A Maccabi thanks
Thank you for covering last week’s JCC Maccabi Games Community Kickoff at the JCCSF (“JCCSF calling all Maccabi athletes — and volunteers,” Nov. 7). Dan Pine’s article painted a great picture of the enthusiasm within our community as we build toward the games next August.
We feel it is important to acknowledge Richard N. Goldman for his lead gift, which was critical to bringing the JCC Maccabi Games to San Francisco. To recognize his outstanding generosity and leadership, Mr. Goldman has been named honorary chairman of the games.
Aaron Rosenthal | San Francicsco
Communications manager, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
Long time coming
As one of the Bay Area rabbis who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., I was thrilled with the election of Barack Obama. I wept at his acceptance speech.
In Selma we were promoting voting rights for African Americans (“Negroes” they were called then). That was in March 1965. No one at that time could even have imagined that a “Negro” would one day become president of the United States.
What a long way we have come! We will all be the beneficiaries of this remarkable development. Let us hope that the Obama administration will see the realization of the promise that it represents. It will surely come to pass if we are a united people, and if we are prepared to make the sacrifices that are required of us.
Rabbi H. David Teitelbaum | Redwood City
Cal ‘double standard’
As a survivor of the Holocaust (I was arrested in Munich on Kristallnacht on Nov. 9, 1938 and sent to Dachau concentration camp) and someone who now lives in the East Bay, I am gravely insulted that a distinguished institution like U.C. Berkeley would invite or allow a person like Norman Finkelstein to give a presentation on its campus (“Protest leads to friction among Jewish students at Cal,” Nov. 7). Finkelstein is below contempt. I would hope that the U.C. system would present legitimate scholars of a wide range of opinions and not such a discredited hateful person.
I received my graduate degrees from U.C. Berkeley and I now feel ashamed of my affiliation. Would U.C. Berkeley allow David Duke or another bigot from the KKK to speak on campus?
Finkelstein and Duggard were allowed to give their hate-filled speeches after the students walked out. Tikvah did not deny them their right of free speech.
What you are seeing is a case of the classic double standard — one standard for the anti-Semites and a different standard for the Jews.
On this anniversary of Kristallnacht, isn’t it amazing that such double standards still exist and are openly tolerated and supported?
Susanne DeWitt | Berkeley
Tikvah followed ‘Rules’
Those of us who cut our teeth on Saul Alinsky’s 1971 classic, “Rules for Radicals,” couldn’t help but smile reading about Tikvah’s protest at Norman Finkelstein’s talk. After years of frustration watching programs deemed “politically incorrect” disrupted, these brave Berkeley students took Alinsky’s Rule No. 4 into their own hands — make opponents live up to their set of standards. Their 30-second interruption was clearly symbolic — and it worked beautifully. Subsequent talks by controversial speakers Daniel Pipes and Walid Shoebat have gone without disruption.
This brief protest by Tikvah has done more to ensure free speech at U.C. Berkeley than anything in recent memory. Norman Finkelstein should be pleased. After all, he felt the pieing of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman at Brown University was more than simply a frivolous student prank — intended instead to “evoke some good discussion on the contextualization of ‘free speech’ in our society.” Tikvah’s action did just that. Saul Alinsky and yes, Norman Finkelstein should be proud.
Faith Meltzer | El Cerrito
Nothing wrong in Israel?
Stephen Dobbs’ review of Alan Dershowitz’s new book is fawning (“Dershowitz makes a powerful ‘Case’ against Israel’s enemies,” Nov. 14). Most reviews find a little something to criticize, but not Mr. Dobbs. It is interesting that the president who brought peace between Israel and Egypt has “a long history of manipulations, lies, and distortions.” Noam Chomsky, a Jew, is apparently a left wing anti-Semite. I have read extensively of Chomsky, and I have not noted anything more anti-Semitic than that he dares to criticize Israeli policies.
Is there no evidence of Israeli racism — expropriation of Palestinian land in Israel and the territories, the fact that Arab citizens of Israel cannot lease or buy land in the 90 percent of Israel that is controlled by the state and JNF, the abysmal state of infrastructure in Arab areas, the recent riots in Akko, the graffiti saying “Arabs to the gas chambers” in Hebron? I don’t believe that Dershowitz has “God’s ear.”
Alfred Lerner | San Carlos
Protest animal cruelty
I have read in j. about the latest shanda at Agriprocessors (“Latest Agriprocessors news stokes fears of kosher meat shortage,” Nov. 7). The company has declared bankruptcy and has shut down its plant, leaving workers in the lurch and animals still in cages with no care. This is the antithesis of tikkun olam. Agriprocessors abused and exploited their workers and now they left animals helpless in cages, with no food or care.
I call upon people to write to their newspapers, the Humane Society and the OU, among other places, and protest and demand that the workers and animals are properly cared for.
Ellen G. Levine | Hayward
No meat? Go faux
With three of the five largest kosher beef plants in the U.S. — and the second-largest kosher beef supplier in South America — currently closed, consumers can expect significant shortages of kosher meat as well as price hikes. But don’t worry: Many
companies, including Mon Cuisine, Morningstar Farms, Worthington Foods, Gardenburger, Yves, Lightlife, and Turtle Island Foods (the manufacturer of Tofurky), make great-tasting, kosher-certified mock meats.
Jewish law mandates that animals be treated with compassion and respect. By choosing meatless meals, you can adhere to Jewish principles and save animals from pain and suffering. Plus, there’s no shortage of healthy, delicious vegetarian foods. For more information, visit www.HumaneKosher.com.
Philip Schein | Norfolk, Va.
Senior researcher, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Know our enemies
As your article about the upcoming anti-racism conference in Durban points out, Jews have every reason to be alarmed (“Jews fear Durban rerun in U.N. anti-racism conference,” Nov. 7). In order to educate ourselves about the problem we need the help of the media. Specifically, we need the media to inform us honestly about who is involved and what is at stake. We mustn’t be squeamish about using accurate language.
By calling the group that is demonizing us everywhere from the U.N. to Durban “the 55-member Asian Group,” you join the ranks of the deceitful. This group is quite comfortable using its real name: the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). So should we! They are the reason Israel is vilified, suicide bombing is still legal and nothing is being done about the slaughter in Darfur. (Sudan and Palestine are members since 1969.)
I beseech everyone reading my letter to educate themselves about this group. So much will fall into place regarding the workings of the U.N. and the place we Jews and Israel have in this world once you are well informed about this particular U.N. voting bloc.
Sheree Roth | Palo Alto