Expanding the Museum of Tolerance, Obama, Goldberg, CAMERA, Suissa

Bloods, Crips and the Rabbi

Letters commenting on your recent article about Rabbi Abe Cooper unfortunately conveyed some serious errors of fact concerning the proposed expansion of the Museum of Tolerance (Letters, Feb. 1).

The Museum is proposing a modest expansion to accomplish its mission of providing exhibits and professional training in how to recognize, confront and deal with cultural prejudice. In addition, the Museum is proposing to expand its facilities to accommodate its cultural and educational mission.

It is the height of hypocrisy for some neighbors to characterize the Museum’s proposal as anything but a needed reconfiguration of space to accommodate the growing need for education in cultural tolerance. These people may have legitimate issues with the Museum’s operating practices, and they should try to work out reasonable solutions, but the nasty attack on the rabbis and the institution is, frankly, intolerable.

As a nearby neighbor, I support the Museum’s expansion plan, and I want you to know that many others do as well.

Isabelle Novak
Los Angeles

Down Syndrome

Thank you for the sensitivities of inclusion and your positive reporting on the raising of children with Down syndrome in the Feb. 8 edition of the Jewish Journal (“Film Shows Down Syndrome No Obstacle to Prayer”).

However, if the readers are to gain insight and an education from exposure to this and other articles, the facts must be correct.

The reference in the article to a gene causing Down syndrome, with a predisposition in Ashkenazic Jewish families, does not seem to have any merit in published research. The research does indicate that the presence of an extra gene on that extra 21st chromosome causes the mental incapacities in Down syndrome.

Kathy Reynolds
Science Teacher
Heschel Day School
Northridge

Thanks to The Jewish Journal for publishing the stories of two extraordinary Jewish young people and their families who live with the burden of Down syndrome, but do so with Judaism as their guiding light (“The Journey to Inclusion,” Feb. 8).

Your readers should know that another extraordinary young man with Down syndrome, Wesley Baer of Torrance, was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah in June 2007 with the guidance of Chabad Palos Verdes Rabbi Yitzchok Magalnic.
The clear message is that young people like Wesley, Michael and Shmuel may have limitations, but determination is not one of them.

Dan Freedland
Rolling Hills Estates

Immigration

Like all the other advocates of exploiting poor workers, Rob Eshman attempts to advance his cause by using the term “anti-immigrant” instead of “anti-illegal immigrant”: he disputes Pat Buchanan’s claim that they make up 30 percent of the prison population stating that it is only 6 percent or 7 percent, but fails to cite his source (“Immigration: Time to Share the Heavy Lifting,” Feb. 1).

Eshman wants Mexico to stop people from crossing the border, give them benefits (so they won’t leave) when, in fact, Mexico gives them maps to help them find their way over the border and when, in fact, Mexico has made it clear it wants to export their poor to relieve their burden. Hocus-pocus!

Morton Sinclair Wright
Marina del Rey

Ed. Note: The source for Eshman’s statistics is “The Immigration Charade” by Christopher Jencks, Jencks cites the U.S. Bureau of Justice as his source.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) took the lead fighting for comprehensive immigration reform during last year’s rancorous debate in Congress.

Not enough voices cried out for comprehensive immigration reform and there is little reason for optimism during the 2008 election year. However, American Jewish Committee (AJCommittee) joined with us to make its voice heard and continues to stand with immigrants and their families. At a recent CHIRLA rally, AJCommittee Los Angeles Executive Director Seth Brysk rallied with students and civic leaders in support of the DREAM Act — a bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for undocumented students who pursue higher education or serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. Although a bipartisan majority of senators supported it, the bill did not pass.

We need more organizations like AJCommittee creating partnerships across ethnic and religious divides to work for what is fundamentally good for the United States — a comprehensive immigration policy.

Angelica Salas
Executive Director
CHIRLA

Presidential Primary

Brad Greenberg’s article was way off track about Jewish support in California and elsewhere for Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (“Presidential Primary ’08,” Feb. 1).

Huckabee, who has visited Israel nine times, has inspired young Jews to support his candidacy. Proudly, our grandson is the on-campus representative for the governor at UCSD. He has studied his campaign very closely, and he knows that other support comes from Jason Dedrick, a New Hampshire State Representative, and several members of the Jewish Task Force.

Greenberg, look before you leap!

Gerry Minas
Westlake Village

I am shocked and dismayed by the number of Jews supporting Obama’s candidacy, given the fact that his pastor has praised Louis Farrakhan as “a man of greatness.”

Barack Obama can join any church in the Chicago area, yet he chooses to attend one led by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., a Farrakhan fan.

Muriel Potter
Sherman Oaks

CAMERA

With all due respect, I have to disagree with your position regarding CAMERA (“Butt Out,” Jan. 25).

Faced with an aggressive Islamofascist PR machine that infiltrates mainstream media like the L.A. Times and sends all sorts of agents to attack Israel and Jews verbally — while supporting the terrorists who attack physically — we urgently need watchdog forces like CAMERA to expose the slander being slung against us.

Rabbi Baruch Cohon
Via e-mail

I read with interest your exchange with Andrea Levin re: CAMERA and the upcoming Sabeel conference at All Saints Church (“