Arab Jewry book very welcome
In response to Howard Selznick’s review of “In Ishmael’s House” by Sir Martin Gilbert (“Complicated history of Arab Jewry does well in Martin Gilbert’s hands,” Dec. 10), I would like to add that although there has been a century-old history of anti-Semitic persecution and discrimination in Arab countries, the history of our people has not been adequately documented and addressed. It is refreshing that such a prestigious author decided to publish a book on this ignored subject.
Selznick notes that this book is appropriate for high school and college readers, but I’m confident that it can be used not only by students, but by government officials and decision makers around the world who are unfamiliar with the plight of Jews from Arab lands.
Recently, I represented JIMENA in a delegation to Israel whose mission was to lobby Knesset members on the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab Lands. During the trip I met with numerous Israeli leaders and government officials, all of whom agree that Sir Martin Gilbert’s book helps fill an important gap in modern Jewish and Middle Eastern history.
As a Jew whose testimony was featured in Sir Martin Gilbert’s book, I say we need more books like these for our students and for our leaders.
Gina Waldman | Tiburon
President, board of directors, JIMENA
Shas leader spouting ‘venom’
Last month, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef — the Shas Party’s spiritual leader — opined that non-Jews exist only to serve Jews. Taking his lead, 36 Israeli rabbis have endorsed a so-called religious ruling forbidding the sale or rental of homes to non-Jews.
This month, Rabbi Yosef — again! — spouted the notion that Israel’s devastating forest fire was God’s punishment for the sinfulness of Mount Carmel’s residents (“Was Carmel forest fire punishment from God?,” Dec. 10).
Is there no limit to the inanities and venom that befoul Israel’s ultra-Orthodox leaders?
Lester Gorn | Pacific Grove
More on the shuln
I was happy to see Dan Pine’s article leading up to my talk about the secular Yiddish shuln and their history (“Hebrew school in Yiddish? BJE talk looks at history of ‘shuln,’ ” Dec. 3) It was wonderful to see such a large and varied group at the program, including several people who had read the article in j.
I’d like to correct a few misperceptions, however. First-generation Jewish Americans were Yiddish speakers; it was their native language, and very few wanted (or were able) to leave it completely. The second-generation Jews, those born here of Yiddish-speaking parents, were those who were often ambivalent about their parents’ native language — frequently the case with children of immigrants.
The shuln were built by four different movements: the Labor Zionists, the Sholem Aleichem organization, the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, and the International Workers Order. The only one in existence today is the Workmen’s Circle, which sponsors programs on Jewish arts, social justice issues, Yiddish culture and education, including some shuln for children that do teach some Yiddish. There are also a number of other Jewish secular schools in existence now, such as the Sholem Community in Los Angeles and East Bay Kindershul in Berkeley, though they are not affiliated with a larger organization.
Marti Krow-Lucal | Sunnyvale