Letters

'Source of promise'

In his Oct. 21 article on the intermarriage rates reported in the recent S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation study, Joe Eskenazi takes an alarmist and negative tone that is neither the intent of the study report nor helpful to our community.

To refer to any of the information about our community as "less than heartwarming" directly contradicts the point that interfaith households connect to the Jewish community in numerous ways, and are reaching out to be more connected.

As a member of the study committee, I was heartened to learn that a high percentage of interfaith families involve themselves in the Jewish community, especially since I have seen many instances of how unwelcoming our community can be to such households.

In fact, as the study reports, interfaith families who raise their children in Judaism have the highest rate of Jewish education, higher than the children of in-married couples. We should welcome and celebrate the interfaith families who wish to connect with the Jewish community, and consider all Jewish households a source of strength and promise.

An attitude of separation, inferiority or exclusion limits our numbers, contradicts our values and weakens our community.

Daniel Leemon | Atherton




Zero in Alameda

Regarding j.'s Sept. 2 editorial, the point you once brought up — namely, that all the area's federations could merge — is an interesting point. Why? Simply because of the following: Since we cannot equalize wealth, it thus follows that we cannot equalize services to include our Alameda County Jewish community.

Many Alameda County Jews now live in Christian retirement homes, not by choice but because they understandably want to remain close to family and friends.

Every time I go to U.C. Berkeley and see Jewish names on buildings, names of wealthy donors, I am reminded of many very different events — such as a Holocaust survivor found with an empty refrigerator, and the fact that Oakland had a Jewish home for elders created by local Jews, supported and nurtured for close to 50 years by local Jews. Yet, that home was moved to the suburbs in Danville, a wealthy suburb. Need I say more?

Every time I read the ads of retirement entities, they are of all other orientations but never Jewish in Alameda County. There is a long list of happy, life enhancing events that could happen if we could only equalize services in the region's Jewish community through cooperation.

Arnoldine Berlin | Oakland




Activism or anti-Semitism?

Cindy Sheehan is an anti-war activist the way French fascist Jaques Le Pen is a French politician.

Her alleged refutation at Beyt Tikkun of anti-Semitic statements attributed to her (Oct. 21 j.) is refuted online.

I found details of her anti-Israel statement on the National Review Web site: "Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."

For more details, go to

media.nationalreview.com/073591.asp.

Peter Borregard | El Cerrito




'Anti-war screed'

I just find it appalling that the Rabbi George Gittleman (Sept. 23 j.) would rely on the "wisdom" of the increasingly crazed and anti-Semitic Cindy Sheehan to support his anti-war screed.

Tom M. Freeman | Orinda




Talking at Tawonga

Your Sept. 23 article, "140 Arabs share 'magical' Tawonga weekend," was very nice and interesting. That is very nice, and a good idea that Arabs and Jews talk to each other and listen to each other. Everybody needs peace.

Suleiman al-Khatib was sentenced to an Israeli prison for 10 years when he was 14. I'm glad that he changed his ideas and views about Israel in a good way after that.

It's good that some Arabs want peace, but not everybody wants peace. In my opinion, Israel has every right to survive and come out with a victory on the war on terror.

I'm glad that Arabs and Jews had the opportunities to be together, and talk together, and listen to each other at the Tawonga weekend. But if Arabs want peace, they have to stop their terror against our beloved Israel and Israeli citizens.

Paul Shkuratov | San Francisco




Letters policy

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