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June 6, 2003/Sivan 6 5763, Vol. 55, No. 41
Letters to the EditorJune 6, 2003
Stand behind a united JerusalemEditor:No government, not even the democratic government of the State of Israel, has any right to give Jewish holy sites to the Palestinians or any other group. I support efforts to bring about peace, but it must be acknowledged that the government of Israel has no mandate to negotiate the misappropriation of Jewish holy land. I respect the right of the Palestinians to have independence, but this independence must not come at the expense of Jerusalem or any other site holy to the Jewish People. I do not want murderers occupying Jerusalem. These people send suicide bombers to kill children, parents and grandparents with absolutely no remorse. If we consider yielding our holy land to this ruthless enemy, we will commit one of the greatest transgressions in history. It is imperative that the Jewish community in this country rises up and stands behind a united Jerusalem. We need to petition the U.S. Congress in support of this cause. We need to call on Prime Minister Sharon and express our concerns. We need to tell the world that the American Jewish community supports a united Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. Jarred F. Elias Scottsdale Those who contribute also inspireEditor:I am writing in reference to the very informative feature article by RaeAnne Marsh ("Research delves into roots of autism," Jewish News, May 23), and commend you for highlighting this growing epidemic. As an eye doctor, I have many autistic patients, and it is indeed true that "it impacts the entire family." Thank goodness there are people in our community like Denise Resnick (founder of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center). I have had the pleasure of knowing her since college and always knew she would have an impact in our world. Anyone who knows Denise is aware of her capabilities, her determination and her passion. Although she didn't "choose" to be touched by autism, she made a decision to confront this growing dilemma and to enhance options for affected families. There are also wonderful people like Jonah Shacknai, SARRC board member, who demonstrate that one does not need to be personally affected by diseases like autism to be called to action. These people can be an inspiration for all of us, and they and their efforts deserve our support. Stephen Cohen Scottsdale More work needed to protect womenEditor:Thank you for the article titled "Enforcing divorce" (Jewish News, May 16), which informed readers of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council's decision to take action against men who refuse to give their wife a get (Jewish divorce) and the plight of women who cannot obtain a get. Jewish Women's Endowment Funds around the country have placed this issue at the forefront of their work and thanks, in part, to their advocacy and collective voice, the issue is surfacing in the community. The Jewish Women's Endowment Fund (JWEF) of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix recently funded a premarital education program in Israel (Mavoi Satum) to educate women about the issues of domestic violence, healthy relationships and the use of prenuptial agreements as a means of preventing a woman from becoming an agunah (abandoned). Programs such as this strive to ameliorate the plight of the agunah. The JWEF strives to bring about social change for women, and funding this type of program is just one such means. There is so much work yet to be done, but with additional contributions to the JWEF, we can continue to improve the lives of Jewish women and girls and serve as a catalyst for change. Sheryl Quen Director of Grants and Programs Jewish Community Foundation
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