viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com Ask Attorney Ken Gross about… for openers Where Did You Come From? C lothing made of deer here before anyone else and who hide. Eagle feathers in were then gathered up and con- his hair. fined. Watching boats hop through No wonder we might fear rolling surf. Watching the boats’ immigrants. Could they be just bows strike sand. Watching like us? arriving humans stepping from But think about what we boats, weapons in hand, planting might have missed without flags in the turf, shouting claims Norman Prady immigrants. of ownership to this or that king If Isaac Stern’s parents had or queen. not moved with their young son He watched immigrants step from Ukraine to San Francisco, onto his land. He was one of “the People.” Americans might never have heard his Anthropologists tell us that’s what they violin. Legendary Carnegie Hall might called themselves. “The People.” Before have been demolished for construction of the immigrants started calling them other an office building if he hadn’t been here to names. lead the fight to save it. First, Columbus, driven by determina- We might never have heard Tel Aviv- tion, misled by wayward navigation and born Itzhak Perlman’s violin nor seen him believing he’d sailed around the world conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to the Far Eastern lands, called them if he hadn’t moved to the U.S. from British Indians. Palestine to study his instrument. Now, with arrogance and the mindless- If Max Frankel hadn’t come to America ness of political correctness, we call them from Germany in 1940 to attend Native Americans even though America Columbia University and work part- didn’t exist when they were native to this time at the New York Times, we might soil. never have read his coverage of the 1956 One of the People was quoted by Dee Hungarian Revolution nor watched his Brown in his book Bury My Heart at rise to the executive editorship of his Wounded Knee as saying, “The white man newspaper. made many promises to us. He only kept We might never have heard Russian- one. He promised to take our land and he born Al Jolson sing “Mein Yiddishe took it.” Momme.” An area in South Dakota is known as We might never have heard what the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre, many consider the most popular holiday supposedly the last confrontation between songs ever, all written by Russian Jews. the U.S. Army and “the People” who were “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade” by Irving Berlin and “The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …”) by Mel Torme. We might never have heard second- generation Jews such as Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman blend traditional European music with the excitement of American jazz. If Italian-born Frank Capra hadn’t been brought to live in Los Angeles at age 5, we might never have seen movies he grew up to direct, including 1930’s It Happened One Night, 1934’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, 1936’s You Can’t Take It with You and 1947’s It’s a Wonderful Life. If the Jewish family Gershowitz had not moved here from Ukraine, we might never had heard George Gershwin’s music. If not for immigrants, we never could have claimed Einstein’s revolutionary theories of physics as the work of an American. We might never have stood in the entry hall of the Detroit Institute of Arts and marveled at Detroit Industry, the fresco conceived and executed by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, depicting the city’s manufacturing base and labor force of the 1930s. And how many of us might now be liv- ing in some other country if our parents or grandparents or great-grandparents had not been immigrants? * Norman Prady, 82, is a journalist and author living in Berkley. letters How UM-Dearborn Defeated BDS Vote Thank you for your coverage of the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) defeat of two Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions resolutions by the Faculty Congress (“BDS Vote,” April 14, page 24). On behalf of Hillel of Metro Detroit (HMD), it’s important to note that such overwhelming success comes from developing great partnerships; and we are very grateful to have such partnerships. We are proud of the work conducted by HMD Executive Director Miriam Starkman, who understands the importance of devel- oping and nurturing critical relation- ships fostered on trust, open dialogue and facts. Credit goes to Chancellor Dan Little and his senior leadership, Professor Jamie Wright and several UM-D stu- dents who unhesitatingly spoke out against these proposals. Locally, David Kurzmann from the Jewish Community Relations Council and Heidi Budaj from the Anti-Defamation Leaague were tremendous, providing behind-the- scenes support while recognizing it’s important for campus situations to be addressed by members of the campus community. Furthermore, Professor Kenneth Waltzer of Academic Engagement Network gave us talking points that were instrumental in the discussion. While BDS issues are not how Hillel of Metro Detroit likes to spend its time and energy, this outcome was a best-case scenario for when it arises. The relationships we have established allowed us to develop and implement a successful strategy, even with the limited time frame we were given. We should all be proud our community is positioned for such achievements. — Sidney Katz, president Board of Governors Hillel of Metro Detroit Palestinian Watchdog Dispels Anti-Israel Lies StandWithUs-Michigan is proud to have brought Bassem Eid to our com- munity and equally proud that Greater Detroit Hadassah partnered to host his recent presentation (“Palestinian Watchdog,” April 14, page 10). Your Your Legal Financial Issues Issues IT IS TIME TO ACT! Can you solve my tax problem? Yes, I can. Tax problems are stressful – they cause loss of sleep and enormous pressure. The biggest mistake people make is ignoring them. There are good solutions available, at reasonable cost, to release levies and often settle the debt. Unlike may fi rms recently claiming to handle tax problems, THAV GROSS has been solving tax problems for individuals and businesses in the area for 33 years. If your bank account has been levied or wages garnished, the fi rst step we do is contact the IRS or the State and work to get your money released. If you have unfi led tax returns, we will help you get the returns fi led. If unpaid taxes are the issue, we will analyze the years and dates to determine if the statute of limitation has or is about to run. Income taxes are also sometimes dischargeable in bankruptcy – so we also examine that option to eliminate the tax. For both income and payroll tax liabilities – an Offer in Compromise with IRS and and now with the State is a possible way to settle the tax for pennies on the dollar. The important point here – is that there are options and avenues to solve the problem. You should call us today – for a FREE CONSULTATION. Happy Pesach! THAV GROSS has been solving its clients’ business, tax and fi nancial problems since 1982. Be sure to tune in to the new Law and Reality – Saturday mornings to 10 AM on WDFN 1130 AM Radio and Sunday’s at 11 AM on TV20. thavgross.com ‡ lawandreality.com 30150 Telegraph, Suite 444 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 continued on page 6 April 28 • 2016 5