Saving Roe
It was interesting to read the two March 4 views on Bush’s court nominations by Marshall Breger and Mark Pelavin. Although most Jewish organizations have not entered the fight to secure our fundamental freedoms and constitutional rights for the next generation, I urge individuals who care about securing our individual rights and freedoms — including religious liberty and the separation of religion and state, civil rights, reproductive rights, consumer rights, environmental rights — to act now to get involved on the issue of judicial nominations.
The National Council of Jewish Women has an easy way to keep informed and get active: BenchMark, NCJW’s campaign to save Roe. Anyone can join the campaign by logging onto www.benchmarkcampaign.org and signing up to receive regular action alerts and information on judicial nominees.
Charlene Spielvogel | Moraga
honorary national board member
National Council of Jewish Women
Biased journalists?
This is in regard to the Mitchell Bard opinion column in the Feb. 25 j. whereby he gives an excellent insight into the thinking of Middle East reporters and why they present biased material.
The idea that one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter is prevalent in many mainstream media, as evidenced by the number of publications which refer to Arabs who murder Israelis as “gunmen” or “militants,” afraid to use the word “terrorist.”
However, Bard left out one rule of thumb which I notice is universally used by Middle East reporters: “When taking a photo of Jewish Israelis, always choose ones who are white. Never publish a picture of a person of color from Israel unless he/she is an Arab.”
In reality, many Jews in Israel (Orthodox and secular, both) are non-white. However, a typical reporter wants to perpetuate the view that a non-white Israeli Jew is an anomaly. Better not upset those readers who think Israelis are “racist.”
Sheryl Rattner | Los Altos
No potshots
As president of the board of trustees of Congregation Sherith Israel, I felt it was important to correct the misinformation and impressions in your Feb. 25 cover story regarding Temple Beth Sholom’s capital campaign and address Rabbi Alan Lew’s remarks regarding our congregation.
First, the chair of our retrofit committee is Craig Etlin, not Peter Samuels. Second, during my six years serving on our board, we have not spent a single board meeting discussing a merger with Temple Beth Sholom or any other congregation. Third, isn’t it time that the congregations of this community stop taking potshots at each other?
If all we do is turn a blind eye or take smug satisfaction in the problems of our neighbors, then it’s no wonder that we have one of the highest unaffiliation rates in the country. Our congregation is over 150 years old, and our sanctuary 100; and despite Lew’s remarks, we intend to be around, in our historic sanctuary, for many hundreds more.
Diane A. Green | San Francisco
president, Congregation Sherith Israel
‘Farthest from Truth’
Thank you for your March 4 article “From Baghdad to Jerusalem to Berkeley,” about the wonderful Yair Dalal and his music. But your subtitle, “Israeli music star does not shy away from Arabic roots,” assumes that Jews from Arab countries would want to shy away from their Judeo-Arabic roots, which is farthest from the truth.
Mizrachi Jews are indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. We have a rich and vibrant culture that we embrace proudly. We do not shy away from it.
In fact, Dalal’s music is on the soundtrack of the recently released documentary film, “The Forgotten Refugees,” which will premiere on Sunday, May 1 at the JCCSF.
Gina Waldman | Tiburon
president, JIMENA
Jewish Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa
Free transportation?
The Jewish Music Festival is without a doubt a wonderful event. My guess is that older people, who attended 20 years ago, are many, not well enough to drive, park, then walk to it. But if the community could provide paid transportation dropping them off at the door, I’m convinced a much greater number would joyfully attend.
Arnoldine Berlin | Oakland
‘Lost’ cousin found
Thank you for your Feb. 11 article titled “Alaskan embalming law faces opposition.” I discovered that Sheryl Weinberg about whom you wrote is my first cousin, as her father was my mother’s brother. I knew there was a cousin in Alaska but was never able to locate her.
We have been e-mailing back and forth since your article, and she was thrilled to find her father’s family (as he died when she was 11 and she had very little knowledge of them).
Thank you again for helping me find another member of my family.
Millie Tinkler | Walnut Creek
A little stash
I enjoyed Jay Schwartz’s recent column on the renewed interest in Yiddish. But while we’re on the topic of Yiddish, I wonder if he has ever heard of the Yiddish word k’nippel — money tied in the corner of a handkerchief (a personal stash)?
When I married in 1958, my mother gave me a k’nippel with $100. She felt that every woman should have her own stash — just in case.
What do you think of this idea today?
Marjorie Gotltieb Wolfe | Syosset, N.Y.
No name-calling
Have we lost the ability to disagree respectfully without deteriorating into name-calling? Dan Pine’s March 11 column refers to Orthodox belief as “garbage” and “bigotry.” Is a committed vegetarian who thinks eating meat is wrong also a bigot?
The Orthodox movement does not ordain anyone who openly and on principle violates any of the 613 mitzvot, whether that mitzvah is Shabbat, kashrut, tzedakah, etc. It has nothing to do with homosexual practice per se, and everything to do with the group’s theological beliefs about halachah. Calling those views “garbage” is unnecessary and offensive.
Pine refers to Leviticus and states that the verses “appear to prohibit the practice” but that they are “open to interpretation.” Even if the verses are open to interpretation, can’t at least one of those interpretations be the traditional, straightforward one without labeling its adherents as bigots?
I’m not sure what he means by “no Jew today lives like the Hebrews of old.” Aside from the logical irrelevance of the argument, there are tens of thousands of traditionally observant Jews today who are committed to observing traditional Torah law.
In our community, people treat others with kindness and respect regardless of their observance of any particular mitzvah.
Naomi Dardik | Oakland
Unconditional love?
As an Orthodox Jew, I am amazed that in Dan Pine’s March 11 column on tolerance versus acceptance of homosexuality, and his stated quest for a higher level of love among Jews, he dismisses Orthodox teaching as “garbage.”
Before Pine starts slinging his garbage, maybe he ought to work on his own concept of ahavas yisroel, the love of one Jew for another.
Torah teaches us to love every Jew without question, even if we think that the Jew is wrong or misbehaving. That’s certainly more than “tolerance,” but something different from “acceptance.”
“Acceptance” means endorsement. I don’t have to accept that a Jew eats pork, but I have to love him all the same.
I have to help a Jew when she’s in trouble, and respect the holy soul she embodies.
Finally, I love and respect my fellow Jews too much to even ask them their sexual preferences or practices, much as I would avoid asking a Jew if he or she kept Shabbat.
It’s none of my business. Part of love is a healthy respect for privacy.
If he can’t even tolerate Orthodoxy, Dan Pine is no better than the so-called “bigots” he defames, is he?
Art Zeidman | Walnut Creek