Another Jewish genius lost
When David Hartman died, I was silent. Many people extolled his wondrous mind, his scholarship and his commanding presence. For me it was the simple fact that of all the rabbis I have known, he was the only one that I called my rabbi. Hartman was not an easy man. His anger was just below the surface, but so was his heart. I often said that if I had to choose one person to make one speech to the most important audience, it would be David.
Now we have lost Leibel Fein, a man of so many gifts. His imprint is all over tikkun olam. Another Jewish genius of the 20th and 21st centuries lost. Leibel had a profound concern for the inequality of the Israeli-Arab in Israeli society. Once when we were standing in front of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, he said, “When Israel has an Israeli-Arab as her president, then I will know that Israel is truly a Jewish state.”
Rabbi Brian Lurie | San Francisco
Turning enemy into friend
Another round of violence between Israel and Gaza may or may not be over. The results: There are no winners. On the contrary, there are thousands of families on both sides whose lives have been destroyed. Their loss is permanent.
Sadly, our leaders are skilled at making wars rather than fostering peace. Will they be ready to take bold and painful steps to reach out to the other side, turning “enemy” into a friend? Peace will not come by military force, control or occupation.
Israel and Palestine call the same piece of land home. Dividing it along the ’67 green lines is one option. Two states means two people living side by side in two viable states, hopefully good neighbors. For as long as there is no peace for Palestine, there will be no peace for Israel.
The time is now for Palestinians and Israelis to humanize the other side. We must bring our empathy, understanding and compassion for the pain, loss and yearning on both sides. It is only when we begin to relate to the Palestinians with respect and as worthy partners, who deserve equal human rights and a state, that a lasting peaceful agreement may be possible.
Meshulam Plaves | Berkeley
Nominate Bibi for peace prize
I want peace as much as anybody else. Having witnessed World War II while living in San Francisco, I think that peace with enemies is reached by strength, not by weakness. Neville Chamberlin tried to appease Germany to get peace, which encouraged Hitler to start the war. After Germany and Japan unconditionally surrendered, they became peaceful nations.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said, “The IDF deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.” I nominate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has fought the war against Hamas to defend itself against rockets and other terrorism, because that is the most likely way to peace. Hamas has shown it has unusual skill in building tunnels and lying. Israel knows Hamas is a ruthless enemy devoted to killing Jews and attempting to destroy Israel, so Israel is determined to fight them.
Norman Licht | San Carlos
Support for our Jewish friends
Anti-Semitic acts of violence have broken out in Europe and beyond, indeed in our own country as well. To our friends in the Jewish community, these senseless acts bring back painful memories of the ’30s. Surely we have learned something from that terrible time.
We may differ on international issues of war and peace. but we certainly agree that anti-Semitism has no place in our community. As we have spoken out in the past against those who voice anti-Muslim views, so too do we decry anti-Semitism anywhere.
Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
Very Rev. Marc Andrus
Episcopal Bishop of California
This letter was also signed by Rev. Mark W. Holmerud, Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod, ELCA; Metropolitan Gerasimos, Greek Orthodox Metropolis, San Francisco; Bishop Robert McElroy, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Iftekhar Hai, Islamic Society; Rev. Maggi Henderson, chair, San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Michael G. Pappas, executive director, San Francisco Interfaith Council.
‘Solidarity chants’ a form of protest
Dan Pine’s article (“Choir draws ire for singing about Gaza, Israeli apartheid,” Aug. 15) and some of the comments I’ve read demonstrate the misconceptions that can be spread about both Israel and Palestine — and about a brief choral performance at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. To read some of the comments, one would think that Vukani Mawethu choir had “manipulated” the audience by showing support for a besieged and bombarded Palestinian population.
Whenever Vukani Mawethu sings the South African national anthem, we ask (not demand) those present to stand with us and raise fists with chants that honor the freedom struggle in South Africa. After the showing of “Soft Vengeance,” a film honoring the life of Albie Sachs, who fought apartheid in South Africa, we added solidarity chants for Palestinians. Many thousands of Jews around the world, major black South African leaders and many others, joined by a recent statement of 500 South African Jews, have voiced their opposition to Israeli policy in Palestine, pointing out its similarities with apartheid in South Africa.
