Israel, laptops, survivors, Kanefsky

Israel in Focus

My friends who read the article by Brad A. Greenberg in your Nov. 16 edition thought that I had undergone a conversion of sorts after the morning session because the quotation attributed to me was inaccurate (“Conference Puts ‘Focus’ on Peace Prospects, Jerusalem“). What I said at the lunch table was that I do not believe that any part of Jerusalem should be ceded to the Palestinians. The anger directed at Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky should be directed at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The PM has floated the possibility of surrendering parts of Jerusalem. The Orthodox who disagree with Rabbi Kanefsky should lobby the Orthodox members of Olmert’s government to resign.

I also believe that the anger directed at Secretary of State [Condoleezza] Rice for convening the Annapolis conference is misdirected. She has a boss, doesn’t she? As one who voted for George Bush and believes that he has been a great friend of Israel, I am disappointed with his tacit approval of a conference doomed for failure and which might insight another intifada.

Michael Ungar
Rancho Palos Verdes

Brad Greenberg Responds:

I quote Mr. Unger saying: "I don't understand why the rabbi is getting so much heat when Olmert himself would give away half of Jerusalem and 98 percent of the West Bank." This does not imply that he agrees with Olmert, Rabbi Kanefsky or anyone else. I'm sorry if his statement was misinterpreted, but the quote was accurate.

One Laptop Per Child

Congratulations to Rabbi David Wolpe and Rob Eshman for endorsing OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) a real, practical way towards tikkun olam in Africa (and elsewhere) (“Have Laptop, Will Prosper,” Nov. 23). OLPC brings education directly to children in the classroom, a much more efficient way to combat poverty and ignorance than sending zillions to corrupt governments (where the money is stolen by officials of all ranks) or supporting “businesses” in poor nations (where the money is used to provide high salaries to CEOs and other “machers”). For more information on OLPC, read Laptop magazine’s (laptopmag.com.) articles by Joanna Stern and others.

Also, the Talmud refers to Jews as “rachmanim bnei rachmanim” (compassionate people, children of compassionate people), not “rachamim bnei rachamim” (“compassion, children of compassion”).

Arthur P. Stern
Beverly Hills

Survivor Mitzvah Project

I was very moved by the recent cover article about The Survivor Mitzvah Project (“Touched by Angels,” Nov. 23).

The fact that there are thousands of elderly Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe who are without food and medicines is something that we as Los Angeles Jews cannot allow to continue. With our security, comfort and privilege, it is our obligation to help these people who are suffering in their final years and see to it that they receive all of the necessities of life and the comforts we can so easily provide.

Therefore I challenge your readership to visit www.survivormitzvah.org and each one of your 150,000 readers donates at least $20. Every one of us living today in Los Angeles can surely afford $20, most of us more, and with everyone donating we can raise $3 million. According to your article this will make sure that no elderly Eastern European Jewish man or woman, Holocaust survivors all, will ever be hungry and neglected again.

Grant Arthur Gochin
Chatsworth

Divided Jerusalem

I gladly write this as a response to the great article “An Orthodox Rabbi’s Plea: Consider a Divided Jerusalem” by Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky (Oct. 26).

I definitely think that, as the article conveys, better to bend than to break.

Yes, this is a very emotional issue, which often produces very violent outcomes, which sometime seem to push hope further and further away. This seems obvious. Yet, if a solution is what is wanted at the end of the day, then cooperation, not competition most comes to the forefront, thus lessening some of the harmful emotional overflow often instilled generation after generation.

Yes, I would say that some level of tolerance is important, but I don’t really like that word too much because it seems to suggest that a success here would be if we “tolerate” each other. Perhaps we can do a little more than that. I think that often anger, valid anger, runs deep, very deep. But, perhaps a bit of blossoming confidence and cooperative action for a peaceful tomorrow for our children can help to counter some of this negative energy, making for a constructive, not destructive outcome. What a model to the world this could be for promoting human coexistence! We could begin right now. In fact, maybe we already have….

Kevin Suscavage
Los Angeles

Cultural Museum

Although I always love David Suissa’s columns, and I find them right on the mark, his idea about the cultural museum just missed the target, for me, by suggesting a passive activity (“Changing the Playing Field,” Nov. 23). I propose a living, breathing celebration of culture. Instead of Jews from all backgrounds coming to marvel at our cultural achievements, we might be better served by getting together to fashion our own, therefore, blending with each other in positive, nonconfrontational ways.

For example, I have been privileged to meet with women from the entire spectrum of Jewish practice (and nonpractice) while we create a wonderful musical theater production. The Jewish Women’s Repertory Company gives Jewish women of all backgrounds and ages a chance to sing, dance, perform and have fun together.

Because I live in the ‘hood (Pico-Robertson, of course) and spend a lot of my time with other observant folks from my chevre, I would never have otherwise had the opportunity to meet such great women. We don’t discuss politics, philosophy, theology or any other “hot button” issues. We just enjoy creating together. And I think David Suissa might really appreciate that!

Batsheva Frankel
Los Angeles

One Community, Many Voices

The sponsors of the ad state that they are “well acquainted with Arab East Jerusalem, whose (sic) population, culture, and political sentiments are decidedly Palestinian” (Page 27, Nov. 16). What do these people mean by the term “Arab East Jerusalem?” For the international community and the “Palestinians” of whom the sponsors are so solicitous, “Arab East Jerusalem” includes the Temple Mount, the Kotel, the Jewish Quarter, etc. The only reason that East Jerusalem became “Arab East Jerusalem” is that the Jews who constituted a majority of the city’s residents were expelled from the areas captured by the Arabs. And, now, in what is a symptom of the pathology of our time, some people who claim devotion to Israel treat the status quo established by that injustice as sacrosanct and seek to restore it. And, why is it that any decent person would choose to vindicate the 1948 Jordanian conquest of East Jerusalem and the expulsion of its Jewish residents? The answer, of course, is that no decent person would do that.