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May 16, 2003/Iyar 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 38
Letters to the EditorMay 16, 2003
Use Torah to define moralityEditor:I was glad to see that in your opinion on Sen. Rick Santorum's statement regarding the Texas sodomy law that you acknowledge that your "opinion runs counter to Jewish tradition." ("Beyond Santorum's society," Jewish News, May 2) It is important to point out that the Torah condemns homosexual activity and not homosexuals. It saddens me to think that we use social norms to determine morality, rather than Torah. What defines and sustains Judaism is Torah. It is our guide and the source of our uniqueness. For 3,000 years our ancestors were subjected to all types of persecution because of their connection to Torah, and they were willing to die by the sword rather than give up one of its precious words. In contrast, we are living with freedoms unknown to practically any Jew since the destruction of the Second Temple, and we are willing to look elsewhere for moral definitions because we consider ourselves more sophisticated. Where has this gotten us? Intermarriage and assimilation are off the charts, and at this rate who knows what the Jewish people will look like 50 years from now? It is my prayer that the Jewish people turn to our Torah for moral perspective and Jewish thought. Rabbi Chaim Silver Young Israel of Phoenix A reminder about life's preciousnessEditor:Vicki Cabot's poignant column, "Life's losses - and gains," (Jewish News, May 9) struck a special note this Mother's Day. In the Omaha Jewish Press this week, the usual Happy Mother's Day column written by Bert Lewis was replaced by the poignant musings of her daughter, Lisa, who is the mother of an autistic child. Lisa notes that for most parents, the joys of having children outweigh the worries of parenthood and pride outweighs concern. This natural order has been upset in her life where her family struggles with the daily heartbreak of living with an autistic child, and hopes for the future are very grim. The cliche of "count your blessings" rings true for those of us who have been blessed with healthy children and who have not had the pain of the recent loss of a loved one. Thank you, Vicki, for reminding us of "life's losses - and gains" and for the mixed blessing of growing older. May you spend less time at funerals and many more hours "dancing at weddings." Mickey Greenberg Scottsdale Cultural Orchestra elevates communityEditor:In just three short months, the work of Congregation Beth El's Cantor Marc Philippe and the volunteers of ARMDI (American Red Magen David for Israel) were able to create a new and exciting organization that both elevated the community and brought it together. The premiere performance of the Judaic Cultural Orchestra of Arizona played to a sold-out audience of more than 800 people at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts on Israel's Independence Day, May 6. Those in attendance were treated to a professional and moving performance by an orchestra of more than 30 musicians, four cantorial soloists and the young voices of soloists from the Phoenix Boys Choir and Girls Chorus. This journey through our Jewish musical culture also helped raise almost $30,000 to be used for medical supplies for Magen David Adom in Israel. We should all be proud of this great accomplishment of supporting the performances of the Judaic Cultural Orchestra, now and in the future. Barbara Zemel and Jay Bycer Paradise Valley
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