Female rabbis: from trailblazers to commonplace
Kudos to j. on the insightful “rebbetzers” cover article (“Meet the Rebbetzers,” Nov. 25).
Women — and, as the article pointed out, their usually male partners who help provide family support — rarely get this kind of public recognition, even though they’re blazing a trail for the next generation of young women.
It’s both eye opening and gratifying to see these kinds of non-traditional roles women are embracing, and such a far cry from when I was a child attending my mother’s Orthodox shul. Back then, women and girls had to sit behind the men separated by a high, solid-wood barrier, and we weren’t allowed to take an active role in the service.
The article’s hidden value: It reminds us how quickly a stereotype will develop in a child’s mind, even a reverse stereotype. We learn that if you’re really young and your life experience has been with a woman rabbi, your easy-to-impress mind will think, “I didn’t know a man could be a rabbi.” Now that’s a novel concept in need of an equally novel explanation.
Roberta Guise | San Francisco
Wornick school is an asset
My family has been involved with the Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City since its infancy. Between my wife and I, we have served on the board, helped found its middle school, helped find past directors and aided in its finances.
In return, the school has educated my three children and started them on their paths to becoming young Jewish adults.
Reading the article in j. about the ongoing lawsuits was quite upsetting (“Two staffers file wrongful termination suits against Wornick school,” Nov. 18). Knowing all the players on both sides of the lawsuit, I can only hope that the issues are resolved quickly and satisfactorily.
Wornick Jewish Day School is a wonderful asset to the Jewish community on the Peninsula. It has brought Jewish culture and richness to my family and hundreds of others. The lawsuit should not detract from all that Wornick has to offer our community.
Peter Storm | San Mateo
President, Peninsula Sinai Congregation
Despite it all, Israel flourishes
Despite Israel’s struggles, her creativity and resourcefulness mean that time is on her side. Almost continuously being assailed by wars and suicide fanatics, and despite having successfully absolved millions of immigrants from all the corners of the world, and having successfully integrated and assembled them, Israel is today an economic technical and scientific powerhouse.
Look at the numbers: the gross domestic product, the very small deficit of payments, the small unemployment figure, the very large exports. Virtually all U.S. high-tech companies have facilities in Israel. Such an astute financier as Warren Buffett has invested billions of dollars in Israeli industry. There is not a single country in that area of the world that can even remotely compare with Israel’s accomplishments.
Adding to that, huge gas fields have been found in the Israeli zone of the Mediterranean; in not too many years, Israel will become a major exporter of natural gas. It will lift Israel’s economy to a still higher level, and will hopefully break the hold that OPEC members have on the destinies of our country and the rest of the world.
The best news: Israel says a cancer vaccine is coming soon! May Israel continue to flourish.
Selma Soss | Walnut Creek
Pluralistic approaches in Santa Cruz should be lauded
As former executive director and rabbi for Santa Cruz Hillel, I take great offense and exception to some of the content in the letter to the editor “Standing up for Jewish students” (Nov. 11) and in the article “Standing tall in Santa Cruz” (Nov. 4).
I’m extremely proud of the many accomplishments of Santa Cruz Hillel. Despite the very small size of our staff and budget, we brought more students to Israel than other Hillels on the West Coast and sponsored many events that promoted proud Israel connections and meaningful Jewish content that were attended by hundreds of students.
It is a serious problem when pluralistic approaches to Zionism and Judaism that respect and encourage civil discourse within and beyond the Jewish community can be so overlooked, misrepresented, and attacked by people who claim to be Jewish defenders of Israel.
Rabbi Shalom Bochner | Berkeley
Cheers to the Consulate of Mexico
Our organization was most appreciative of Leigh Cuen’s informative article on the Bay Area’s first ever seminar for emerging young leaders in the Mexican and Mexican-American community. (“Jewish, Mexican-American leaders find commonalities,” Nov. 18).
It was indeed a most successful pioneering program, which we plan to replicate in the future.
However, we need to add that this program would not have happened without the full-hearted, active and enthusiastic collaboration of the Consulate of Mexico, led by Ambassador Felix Carlos and an outstanding staff of Consuls Karla Garcia-Moreno, Sandra Almazán Ortiz and Gabriela Mardero. The success of the seminar was in no small measure due to their sterling work and efforts for which AJC is most grateful.
Mervyn Danker & Lawrence Ebert | San Francisco
American Jewish Committee, S.F. Bay Area
‘Crime against nature’
Dr. Edgar J. Schoen (“ ‘Cut’ doc has it wrong,” Nov. 11) ended his letter with the vitriolic and totally unnecessary “for shame.”
Although his assertion regarding the alleged “health” benefits of newborn circumcision may or may not be true, I believe these medical claims are simply a smokescreen to obscure the true religious nature of his objections. Second, his claim that “we are now seeing foreskin-related diseases in Jewish boys for the first time in 4,000 years” smacks of extreme B.S.
Third, I would just say that only when my newborn son was returned to us after his circumcision, white as a sheet, did I realize what a crime against nature I had committed. At that moment I swore that if I were to ever have another son, I would never again authorize this barbaric procedure.
I would therefore suggest that if, in fact, new parents believe in circumcision, for either religious or medical reasons, they at least wait until their sons are old enough to undergo anesthesia prior to the procedure. And to all you dads, I would suggest you ask yourself, how would you like it if it was done to you without anesthesia?
Ron Glas | Concord