In the Mail - Letters to the Editor

Editor:
In his letter ("Jerusalem should be sovereign, like Vatican," Jewish News, Nov. 12), KB Shaw asserts that "Jerusalem should belong to no one." Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people, and it is therefore rightfully the capital of the Jewish state of Israel.

Furthermore, the United Nations has no right to determine who should rule over Jerusalem, or any other Jewish holy site. Jerusalem is not up for negotiation; it is the uncompromising dream of the Jewish people to rebuild their temple in this holy city.

I have walked on the grounds of Jerusalem and have felt the Jewishness entrenched in her atmosphere. As a Jew, I could never accept Jerusalem as anything else but the capital of the democratic state of Israel.

All nations have a right to practice their religious beliefs in Jerusalem, but Jerusalem as a city serves as the rightful capital of Israel. This is further supported by the fact that Israel is the only nation that has governed over the city of Jerusalem and has accepted the religious freedoms of all religions that consider this special city holy.

Jarred F. Elias
President, Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity
Social Chairman, Chabad at ASU
Scottsdale

Time to work together

Editor:
In her letter ("Mandate? What mandate?" Jewish News, Nov. 19), Leslie Thatcher quarrels with those who characterize George W. Bush's re-election victory as a mandate. Certainly a three million-plus plurality as well as an electoral margin of 34 can reasonably be interpreted as a mandate.

At the very least, the victory was decisive. Many of the same Democratic loyalists who felt that the presidency should have gone to Al Gore in 2000, based upon a much smaller plurality as well as a loss in the Electoral College, now are unreasonably expressing their discontent at the current election result.

It's time to put the election behind us and come together. This thought has been expressed by both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry on multiple occasions since Nov. 2. Bipartisan bickering may have had its place in the lead-up to the election but certainly the time has come to work together in a spirit of cooperation.

Les Cherow
Flagstaff

A long way to pray

Editor:
Alan Cohen's letter ("Mesa needs a synagogue," Jewish News, Oct. 15) is true and poignant in that Temple Beth Sholom was founded in Mesa and celebrated over 50 years of existence there. My understanding was that when the temple needed to move, it moved to Chandler because a suitable and affordable location in Mesa could not be found.

When I was a child I walked to the nearest shul, but doing so is virtually impossible in this gigantic county, especially during hot weather. I recently joined Har Zion Congregation in Scottsdale and despite the long drive from east Mesa have found the trip spiritually rewarding - not the actual travel, mind you, but being surrounded by a temple membership with a remarkably superior and excellent professional staff and many real daveners was a pleasant surprise. It's too bad Har Zion, or something like it, is not in Mesa.

Howard Weinstein
Mesa

Children set good example

Editor:
The Barness children are to be commended for forgoing gifts honoring their bar and bat mitzvahs and requesting instead charitable donations ("Barness center embraces giving," Jewish News, Nov. 5 ). A rarity indeed. Parents and grandparents would do well to follow this example. Lavishing unneeded presents on our youngsters is not the best path to teaching good values.

Norman Kogen
Scottsdale

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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