Letters

Re: Joel Kotkin’s piece on AJ Congress and the sweatshopCommission (“A Stitch in Time May Save Jobs,” Nov. 7):

While I believe there is a role for Jewish activism on workingconditions in the garment industry, I have voiced privately myconcern that the make up of the AJ Congress commission was not asbroad as it should be. I remain confident, however, that AJ Congresshas an open mind on the issue.

David Abel

Los Angeles

Aish HaTorah

I know a very large number of people who have become morereligious at Aish HaTorah and at other shuls across Los Angeles. Notone has “disowned” their family as printed in a letter (“DinnerGuests,” Nov. 28). In fact, it would go directly against Jewish lawto do so. Honoring your parents is in the “top-10” of Jewish mitzvot!

Aish HaTorah does consider all Jews born of a Jewish mother to beJewish, whether Reform, Conservative, or whatever.

Aish is interested in helping Jews find their way back to livingJewishly, and this kind of life possibly involves changes inlifestyle — a much smaller change than most imagine, and a rewardingchange — but still this threatens people.

Aish is filled with warm, patient, humble, caring, thoughtful,knowledgeable, and yes, Jewishly observant, people. No one at Aishever tells me there are quick, easy, answers to life’s difficulties.I do not feel coerced or forced in any way. It is always and hasalways been my choice to be involved. And I love learning aboutJudaism and being a Jew.

Why are Jews scared? I believe the answer is that they are scaredof change, of admitting that the spiritual richness of Jewish lifefor most in Los Angeles is lacking. To even consider change isdifficult and painful because it forces an admission of living a lifethat was off track and requires a lot of work.

Why are people aiming the resentment and anger toward AishHaTorah? Because many other observant organizations keep tothemselves and do not reach out to unaffiliated or uninterested Jews,so these groups are less threatening.

I know that my road toward Jewish observance has been slow,stuttering, and difficult. Many small and hesitant steps have led meto where I am now. I have a long way to go before knowing where Istand on many issues in Jewish life, but people at Aish areconstantly working to improve, to grow, to understand themselves, tobe more compassionate toward others.

I have learned a great deal from them. I can only wish that I cancontinue to grow.

David Notowitz

Los Angeles

Madonna and Judaism

Boy, I’ve really got to hand it to that Yosef Abramowitz. Hispassionate open letter to Madonna, offering her membership in thetribe, made me realize how little I really know about Judaism(“Madonna, Motherhood and Judaism,” Nov. 21). After all, until I readhis article, I had no idea how openly my religion embraces eroticism,greed and exhibitionism. I was also finally made to appreciate howsingle motherhood and, naturally, spurning a child’s father when heoutlives his usefulness, can be elevated as a fitting ideal to ouryoung women.

Of course Madonna would make a wonderful Jew. Besides slatheringJudaism with a salaciousness it has been sorely seeking all thesecenturies, think of all the new converts who would flood our ranks,aping the Material Girl’s consistently ethical example of moralcourage and deep sensitivity.

Although the name is a bit of a problem (easily abbreviated toMadiele), and we might have to ask her to dispense with the gaudycrosses, why not also bestow upon her the vacant office of HighPriest? From this perch, she might legislate all kinds of much neededchanges in Jewish law and tradition — doing away with those peskylaws of repentance and arbitrary rules about fidelity.

And think of the commercial possibilities! A Madonna guide tohalachah, or Madonna’s “Handbook of Family Purity” or Madonna’s “12Steps for the Perplexed” (no doubt an anodyne replacement for theoutdated version by Maimonides). It would be a religious revolution!

As the co-author of “Jewish Family and Life: Traditions, Holidaysand Values for Today’s Parents and Children,” Yosef probably knowsbetter than anyone that it is only by integrating the examples of theMadonnas of this world into our culture, that we can hope totransform Judaism into a true religion of the people.

Judah the Maccabee would have been proud of you.

Avi Davis

Westwood

*

So Abramowitz claims Madonna has credentials that “pre-qualify”her for entrance to Judaism. Great, let’s get her on the “fasttrack.”

As a Catholic, the only condition I wish is that she can’t comeback, regardless of the reasons. With or without receipt!

By the way, we also have a fine little bald-headed Irish lass hemay want to look at. She comes with guitar and attitude. Again — noreturns.

Jerry Pupa

Los Angeles

Poland and Jews

Thank you for publishing the conclusions and forthright commentsof Jane ten Brink, curator of the Museum of Tolerance, regardingPoland and the Jewish people (“Lost World,” Nov. 14). I too agreethat “Polish tolerance and goodwill toward Jews has been historicallyoverlooked.” I applaud ten Brink for having the insight and wisdom tomake the comments quoted in The Jewish Journal.

