Letters to the Editor6/26/1998
Special issue brings 50th birthday greetingsEditor:The Jewish News of Greater Phoenix is at a grand, historic point: it is celebrating 50 years of publication (with a commemorative issue published June 12). Since my contact goes back to the days of the founding publishers, I can fully appreciate their contributions and those of Pearl and Cecil Newmark and the current editor and staff. First let me say that the newspaper has never been greater than it is today. The paper serves a Jewish community that is one of the largest in the West. A Jewish newspaper serves to help build the community in addition to its primary goal of delivering news that will miss the pages of the dailies. It is very easy to take newspapering for granted, for newspapers have been a way of life even in the days of our founding colonies. But the founding of the Phoenix Jewish News was, indeed, a difficult birth and its maturation under the Newmarks was no less easy. We are grateful for the 50 years of journalistic excellence and service to the community. Abraham S. Chanin Professor emeritus University of Arizona Editor: I have been asked by our board to convey to you and your staff our greetings and congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the Jewish News. The Phoenix Jewish community is lucky to have such an outstanding publication. We at the Arizona Jewish Historical Society feel a special affinity for the Jewish News because we feel we are partners in keeping the history of our Arizona Jewish community. So a hearty mazel tov, and may the paper go from strength to strength into an even brighter future. Beryl S. Morton Executive director Arizona Jewish Historical Society Editor: As a former Phoenix resident, I can't fully express my delight about the June 12 commemorative issue of Jewish News. The nostalgia of reading about founders Bud Goldman and Joe Stocker was great. The contributions of Cecil and Pearl Newmark, and now their daughter, Flo Eckstein, are things of great joy to those of us who grew up in the Jewish community. Please keep up the great strides that you've made, and I look forward to seeing each edition on Fridays. Ed Herzberg Pasadena, Calif. (Via the Internet) Editor: We want to first of all congratulate you on 50 years of publication of the Jewish News. The commemorative issue was absolutely outstanding, and a tribute to the creative efforts of your staff. We also want to thank you for the excellent article about our family. Staff writer Randi Barocas did a very fine job of presenting our history. It is all the more remarkable that a Feller family article has appeared for a second time. The first time was about 30 years ago, when Cecil and Pearl Newmark also featured our family in the Jewish News. We feel truly blessed. Thelma and Morrie Feller Phoenix (Via the Internet) Editor: Just want to add our sincere congratulations on your 50th anniversary! You do such an outstanding job of reporting on all news, events and concerns of the entire Jewish community, that it would be impossible to imagine the "Greater Phoenix" area without the Jewish News. Thank you for keeping us informed on Israel, for giving us a worldwide perspective, and for keeping us up-to-date on local happenings. As we say in Yiddish, "bis hundred-twanzig" Honey and Saul Yellin Rina Chapter NA'AMAT USA Har Zion's finances are in good shapeEditor:Thanks for the lovely article on our plans for expansion at Har Zion Congregation (Jewish News, June 19). Members of the congregation who have read the article have contacted our office expressing concern that one paragraph implied that we were having to borrow funds to pay our operating expenses. The readers misunderstood the meaning of your phrase "pay its bills." The paragraph reads, "As far as financing is concerned, the congregation is in the process of negotiating a construction loan that will enable it to borrow money as needed to pay its bills, Bisman said. The synagogue also is 'actively soliciting our members to complete this project,' he added." We would like to reassure our members and the community that we have the means to pay our operating expenses, "our regular bills." Any borrowing that we will do will be to pay for capital expenses as construction progresses, and only when outstanding pledges have not yet been paid. Our capital campaign permits donors to pay pledges over several years. Construction expenses will have to be paid as incurred. We have budgeted in our annual operating expenses for the interest on any loans we may have to incur for construction expenses. Obviously our goal will be to collect pledges as quickly as possible to minimize the amount of money paid as interest to the bank. Again, thanks for noticing the exciting developments at Har Zion. Rabbi Mark Bisman Har Zion Congregation Scottsdale Rabbi could use sensitivity lessonEditor:Although I enjoyed reading the analysis on Israel's culture war by Avi Machlis of Jewish Telegraphic Agency (Jewish News, May 29), I was shocked that he found it appropriate to include one particular comment of Rabbi Avraham Ravitz. The rabbi is, according to the article, a Knesset member. In his call for dialogue between the secular Israelis and the haredim, or ultra-Orthodox, Rabbi Ravitz compares the behavior of the members of the left to that of "Africans in the jungle" for not attempting to understand haredi sensitivities. If Rabbi Ravitz can make a comparison like this, I think he has a lot to learn about sensitivity. It probably wouldn't hurt if he also picked up a book on the history of African peoples. Cheryl Kantor Tempe (Via the Internet) |
