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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) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Southern Israelite, P.O. Box 250287, Atlanta, Georgia 30325 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 250287, Atlanta, Georgia 30325 Location: 300 Atlanta Technology Center, Suite 365, 1575 Northside Dr., N.W., Atl., Ga. 30318 Phone (404) 355-6139 Advertising rates available upon request. Subscriptions: $23.00 a year. Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency; Religious News Service; American Jewish Press Assn.; Georgia Press Assn.; National Newspaper Assn. 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 -