November 12, 2004/Cheshvan 28 5765, Vol. 57, No. 11
Letters to the EditorNovember 12, 2004
Jews and the American governmentEditor:As a Republican, I was heartened by the re-election of George Bush, as well as the extension of GOP majorities in the House and Senate. I was also pleased to know that the Jewish vote for the president increased over the 2000 campaign, albeit only slightly. What remains quite puzzling is this: Since most Democrats are quick to invoke the "separation of church and state" principle in most political circumstances, what is the reason that most Jews - 78 percent according to a recent poll - affiliate with the American Democratic Party? Jews, like other groups of Americans, are otherwise diverse in regard to occupations, religiosity, incomes, and tastes. Why, therefore, don't Jews freely choose between the two parties on an individual basis? After all, the approximately 90 percent of Americans are nominally Christian are more or less equally divided into political affiliations. Perhaps while the American government does not discriminate politically among the practitioners of various religions, members of the Jewish religion discriminate, themselves, in respect to the American government. Go figure. Howard Reuben Phoenix Tarry a bit longerEditor:Rabbi Laibel Blotner ("Reflections on the Red Sox," Jewish News, Nov. 5) uses wit and humor to teach important lessons. Writing of the success of the Boston Red Sox, he points out the value of perseverance in the face of adversity. He might also have pointed out that Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, the critical game that turned the series around, was a five-hour-and-two-minute struggle that began Oct. 17 and ended after midnight on Oct. 18. The game ended with 18 - chai, life - for the Red Sox, and they went on to win the World Series. Rabbi Blotner observes that, with the Red Sox World Series triumph after 86 years of waiting, we are left only to wait for the Moshiach. In doing so, he effectively dismisses us Chicago Cubs fans who have now waited for 96 years since our last World Series victory. Could the Moshiach tarry a bit longer so that we too may enjoy the pride and satisfaction that the rabbi has experienced? Sherman Minkoff Scottsdale Mourning in AmericaEditor:I am in mourning - for our democracy, for the America we learned about in school (you know, the one with checks and balances) and for the entire world community. If and when I go abroad, I will be sure to wear a "Don't blame me. I voted for Kerry" button. Surely non-Americans realize there are more than 50 million of us who tried to stop this madness. I wonder what President George W. Bush and his supporters will do when the Iraqis vote - as observers say they will - to install an Islamic cleric to head their new "democracy." Our president should understand the Iraqis' impulse, since America is now a fundamentalist Christian state and he himself celebrates their lack of educated secular thought. If you publish my letter and I become a "disappeared one," you may need to write to me in care of Guantanamo. Sheri Sinykin Sun Lakes Jerusalem should be sovereign, like Vatican Editor: Even if every other issue between Israel and the Palestinians can be resolved, Jerusalem remains a major hurdle. Should there be a divided city as proposed in 2000 at Camp David or a single, internationalized single city as proposed by the United Nations in 1947? In either case, Jerusalem, or some part thereof, would serve as capital for both governments. Given Jerusalem's status as a sacred icon for Jews, Muslims, and Christians, it could be argued that Jerusalem should belong to no one. Jerusalem should enjoy a special status on the level of the Vatican and become a sovereign, neutral, self-contained city-state, governed by civil institution led by a triumvirate of religious scholars who are chosen by international scholarly conclaves within each religious community. Why religious scholars? Because true scholars understand the common ground of the faiths far better than the faithful and, I dare say, many of the street clerics. They would be dedicated guardians of Jerusalem's historical and cultural treasures. Israel and the Palestinian people would have embassies in Jerusalem, but their national capitals would remain elsewhere. From a financial standpoint, portions of the city-state's peacetime tourism boom could be assigned to both governments. I'm sure that along the way someone smarter than I has made this proposal before, but I have never seen it discussed in a public forum. It is time it was. KB Shaw Chandler Federation needs commitmentEditor:Thank you for your cover article about the federation's new vision ("Bold new vision," Jewish News, Nov. 5). Your subtitle states, "Jewish federation hopes to respond to community growth." The only way that the federation can respond to community growth is if the members of this community respond. The "federation" isn't a building; it's an organization made up of members of the local Jewish community who feel a responsibility for providing necessary services and programming for 11 local agencies. In addition, contributions made to the federation provide funding for social services in Israel and in 59 countries around the world. I look forward to members of this community stepping up to the plate and responding to needs by contributing tzedakah to the 2005 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Go to www.jewishphoenix.org. Randi Sherman Federation Women's Department Campaign Chairwoman Scottsdale Jesus T-shirt offendsEditor:Regarding the article "Eight crazy nights" (Jewish News, Nov. 5) and specifically the "Jesus had a mullet" T-shirt: At a time (not that there ever wasn't a time) when animosity towards Jews is so prevalent, the last thing that we, as Jews, need to do is to mock other religions. This T-shirt denigrates the Christian faith and can only serve to inflame the anti-Jewish sentiments with which we have been faced for almost 6,000 years. Printing this ad in your newspaper indicates a lack of judgment and implies commercial greed (anything for an advertising buck). Jews, Muslims, Christians, Taoists, etc. all believe in a Supreme Being. Mocking these beliefs is not acceptable, and continuing to print these kinds of (mocking) attitudes is not an option. A statement of apology and the discontinuance of this and similar ads and verbiage would do much to ameliorate this situation and the potentially hard feelings it engenders. Harold B. Davis Phoenix The editor responds: The T-shirt appeared not in an advertisement but in an article on Hanukkah gifts by Benyamin Cohen, of Jewsweek.com. We are sorry if you found the author's sense of humor offensive.
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