In the Mail - Letters to the Editor

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     Sept. 11: One year later
     Children of intermarriage
COMMUNITY
     Campus poised to open
SPECIAL: "LIVING IN STYLE"
     Local host for Shabbat dinners
NOSHING
     Food for sukkah dining
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     Would move on Iraq help?
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     No Palestinian gains
OPINION
     Editorial - Welcoming ushpizin
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     Commentary - Sukkot and poverty
     In the Mail - Letters to the Editor
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     KDS marks student, staff growth
TORAH STUDY
     What is a house?

September 20, 2002/Tishri 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 4

Letters to the Editor

September 20, 2002

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Moderate Muslims exist

Editor:
Carl Goldberg's letter to the editor ("Where is the Muslim majority," Jewish News, Sept. 13) takes Dr. Zuhdi Jasser to task for writing that the majority of Muslims in the Valley do not support the views of Marwan Ahmad. He wrote, "But how does Jasser know this?" and "Jasser appears to be waging a very noble but very lonely struggle."

Let me cite examples of moderate Muslims in the Valley:

November 9, 2001: The Jewish News of Greater Phoenix published an article written by Editor Barry Cohen, "Bridge to Understanding, Muslims and Jews foster a grassroots community".
May 25, 2002: The Arizona Republic published an article written by Dennis Wagner, "Muslim-Jewish group in Valley sets example."
Many members of the Children of Abraham, our Muslim-Jewish dialogue group, have been invited guests or called radio talk shows to share their perspectives.

It takes great courage for a moderate Muslim to speak out in the face of not only the caterwauling, but also the very real dangers presented by the radical Islamists. In the Muslim community, there truly is a "silent majority". The reason you don't hear about it is - it's silent.

Bob Rosenberg
Phoenix

Praise for Karsh's Bakery

Editor:
I cannot understand why you continue to publish letters in favor of the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth and praising certain rabbis who are members while refusing to publish articles critical of the Vaad and its stranglehold over the granting of hechsher (kosher certification).

I say again, this newspaper and the entire Orthodox community should be thanking Karsh's Bakery for maintaining kashrut for more than 50 years, and for not publicly criticizing the Vaad.

How could they have had the hechsher before and now lose it when nothing there has changed? Please do not lecture me about the Vaad's public reasons and halachah with which I am thoroughly familiar.

I believe you are treating the Vaad like a sacred cow and have no interest in investigating their tactics. Rabbis are not infallible and I believe they have acted in a manner that appalls members of the community. Certainly their behavior has appalled this committed Jew.

Howard Weinstein
Mesa

A Hanukkah gift basket thank you

Editor:
Thank you for your lovely article ("Hanukkah gift baskets bolster Israel," Jewish News, Sept. 13) concerning our Products of Israel Hanukkah Gift Basket. It captures the essence of the ultimate goal of Action In Support of Israel - to support our beloved Israel. Your article will be of inestimable help in achieving success in this endeavor.

It is important to note that each basket will come in a shipping box, enabling the purchaser to safely ship it to its final recipient.

May we go from strength to strength.

Helen Kriegsfeld
Phoenix

Letters to the editor must be 200 words or less; include the writer's first and last names; city of residence; and a phone number or e-mail address. All letters may be edited by Jewish News for content, style and space allowance.

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