Letters

Jewish Voice for Peace not 'terrorist apologists'

Bill Kennedy's letter of Nov. 21 would have been humorous had the topic not been so serious and his charges so offensive.

Because Jewish Voice for Peace did not "take to the streets" to protest the horrific synagogue bombings in Turkey, he charges us with being "terrorist apologists."

By his logic, the Jewish Community Relations Council and a range of other Jewish groups are all terrorist apologists as well, for none of those organizations took to the streets either.

One can only surmise that these groups, like JVP, concluded that there are more effective ways to counter anti-Semitism. 

JVP has sponsored trainings for Jews and allies on countering anti-Semitism; has distributed numerous pieces on the topic; and is in the process of developing a campaign and completing a book of essays by local Jewish peace activists on anti-Semitism.

To state the obvious about a Jewish peace group, our members are profoundly pained by all acts of violence, especially those rooted in hatred, and especially anti-Semitism, which has touched us all in deep and often traumatic ways. 

Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization grounded in tikkun olam, has a long track record of standing up against anti-Semitism and violence in its myriad forms. Can Kennedy say the same?

Liat Weingart | San Francisco

Cecile Surasky | Berkeley

Mitchell Plitnick | Oakland

A Jewish Voice for Peace




Same-sex marriages

It's strange to have David Benkof (Nov. 28 j. opinion) write that Judaism "introduced to civilization" the idea of holy love relationship. Among the ancient Hebrews, marriage was considered a private affair, and neither religious nor civil authority was involved. And the institution of marriage between a man and a woman predates Hebrew society.

Moreover, both the Bible and the Talmud permit polygamy (what is so "holy" about it?), and it was the Christian rulers who imposed monogamy on Jews.

When historian Benkof talks about the Bible, referring to the uniqueness of Shabbat and Torah to make his point, he should know that celebration of Shabbat was influenced by Babylonians, and the word Torah is not in the Bible.

Whether we like it or not (I don't!) the idea of "equal rights" opened the gates to same-sex marriage and other so-called non-traditional arrangements.

Rabbi Sydney Mintz, whose opinion appeared on the same j. page, doesn't tell us the whole story either, writing that "the Reform movement has already affirmed same-sex religious unions."

Judging by the demographic composition of some gay synagogues, we would deal not with the same-sex marriage but with the same sex in intermarriage.

Rudy Budesky | El Cerrito




A Methodist view

My name is Kathleen Kaplan and I'm a Methodist minister married to a Jewish man. I enjoy j. Certainly the Methodists are lacking when it comes to gays and lesbians; secular society leads in acceptance and the religious are dragging their heels.  

A comment concerning the Nov. 28 two views concerning same-sex marriage. The Rabbi Sydney Mintz article holds water, but David Benkof's does not.

Surely God blessed the seventh day and made it holy: "Holiness is a sort of religious specialness, with the specifics of what is or is not holy coming exclusively from God and thus not open to human redefinition."  

In Genesis 1, God also created humans, male and female and saw that it was good. Why should you then come along and decide for God what is good and what is not good? Why should you suggest that some of his creation can marry and some, obviously lesser types, should not be allowed the same option?

Kathleen Kaplan | Foster City