Letters to the Editor

Rob Eshman recently scolded local Jewish leaders for not publicly rebuking a Los Angeles philanthropist who pled guilty to rewarding a public servant for official misconduct. He says he “understands” why no leader of the institutions to which the philanthropist donated money has thus far gone on record castigating him, implying said leaders do not want to jeopardize the financial gain their institutions have made as a result of this man’s generosity. I am one of those leaders and Mr. Eshman’s implication is not only insulting but utterly wrong. I have remained silent because it is the Jewish and decent thing to do.

My compliments to The Jewish Journal and to Irina Bragin for that devastating movie review of “An Education”

Rachel Heller’s recent article, (“Healing the World, One School at a Time,” Nov. 27) concluded with the thought that “If everyone went to public school, it would be everything we want it to be.” This idea is naïve and mistaken. A sudden addition of 20,000 Jewish students to the already overburdened public school system would force it to collapse. If even half of the students in private schools were to transfer to public schools in one year, the number of resources and facilities needed would require parents and taxpayers to pay more than day school tuition to “catch up” with the needs of these new students.

In Rob Eshman’s homage to Amos Oz (“The Prophet,” Nov. 20), he wrote:

In response to Rabbi Boteach’s passionate rejoinder to the British government’s ruling (“British Court Dares to Claim Who Is a Jew,” Nov. 13), an examination of the facts is in order. First of all, the Jews’ Free School is a public school. Secondly, it is prejudicial to base admission on ethnic heritage and, I would imagine Jews would be up in arms if another publicly funded school, say Oxford, excluded a Jewish student simply because a parent was Jewish.

Unity Offers Hope\n\nThe Unity trip of 18 Los Angeles Rabbis to Israel (“The Unity Trip,” Nov. 6) gives me a glimmer of hope that Jewish mutual tolerance will grow to such an extent that the Ayalim (new Zionists) and the lion cubs of Judea (new Zionists) will coexist with the benign approval of the veteran post-Zionist and liberal elites on both sides of the Atlantic. There will not be mutual banal criticism.

David Suissa thinks that what is needed now \”more than anything today is not a J Street but an A Street,\” \”an Arab organization that would…rally peace-seeking Arab moderates to the cause of peaceful coexistence with a Jewish state.\” (November 5, 2009, We Need ‘A Street,’ Not J Street)

I am troubled by Rabbi Isaac Jeret’s “Key to Peace” d’var Torah in the Oct. 30 Journal.

Much as we are continually informed and taught by our Torah, its blessings and its commandments, I am reluctant to base international political decisions on biblical promises — be they Hebrew or Christian — or anyone else’s scriptural promises for that matter. That the land of Israel has been (continuously) inhabited by Jews does not negate the fact that it has also been (continuously) inhabited by others. “An honest accounting of history” often rests in the eyes of the beholder, and in the end what stands out in my mind is that the current relationship between Israel and her neighbors is not working well for them, nor for the rest of the world.

According to Professor Marty Kaplan, infotainment programs like “Showbiz Tonight” and “Jon & Kate Plus 8” are “dangerous” to democracy (“Balloon Dad to Pose for Playgirl,” Oct. 23)! So dangerous that anonymous villains, including lobbyists (who?), Wall Street firms (which ones?) and Big Pharma (whatever that is) cynically rely on them to distract hapless, stupid Americans. After all, “average” people have short attention spans and become confused when given too many choices. In other words, they’re uninformed tools addicted to trash TV.

Three cheers to Jon Voight (Letters, Oct. 16) for his reflections on the demonizing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by Marty Kaplan (“I Want to Know What Happens Next,” Sep. 25). Voight has always been one of the most moral and decent people coming out of Hollywood. He has volunteered his time and efforts on behalf of causes beneficial to Jews and others for years, especially the time he graciously volunteers to Chabad. Kaplan should look into his own leftist nest to find people who actually despise Israel; it wouldn’t take him that long. You will find that many Republicans, such as Sarah Palin and former President Bush, are some of the best friends that Israel will ever have.