viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com DETROIT JEWISH NEWS theJEWISHNEWS.com essay Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher / Executive Editor ahorwitz@renmedia.us ‘Time To Learn About Your Fellow Neighbor’ F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us A s a black American As the daughter of a black man, child, I grew up with I fear for my father’s life, and I my parents teaching can’t help but feel sorry about the me I wasn’t inferior and that misrepresentations of black men. my blackness wasn’t something I’ve often witnessed my father to be ashamed of. The truth of being treated differently. It was as the matter is that in the United if my father lacked the ability to be States, the black experience is respected and treated as a human Aliza Bracha much different than the “white” being. I know my father is often McMillan experience. placed in a category with gang- That being said, yes, I am bangers, drug dealers, women Jewish; however, the majority of beaters, rapists and deadbeat dads the time, I will be seen — just because he is a black and treated as black first. However, my father “I am Jewish; male. My mom would say, “We does not fit any of those can’t blend in; they can see stereotypes — stereotypes however, the our skin color from a mile that have been inflicted on away.” This made my expe- black men since the time of majority of rience as a Jewish person slavery. different from that of my At times, I find many the time, I will peers. people learn about black be seen and The recent racial ten- culture through the media. sion that has surrounded And most of the time, I see treated as us these past months has only a negative portrayal of made me sick. black Americans. We are black fi rst.” In order to fully under- often portrayed as unedu- stand the black experi- cated gang-bangers with no ence, it is important to ask respect for authority or for questions about that black experience. We human life. Indeed, you might be tempted must ask questions about black culture to believe such things because of what and be careful not to overgeneralize the you see on the news. However, if you were black community as a whole. We can ask, to take the opportunity to get to know “What is it like to be black?” Or more spe- many black Americans, you would realize cifically, “What is it like to be a black male we are much more than what you see on in America?” your screens, that we possess an enriched American history. We are teachers, doc- tors, lawyers, scientists, presidents and much, much more. Black American culture has deep roots in mainstream America, from our music, hairstyles, fashion and speech, which is known as African American Vernacular English. And last but not least, the ath- letic abilities of many black athletes have become idolized. Though it is wonderful to see black American culture have such a substantial impact on so many, our contributions to society are often thrown out of the window when negativity about our culture begins to overshadow the accomplishments our culture has made to society. But what do I say to my future chil- dren — more importantly, to my son? Do I tell him he is perfectly fine rapping and throwing a football, but that he better not be caught being who he is: black? I sup- pose I will have to repeat history and teach my children what my parents taught me — not to be inferior. All in all, while I am upset about the misrepresentation of black males and about the lives that have been taken, I am also upset that so many police lives are being lost to anger and revenge. As has been stated before, this is not the time to finger-point, this is the time to ask ques- tions, to learn about your fellow neighbor and to understand the intricacies of a cul- ture other than your own. * commentary U Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Adam Finkel, Ryan Fishman, Stacy Gittleman, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Harry Kirsbaum, Barbara Lewis, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein | Creative Services Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz dschultz@renmedia.us | Advertising Sales Sales Director: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us Account Executives : Kathryn Andros, Wendy Flusty, Andrea Gusho, Annette Kizy, Paige Lustig Sales Manager Assistants : Joelle Harder, Karen Marzolf | Business Offices Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner Collections Analyst: Hazel Bender | Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Amy Pollard, Pam Sherevan, Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker | Detroit Jewish News Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Controller: Craig R. Phipps Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz dschultz@renmedia.us circulationdesk@thejewishnews.com Customer Service Manager: Zena Davis | Departments to be a 50-year struggle for Jewish state- hood. The fact that Abbas has chosen to take on this historic declaration, almost 100 years after its announcement and 68 years after the birth of Israel, tells us so much about why the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remains unre- solved. First, the initiative continues a pattern of Palestinian rejection of Jewish con- nection to the Land of Israel. This denial of that connection, which sustained the Jewish people for 2,000 years of the diaspora, is at the core of Palestinian rejectionism. When Ehud Barak was offering the Palestinians a state of their own at Camp David in 2000, a moment of great opportunity for peace, the Palestinian reaction was a denial that continued on page 8 6 August 4 • 2016 Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@thejewishnews.com Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs dsachs@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us | Fulfillment Abbas vs. Balfour: Far Worse Than Ridiculous pon hearing the initial world power, which only months report that Palestinian later was to gain control in the Authority President Holy Land by ousting the Turks Mahmoud Abbas was asking the in World War I, was a turning Arab League to sue Great Britain point for the Zionist movement. for its Balfour Declaration of Founded in 1897 by Theodore 1917, I thought this must be a Herzl, Zionism had as its origi- satire of the sort put out by the nal central goal the recognition Kenneth Onion. by a central political power, Jacobson I was wrong as it turned out. mostly the Ottoman Turks, of Apparently, Abbas is serious. So Times of Israel the Jewish right to establish let’s treat his initiative seriously. a political entity in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration, a statement Having failed with the Turks, the break- by the then-foreign secretary of Great through with Great Britain gave momen- Britain, Lord Balfour, called for the re- tum to the Zionist idea going forward. establishment of a Jewish homeland in We know, of course, that the next 30 the historic home of the Jewish people, years generated many agonies in the Palestine as it was then known, or the relationship between the Zionists and Land of Israel. the British. Still, the Balfour Declaration The declaration coming from the remains a high point in what turned out | Editorial General Offi ces: 248-354-6060 Advertising: 248-351-5107 Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049 Circulation: 248-351-5174 Classifi ed Ads: 248-351-5116 Advertising Deadline: Monday, 2 p.m. Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885 Deadline: All public and social announcements must be typewritten and received by noon Tuesday, nine days prior to desired date of publication. 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