Pickling Persian Cucumbers
Tabby Refael’s ode to the Persian cucumber (“The Crispy Wonder of the Persian Cucumber,” Sept. 27) hit that sweet, foodie spot of being informative and mouthwatering at the same time. I’d like to add that Persian cucumbers are fantastic for pickling. Their thin skin and relatively small size absorb the brine more potently than other cucumbers. Their juicy texture and profuse flavor can be enjoyed on their own as a snack or added to a salads and sandwiches. Making Persian pickles is fun and easy. The recipe I use can be found in “The Book of Jewish Food” by Claudia Roden.
Guy Handelman, North Hollywood
Fond Memories of Nibblers Restaurant
I so enjoyed your story and recipe from Nibblers restaurant. It brought back a flood of memories because it was considered a neighborhood gem for many, many years. Nothing fancy but good quality food and a welcoming environment. I still fondly remember the barley mushroom soup and “Western Night,” when all the staff wore gingham bandanas.
Often as I drive down Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills where Nibblers operated for years, I wish that dining option was still available.
Aviva S. Monosson, Los Angeles
Roy Cohn’s Legacy
Two factual misstatements ought not to go unrecognized in the story about a documentary on Roy Cohn. (“Roy Cohn Documentary Reveals the Rise of President Trump,” Sept. 20). The reporter wrote that the film asserts, “(Cohn) … obtained the death penalty for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg despite lack of evidence.” Oh? Read Rosenberg v. U.S. 346 U.S. 273 (1953) and absorb the Supreme Court’s recitation of the evidence. It was overwhelming.
The other observation the reporter depicted from the film is that Cohn “conspired to get (Ronald) Reagan into office …” Oh? Conspired with about 79 million other Americans, known as voters.
Nathaniel J. Friedman, Beverly Hills
Christian Reads Journal
I am a Christian and have been reading the Journal since January 2019. I enjoy the stories that are written by many Orthodox rabbis and your paper’s staff. Some of your stories are deeply meaningful for Christians, as we are all in this together for the peace of Israel.
Shalom!
Gerald Steven Tlapa, Los Angeles
Must-Read Book About Guns in America
An addendum to Larry Greenfield’s column (“Guns: Reason Not Rage,” Sept. 13) should be the “must-read” new book “Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies That Created the Parkland Shooter and Endanger America’s Students,” written by her father, Andrew Pollack, and Max Eden, an education policy analyst. It details a policy handed down from the Obama White House, through Eric Holder’s Justice Department and Victoria Hammer’s Education Department to Florida’s Broward County then to the school district and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
It was an effort to get incorrigible, at-risk youth off of the “school to prison” train, where incidents were ignored by school officials and law enforcement. The shooter, aka “#181…,” had a long history of disciplinary and mental health problems. He even threatened his fellow students that he was going to kill them — several times. Even campus security surmised that if anything evil was going to happen, he’d be the perpetrator.
A similar policy has been instituted in California, recently signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It will hold that unruly, incorrigible students cannot be disciplined by school officials.
Government policy was and is complicit in the murders of the innocent students — not guns.
Enriqué Gascon, Westside Village
Philippines Opened Doors for Jewish Refugees
In 1939, refugees fled fascist regimes in Europe to find no other countries would take them in. In a notable humanitarian act, Manuel L. Quezon, who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935-44, in cooperation with U.S. High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt, facilitated a rescue plan. Herbert Frieder and sons, owners of a cigar and cigarette manufacturing company and family friend of Quezon, raised money to transport the refugees to Manila, provided housing and built schools for their children.
Quezon and McNutt previously proposed 30,000 refugees to settle in Mindanao and 30,000 to 40,000 on Polillo Island. Quezon offered a 10-year loan to the Manila Jewish Refugee Committee a tract of land adjacent to his family’s estate.
During World War II, upon invitation of the U.S. government, Quezon established the Commonwealth government-in-exile with headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he served as a member of the Pacific War Council, signed the Declaration of the United Nations against the Axis powers. He died Aug. 1, 1944 in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
On Nov. 29, 1947, the Philippines became the only Asian nation to cast a crucial vote in the U.N. General Assembly for the partition of Palestine and the creation of the State of Israel.
Willie Florendo Ordonez, Altadena
Holiday Security Measures in the Mideast
All crossings into and out of Gaza, Judea and Samaria were closed beginning at midnight on Sept. 27 until midnight Oct. 2. The purpose of the closure is to thwart Palestinian terrorists who might attack during Rosh Hashanah.
Remember the Passover massacre suicide bombing in 2002 (30 dead and 140 injured) and the Yom Kippur War? In contrast, Muslim residents of Gaza, Judea and Samaria have no reason to fear terror attacks during Ramadan or Eid (though there could be a false flag attack by their own).
The attitudes toward Jewish religious holidays held by some Arab nations compared with the respect for all religions that always has characterized Israel offers an insight into why direct negotiations without preconditions, leading to peace, is not something we can realistically anticipate in the foreseeable future.
Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.
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