Protest from page 28
Federation of San Francisco following a
similar debate. The guidelines state that the
federation will not fund grantees that advo-
cate or endorse the undermining of Israel's
legitimacy "as a secure, independent,
democratic, Jewish state: including through
participation in boycott, divestment and
sanctions (the BDS movement).
"There are things a Jewish community
shouldn't be doing, like serving a bacon
cheeseburger on Yom Kippur," said Andrew
Apostolou, a Jewish community relations
council member in Washington who has
asked for a public discussion over funding
guidelines. "Putting on an anti-Semitic play
is one of these things:'
Last year, in Chicago, the Spertus
Museum was forced by donor reaction and
the local federation to cancel an exhibi-
tion by Jewish and Palestinian artists. In
Detroit several years ago, an exhibit by TV
actor and artist Leonard Nernoy of nude
paintings he linked to Bible themes was
shifted from the Jewish Community Center
because of donor complaints.
Professionals in the field of Jewish arts
and culture view the San Francisco guide-
lines as bad news.
"They had a very chilling effect on the
cultural community because they are too
vague': said Elise Bernhardt, president and
CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Culture.
Difficult Guidelines
Bernhardt explained that with no clear
definition of what constitutes delegitimiza-
tion of Israel, the guidelines serve only to
make the lives of artists "very difficult."
Her group, which funds programs in many
fields of art, also has faced debates within
its board about borders and rules. But only
once was there a decision not to fund a
film.
"If we tell artists what to say or what to
do, we won't get good are,' Bernhardt said.
The debate is not only over artistic prin-
ciple; for JCCs it is also about real money.
The Washington JCC receives $600,000 a
year from the federation, a sum that makes
up about 8 percent of its annual budget.
A drive for guidelines that would deprive
the JCC of federation money because of
unacceptable shows put on by Theater J
could limit the JCC's ability to provide other
services.
"I don't believe in formal guidelines':
said Arna Meyer Mickelson, CEO of the
Washington JCC, "but that does not mean
we don't have a philosophy that guides our
work."
This philosophy, she explained, includes
welcoming multiple voices" while rejecting
the principle and tactics of BDS. In practice,
this translates to including BDS supporters
in panel discussions, but keeping the debate
balanced and expecting "that the discussion
will not support BDS."
The Washington debate echoes a similar
discussion in New York, where community
leaders have advocated lately for a "big tent"
approach.
John Ruskay, executive vice president and
CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, in the
New York Jewish Week of Feb. 15 spoke out
in defense of the JCC in Manhattan, which
has come under attack following the Other
Israel Film Festival, a showing of films
highlighting the lives of Arabs and other
minorities in Israel.
"This is the same JCC that hosts the only
ongoing ulpan [Hebrew language learning]
program in New York, sponsors Birthright
Israel trips for our young, undertakes annu-
al leadership missions to Israel, created
the Israel Film Center, presented a 24-hour
`Israel Non-Stop' cultural marathon and far
more," Ruskay wrote.
Nevertheless, in 2007, UJA-Federation
abruptly pulled out of co-sponsoring the
Other Israel Film Festival at the JCC at the
((
11th hour. Festival promotional materials
already had been distributed bearing UJA-
Federation's logo, but the federation's name
was pulled from the festival's Web site.
Speaking on background, federation
sources told reporters that pressure from
major donors had spurred the pullout. A
statement issued later by UJA-Federation
denied this, claiming incorrectly that
"an Israeli political party" also was a co-
sponsor, preventing the philanthropy from
participating without compromising its
nonpartisan status. The federation sponsor-
ship then involved no funds.
JCCWatch, which news reports say is
composed of a handful of JCC members,
has put forth a demand this year for the
Manhattan JCC to establish "public and
transparent guidelines that will distance it
from organizations supporting BDS."
In an official statement, the JCC coun-
tered that it "does not support BDS, and
we do not partner with organizations that
support BDS. We stand with Israel against
de-legitimization and support open and
respectful dialogue within our community:'
Stephen Hazan Arnoff, executive director
of New York's 14th Street Y, said attacks on
JCCs and Jewish cultural institutions, "are a
sign of weakness" in the community.
Featured Speaker
MAX FINBERG
Director, USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Reception following meeting
Kosher chewy laws observed
The Jewish Community Relations Council
is pleased to invite you to join us as we present the
JOEL JACOB
To learn more about opportunities to
pay tribute to Joel Jacob, please contact the
Jewish Community Relations Council office,
(248) 642-5393, ext. 9, or visit detroiticif.org
Sunday, June 12, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.
Hon. Gilda Jacobs & Arthur Horwitz
Jewish Community Center
D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
West Bloomfield
Honorary Co-chairs
2011 Activist Award to
30 March 31 . 2011
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