LETTERS: December 11- 17, 2009

Anti-Semitic or Not?

My compliments to The Jewish Journal and to Irina Bragin for that devastating movie review of “An Education” (“British Film Gives ‘An Education’ in Anti-Semitism,” Dec. 4).

When I joined the Anti-Defamation League’s Los Angeles staff in 1952, had anyone told me that 57 years later a vicious anti-Jewish movie would have been produced and shown at major movie houses across the nation, I would have thought they had imbibed too much cheap wine.

Why those responsible for this film believed it was necessary to lard this otherwise fine motion picture with gratuitous anti-Semitism that had nothing to do with the main story is beyond my ken. The older I get, the more I learn, the less I understand.

Harvey B. Schechter
Beverly Hills

I have to disagree with Irina Bragin about her review of the movie, “An Education.” She sees the movie as anti-Semitic. While I will not argue that the character Emma Thompson plays is anti-Semitic, I will dispute her arguments that the movie itself is anti-Semitic.

First, I read the original book written by the author Lynn Barber. The Jenny character meets a charmer who happens to be Jewish. The fact is he is a creep, a married creep who seduces a young girl. He is also a thief, a man with little concern for what he does.

I do not think that people who think Roman Polanski should be punished for the rape of a 13-year-old girl are anti-Semitic. The fact is, this movie was based on a true story that happened to a real girl and the guy happened to be a Jew. I might have agreed with Irina Bragin if the character had been made up, but he was not made up; he just happened to be a bad guy who was also a Jew.

Evelyne Reiss
via e-mail

Kaplan Kicks Too

Good old Marty Kaplan is at it again! Somehow a story on teenagers involved in serious acts against other kids (“Lord of the Gingers,” Dec. 4), “Kick a Redhead” or “Kick a Jew” segues into “Kick a Liberal” and focuses on “Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other bully boys making money off of hate speech.” I don’t think Kaplan would ever protest “Kick a Conservative Day,” as he has been an active participant in “Kick Sarah Palin,” “Kick George Bush” and other conservatives and Republicans. Extreme hate on all sides of the political spectrum is abhorrent.

Kaplan continues his diatribe against “the bankers who are getting obscene bonuses funded by the debt their kids will carry.” Amazingly, Kaplan doesn’t seem to have an opinion about the debt caused by the bribes and sweeteners the Democratic Congress and Senate is doling out to those who support their policies — Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) received $300 million for her state for her vote to get the Senate health bill out of committee.

For Kaplan to be taken seriously he should try to be intellectually honest and deal with the facts — something most liberals have a problem with.

Janet Polak
Beverly Hills

Great Read on Kasztner

I was pleased to see Iris Mann’s review of the documentary film “Killing Kasztner” in The Jewish Journal’s Holiday Preview supplement (“Winter Treasures on Screen,” Dec. 4), and I look forward to seeing the film. But the article, and filmmaker Gaylen Ross in the interview, might also have told readers about the recent wonderfully written history, “Kasztner’s Train,” by Anna Porter, which provides a detailed, documented, and fascinating narrative of these events. It’s a great read.

Jerry Rabow
Encino

More Westside Schools to Crow About

In your extensive article about Emerson Middle School (“Healing the World, One School at a Time,” Nov. 27) no mention was made of Warner Avenue Elementary. It too feeds into Emerson, and every year dedicated parents spend much time and energy encouraging attendance there. And every year a certain number — Jews and non-Jews — of sixth graders do go. Please lets add that school to your list of involved communities trying to help public education in the neighborhood.

Diane Weinstein
Sherman Oaks

Rachel Heller’s article perpetuated the very type of misconception, urban myth and exclusionary thinking that community organizers have been trying to address in their work to strengthen public education on the Westside.

While extensive detail was provided about positive changes underway in the community and at Emerson Middle School, negative opinions by one parent about Palms Middle School were left unchallenged. Additionally, the author offered a rather lukewarm view that Palms “is generally seen as a good school.” Palms is a stellar Westside middle school with an extremely high API score. Sixty percent of the student population is identified as gifted; differentiated teaching is practiced in the classroom. The school enjoys both racial and socio-economic diversity. The magnet program has again this academic year been identified by LAUSD as a model of excellence over all other local middle school magnet offerings.

Although we reside within Emerson’s residential boundary, this past September our family matriculated to Palms from Westwood Charter Elementary by choice.

Bennett R. Zuck
Los Angeles

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