I was born to Polish Catholic parents and raised in a largelyPolish community. I never heard the anti-Semitic sentiments that thePolish people are often accused of eliciting. I converted to Judaism18 years ago after studying at the University of Judaism, and italways brings me great pain when I hear how some Jewish people feelabout the Polish people.

One of my uncles was shot in the head, and his farm burnt to theground, by the Nazis simply because he was accused of beingsympathetic to the Jewish people. No Jews were found in his houseduring the spontaneous raid on his home. But that did not matter tothe German soldiers. They suspected him, they convicted him, and theyexecuted him –all in one afternoon. His family — a wife and one son– received no compensation, no medals from Yad Vashem and nomemorials.

My uncle’s only “crime” was being friendly with his Jewishneighbors. Almost 5,000 rescuers from Poland have been honored at YadVashem — more than any other country. How many more were there likemy uncle who will never be honored? Instead, because they werePolish, they were stereotyped and accused of being anti-Semitic.

I applaud ten Brink. Her comments have elevated the Polish-Jewishrelationship a complete step upwards. Let’s close the door onprejudicial and stereotypical thinking and open the door to dialogueand reconciliation.

Terese Pencak Schwartz

Encino

Who Has a Direct Line?

I have some questions for letter writer William M. Bender (“IsraelConversion,” Nov. 21).

Bender states in his letter that “shtetl Judaism” haslasted for over 4,000 years. Four thousand years ago, the Jews werehardly living in shtetls! Has he read the account of King Solomon,for one? (OK, that was only 3,000 years ago…).

Many of my fellow Jews think that if their grandparents orgreat-grandparents did something a certain way, it must be how it’salways been! Everywhere! We Jews seem to love ourblinders as much as we love our heritage!

It isn’t just who’s Orthodox, Conservative, Reform,Reconstructionist, or whatever; it’s my way is better thanyour way, based upon what my great-grandfather did.(Your ancestors and old country inserted here.)

Certainly, the Orthodox would like the rest of us to do as theydo, but what’s new about that? One of the problems with orthodoxy is:Who’s orthodoxy? Ashkenazic and Sephardic differ. Yemenite, Moroccan,Portuguese, Algerian Jews, etc., all do some things differently, sowho’s really got that direct line to Hashem?

I wonder if Bender knows that in their early days, Chassidim wereconsidered heretics by the established community.

Kate Palmer

Santa Monica

Visit the Library

Jewish Book Month is upon us and, as the senior librarian of thechildren’s literature department of the Los Angeles Public Library, Iwould like to extend a warm invitation to visit this extraordinaryresource center.

The Central Library is here for everyone. It is my goal that everychild in the city comes to visit what is truly a spectaculareducational center that will be here to help them throughout theirlives.

As parents, we are all concerned about our children’s education.We spend hundreds of dollars in hopes of making our kids smarter,more creative, better thinkers. We drive thousands of miles, in allkinds of weather, at all different times of the day in order to givethem “enrichment.” We fret over the quality of schools, grades andteachers.

Our Central Library is a blessing. It is cheap: books are free toborrow. The children’s literature department puts on puppet shows andstorytelling every Saturday at 2 p.m. in our KLOS Story Theater.Professional storytellers, musicians, dramatists, dancers andmagicians perform in the Mark Taper Auditorium, on the first floor ofthe library once a month. There is no admission fee for any of ourprograms.

Downtown is not far on the weekends. It takes me 20 minutes to gethere on the freeway from the Valley. Once downtown, there is parkingunder the building. Validated parking is $1 on the weekends if youhave a library card.

So to all my friends in the Jewish community, I just want toencourage you to come down and bring your children. I want you toknow you have a friend that will be happy to help you in any waypossible. Be sure you ask for me when you come by because serving ourwonderful citizens is my greatest joy.

The Central Library is open seven days a week: 10-5:30 pm Monday,Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-8 pm;Sundays 1-5.

Ilene Abramson

Los Angeles Public Library

Seeking Relatives

I am writing on behalf of a new Russian immigrant who is trying tolocate her long-lost relatives. Jane Tipograf (nee Gorbunov) isseeking members of the Karacik family from Orenburg, Russia. Jane’sgrandfather, Ruvim Karacik, lived in St. Petersburg and died inVitebsk. His wife was Zlata Ugorchik. They had seven children: Faiga,Liese, Arkady, Michael, Pessa, David and Rosa.

One of Ruvim’s siblings came to the U.S. around 1919. Thisrelative visited Ruvim in St. Petersburg after the Russianrevolution. After the Holocaust, the members of the American branchof the family wrote to St. Petersburg and were mistakenly informed bya former neighbor that all the family had perished.

If you have any information, please contact me at the addressbelow. Thank you!

Carole G. Vogel

11 Volunteer Way

Lexington, Mass. 02173

Correction

In Vernon L. Rusheen’s letter (“Never Forget,” Nov. 21), the word”initiation” was reprinted as “mitigation”. We regret the error.

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