LETTERS: November 20-26, 2009

Who Gets to Decide?

In response to Rabbi Boteach’s passionate rejoinder to the British government’s ruling (“” title=”Five Reasons Vampires Aren’t Jews”>Five Reasons Vampires Aren’t Jews,” Nov. 13) is syllogistic and more than merely silly (I would like to think intentionally so). To say that vampires can’t be Jewish because they abhor blood, don’t proselytize, bask in sunlight and are neither immortal nor imaginary is like protesting that Jews couldn’t have killed Jesus because they didn’t, in fact, kill him. The point is that in the anti-Semitic mind — that which conjured Nosferatu, the blood libel, the Christ-killing canard, and the Holocaust — Jews did possess vampiric qualities, and likely still do. Also, one additional “Jewish” trait the good rabbi missed: the original vampires hailed from Eastern Europe (I know, I know, the first Jews came from Canaan!).

Vincent Brook
Los Angeles

Make Day Schools More Accessible

As usual, Julie Gruenbaum Fax’s article on “” title=”Women Rabbis: Trailblazers & Innovators”>Women Rabbis: Trailblazers & Innovators,” Oct. 16). We are a truly blessed city to be among such a prestigious cohort. Since there is no way you could highlight all of L.A.’s women rabbis, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge those who did not participate in your forum. By no means is this a critique of The Journal or the rabbis you chose. They are brilliant and I am proud to call them colleagues.

Still, in my position at the Ziegler School, I am fortunate to work with, and learn from, many more. Like Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, Associate Dean of ZSRS, who has skillfully and gracefully created a community that thrives in Torah. Her talent at running a top-notch nonprofit (with Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Dean) is paralleled only by the depth of her Torah and skill with a group of students. Or, Reb Mimi Feigelson (our spiritual advisor), the very first woman (worldwide) to receive Orthodox semicha, who teaches rabbinics and hassidut with astounding profundity and passion. Also, Rabbi Gail Labovitz, a scholar of the Talmud, master of the classroom and innovator of groundbreaking new interpretations of rabbinic texts.

Our adjunct faculty is no less talented. Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer (full time at Milken and founder of Ozreinu) has been engaging rabbinical students for years in Torah commentaries and their application to real life. Rabbi Elianna Yolkut (Adat Ari El), teaches halachah and liturgy. I could go on and on … Rabbi Nina Bieber Feinstein, Rabbi Miriyam Glazer, Rabbi Ilana Grinblat, Rabbi Susan Leider, Rabbi Pat Fenton, Rabbi Penina Podwol….

And, I probably forgot many more that could be mentioned. This community is blessed with the world’s greatest and most talented women rabbis — and I love that we celebrate that.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander, Associate Dean
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
American Jewish University
Familian Campus

Suissa’s ‘A Street’ Still Provokes

David Suissa overlooks his “