illinois and

nationwide.
Russert appeared ready to leave the
matter when Clinton interjected, not-
ing that she had rejected the support of
the New York Independence Party in her
2000 run for the Senate because a leader,
Lenora Fulani, had made anti-Semitic
comments.
"I made it very clear that I did not want
their support;' she said. "I rejected it. I said
that it would not be anything I would be
comfortable with, and it looked as though
I might pay a price for that."
Clinton said "there's a difference
between denouncing and rejecting:' and
that although she believed Obama was
sincere, "we've got to be even stronger."
Obama did not see the difference, but
added, "I'm happy to concede the point.
And I would reject and denounce
Clinton responded "Excellent," spurring
the biggest applause of the evening.
While Foxman said Obama had dealt
with the Farrakhan issue, he mirrored the
notion that the relationship with Wright
was less likely to disappear.
Foxman said he was unsatisfied with
Obama's explanation at the meeting with
Cleveland's Jews, in which Obama likened
his pastor to a slightly dotty uncle who
occasionally embarrasses. ❑

Preserving Your Legacy
COJAR, the Council of Orthodox Jewish
Active Retirees, located at the Oak Park
JCC, hosted the founder of Legacies L.C.
He spoke on "Preserving Your Legacy" in
conjunction with the second yahrtzeit of
Rabbi Moshe Dombey of Targum Press.
Legacies is a service that preserves life
history, memories, traditions, ideas and
accomplishments through a video biog-
raphy.
Avi lost his father three years ago. He
yearned to hear his voice, his goals and
accomplishments and his family stories.
Unfortunately, many stories are lost
through the generations.
At this lecture/workshop, participants
were taught how to preserve legacies. One
can write down different topics in differ-
ent sections of a notebook, slowly accu-
mulating the data, or use a recorder and
audiotapes. Participants were also shown
a quick professional way with a video

interview. A demo of a DVD that Legacies
has created for a customer was shown.
There was music and narration.
For information on COJAR and its
programs, call (248) 967-4030. For infor-
mation on a Legacy Video or to book a
Legacies lecture/workshop for an orga-
nization, contact (877) 8 LEGACIES or
mylegacies@gmail.com .

Shabbat Across America
Shabbat Across America is offering an
online option. The annual synagogue
outreach program, this year scheduled
for March 7, is featuring Shabbat Across
America 2.0 (www.shabbatacrossamer-
ica20.org), which allows hosts to create
virtual Shabbat tables for real or fictional
guests.
Shabbat Across America has been
sponsored annually since 1997 by the
National Jewish Outreach Program. It tar-
get younger, unaffiliated Jews.

March 6 • 2008

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