Plight of U.S. Farmers and Growing Activism of Rightwing Groups Among Them is a Major Concern of Njc

The national coordinating body of community relations policies in the American Jewish community urged that its II3 local and II national constituent agencies direct more attention to the plight of the American farmer and support various efforts aimed at easing the growing farm crisis.

The National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC) adopted a resolution to this effect during the organization’s annual plenary session at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel here this week. It is believed to be the first time the issue of the farm crisis has been directly addressed by a national Jewish community organization.

The action comes amid growing concern in the American Jewish community on increased activism by rightwing extremist groups, many preaching virulent anti-Semitism, in the farm belt. These organizations have sought to depict Jews and other minority groups as responsible for the continuing problems facing the American farm community.

The resolution adopted Tuesday by the NJCRAC stated: “The Jewish community relations field should call attention to the economic and social problems affecting a large segment of America’s farm belt population and should explore participation in coalitions that support private funding and social services, and should study appropriate legislation to alleviate the plight of farmers and their families.”

FIRST STEP TOWARD GREATER INVOLVEMENT

David Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau (JCRB) of Greater Kansas City, spearheaded passage of the resolution, which he described as just the first step toward greater Jewish community involvement in the plight of distressed farmers.

“Farmers will begin to understand that the Jewish community cares,” Goldstein said during an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He said the resolution will be “enormously helpful” to communicate to the leadership of the farm movement that the Jewish community will actively participate in easing their plight.

But Goldstein said: “Forget the problems of anti-Semitism for the moment. Think of this issue in regard to the effect of this on other human beings. Think about the fact that an entire way of life is being destroyed. Think what it means to the people.”

Goldstein said the JCRB, for its part, is a member of the Interfaith Rural Life Committee of the Kansas Council of Churches, a recently formed group of about 40 persons, including farmers, clergy and state leaders. “This is not only a crisis for farmers but a crisis for all people who live in rural areas,” he said.

EFFORTS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE

The interfaith group, as one of its projects, has assisted in the distribution of a total of about $30,000 since last October in the form of $100 checks to farmers’ families in need of emergency assistance. Goldstein said the funds came from the Farm Aid concert benefit extravaganza and also the American Baptist Church.

Other efforts are underway that will seek to provide legal assistance to distressed farmers facing foreclosure on their property, and working with farmer self-help organizations. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Des Moines has raised several thousand dollars directed toward assisting farmers, he said, citing this as an example of the growing Jewish community involvement in this area.

“I believe that it was a priority concern to inform the national Jewish community about this problem, because by doing so we could obtain the resources of the whole Jewish community,” he said.

While anti-Semitism among some segments of the farm community has received considerable attention in the past year, Goldstein sought in the interview to stress the human dimensions of the farm crisis, and its effects on an American way of life.

But by no means did he seek to dismiss the growth of farmer support of extremist groups operating in the Midwest. These groups include the Posse Comitatus; the Christian Identity Movement, a quasi-religious group providing the theological underpinings for the Posse and other extremist groups, based on their belief that Jews are the children of Satan; the Lyndon LaRouche group, and the Populist Party.

The continuing farm crisis, which may result in the closing within the next 12-18 months of nearly one-third of existing small farms in Midwest America, has brought out thousands of supporters or sympathizers with the extremists in the farm belt. According to Leonard Zeskind, research director of the Atlanta based Center for Democratic Renewal, there are anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 “hardcore” anti-Semites in the farm belt.

Zeskind says there are approximately 7-10 sympathizers for every one of the hardcore activists, “which would mean that there are somewhere between 14,000 to 50,000 sympathizers functioning in the Midwest,” Goldstein said. “I believe anti-Semitism is growing in the Midwest,” he added.

The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, which has also monitored the activities of extremists in the farm belt, appears to disagree with the assessment that anti-Semitism is growing in the Midwest. But both Goldstein and the ADL agree that there remains a situation at present, as the ADL stated in a recent report, “factors suggesting potential danger in the future.”