J w w w w wU Uw w , W, Julius Lester Converted Jew talks about the state of Black-Jewish relations Julius Lester has been a professor at the University of fa ssachusetts at Amherst since 1971. He has been an outspoken figure since the sixties when, as part of the Black Power movement, he was a spokesperson for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Recently, he was expelled from the Amherst's Department of Afro- American Studies and moved to the Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies when Black Colleagues took exception to his criticisms of Black author James Baldwin. The son of a Methodist minister, Lester converted to Judaism in 1983. His recent book, Lovesong: Becoming a Jew, tells the story of his conversion. He recently spoke with Daily news reporter Gil Renberg. INTER VIEW T1 ~ VrOU~TING TMKSTX. r CONVapATjos r Oo Li.fl Nu BFVEKKOE'), &&LL I RNNCN OUT r 'tWtM. I PMDCa 50 TWAY 1 b pVlY~t . ANA PR oUld Y5TRAY, ? % r i 1 i ,r/ /i l /" G / f / w /'Y / r ' 'r WCBN Continued from Page 6 thing for every taste and whim in the program. Kicking off the show are Billy King, 9, and his brother Kenny, 7. Supporting their new tape called The King Brothers Sing The King, these little guys with the big voices will croon their way through some of their favorites in the Elvis Presley library. After Billy and Kenny are sent off to bed, Ann Arbor rockers Dog Sol- dier will storm the ballroom. They will be playing songs from their al- bum, Name Your Poison, a raw powered debut out of the city's finest musical heritage. "High speed, high energy word jazz," brought to you by perennial radio personalities Marc S. Taras and Arwulf Arwulf, will turn some heads next. Continuing in the jazz vein, but w are N music the A Jazz] a 25- dance Fra withc outdc other make The "Mac Press highl featur the B R& Sun fundr2 WC ready pledg 763-3 .0 Residence Hall rooms Family Housing apartments Off-campus rental listings Short-term housing Mediation Services Roommate Matching Services Faculty/Staff Housing Referral Professional Advisors Fall/Winter 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon: 12:00-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Spring/Summer 7:30 a.m.-12:00 noon: 12:30-4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday Daily: How have relations be- tween Blacks and Jews changed in the 25 years since the height of the Civil Rights Movement? Lester:- Well, sure they have changed. So many things have changed in the past 25 years. I think that the empathy that existed be- tween Blacks and Jews when I was growing up in the '40s and '50s isn't there any longer. I think that empathic feeling came from Blacks seeing in Jews a people who also had been victimized by society. And that Black view of Jews simply doesn't exist anymore, and I think what changed that was the Six-Day War and the resurgence of Jewish nationalism [which] came at that time. D: What happened in the 1967 War that changed [the Black view of Jews]? L: The stunning military bril- liance of the victory - that Israel won a war in six days against basi- cally three enemy forces - and the reclamation of the Old City in Jerusalem. I'd say that had a very transformative character and effect on American Jewry and for the first time - certainly, I think, since the Holocaust - Jews saw themselves not as victims but as victors. And so it gave rise to whole new feelings of Jewish pride... this is happening si- multaneously as Black Power is happening... And it goes on from there. I think that it is also at this time that Black people began identifying with and sympathizing with Palestinians and seeing Palestinians as victims in the Middle East, which I think is an oversimplification of the situation in the Middle East. CLASSIFIED ADS! Call 764-0557 IFITINO STUDIES An interdisciplinary degree, Latino Studies offers an undergraduate major through fiue options: An- thropology, Comparative Literature, History, Politi- cal Science, Sociology. In addition, Latino Studies is a optional track within the concentration in American Culture. R component of the Program in fmerican Culture, it is designed to give all students at the University of Michigan an opportunity to understand the experi- ences, values, and traditions of Meuicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other peoples of Spanish, Indian, and Rfrican descent that comprise the Hispanic-American population of the United States. Latinos--or Hispanic-Americans--share a commonality of culture, yet the reasons for their migration and their processes of incorporationin American society offer sharp contrasts. Seeking to understand the diuersity of the Latino eHperience can only lead to a deeper understanding American society. For more information see: Professor Siluia Pedraza-Bailey Director of Latino Studies Program in American Culture 410 Mason Hall 764-9934 /~ ,-- -r f Danish Indestructible School s, Indispensable U Incomparable D: How would you describe the relations between Jews and Blacks today? L: I would say that you would have to talk specifically. I would say that among my generation of people relations are still very good. I would say among college-age Blacks and Jews, relationships are non-exis- tent... there certainly is an antago- nism. That cannot be denied. D: Do you believe that [Black Moslem leader] Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson pose a threat to rela- tions among Jews and Blacks? L: Oh, sure. There's no question about it. D: What kind of a threat do they pose? What have they done, or would they do, or are they doing? L: Certainly Farrakhan is easier to talk about than Jackson [because of] the kinds of things that Farrakhan says about Jews, the kind of hostility that he has expressed toward Jews, expressed toward Israel. Any Black person who either makes excuses for those comments or rationalizes those comments is going to be very suspect to Jews. I mean, how can a Jew trust a Black person who won't speak out against the kind of hatred that Farrakhan has expressed towards Jews? Jackson, I think, is much more complex. I think Jackson has made some real, sincere efforts since 1984 to reach out to the Jewish commu- nity... And yet the Jewish commu- nity still does not trust Jackson. And so I think that Jackson finds himself somewhat bewildered as to exactly what he could do to gain the trust of Jews. And there are a lot of Jews that will never trust Jesse Jackson. What Jackson fails to comprehend is that Jews are a very tiny minor- ity... and so that Jews feel very out- numbered on all counts, and I don't think Jackson has the appreciation of that, understands what that feels like. D: Why do many Jews mistrust or dislike Jackson? Is it because of his "Hymietown" crack in the 1984 campaign? L: Oh, sure. That's where it all began. There were many Jews who were thrilled about the things that Jackson was saying, because... he was the first Black leader since Mar- tin Luther King to reach out and say, "We can have an integrated move- +wr- MORQ~E To - - DVf try! 1 1 ,,// l , 4 r ' t u U L.r- r/ , , / l .- SUMMMER INT The Taubman American Instituti Program prepares sophomores, jun all disciplines for internships in pub profit organizations. Program Descr *job workshops *professional guest lecturers .inc "bu Program Applications availa Call Judy or Cynthia a l VIDEO WA] AN AND' TliaR 100t0 J 0 Free movie on your birthday. i i Free club membership. Movie return until 12 midnight. Sunday-Thursday: first movie, second movie, .99 cents. Sunday-Thursday: VCR rental, More than 25,000 movies to chos Grand Opening North Campus Lo a PUZZLED ABOUT WEIGHT CONTROL? EXRCISE/ NL4 N The Weight Control Clinic GESat The University of Michigan A NEW PROGRAM OFFERING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO WEIGHT LOSS *WEEKLY SEMNARS: nutnion, exercise, and lifestyle modification * EXERCISE CLASSES: aerobic conditioning and resistance aining to maximize fat loss *INDIVIDUAL COUNSENG: nutindet and exercise *ASSESSMENT: body conposiion, resting metabolic rate, colesterol, fin*ss level NEW CLASSES BEGIN MARCH 6 PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED CALL 747-2722 Take advantage of our February speciaI- - Register during the month of Febrary fr the March session and receile a 1096 discount on the cost of the cmplete program. Registration begins FebnFary 1. 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