It’s very clear that this dissent and protest is not aimed at Jews. It is opposition to the Israeli government’s policy in Palestine. As a Jew, I am tired and upset at the mounting death toll in Gaza, not at the increasing criticism of Israel. In this case, there is no solution that doesn’t begin with dissent from current policy.
Nancy Polin | Oakland
Israel, Israel, Israel — enough already!
I was one of the people who walked out after the first mention of Gaza in relation to South Africa (“Choir draws ire,” Aug. 15). I am so tired of this sort of thing. It’s always Israel, Israel, Israel. People who know nothing about the complexities of the conflict spout the same tired, so-called “progressive” nonsense. Wrong place, wrong time, bad analogy.
I am not a “hawk,” I support a two-state solution, and I am sad about the whole situation: the deaths and attacks on both sides.
I am glad to learn that others were offended. Enough already!
Miriam Aroner | El Cerrito
Chomsky says …
I wasn’t at the screening (“Choir draws ire,” Aug.15), but came for the following film and heard about the controversy. I’m proudly Jewish, and I don’t feel upset about the choir’s lyrics (as they were told to me). I agree with them. I do feel really upset when it is assumed that criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism.
Noam Chomsky this past week said he didn’t think apartheid was the correct word to describe Israel’s actions against the occupied Palestinians, because under apartheid in South Africa, the white-run government wanted the blacks to stay there so they could be exploited for their labor; whereas in Israel the government wants to eliminate the Palestinians altogether. I agree with this statement, too, and it has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. It’s a painful truth.
Llyanna Landes | Oakland
Defense of Obama grasps at straws
In an opinion piece, Rabbi Martin Weiner claimed that President Obama displayed “vision” and “leadership” in supporting and funding the Iron Dome defense system, so the president is not an enemy of Israel after all (“Obama’s support for Iron Dome has saved countless Israeli lives,” Aug. 8).
Rabbi Weiner addresses a straw-man argument. Even those of us who staunchly oppose the president’s policies think that he wants to reduce civilian casualties. We might not yet know all the details that led to the adoption of Iron Dome, but the hard part appears to have been the technical aspects. The officials in charge of the technical aspects were several layers below the president.
President Obama has had numerous conflicts with Israel in the past six years. He also has been our president during the recent debacles in Libya and Iraq. Rabbi Weiner has wisely steered clear of defending the president on these matters. Iron Dome might have been the only thing this administration has done that’s worked, but it doesn’t show much about the president’s attitude toward Israel.
Rabbi Weiner seems to be grasping at straws to give the president a pass when we should be holding the president accountable.
Allan Yannow | El Cerrito
Who has Israel’s back?
The Obama administration, which has claimed that it has “Israel’s back,” has now announced it is not going to supply Israel with Hellfire missiles, which are reputed to be very accurate for destroying Hamas’ missile launchers. This announcement comes while Hamas continues to launch missiles aimed at killing and maiming Israeli citizens.
I am glad that Obama did not veto the congressional bill for large additional funding for the life-saving Iron Dome anti-missile system. I hope he did so because he wanted to save Israeli citizens’ lives, and not because he had calculated that Congress would override his veto.
Arthur Cohn | Portola Valley
Can we get support from local Israelis?
I enjoyed Sue Fishkoff’s column about investment by the government of Israel in Jewish identity in the diaspora (“Is Jewish love for Israel a one-way street?” July 25). Jewish intermarriage in the U.S. now approaches 70 to 80 percent. Pew data from children of interfaith families, now in their 20s, show that this group feels deeply alienated from Israel (the Forward, May 23). Grants to strengthen the Jewish educational organizations most likely to have contact with these families are sorely needed, to Jewish community centers, Hillels, Jewish summer camps, and synagogue religious schools. It also is important to ensure that these organizations provide engaging Israeli educational and cultural programs for our families and children.
However, I am dismayed by the lack of support for these Jewish organizations by the Israelis who live in our midst. Their financial support and their presence would be very helpful in building Israeli attachment among interfaith families and certainly would be in their self-interest. I encourage Israelis living in the Bay Area to become ambassadors for their country and participate fully in Jewish diaspora communities. In this way, they can help to ensure that that there is American Jewish support for Israel in the next generation.
Joanne Cornbleet | Saratoga