September 3, 2004/Elul 17 5763, Vol. 55, No. 50
Letters to the EditorSpetember 3, 2004
Actions speak louder than wordsEditor:In a recent letter to the editor (Jewish News, Aug. 6), Irving Shuman, an outspoken and staunch supporter of Israel, wrote about a vote taken by our Arizona congressional representatives in Washington regarding the condemnation of Israel by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, for erecting a fence to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks. The congressmen who voted against a resolution criticizing the decision by The Hague Court included Raul Grijalva and Ed Pastor. Both are both Democrats. Those congressmen who voted to criticize the court's decision included J.D. Hayworth, Rick Renzi, Jim Kolbe, John Shadegg and Jeff Flake - all Republicans. In his letter, Shuman expressed "disappointment" at this congressional vote. Disappointment? How about outrage? Israel, like any other nation, has an absolute moral obligation to protect its citizens from terrorists. To me, this is a no-brainer. If you care about Israel and its survival as a free, independent democracy, please remember this vote when you go to the polls in November. Talk is cheap. It's action that counts. Leo Biglaiser Phoenix Unreasonable demandsEditor:The article reporting on the hunger strike by Arab prisoners "for better conditions" ("Prisoners crave freedom," Jewish News, Aug. 20) should be in your April Fool's Day issue. The prisoners' demands would make any self-respecting staff of a correctional institution choke. I can only imagine what our own Sheriff Joe must be thinking. According to other news reports, the prisoners are not calling for better food or better medical care. Their demands appear designed to ease their ability to escape, plan more murders and mayhem of Israelis, not to mention endangering prison staff. For example, prisoners are demanding that they be allowed to wear plain clothes during visits; that they each have access to phones and computers; that they get air conditioning, refrigerators and toasters in their cells and comfortable seats on prison buses. They seem to forget they are in prison, not at the local country club. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Jewish News should use accurate terminology. Joan Zuckerman Scottsdale More tzedakah would mean more servicesEditor:Rabbi Barton Lee's letter to the editor ("We can reduce drop-out rate," Jewish News, Aug. 27) struck a nerve. I was saddened to see the worthwhile Macabee Clubs for Jewish students at several Valley high school campuses discontinued due to cuts in funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. With less than 10 percent of the Phoenix-area Jewish population supporting the federation's annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, it's not surprising that the funds just aren't available. The campaign is like a community tzedakah box, with support going to 11 local agencies, including the Hillel Jewish Student Center. If every financially able Jewish adult contributed, imagine the programs and social services that could be provided within our local Jewish community, in Israel and around the world. As we prepare ourselves for the New Year, may we all pledge to make a difference by contributing to our community tzedakah box. Go to www.jewishphoenix.org or call 480-634-4900. Randi Sherman, Chairwoman Campaign for Jewish Needs Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Scottsdale Small-town Wisconsin JewsEditor:What do Harry Houdini, Edna Ferber, Jackie Mason, Eppie Lederer (aka Ann Landers), Pauline Phillips (aka Abigail Van Buren) and Ben Hecht have in common? All lived in small Wisconsin Jewish communities - illusionist Houdini and writer Ferber in Appleton, comedian Mason in Sheboygan, columnists and sisters Lederer and Phillips in Eau Claire, and playwright Hecht in Kenosha. They and thousands of other Jews lived in more than 200 Wisconsin villages, towns and cities beginning in the 1840s, the Wisconsin Small Jewish Communities History Project has discovered. The project, a program of the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning, continues to seek information about small-town Wisconsin Jewry. Of course, not every Wisconsin Jew has remained in the Badger State. Thus, in this 350th-anniversary year of Jewish settlement in North America, the history project is going national in the quest for information about the following subjects:
Andrew Muchin, Project Director Wisconsin Small Jewish Communities History Project Milwaukee Historical insignificanceEditor:The recent editorial in the Jewish News (Aug. 13) commenting on former Ambassador Dennis Ross's book on the Middle East was a gross disappointment. For years, both as an ambassador and as a private citizen, Ross was an enthusiastic apologist for Yasser Arafat. Now he is taking the position that President George W. Bush is at fault for not moving the peace process forward. Ross has a ton of chutzpah to make that claim. To begin with, Bush is the first American president to recognize that Arafat is a deadly terrorist who will never be a legitimate peace partner. Secondly, almost all the experts on the Middle East, including the leaders of AIPAC and the State of Israel, recognize that Bush has been one of the strongest supporters of Israel among presidents over the last 40 years. As further evidence, why else would Arafat publicly voice his strong support for John Kerry in our November election? As to quoting The New York Times Book Review that Ross's book is a "work of historical significance," a more pertinent description would be that his book is a work of historical insignificance. Being opposed to Bush on whatever political grounds we choose is fair game in our two party system, but attacking the president on the subject of Israel, using Ross as a surrogate, is not only unfair but totally inaccurate. David R. Frazer Phoenix Setting the record straightEditor:The article about the candidates for Maricopa County attorney ("Eight push law, order," Jewish News, Aug. 20), fails to present a complete picture of my brother Don Harris' candidacy. He has served without pay as Paradise Valley magistrate and as Maricopa County Superior Court judge pro tem. Don was responsible for the indictment of Ned Warren, the biggest land fraud criminal in Arizona history. As a deputy county attorney, Don successfully prosecuted death penalty cases, rape cases and major drug crimes. The quote attributed to Don in your newspaper is truncated and taken out of context. Even The Arizona Republic has gotten it right in reporting on Don's plans for taking over the county attorney's office in 2005. Don doesn't need his brother to fight his battles, but his brother wants a level fighting field for Don, and it is a shame that our Jewish community paper can't seem to get that right. Irwin Harris Phoenix
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