viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com GO jewfro See You When I See You H ere are three premises (gazebo!). Teen Mentors will and seven invitations lead the service with PeerCorps for your consideration: founder Blair Nosan before she 1. Negative energy swirls heads off to rabbinical school. around and separates us. It is 2701 Bagley Ave. not clear to me whether it is Yad Ezra, June 3, 3-5 p.m. I a function of contemporary learned more from Carly Sugar politics, technology, segregation, when she was a Repair the World Ben Falik stratification, etc. — or just a Fellow than she did from me. She modern manifestation of people’s has been toiling for months on 11 tendency toward a life Thomas Hobbes Mile to launch the Max M. and Marjorie S. described 365 years ago as “solitary, poor, Fisher Giving Gardens, featuring the Geri nasty, brutish and short.” But I feel it often, Lester Green House. It is an extraordinary and it is like a punch in the gut. space for growing both food and our com- 2. Encountering people IRL (“in real munity’s consciousness about health and life,” fwiw), it becomes painlessly obvious hunger — in our backyard and far afield. that those around us are generally kind, 2850 11 Mile Road. curious and compassionate. For every Repair the World, June 4, noon-4 p.m. ounce of vulnerability in those encounters, Big ol’ Block Party with beer from near there is a pound of power to be had by and food from an Airstream. Soundtrack engaging others. of compelling conversations by you and 3. This is a busy time of year and civili- tunes by DJ Stinky Pete. 2701 Bagley Ave. zation. All the more reason for us to make Northwest Activities Center, June 5, time (you’ll never find it) to show up in 1-4 p.m. In the ’50s, Congregation Beth places and spaces that reflect our values Abraham was on Seven Mile and the and challenge our assumptions. JCC was a mile and a half away; reports Please partake in some magical merri- of the neighborhood’s subsequent death ment that will serve as an antidote to all have been greatly exaggerated. So we are the indifference and intolerance out there: teaming up with Beth Ahm and Project PeerCorps, May 27, 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Healthy Community for Detroit and Us: shalom, indeed. Join PeerCorps — partici- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Planting pants, families and community partners the community garden, sourcing and sort- celebrating three years of building sturdy ing books for Summer in the City’s mobile bridges — and the Isaac Agree Downtown libraries, reminiscing about Northwest Synagogue for Shabbat (outdoors!) and Detroit’s Kodachrome past and learning dinner (kosher!) at Repair the World about its bright future. 18100 Meyers. Palmer Park Preparatory Academy (formerly Hampton Elementary), June 15, 4-7 p.m. Calling all Hampton Alumni and Palmer Park fans to beautify P³A to celebrate a successful school year with tat- toos (temporary), cookie decorating (nut- free), parachute games (on terra firma) and Sno Kones (that do not disprove cli- mate change.) 3901 Margareta Ave. Do it For Detroit, June 23, 6:30 p.m. farmers market, 7:30 program. We’ve been doing it for Detroit — in the form of micro-grants for grassroots groups voted on by event attendees — for a few years now and the caliber of these food justice folks never ceases to amaze me. This year, we’ll be convening with Yad Ezra, NEXTGen and Hazon at The Eastern, a way cool warehouse space at Eastern Market for food, drink and small invest- ments in big ideas. 3434 Russell St. Belle Isle, June 24, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The First Friday Field Trip of Summer in the City’s 15th year, replete with visits to the Aquarium, Conservatory, Nature Zoo, Great Lakes Museum and, God willing, the Giant Slide. (While you’re at it, mark your calendar for Finale Friday on Aug. 12 at the Adams Butzel Center.) Can’t wait to see you. Fair warning: I’m a hugger. * ALL IN with a CD from Talmer Bank 1.10% APY* Questions? ben@werepair.org or 313-3388-BEN. P.S. If you are reading this on or before May 22, stop what you are doing and go to Bookstock. 11-month CD guest column Jewish College Students: Activists In A Political Crucible I ’m part of an academic community — the University of Michigan. These days I find myself looking back six decades to when I was a college student, contemplating the changes that have occurred in the experience of Jewish college students since that time. In the 1950s, Jewish students often felt the way that Alan Dershowitz describes his own experience at Harvard (my alma mater) where he felt like a “guest” at some- one else’s institution. Toby Citrin For the most part, we kept our “Jewishness” to ourselves, wanting to blend in with the majority culture. Anti-Semitism was certainly present, but not violent. We were proud that Israel had just become a state, but what was happening in Israel seemed of little concern to most of our non-Jewish classmates. Fast forward to the ’60s and ’70s. Thanks in part to the African-American “roots” movement, Jewish students began to be more visibly proud of their heritage, celebrating Jewish holidays openly and expressing their commit- ment to the values of justice, equality and empathy that they had been taught in their communities. They expressed these values not only through membership in Jewish orga- nizations, but also by playing a leading role in the struggles for voting rights, fair housing and employment practices and economic justice, in which many of their classmates were also engaged. They experienced less anti-Semitism than earlier generations and they cel- ebrated Israel’s triumph in the Six-Day War. The current phase of the Jewish student experience on campus poses new challenges. Criticism of Israel has become the focus of political activity by the same kinds of student groups in which liberal Jewish students would have participated in earlier periods. This leaves progressive Jewish students in a quandary. They sometimes find that their cred- ibility as progressives is challenged unless they support attacks on Israel. They want to express the values of jus- tice and equality that their parents and rabbis have instilled in them, but don’t continued on page 8 800.456.1500 talmerbank.com * Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 1.10% is accurate as of May 2, 2016. The minimum balance to open a CD and earn the advertised APY is $1,000, which must be deposited in a single transaction. Maximum allowable deposit is $250,000 per account. Offer applies to personal accounts only and may be discontinued at any time. Deposits must be new money (funds not currently on deposit at Talmer Bank and Trust). A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals. At maturity, the CD will automatically renew at the rate in effect on that date, unless you instruct us otherwise. Visit talmerbank.com for current rates, terms and account requirements. 2096650 May 19 • 2016 5