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AIPAC's Freedom Seder
Held In Detroit Church
On Thursday, April 10, just prior to Passover, we had the
good fortune of participating in an AIPAC "Freedom Seder"
at Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church
in Detroit. Our non-traditional seder was a celebration of
freedom and shared values between Jews and the African-
American community, complete with a joyous church choir
accompanying the occasion ("Go Down Moses!' of course).
For the 80 some attendees that night, the evening was more
than just a seder; it signaled something big and beautiful and
necessary between two cultures that need to be closer.
On the same night, just two blocks away, a "Healing Night"
service was held at Little Rock Baptist Church to show
Detroit's support for Steven Utash, the white motorist who
had recently been beaten by a mob in Detroit. The black
community reached out its hand in a heartfelt showing of
solidarity with whites, just as Mount Moriah Church had
done to Jews just down the street.
In a small corner of Detroit, on a rainy night near
Woodward and Clairmount, there was an overflow of kind-
ness and hope, and a glimpse into what race relations should
be like all the time.
As the various rabbis and pastors noted at our Freedom
Seder, both communities sadly share an abundance of his-
torical experiences of being the victims of hatred and oppres-
sion. The ancient Hebrews toiled in Egypt for 400 years,
about the same amount of time the transatlantic slave trade
existed and obliterated millions of African families.
Just a handful of generations before the Holocaust, more
than 3.5 million African-Americans were considered prop-
erty in America. Many Jews fought alongside Martin Luther
King Jr. and others until, finally, just a mere 50 years ago, the

Your Legal
Issues

Celebrating the Freedom Seder hosted by AIPAC and
Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in
Detroit

Civil Rights Act of 1964 become the law of the land.
"We should have each other's backs," Rev. Kenneth Flowers
exhorted the seder crowd. "We need to get beyond the words
of a Farrakhan and join together in the spirit of mutual love
and support"
It was a powerful moment for all, and the crowd rose in
unison, locked hands and sang "We Shall Overcome!'
Yes, there are detractors in both communities who too
often engage in racist conduct and words that pull us apart.
But Jews need to be well aware that there is a solid and
growing movement within the black church to openly and
vehemently support Israel, as was evident last fall when the
2.5 million-strong Progressive National Baptist Convention
expressly adopted multiple pro-Israel resolutions.
The black community has reached out its hand to Jews. We
need to take it and walk together.

Cap&Cown

2014

Cap & Gown Coming In May

T

he Jewish News will honor all Jewish students who are graduating
this spring from Michigan high schools in our new Cap & Gown
Yearbook 2014. The Yearbook will be published in the May 22 JN.
For free, we will include a photo and up to 40 words listing the student's
name, school and accomplishments. We also encourage families to honor
their students or out-of-state graduates with a congratulatory ad.
It is easier than ever for students and their families to submit their
information for the Cap & Gown issue - it's all online. Log on to www.
thejewishnews.com/contact/cap-and-gown/free-listing . Follow the prompts,
upload your photo and hit "Submit." Family members can submit paid
congratulatory ads at the link as well.
All free listings must be submitted by May 9.
Any questions? Call Jackie Headapohl, (248) 351-5110 or jheadapohl@
renmedia.us .

❑

Ask Attorney
Ken Gross
about...

Mark Jacobs, Chair,
Michigan AIPAC African-American Outreach
Rev. Kenneth Flowers, Pastor
Greater New Mount Moriah
Missionary Baptist Church

Energy Innovations Won't
Overcome Population Growth
Because the same technology that
makes possible the precise forecast-
ing TV weather people provide also
identifies mankind as the most sig-
nificant source of climate change, I
find it an affront to my science back-
ground when a politician denies it.
Unfortunately, Gary Peters' response
is like taking baby steps in an Olympic
track meet ("Congressional Update!'
April 10, page 8).
Despite the lack of government inter-
vention, America is the leader in reduc-
ing its energy consumption. Per capita,
it is declining by 10 percent every
decade, but those gains are negated sev-
eral times over by population growth.
It still takes energy to propel a vehicle
down the road even with an engine
with 100 percent efficiency.
We live on a finite planet with finite
resources, and it's science fantasy to
believe technology can allow us to
evade facing the issue of population
growth.

Dennis L. Green
Farmington Hills

Tick • • .

Yes, you guessed it '"rock."
That was easy. Let's try
another one. If you have
$30,000 of Credit Card debt
at 20% interest, how much interest
will you pay per year on the debt? The
Answer is $6,000. If you are in a 30%
tax bracket, do you know how much
you need to make to pay your taxes
and net $6,000 to pay the taxes? The
Answer is $8,571. If you are making
$85,710 per year, do you know much
of your income you are wasting on
the interest? The Answer is 10%. Next
Question - If you have credit card
debt like this, do you know what you
should do? The Answer is YOU NEED
TO TAKE ACTION to get rid of the
debt, so the $8,571 goes to pre-tax
retirement savings instead. If you earn
7% on your money in an IRA or 401(k),
do you know how much the $8,571
will be in 15 years? The Answer is
$226,405. If you would rather have the
$226,405 then pay the credit card debt,
do you know what to do? The Answer
- Call Thav Gross - we do many things
- but there is nothing better than what
we do with credit card debt!

THAV GROSS

has been solving
its clients' business, tax and financial
problems since 1982. Be sure to tune
in to the Financial Crisis Talk Center,
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Were a premier debt relief agency helping people file for Bankruptcy Protection.

April 24 • 2014

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