Front Lines

NOTEBOOK

JNenline

Jewish Legal Eagles Impact Mayoral Drama
In May, 400 workers — mostly undocumented Guatemalan immi-
At least four local Jews had a prominent influence on the court
grants — were arrested by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs
hearing for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick last week at the Frank
Enforcement. While Agriprocessors is a private business not offi-
Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit.
cially representing any Jewish organization or denomination, it is
Presiding was Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner. Attorney
a high-profile Jewish business, owned and operated by Orthodox
William Goodman, who handled many lawsuits filed on behalf of U.S.
Jews. Because of the nature of the arrests and the role played by
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, represented the Detroit City Council.
Agriprocessors in the workers' plight, the AAOM wants Jewish orga-
Todd Flood, a former Wayne County assistant prosecutor who now
nizations respond generously and visibly to help alleviate a serious
practices in Royal Oak, represented the mayor in one of the criminal
humanitarian crisis in northeast Iowa.
matters. Herschel Fink is the First Amendment attorney for the Detroit
St. Bridget's Hispanic Relief Fund estimates the cost of providing
Free Press, which broke the mayor's text-message scandal in January.
basic needs for these families over several months at about $700,000.
On Sept. 4, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to felony charges in his perjury The fund started by the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan has collected
case and no contest to one count in his assault case stemming from
more than $3,000.
allegations that he shoved a sheriff's detective. He resigned as mayor,
Contributions may be made online at www.annarborminyan.org
effective Sept. 18. He will have served six years in office.
using PayPal. Click on the "Donate to the Postville Relief Fund" but-
"I lied under oath:' Kilpatrick told Groner at the Sept. 4 hearing.
ton. Donations also can be made by check made out to the AAOM and
Under terms of his plea deal with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym
marked for the Postville fund. Checks should be sent to Ann Arbor
Worthy and State Attorney General Mike Cox, Kilpatrick will spend
Orthodox Minyan, 1606 Brooklyn, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. All funds
four months in jail, forfeit his law license and his state pension, pay up collected will be sent St. Bridget's to provide basic services to the
to $1 million in restitution and serve five years on probation. He has
families of the workers.
promised not to run for office while on probation.
For more information, contact Robert Savit at rssavit@gmail.com .
Standing before Groner, Kilpatrick admitted that he lied under oath
- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
in a police whistle-blower trial last year and in an earlier deposition in
which he denied he had an extramarital affair with Christine Beatty,
Helping In Gustav's Path
his then-chief of staff.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, Jewish Funds for Justice's (JFSJ)
"I did so with the intent to mislead the court and jury, to impede
Hurricane and Redevelopment Fund will accept donations to help
and obstruct the disposition of justice," Kilpatrick told the judge.
with relief efforts for the latest hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast.
In remarks from the Detroit City-County Building that night,
JFSJ has been on the ground in the region since September 2005
according to the Detroit Free Press, Kilpatrick said: "I want to empha-
after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and has established relationships
size tonight that I take full responsibility for my own actions, for the
with local communities. JFSJ's work focuses on the needs of low and
poor judgment that they reflected. I wish with all my heart that we
moderate-income communities. The organization supports small
could turn back the hands of time and tell that young man: 'Make bet- business and community-based partners, groups that have earned the
ter choices: But I can't:'
trust of their communities and are well positioned to give voice to and
- Robert Sklar, editor
address unmet needs of low-income residents.
Donations to the Hurricane Recovery and Redevelopment Fund can
Michelle Obama's Cousin Is A Rabbi
be made online at www.jewishjustice.org . Donations to the fund will
A recent story in the Forward reveals a fact that hasn't gotten much
support grantmaking, community investment and volunteer service
press: Michelle Obama's cousin is a prominent black rabbi.
in those areas most impacted by Hurricane Gustav and that are still
Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barak Obama,
working to recover from the 2005 hurricanes.
and Rabbi Capers Funnye, chief rabbi of Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken
- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation on Chicago's South Side, are first
cousins once removed. Funnye's mother, Verdelle Robinson Funnye,
and Michelle Obama's paternal grandfather, Frasier Robinson Jr., were
brother and sister.
Funnye, the Forward reports, is well-known in Jewish circles for
acting as a bridge between mainstream Jewry and the much smaller,
Conservation Tips
and largely separate, world of black Jewish congregations, sometimes
Water
known as black Hebrews or Israelites. He often has urged the larger
• Be sure to turn off all faucets when done and turn off – com-
Jewish community to be more accepting of Jews who are not white.
pletely! One drop per second from a water faucet equals 200
He says he has not been involved in the Obama campaign, but has
gallons per month, 2,400 gallons each year. Leaky faucets are
donated money.
expensive!
The Forward says Michelle's famous relative provides an ironic twist
• Skip showers on days when you do not need one.
to Obama's much-analyzed relationship with the Jewish community
• Install a tank dam in each toilet.
in this presidential campaign. Jewish political organizers, voters and
• If the toilet is not a low flush design, drop two quart plastic
donors played an essential role in Obama's rise to power in Chicago,
bottles filled with water in the tank.
but the senator has struggled to overcome suspicions in some parts of
• Reduce the number of toilet flushes.
the Jewish community, including skepticism about his stance on Israel
• Catch warm-up water from showers and use on gardens.
and discredited-but-persistent rumors that he is secretly a Muslim.

ECOJudaism

- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor

Aid To Postville Workers
The Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan (AAOM), with the support and
cooperation of Beth Israel Congregation, the Reform Havurah, the
Jewish Cultural Society and the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw
County, has organized a relief fund to help the former workers from
the Agriprocessors' kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.

A8

September 11 • 2008

• Turn off water while brushing teeth and shaving.
• Only run dishwasher when a full load.
• Keep a container of cold drinking water in the refrigerator.

Please contact Michigan Coalition on the Environment &
Jewish Life for global warming presentations: (248) 642-
5393, ext. 7, or mi-coejl@jfmd.org .

Source: Michigan Coalition on the Environment & Jewish Life

This Week

www.JNonline.us

Latest From Israel

Want the most current
news from Israel? Check
our streaming news from
Ynetnews.com for continu-
ous updates and longer news,
opinion and feature stories.
And look at the center of our
homepage for an Israel story
that changes twice daily.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on a scrolling story on
the left.

What Have I Got
To Lose?

Check in on Story
Development Editor Keri
Cohen's quest for fitness and
weight loss. There's a lot to
learn along the way, as she
says in this new blog post.
Only at JNonline.us . Go to
the right side of the homep-
age and click on the box
that says What Have I Got
To Lose?

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.

Online Poll

This week's poll question:
Is Israel making too many
concessions under Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice's
peace initiative?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage, below the left
menu, to cast your vote.

Last week's question:
Was Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
the best choice for the
Republican nominee for vice
president?
Last week's poll results:
Yes: 35%
No: 65%