January 28, 2005/Shevat 18 5765, Vol. 57, No. 22
Letters to the EditorJanuary 28, 2005
Recent grant a group effortEditor:Thank you for the article about our recent grant ("Ruach Hamidbar receives $100,000 matching grant," Jewish News, Jan. 21). I feel it's important to clarify the source of funds. The Brauer Family Trust, of which I am trustee, granted $50,000 to Ruach Hamidbar, which made it possible to apply for and receive a $50,000 matching grant. The Jewish Funders Network, of which I am a member, devised the innovative grant program and secured funding from the Avi Chai Foundation, which gave more than $3.5 million across the United States. The goal of the joint project was to spur new or substantially larger contributions to Jewish education. Rabbi Ayla Grafstein and I see this as the experimental start of innovative programs in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas, which will, God willing, continue for many years to come with the support of our entire community. Rabbi Grafstein obtained the support from all movements within our tradition locally, holding the vision of collaboration as essential to the success of educational programming. Rabbi Yossi Levertov of Chabad of Scottsdale was not mentioned in the article, but we are happy to have his community as a part of our group. We believe that the true test of real innovation begins with "ahavat Yisrael," love of Israel. Thus when we co-create outstanding programs and we get along well with each other, we are also strengthening and building our community at the same time. Eliyahu Eckelberg Phoenix No excuse for tortureEditor:The administration spent months building a legal justification for torture. Its advisers wrote that what we're doing is not really "torture;" and even if it is really torture, as commander-in-chief the president can order torture if we're at war; and even if he can't usually order torture legally, even as commander-in-chief, he can in this case because of the dangers to national security. Hogwash. What U.S. soldiers, agents, and contractors did to other people, as shown in photos and described by witnesses, was most definitely torture under common sense, much less U.S. statute, U.S. treaty obligations, and international law. There is no "unless the U.S. president wants to" escape clause in any of those legally-binding documents. And, our national security is damaged by our participation in torture, not helped by it. It creates blind rage against the United States. Our troops are in danger of "reciprocal torture" if they are captured. And, studies and anecdotal evidence agree that reliable predictive information comes not through torture but through building a personal relationship of trust with those who are detained. I want my elected officials, to hear this message: Use a common sense definition of "torture." No torture in my name. Not ever, under any circumstances. Norman T. Merkel Scottsdale
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