Letters to the Editor

Re: “Ultimate Revenge: Jews Get the Last Word as Tarantino\’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Rewrites History” (March 5): A great article about a great film. I saw it the moment it came out, I bought the DVD the moment it came out, and, frankly, I\’ve already seen the film way too many times. I have become captivated by it, and I am glad that you have chosen to do such an in-depth piece on it — especially with Academy voting at its close. I would like “Inglourious Basterds” to win the award for best picture, among other things, because I think it is absolutely ingenious and inspired filmmaking. Indeed, as its Oscar campaign boasts, “It\’s the movie that reminds me why I love movies.” For the price of a mere movie ticket, I can now feel what till now I could only imagine (or is it wish)? It’s the best (and, ironically, the most worthwhile) 2 1/2 hours I\’ve spent in a theater in a long time.

Where’s the proof?\n\nMr. Prager attacks rabbis for stating that Judaism does not believe in the so-called afterlife but cites no Jewish sources or Jewish commentators (Rashi, the Ramban, the Malbin, et al. ) to substantiate his view that there is an afterlife (“Jews and the Afterlife,” Feb. 26). It’s not one of the Ramban’s 13 principles. I’m sure he hesitates to cite Christian sources since he’s writing in a Jewish-oriented weekly. We should just take this radio pundit’s word for it because he knows. (Conceivably, some unfortunate soul came back from God knows where to personally tell him all about it.)

Obama is smart and knows what he must do to be successful, but does he have the intestinal fortitude and intellectual courage to jettison the manipulators around him who seem to have a grip on determining what he does (“Rethinking Obama,” Feb. 12)?

I have read Raphael J. Sonenshein’s article (“Rethinking Obama,” Feb. 12), complete with charts and advice and apparently panic. He says the solution to the impasse in Washington is for Obama to be Obama. I think somebody should inform Mr. Sonenshein that the Obama administration collapsed last week.

I have just finished reading Raphael J. Sonenshein’s [article] on Gov. Schwarzenegger and need to make a few comments (“Is Arnold Serious?” Jan. 15). At some point raising taxes ceases to increase revenue. California has reached this point. By raising taxes on “the rich” we simply encourage them to leave the state, which lowers our tax revenue.

I have just finished reading Raphael J. Sonenshein’s item on Governor Schwarzenegger and need to make a few comments (“Is Arnold Serious?” Jan. 15). At some point raising taxes ceases to increase revenue. California has reached this point. By raising taxes on “the rich” we simply encourage them to leave the state, which lowers our tax revenue.

It is puzzling that Rob Eshman supports Jane Harman rather than Marcy Winograd for the 36th Congressional District Democratic nomination (“Harman v. Winograd,” Jan. 15). Winograd has merely questioned whether a two-state solution is the most effective peace program for the Middle East. She has also stated that she would support negotiations that resulted in Israeli and Palestinian countries behind secure borders, a position consistent with that of most American Jews. A descendant of pogrom and Holocaust survivors, and a longtime synagogue member and Jewish community activist, Winograd’s credentials as part of our people are impeccable. And unlike Harman, who opposes reduced-cost drugs for AIDS and Parkinsons victims, opposes bankruptcy for medical reasons, and strongly supported the invasion of Iraq, Winograd is in the Jewish mainstream. It is Harman who is the outlier in this community, not Winograd.

Having flown out of Ben-Gurion Airport many times in my life, I have seen the basic difference in security between it and other airports (“LAX TLV,” Jan. 8). And it has nothing to do with money or technology. All other airports’ security measures are meant to keep weapons off of planes, while Ben-Gurion attempts to keep terrorists off of planes. That is why Ben-Gurion is successful.

I was sorry to see the discord re: business folks who cheat and our Jewish community responsibility somehow to face the issues raised by cheating behavior ( “Bad Behavior,” Dec.11). Surely Rob Eshman wasn’t encouraging us to rub people’s faces in their deeds, nor to hurt their families, nor to foster gossip among us.

The Journal didn’t have to hire Marty Kaplan. All you had to do is automatically print biweekly columns from your computer with the names Palin (is bad), Limbaugh (is bad), Cheney (is bad), Hannity (is bad). You could save a lot of money that way. Avoid the middleman!