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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 17, 1986
The Southern Israelite
The Voice of AManra's Jewish Community
Since 1925'
Vida Goldgar
T ~
Tasteless humor
Vida Goldgar Jeff Rubin
Editor General Manager
Luna Levy
Managing Editor
Published by Sun Publications, Inc.
also publishers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle
Stan Rose Steve Rose
Chairman and President and
Publisher Co-Publisher
Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ga (ISSN 00388) (UPS 776060)
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Bittersweet week
How often in our lives the bitter mingles with the sweet.
Such is the case this week, a week in which Jews throughout
the world shared the joy that attended the announcement of Elie
Weisel’s selection to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. And a week
which, once again, brought terrorism to the headlines, this time at
the Western Wall.
Throughout the years, many Jews have been named Nobel
laureates in various fields but their selection was based on work in
their chosen occupations. In a sense, so was Wiesel’s. It’s just that
his chosen work is, in his own words, to “fight indifference.”
Indifference to the enormous tragedy of the Holocaust was the
beginning and is still his main theme. But just as he fights indiffer
ence in others, he could not remain indifferent to the plight of
others whose civil and human rights are being negated.
Wiesel’s selection makes us all proud.
The grenade attack in Jerusalem Wednesday is all the more
bitter because it came so soon after Yom Kippur, when our
prayers for peace and justice mingle with our prayers for atone
ment. Most of us at some point were reminded of that Yom
Kippur day 13 years ago when Israel was attacked by her enemy
neighbors with a suddenness that made us fear for her survival.
But, like Elie Weisel, the Jewish state survived and will survive.
Terrorist attacks, wherever they occur, only serve to strengthen
our determination.
1 guess there are some benefits to not being an
early riser. At least I was spared the shock of a number
of readers who tuned in to WSB Radio’s Dale O Brien
show on the morning of Oct. 3, the
day that at sunset would begin our
holiest season of the year.
The complaint, and it is justi
fied, is that a comedian who is a
regular feature of the Dale O’Brien
show, though not a WSB staffer,
called in with his usual impersona
tion of a celebrity. On that Friday
morning, he did a David Letter-
man impression with this totally tasteless and insensi
tive crack: “The Jewish New Year begins today at
sunset. Do you know why it begins at sunset?” As
straightman, one assumes that O’Brien said, “No,
why?” And then came the kicker: “Because that’s
when all the prices go down. What a deal!” According
to my reports, both the comedian and host O’Brien
laughed.
That’s funny? 1 don’t think so.
The Anti-Defamation League didn’t think so
either and immediately contacted Mike Faherty, vice
president and general manager of the station. Follow
ing a phone call, ADL wrote Faherty a letter which
included this: “This kind of remark is particularly
distressing to us because it perpetrates the negative
stereotype of the Jew as a cheap manipulator of
money. This has been one of the most constant themes
in anti-Semitism since Medieval times. People of good
will seek to eradicate the negative stereotypes that
perpetuate prejudice and discrimination. The tenacity
of these stereotypes even today provides ample evi
dence that we must actively oppose intolerance and
prejudice, wherever they exist. Doing so helps to
ensure that all people can enjoy the benefits of a free
society.”
How true that is. And how sad it is that such a
comment would be aired on WSB Radio which for so
long was under the direction of Elmo Ellis, a past
chairperson of ADL’s board and presently a national
commissioner from our region.
Now having said all that, let me say, too, that
Elmo’s successor, Mr. Faherty, responded in a way
that 1 assume Elmo would have. On Monday morn
ing’s Dale O’Brien show, in the same time-slot the
offensive “joke” was made, WSB aired an apology.
Not only that, but on the same Monday, Mike
Faherty called me (even before I knew what had hap
pened), to state his regret about the unscheduled ad lib
and followed up with a letter that said further that
“our program manager has talked with our on-air
people and 1 am convinced that no malice was
intended.” He had already advised ADL that person
nel had been reminded that remarks of this kind are
not acceptable on WSB.
1 join ADL in acknowledging WSB Radio’s
prompt response to this matter. Yet, I share the disap
pointment of Barry Traub, who wrote: “Many of us
fool ourselves into thinking that a group of people
who have provided the world with many of its greatest
achievements (in science, medicine, philosophy, math
ematics, business) would cease to be the focus of blat
antly ignorant attacks.”
Yet this is a world that sees Eli Wiesel receive the
Nobel Peace Prize, not in spite of the fact he is Jewish
but because he is, and because he is outspokenly
determined that the world will not forget.
We’ve accomplished a lot, but, yes, there will
always be those, who through ignorance, insensitivity
or downright anti-Semitism, will give us pain.
Gourmet caper
by Stanley M. Lefco
A secret and confidential report
was prepared by a senior vice pres
ident at a well-known soft drink
company. A copy was furnished to
us by a source who requested ano
nymity, fearing it could lead to the
loss of her job.
Apparently, during the last two
years this company and others like
it have toyed with the idea of tar
geting their products at various
ethnic and religious groups. The
general affluence and buying power
of the Jewish community has made
it one of particular interest to these
companies. The report reviewed
various ways to encourage greater
consumption of its growing pro
duct lines.
After an in-house survey, which
led to a bitter feud between two
executives, it was decided that try
ing to establish a relationship of its
products with various ethnic foods
might lead to increased sales. For
example, who would not think of
ordering wine with spaghetti? And
what is a hot dog without a beer?
Two hundred and fourteen Jews
from various parts of the country,
but predominantly the northeast,
were carefully selected for the
experiment. For several two-week
periods they were asked to eat cer
tain ethnic foods with various fla
vored soft drinks in an effort to
determine the best and most ap
pealing combinations. The first
food tested was gefilte fish. Only 15
percent thought that gefilte fish
and a soft drink made a good com
bination. The 85 percent who
thought the mix was abominable
did not significantly change their
opinions when they substituted a
diet drink, a caffein-free drink, or a
fruit-flavored drink.
A majority of the 15 percent,
however, did feel that a fruit fla
vored soft drink gave the gefilte
fish added flavor; although, a few
from this group later complained
of heart burn and mild indigestion.
1 he next test was a variety of
bagels and soft drinks. Again, most
m the survey felt that soft drinks
and bagels don’t mix; although, a
surprising number (44%) thought
that an onion bagel and a diet
drink were not the worst combina
tion they had ever tried. They were
not certain, however, that they
would order this for breakfast.
Other combinations tested were
egg bagels with a regular soft drink,
bagels with cream cheese and a diet
soft drink, sesame bagles with a
fruit-flavored soft drink, and poppy
seed bagels with a diet, caffein-free
drink. Oddly, the testing did not
include a plain, toasted bagel with
cream cheese and strawberry jam
with a caffein-free drink.
Just over 50 percent of the group
thought that cream herring and a
fruit-flavored soft drink were good.
Unfortunately, the reasons they
gave concerned mainly the fact
that the herring made them thirsty,
and anything to drink was a bless
ing. This was the same result with
white fish, pastrami and corned
beef.
Blintzes and soft drinks received
almost unanimous condemnation
and in several instances hostility.
The report noted that 91 percent
refused to eat blintzes with a soft
drink. Of the nine percent, who
reluctantly agreed to try it, they
would only do so for a period of
two days. In a footnote to the
report, one of the participants
became ill after eating blintzes with
a diet drink and could not continue
to participate in the testing. I he
company expressed some concern
about a law suit, for it had failed to
ask this party to sign an uncondi-
tional release.
Continued next p«S c -
