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Th e Woman In Th e Burka
continued from page 5
S
wanted to know. Did they care one
he wore a full-length burka, the
lick about attending a celebration of
kind with just a tiny slit across
Israel or were they just looking for a
the eyes. Holding a stroller with
night of family fun? Were they trying
both hands, with three small children
to make some kind of bold
and her husband beside her,
political statement about
she patiently waited in line for
inclusion and co-existence,
her family’s turn to get on the
or really just oblivious to it
Tilt-A-Whirl ride. Around her,
all? The family had presum-
loud carnival music was blar-
ably paid to get into the fes-
ing amidst bright lights, junk
tival, so it’s not like they just
food booths, excited children
wandered into the area. So,
and crowds of happy, carefree
was there anything to read
people. Just a normal scene,
Mark Jacobs
into their attendance, or was
with a normal Muslim family
I just overthinking the whole
having fun on a beautiful sum-
thing?
mer night.
I said nothing to them. I
But the scene was hardly
only watched them enjoy
normal. The family was not at
the ride and then get off and hap-
the State Fair or any typical carnival.
pily walk away. All I could do was let
They were at the “Israel@70” festival
my imagination wander. I wanted to
on the Detroit riverfront. There were
several thousand local Jews taking in a believe I was witnessing a tiny glimpse
into a beautiful possibility: true,
genuine Israel lovefest, complete with
peaceful, nonchalant co-existence
countless Israeli flags, Israeli music,
food and Jewish-themed activities. Yet between Arabs and Jews. It was espe-
cially tempting to want to believe this
there, in the midst of it all, was this
because the night was slightly tinged
Muslim family enjoying themselves
(of course) by anti-Israel protesters.
just like everyone else.
Outside the festival there was a small,
I noticed this family while chat-
vocal group with anti-Israel chants
ting with Rabbi Harold Loss. For a
moment, we were both a bit transfixed and placards, and in the sky a helicop-
ter flew back and forth carrying a ban-
at the sight of them. We commented
ner reading “End Israel Occupation of
that it was nice to see, but that we
Palestine.” So perhaps, in light of these
were also curious. The juxtaposition
sober reminders of reality, I wanted to
was just too glaring — this ordinary
believe that this family was symbolic
Muslim family among throngs of
of a tiny bit of hope.
Jewish attendees celebrating Israel,
There are approximately 65,000 Jews
many of whom were Orthodox fami-
and 300,000 Arab Americans in Metro
lies with lots of children in tow.
Detroit. Despite the Arab-Jewish
What was this couple thinking? I
Greenberg’s View
conflicts that exist around the world,
here in Detroit, we generally get along
remarkably well. There’s essentially no
violence, no hateful acts and frequent
peaceful interaction — whether it’s
in malls, restaurants, workplaces or
wherever. It is beautiful thing, and we
should recognize, cherish and protect
it, and do our part to sustain it. Seems
to me this family was doing just that.
But I had to ask myself: Would I have
done the same thing? Would I have
gone to an Arab festival celebrating an
Arab nation? Would you?
I’ll never know what that family
was thinking, but still I give them
a lot of credit. They chose to spend
their time and money to attend an
“Israel@70” festival. I think they were
making a statement to the Jewish
crowd. I choose to think they were
telling us that it’s not enough to just
talk about peaceful co-existence; you
have to live it. You can’t just give lip
service to your values and only attend
occasional rallies lectures or marches
or exchange articles on the internet.
To bring about change, you have to
live the change. You have to actually
engage in the ordinary acts of life.
It might be as simple as taking your
family to a summer festival and taking
a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl. •
Mark Jacobs is the AIPAC Michigan director for
African American Outreach, a co-director of the
Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, a board
member of the Jewish Community Relations
Council-AJC and the director of Jewish Family
Service’s Legal Referral Committee.
ing his most grievous acts related
to immigration, the environment,
relationships with our allies and his
personal conduct.
The fact that evangelicals support
Israel, as hailed in previous Jewish
News articles, is irrelevant and no rea-
son to consider this is any discussion
related to the Trump presidency.
I welcome the views of Trump sup-
porters, but I suspect if they travel
abroad this year they will encounter
the same disbelief and despair that
I feel. Every day brings more bluster
and blundering from the White House.
Sad!
Edie Broida
Farmington Hills
FDR’s Legacy Of
Indifference
Regarding Dr. Madoff ’s commen-
tary “Stop Making Excuses for FDR’s
Abandonment Of The Jew” (page 8,
June 21, 2018, issue), Breckinridge
Long, a personal friend of FDR, was
the American assistant secretary in
charge of the Immigrant Visa Division
during most of WWII. Long instituted
policies that delayed and obstructed
nearly all immigration into the United
States. Long, an admirer of Hitler and
Mussolini, believed that immigrants,
especially Jewish immigrants, were
either communists or spies.
The mountain of bureaucratic
paperwork required for anyone to
immigrate into the United States was
meant to deliberately delay all Jewish
immigration into America. For exam-
ple, German immigrants applying for
visas were required to show five copies
of the visa application, two copies of a
birth certificate, an Affidavit of Good
Conduct from German authorities,
a satisfactory physical examination,
proof of permission to leave Germany,
proof that the immigrant had already
booked passage to America, and two
sponsors in America who preferably
were close relatives and who were
American citizens. Sponsors were
required to supply a certified copy of
their federal tax return, an affidavit
from a bank about their accounts and
an affidavit from an employer or a
statement of commercial rating.
Although Franklin Roosevelt is
largely credited for defeating Hitler,
the largest stain on his reputation
remains his indifference to an immi-
gration policy that estimates indicate
could have saved nearly 200,000
Jewish men, women and children.
Don Kitain
West Bloomfield
8
July 5 • 2018
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