Civil War from page 40
Slavery Question
A sixth and somewhat uglier theme,
largely overlooked in the catalog, should
now be added to this list: complicity
with slavery. Korn, a pioneering histo-
rian who elsewhere penned an essay
on the topic of "Jews and Negro Slavery
in the Old South',' demonstrated that
Jews were in no way exceptional when it
came to the peculiar institution.
"Any Jew who could afford to own
slaves and had need for their services,"
he wrote, "would do so."
In the North, meanwhile, Jews divid-
ed over the question of slavery. Some
advocated abolition; others sought
peace above all else, even if that meant
acquiescing to Southern slavery. Many
Jews simply remained silent.
To be sure, Jews formed far less than
1 percent of the national population,
and their contribution to the overall
institution of slavery was negligible.
Still, notwithstanding their ancestors'
slavery in Egypt and their own cel-
ebration of freedom on Passover, Jews
basically followed in the ways of their
neighbors when it came to slavery. As a
group they did not oppose it.
All of this is worth recalling as ses-
quicentennial commemorations of the
Civil War multiply. Far from being irrel-
evant to contemporary Jews, the anni-
versary provides a welcome opportunity
to learn from our past, to recall the
evolving relationship of Jews to America
and to remember that following in the
ways of our neighbors can sometimes
lead us astray. 7
Letters
A Special Week
urban congregation in these difficult
times.
If you look around, you will notice
that there are many activities to help
you live Jewishly in our suburbs and in
our own city of Detroit.
We just completed a week of Jewish
fun and fulfillment in the Detroit area.
We had a lovely Purim Megillah read-
ing at our shul, B'nai Israel Synagogue
in West Bloomfield.
Then we enjoyed an uplifting Shabbat
service on March 26 at the Commerce
Chabad Synagogue with Rabbi Schneor
Greenberg and his family.
On Saturday eve-
ning, March 26, we
were treated to a
marvelous concert
by David Broza in
the phenomenal
new Berman Center
for the Performing
David
Arts at the West
Broza
Bloomfield JCC.
Our weekend was capped by our
attendance at a great tribute com-
memorating the 90th birthday of the
Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. It
was truly awe inspiring to learn of the
energy put forth by its board, its syna-
gogue members and committed young
Jewish adults living in Detroit and its
suburbs to resuscitate and grow the
Renee and Jay Kozlowski
Bloomfield Hills
Minyan To Order
The article "90 Years Young" (March
10, page 8) about the Isaac Agree
Downtown Synagogue is very interest-
ing. I would like to tell you about some
items of that time.
The Colonial Department Store,
25 State Street, had a few Jewish
employees; and some days, the
Downtown Synagogue was not able to
get a minyan. The synagogue would
call the manager of the store and
ask if any Jewish men were available,
Bennett Finberg, manager at that
time, would quickly send as many
Jewish men as were available to the
synagogue.
It was an interesting time.
Rhoda F. Krauss
Farmington Hills
Dry Bones
HIM HOPES
HAS BEEN THROWN
NIGH INTO THE AIR
too
l
Jonathan D. Sarna is the Joseph H. &
Belle R. Braun Professor of American
Jewish History at Brandeis University and
chief historian of the National Museum
N
of American Jewish History. He is the co-
editor, with Adam Mendelsohn, of 'Jews and
the Civil War: A Reader" (NYU Press, 2010).
The Role Of Jews
In The Civil War
In 2012, the American Jewish Historical
Society (AJHS) and the Yeshiva University
Museum will mount a major New York
exhibition on "Jews in the Civil War" to
mark the 150th anniversary of General
Grant's Order No. 11 expelling Jews from
the battlefield territories, AJHS Executive
Director Jonathan Karp told
the Forward.
AND WE'RE
ALL HOPING
THAT MEN IT ALL
FALLS BACK DOWN
SOMEHOW
IT'LL BE "BETTER
THAN IT WAS !,
Buy
Israeli
Thank
you
everyone for
participating in the
March 30 "Buy Israeli
Goods" (BIG) Day. You helped
make a difference for Israel!
We know that the anti-Israel
movement's March 30 global boycott
campaign did not begin on and would
not end on March 30. It is ongoing.
So we encourage you to continue
your support for Israel and its
economy by deliberately buying Israeli
goods whenever possible. Together we
can continue to make a difference.
For more information and further
support for your own efforts, be sure
you register at www.standwithus.com .
Barbara Moretsky, Margot Gardner, co-chairs
StandWith Us-Michigan
West Bloomfield
Jews Fought For Civil Rights
As an African American who is
proud to be Jewish, I was angered
to the point of tears while reading
Contributing Editor Robert Sklar's col-
umn "The Folly of Farrakhan" (March
31, page 42).
I am appalled and disgusted by the
rhetoric that Minister Louis Farrakhan
continues to spew. His words are
deeply offensive and hurtful and, most
of all, false. What he speaks of is not
black empowerment. His "reality" of
relations between Jews and blacks is
disgraceful. The fact that there are so
many African Americans who honestly
believe this man and his racist views is
disconcerting.
Obviously, Minister Farrakhan and,
sadly, many of my fellow African
Americans do not acknowledge or
know the central role that Jews
played in the civil rights movement
and beyond. Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel marched arm in arm with Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In addition,
Dr. Henry Moskowitz was a co-founder
and an active participant and sup-
porter of the NAACP. Sadly, this group
has reduced him to a minor role in
their history.
Thankfully, there are many African
Americans who know the pivotal role
that Jews have played in the obtaining
of rights for blacks.
Jennifer Johnson
Oak Park
DryBonesBlog.corn
April 7 • 2011
41