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 Ico'i4i Comimini y AWA Relit( • Jewish Federation o/ Melt °poll( tin oit WE'RE PART OF THE TEAM