4 | JANUARY 26 • 2023
statement
Condemning Antisemitism
T
he Religious
Leaders Forum of
Metropolitan Detroit
expresses its solidarity with
the Metropolitan Detroit
Jewish community and
condemns, in the strongest
terms possible, all manner
of hateful and violent words
and acts against our Jewish
brothers and sisters and their
houses of worship.
The recent spate of
antisemitic incidents
across our country and
in our community is vile
and entirely antithetical
to our respective faiths’
teachings. We hereby affirm
that attacks, hatred and
discrimination against any
person on the basis of his or
her religious identity have
no place in our country or
community.
In years past, the
Religious Leaders Forum
has condemned instances
of Islamophobic and racist
bigotry in our community.
Recent attacks on Jews
require us again to speak
out forcefully. Any attack on
one of us shall be deemed
an attack on each of us. We
will continue to promote
tolerance and respect for one
another. Nothing short of
this is acceptable.
The Religious Leaders
Forum of Metropolitan
Detroit believes that the
significant moral and social
values espoused by their
respective religious groups
are important considerations
for the entire community. Its
leaders share an unshakeable
belief that God is bountifully
at work in our community.
Its members join together to
foster mutual respect for one
another and work together
to utilize their collective
influence for the betterment
of the Metropolitan Detroit
civic community.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Executive
Director, Jewish Community Relations;
Rabbi Robert Gamer, President,
Michigan Board of Rabbis; and Rabbi
Harold Loss, Temple Israel, belong to
the Religious Leaders Forum, a group
of senior clergy leaders who work
together to foster mutual respect and
work toward a Metropolitan Detroit
community that thrives in compassion
and peace.
PURELY COMMENTARY
RELIGIOUS LEADERS FORUM OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT
student’s corner
The Imperfect Sneaker
I
love sneakers. I’m always
looking for the latest
and greatest designs; and
if a celebrity or sports star
endorses them, it’s an even
bigger deal! I even keep the
boxes that they
come in because
it increases their
value. When
“Yeezys” were
introduced in
2015, I could not
wait to get a pair.
I was excited to show them off
to my friends. My dad and I
even got the same pair.
Fast forward to 2022 and the
hateful, ignorant, antisemitic
rhetoric that Kanye West (also
known as “Ye”) started spewing
made my Yeezys not so special
anymore. This public figure
played a large role in making
the shoes such a success. In
2020, Forbes Magazine even
described them as “one of the
greatest retail stories of the
century.”
I no longer wanted to wear
them, and it started to really
bother me when I saw other
Jewish people still wearing
them. Now I know that I can’t
control what other people
wear, after all, they are just
sneakers.
However, just like being
a good role model is shown
by holding the door open for
someone, not swearing and
maybe even letting one of my
grandmothers hold my arm
when going down the stairs
so they don’t fall, I see being
a role model as not wearing
my once-treasured sneakers
anymore. To me, they now
symbolize hate and intolerance.
Adidas did make the
decision to terminate its
relationship with Ye, end
production of the Yeezy-
branded products and stop
all payments to him. This is a
step in the right direction — a
public company denouncing
hate and discrimination.
However, I feel that as Jews,
it is our responsibility to take
a stand and to remember that
material possessions are just
that. We must take it one step
further.
We can all interpret Jewish
values in different ways.
Whether at home, at school
or on a Tamarack summer
experience, Jewish values have
been central to my upbringing.
Kindness, compassion and the
courage to do what is right are
always in the forefront, and
that is why I have chosen to no
longer wear my Yeezys. I hope
you will make the same choice
and encourage those who do
not to rethink their decision.
Sell them and use the money
to do something fun with your
family or donate the proceeds
to a Jewish charity whose
mission is to educate and
inspire Jews to love, support,
understand and cherish their
rich history. I’m happy to give
you some suggestions.
At the heart of our religion
is the idea of tikkun olam,
making the world a better
place. It is my hope that
through advocacy, education,
involvement in our community
and participation in Jewish
rituals, I will be the positive
role model needed to change
any antisemitic narrative that I
encounter.
By the way, I’m still looking
for the perfect sneaker. Let me
know if you find it.
Zachary Elbinger is a sophomore at
Frankel Jewish Academy
Zachary
Elbinger