Your Letters

“Occupation”

Regarding Morton Klein’s article, “There Is No Occupation” (May 17), Webster’s defines “occupation” as “to take possession of, to inhabit, to fill….”

Obviously Klein is uncomfortable with the word and for good reason. He spends the rest of the article on an attempt to justify just such a nonexistent occupation. Why? Because Klein senses that there is something fundamentally wrong here. Shame on us.

Irwin Grossman, Los Angeles

Sharonism vs. Building a Wall

Ron Unz’s vicious depiction of West Bank and Gaza settlers (“Sharonism vs. Building a Wall,” May 17), would be better suited to a Palestinian propaganda broadsheet than The Jewish Journal. Where, for instance, does he get the idea that nearly a quarter of the West Bank and Gaza inhabitants are gun toting millennialists, determined to bring about Armageddon?

He offers absolutely no backup or sources for arriving at such a preposterous figure or notion. In over a year-and-a-half of research for a book on the West Bank and Gaza, I have failed to discover anything near this kind of extremism. Among the hundreds of inhabitants I have spoken to and met with, there is, rather, a desperate desire to find a path to peace and a return to normalcy.

Unz, however, compounds his mischaracterization by lapsing into banal anti-Semitic stereotypes — nonsensically branding bearded religious Jewish men as the equivalent of Afghanistan’s Taliban. Since when did being religious and wearing a beard label one a fanatic? Not even Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch, two organizations not known for their objectivity when it comes to Israel, have been unable to chronicle more than a handful of isolated incendiary incidents conducted by settlers over the past 10 years.

The entire concept of settlers as some kind of backwoods militia operating extrajudicially is the fevered imaginings of polemicists who have mostly never even met a settler, let alone visited the West Bank or Gaza.

Avi Davis, Westwood

Remember the Comedians

I loved the article on Yiddish actors (“Remembering the Comedians,” May 17), and I was fortunate to see “Catskills on Broadway” last year. Sadly, such humor is almost all but forgotten in today’s impersonal computerized society.

Actually, about all that the West Coast has ever had that remotely resembled “Borscht Belt” humor was Mickey Katz’s annual shows and the long defunct “Billy Gray’s Band Box” on Fairfax Avenue, which offered southlanders such hilarious satires as “My Fairfax Lady,” “The Cohen Mutiny” and “Goldfinkle.”

Eddie Cress, Sylmar

Netanyahu Fundraiser

I want to thank you for your editorial this week (“Checks and Balances,” May 17) which helped clear the air a bit after the Benjamin Netanyahu extravaganza. I was quite distressed that The Federation sponsored him, although his fundraising success cannot be underrated, but your editorial shows that in spite of the close relationship of The Journal with The Federation, this is a free press, and this makes me feel very good. At this time of crisis, checks and balances are badly needed.

Ruth Nussbaum, Los Angeles

 

I found it appalling that The Jewish Federation would have Benjamin Netanyahu as its keynote speaker for its “emergency briefing.” This is a man who believes that Israel can unilaterally bring about a credible and legitimate Palestinian leadership by intervening and “throwing Arafat out.” Indeed, this is a man who thinks Israel can continue to occupy areas in the West Bank and Gaza, and avoid future terror and future degradation of the social and political structure of Israel.

Netanyahu certainly has a right to his emotions and to the opportunity to speak before Jewish groups in the United States. But it diminishes, not enhances, community debate and intelligent community mobilization for an umbrella organization like The Federation to sponsor Netanyahu.

David Perel, Los Angeles

Home for the Aging

I read about the start of the Jewish Home for the Aging (“Caring Never Grows Old,” May 10). I am sure research was conducted, but even so, a most important person was ignored. Ida Mayer Cummings was there at the beginning, and she made that her life’s work. With the cooperation of her brother, Louis B. Mayer, she had a ball every year to which stars and starlets from MGM were ordered to attend.

How do I know this? She was my sister’s next door neighbor and I attended the ball. Bob Hope wrote about her in one of his books. Everybody knew Ida. Her whole family was involved in the project. Her daughter and son-in-law, Mitzi and Sol Fielding, were at the home until they passed away. Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers were involved also, and at one Mother’s Day luncheon, I was pleased to see Mayor Tom Bradley.

So kudos to all the young people who are giving their time and money, but do not forget the one who was there in the beginning.

Louise Slavin, Los Angeles

Ziegler’s Elite Eight

I found it somewhat amusing that in Carin Davis’ article about the Ziegler School ordination (“Ziegler’s Elite Eight,” May 17), the accomplishment of mine that got listed was being included in the count of former bouncers. I usually give my background as a corporate CEO, with a doctorate in business administration higher billing. Even my days in Iran as a technical instructor to the Iranian Air Force usually gets higher billing than my bouncer gig.

Rabbi Barry Leff, Valley Village

Thinking Ahead

In Marlene Adler Marks’ article (“Thinking Ahead,” May 17), she called her attorney a wise man for giving her forms to assist her in planning her future health care decisions. I would like to add that Marks is not only wise, but also courageous for filling out the forms and then encouraging others to do the same.

Most people (90 percent) prefer to die at home. However, 85 percent of people die in hospitals or nursing homes. Doctors are horrible at predicting what their patient’s end-of-life wishes are. I have seen too many people die alone and in pain, and too many times the stress of making these tough medical decisions tore families apart.

Give your survivors the best gift you can. Plan for the distribution of your financial assets. Make your funeral arrangements (otherwise those who are mourning have to do it). Most importantly, talk to your family about these issues. Write your wishes down on an advanced directive form (you don’t need an attorney to do this), and please speak to your doctor about it. It is one of the most important conversations of your life.

Dr. Noachim Marco, Chatsworth

The Jews of Hawaii

Your article regarding the Jewish Community of Hawaii (“Aloha, B’nai Mitzvah,” May 10) had a notable omission. Nowhere was any mention made of the very active Jewish community of Kauai. With an island population of 55,000, we have a membership of close to 300 people. Sadly, there is no synagogue on the island, but the economic realities preclude one. Additionally, we have no rabbi. Rather, the lay members conduct the services under the capable leadership of Sarah Silverman, our president.

Yes, we have bar and bat mitzvahs with excellent training by our own members. We have conducted funerals consistent with Jewish tradition. Wedding ceremonies are also conducted by one of our members licensed by the State of Hawaii.

Anyone coming to Kauai can e-mail Marty Kahn via www.kahngalleries.com to find when our services are being held, when you come to the most lovely island in Hawaii.

Dr. Monroe Richman, Koloa, Hawaii

Rules of War

The ultimate desecration of God’s name is Jewish weakness — both moral and physical; which enables our enemies to say, “Where is their God? Let him be acknowledged among the nations before our eyes by avenging the blood of your servants that has been spilled” (Psalm 79).

Ahavat Yisrael (love of Jews), the highest form of morality, should awaken the reality that in a wartime situation when your aim is to avoid killing civilians you die (“Purity of Weapons,” April 26). Practically all the Israel Defense Forces failures in putting down the uprising stem from orders to avoid — at all costs — the needless killing of noncombatants. Change the rules, win the war and sanctify God’s name.

Max Kessler, Los Angeles

Correction

The photo credit for Kesher Sinai/ Aaron’s Tent screenwriters panel (Circuit, May 17) should have read David Notowitz Productions.