Any Filipino Jews?
Thank you and Lydia Lee so much for the Feb. 4 article “Asian Jews.” I am a Filipino American attending classes at Temple Sinai in Oakland to convert to Judaism. It has been a personal project of mine to find out if there are any Filipino Jews.
I was just about to do a serious search when I found your article. Your article gave me hope that there are some Filipino Jews out there.
Do any of your readers know of some anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area or even in the United States?
Linda Arnejo | Oakland
Is Sharon a liar?
Has anyone noticed that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has just made a liar of Ariel Sharon?
Several months ago Sharon visited President George Bush in Washington, and then came back to Israel with the “great” news that in exchange for his retreat from Gaza, the Americans would not ask Israel to retreat from any more territory.
Now Rice is asking for Israel to do more retreating.
Several of us had pointed out that verbal agreement is worthless, since each party will have a different version of what the agreement said.
Moreover, even a written agreement with a U.S. president has no legal value since the USA is only bound by treaties made by the executive branch of the government and ratified by 2/3 of the U.S. Senate.
Yehuda Sherman | Lafayette
No shame?
In the Talmud, Rabbi Yochanan says the reason why God allowed King Omri to rule was because he added one city in the land of Israel. Now comes a Rabbi Shalom El Yashiv, the spiritual leader of the United Torah Party, and says otherwise.
He wants us to forget Rabbi Yochanan’s statement. He does not care if the Jews in Gaza and Samaria lose their homes.
The increased terrorist threat to Israel does not really bother him either. He will join the government and thereby help make it easier for the government to dismantle those Jewish communities as long as the government “shows him the money.”
Doesn’t the rabbi have any shame?
Neal Wohlmuth | San Francisco
Shylock redux
With the release of the newest film version of “The Merchant of Venice,” the subject of William Shakespeare’s anti-Semitism is brought, once again, to center stage.
Over and over, biographers have noted the fact that Shakespeare was himself a moneylender with a lifelong involvement in competitive finance. In this, he followed the footsteps of his father, John, who, at one time was lawfully charged and arrested for money lending at an illegally high rate.
William joined in his father’s business and continued to engage in money lending along with his theatrical activities throughout his life.
He was known as an extraordinary hard bargainer and negotiator who demanded exceptionally difficult terms from even family and friends.
Shakespeare’s portrait of Shylock becomes especially pertinent because of his own direct involvement with sharing high rates of interest. Traditionally an unpopular trade, money lending was rife with competition.
In developing the character of Shylock, what was the dramatist-moneylender trying to say about competition, about his father, about the trade about his hatred of the Jews and persona of money lending itself?
Irvin J. Borowsky | Philadelphia
American Interfaith Institute founder-chairman
Learning Hebrew
Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote, “The Jewish people have been in exile for 2,000 years; they have lived in hundreds of countries, spoken hundreds of languages and still they kept their old language, Hebrew.”
The Bay Area is blessed with numerous resources for learning Hebrew. It’s unfortunate that Joanne Catz Hartman, who labels herself a “Hebrew illiterate” in her Jan. 21 column, let embarrassment stop her from finding the resources she needs to master Hebrew. Had she asked at Afikomen, or at any of our other Bay Area Judaic shops, she would have been directed to an extensive adult Hebrew section, with a number of books for the beginning student.
As she pointed out, Lehrhaus Judaica offers adult Hebrew classes, as do many local congregations.
Also, many adults have successfully learned Hebrew with the help of materials from EKS Publishing, a local business specializing in Hebrew materials for beginners of all ages (www.ekspublishing.com).
Hebrew has been called the lifeblood of our people, and becoming Hebrew literate will connect your columnist to our tradition in a powerful way.
Claudia Valas | Oakland
president, EKS Publishing
Tsunami relief
American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI) applauds the efforts of the American Red Cross to support Magen David Adom in Israel. We look forward to the day when the “federation” will be known as the International Federation of Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Star of David Societies.
American Red Magen David for Israel is the exclusive support arm of Magen David Adom in the United States. Our annual contributions to MDA account for 25 percent of the annual budget.
MDA is privileged to be participating in the relief efforts for victims of the tsunami. Wearing our own uniforms, we are proudly operating field clinics in Sri Lanka.
In addition to being responsible for 95 percent of the blood requirements in Israel, MDA is also currently supplying blood products from the MDA National Blood Services Center to those in need in Sri Lanka.
If you would like to know more about how to support Magen David Adom, please go to our Web site — www.armdi.org — or call us at (800) 323-2371.
Daniel R. Allen | New York
executive vice president, American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI)
Assisting victims
Thank you for your Jan. 21 article highlighting the work that Jewish organizations are doing to assist victims of the Asian tsunami. But I want to make your readers aware that Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger is another of the Jewish groups that is raising money for the disaster both as a member of the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief and as an independent organization.
Although Mazon’s focus is on hunger, the enormity of the devastation resulting from the event demanded our response.
We are proud of all in the Jewish community who practice as well as preach tikkun olam.
H. Eric Schockman | Los Angeles
president, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger
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