Opinion
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Dry Bones SOFT ECONOMY
WE ARE NOT
HAVING A CRASH
LIKE THEY HAD
IN 1929. 1 !
Editorial
WHAT WE'RE
HAVING NOW IS
NOT CALLED A
CRASH,!
Black-Jewish Impact
T
he election of U.S. Sen. Barack
Obama, D-Ill., as our 44th presi-
dent, an African American only
one generation away from Africa, displays
a maturing of America that we can all be
proud of. While claims that Obama's vic-
tory shows that racism is dead in America
are unfortunately greatly overstated, we
can rightly be proud and optimistic that
we have moved closer to Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.'s vision of a nation more inter-
ested in character than color.
We can also be optimistic that Obama's
victory can help move black-Jewish rela-
tions forward after having been stuck in
neutral for far too long. Exit polls show
that 78 percent of the Jewish vote went to
Obama, a percentage much higher than
in any other non-black or religious group.
Fears of a Jewish drop-off because of
policy concerns did not materialize since
Obama bested Democrat John Kerry's 74
percent of the 2004 Jewish vote.
Certainly, a black candidate has not
weakened the high degree of Jewish fidel-
ity to the Democratic Party. (And come-
dian Sarah Silverman — who stereotyped
Jewish seniors as racists who would deny
Obama the state of Florida — should
show more respect for her elders.)
Jews have been seeking African-
American artners for dialogue and coop-
eration for decades, ever since the Black
Power movement purged itself of whites
and Jews — and black racists and anti-
Semites like Louis Farrakhan divided our
communities.
Important partnerships have remained
and new ones have been built, but the
damage done by those working to make
race the determining factor in the struggle
against racism — an irony both farci-
cal and tragic — has been significant.
Branded as racists simply because of
the color of our skin and our successful
integration into American society, Jews
turned away from engagement with those
black organizations and individuals that
demanded our respect and support while
giving none in return.
Who knows how much further ahead
our nation would have been in confronting
racism and dealing with complex social
issues if we had not been so divided?
Obama has more than a full plate of
issues to deal with, but we hope he will
revisit the issue of race in a straightfor-
ward way as he did in his Philadelphia
speech reacting to
the wrongs of Rev.
Jeremiah Wright,
his former minister.
But just his example
of inclusion and
WHAT WE'RE
diversity sends an
important message
HAVING NOW
to all.
THEY CALL A
The biggest bar-
MELTDOWN!!
rier to recreating
the black-Jewish
coalition is not race,
but class. Lack of a
common social lan-
guage and shared
experience divides
us more than color.
Obama makes it
www.drybonesblog.com
crystal clear that
aptitude and oppor-
authentic and stands head and shoulders
tunity, not race, are key determinants of
above many who would tear him down.
success. Quality education, ambition and
Obama, by both words and deeds, pro-
equal opportunity can triumph over what- vides us the opportunity to make great
ever racism exists.
strides in combating bigotry, challenging
But to say that Obama transcends race
stereotypes and working together to cre-
is to stereotype blacks and give too much
ate another of Dr. King's visions: that of a
credence to those playing the race card.
beloved community. ❑
Obama hasn't gone beyond race. He is
Other Views
America's Journey And Obama
Englewood, NI/JTA
T
he Greek philosopher Heraclitus
believed that reality is ever in
flux. "You cannot step into the
same river twice he taught, emphasizing
that the only constant is change. In this
political season, everyone wanted to be the
candidate of change. But on election night,
Heraclitus' mantle clearly belonged to U.S.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Likewise, the American poet Archibald
MacLeish observed, "The American
journey has not ended. America is never
accomplished. America is always still to
build." Nearly two centuries previously
Edmund Burke wrote, "A state without
the means of some change is without the
means of its conservation!'
Change was the mantra of this elec-
tion, and change is what brought Obama
to the White House. America's capacity
for change is different from the kind that
exists in other countries, where change
connotes a complete rupture from the
past. Change in America is a
time adviser of Obama. Julius
continuing American revolu-
was very active in the suc-
tion, rooted in the principles
cessful campaign and now is
of the founders, a search for a
a member of the transition
more perfect union.
team. He and Obama attended
Those two ideas — the need
Harvard Law School together
for change, but a search for
in the early 1990s and both
something better rather than
served on Law Review. They
complete revolution — found
attended each other's weddings
expression in Obama's elegant
— Obama participated in the
Rabbi
words on election night in
Jewish dances at Julius' wed-
Menachem
which he reminded us that the
ding — and have remained
Genack
dream of the founders is very
close to this day.
Special
much alive in our time.
Julius attended yeshiva
Commentary
The extremely gracious con-
through high school and stud-
cession speech by U.S. Sen. John
ied in yeshiva in Israel before
McCain, R-Ariz., reflecting his decency
going to Columbia and then Harvard,
and patriotism, also represented change
where he met Obama. Julius later clerked
without rupture. Both candidates made
for Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
it clear that it was a day of celebration
Obama and Julius bonded in part because
because on this day, America redeemed
both were outsiders — one a former
itself from its tortured history of racism.
yeshiva boy and son of immigrants, the
This election has special mean-
other an African American with interna-
ing for me because my cousin, Julius
tional roots.
Genachowski, is an old friend and long-
Julius tells me that Obama has always
been able to relate to the Jewish experi-
ence because of his own background as
well as the African-American experience
of slavery and discrimination. Julius
knows that part of Obama's agenda is to
heal the breach between Jews and blacks
and to restore the close ties that existed
during the civil rights movement.
Obama affirmed those ties at the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Policy Conference in June.
"In the great social movements in our
country's history, Jewish and African
Americans have stood shoulder to shoul-
der;' he said. "They took buses down south
together. They marched together. They
bled together. And Jewish Americans like
Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner
were willing to die alongside a black man
— James Chaney — on behalf of freedom
and equality. Their legacy is our inheri-
tance!'
Julius also surely enjoyed these words
America's on page B2
jkv;
November 27 • 2008
B1