Party story missed the mark
I was surprised and dismayed by last week’s cover article (“Lions and tigers and bears, oy vey,” May 1), which profoundly misses the mark. Rather than use this opportunity to focus on the hard work and creative efforts of so many rabbis, educators, and young adults, you invest over 1,000 words, six pictures and three pages to tell us … well, I’m not really sure.
One of the young people you mention in this article is a member of my synagogue. Having worked closely with her in preparation for her bat mitzvah, I can testify to her hard work and thoughtfulness. Many interesting and thought- provoking articles could have been written about her experience of becoming a bat mitzvah, and I’m sure that is true of each of these children, their families and teachers. Rather than doing that, you have reduced their achievements to an article on lavish parties. That is an insult to your readers, these children, and their teachers.
Rabbi Adam Rosenthal | Foster City
Model positive values
I hate stories like last week’s j. cover. I almost don’t know where to begin. I’m not a killjoy and happiness is good, but c’mon people, get a grip!
“While you may only spend $1,500 on the animals, you’re going to spend thousands on the theatrical atmosphere.” Puuuulease! You want to spend money? Have a nice Kiddush lunch and invite the congregation. You want to have a party on Saturday night? Great!
But remember that turning 13 is just one small portion of one’s life accomplishments and values education. Model modesty, community responsibility and personal accountability. While it’s good to celebrate, there are hundreds of people less fortunate and causes more worthwhile in our community that might be reasonable and meaningful ways to direct our largesse.
Celebrate our joy over our kids’ accomplishments not with trucking in the safari or the zoo. Be modest, be grateful for what you have, be generous and be considerate and help others less fortunate. These are the values I would hope to teach my own kid, not that “my theatrical atmosphere is bigger or more extravagant than yours!”
Turning 13 is a milestone, not a destination. Treat it as such.
Steve Lipman | Foster City
Time has come for two-state solution
I wish to thank Kehilla Community Synagogue, along with Americans for Peace Now and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, for hosting an extraordinary evening with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish on Sunday, April 26 (“Horrors of war hit home for Gaza doctor,” May 1). Dr. Abuelaish, a Gazan physician working in an Israeli hospital, lost three daughters to heavy IDF military shelling in January that left their body parts strewn around their home.
In the face of unimaginable horror, Dr. Abuelaish transcends expectations to advocate honor for all human beings, specifically coexistence and mutual respect among Israelis and Palestinians. Without any thought or desire for revenge, he seeks reconciliation with those who mistakenly attacked his home, killing his family.
In the aftermath of tragedy, Dr. Abuelaish inspires those of us who care about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to roll up our sleeves, act swiftly, and elevate the quality of our discourse. With a president in the White House open to listening, the time has come to demand a two-state solution that ensures dignity and security for both nations. Let’s do all we can to end the human suffering and tragic loss of life.
Sherry Lifton | San Francisco
Touched by Gaza M.D.
Thank you for covering Gazan physician Dr. Abuelaish’s talk. I’d like to share some things that touched me when hearing him.
He said he was discussing the tragic Jan. 16 deaths of four family members from Israeli shell fire “because it is the tragedy of all people there [Israel and Palestine]. I represent a willingness of both sides to live and respect each other with dignity and in partnership.”
Dr. Abuelaish vowed to continue his previous bridge-building efforts, hoping no one else would ever go through what he had. At Soroka Hospital, where he works, Israeli and Palestinian patients are cared for equally, without discrimination. Israel-Palestine is sick, he noted, needing the same care. In memory of his daughters, he’s working toward healing the conflict.
He stated that leaders on both sides place sectarian politics above the needs of their communities; their actions lead to broken trust between the two peoples. He called divestment one-sided and negative, and advocated joint, positive-focus actions. He said that he, and most Palestinians and Israelis, want two states. He declared that responding to violence with violence solves nothing.
This combination of Dr. Abuelaish’s tragedy and his response to it is what so moved me.
Judith Gussmann | Berkeley
Durban II failure
While Iran’s president, Ahmadinejad, denied the Holocaust and spouts anti-Semitic invective, 80 percent of the delegations at Durban II stuck around to listen to his speech. It was a grave mistake, as Sever Plocker points out in his opinion piece (April 24), that “too many stuck around to listen to Ahmadinejad.”
Millions listened to Hitler speak in the 1930s, as he spewed the same rhetoric as Ahmadinejad. Hitler rose to power because nobody dared to dissent, object and protest loudly. To put it simply, giving the Iranian president an audience was the same as agreeing with him. The European delegation clearly learned from its recent history and left the room.
However, what was most shocking was the reaction of delegations from Africa, Asia, Latin America — they remained seated, listened respectfully and said nothing in protest. They legitimized his venomous distortion of history.
The Durban II conference was a possible turning point — the world’s chance to take a forceful stand against anti-Semitism. We will look back at this moment in time with regret when the Iranian president’s words turn into action.
David Joseph-Goteiner | Berkeley
Focusing on domestic violence
I was especially happy when I saw the article honoring Minouche Kandel and the work she does in the Bay Area battered women’s community (“S.F. lawyer honored for battling domestic violence,” March 27). The issue of domestic violence does not get nearly as much attention. In the United States, 80 percent of girls in an abusive relationship continue to date their abuser. Women who have been in abusive relationships need help to get out before it is too late. Foundations that Kandel worked for such as Shalom Bayit, a Jewish Bay Area battered women’s support network, do everything they possibly can to provide this support.
The first time I was introduced to dating abuse I was 12. My sister Sarah was in a relationship that was clearly unhealthy, but was unaware due to lack of education. After a terrible physical incident, Sarah knew she had to get out and was able to do so with the support of Shalom Bayit.
Sarah has been speaking out ever since to educate the public. Without public awareness and prevention, this horrible act will without a doubt continue. It is up to us to inform our communities and help in any way possible.
Alana VanZanten | Palo Alto
No deeper meaning
Are we so jaded that we must think everything is not what it seems? Freud taught us, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” So why can’t we enjoy the fact that there was a seder in the White House without reading into it (Letters, April 24)?
Elaine Starkman | Walnut Creek