Letters

Seeing red

The International Red Cross is a bastion of despicable anti-Israel values and politics. For 56 years it has insisted that national member relief organizations must carry only the symbols of either a red cross or red crescent.

This policy excluded Magen David Adom, Israel's national relief organization, with its red Star of David logo. After years of lobbying, the IRC has now created a special symbol for the Jews, a red diamond.

This offensive "progress" is being hailed as a victory for Israel and the Jewish people. For those celebrating this victory, we must ask, "What would have defeat looked like?"

Samuel J. Salkin | Kensington




Good vs. evil

C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" is a fabulous analogy to events unfolding in the Mideast and the world.

It's about good versus evil, which is what WWII was, and what the war against extremist Islam is. "Chronicles" displays the rigidity that is fascist oppression — whether from Nazis, communists or extremist Islamists — and shows tools of fascism such as secret police, informants and terror.

Included are aspects of Greco-Roman mythology, a lion that fights for fairy-tale magic, an evil troll that holds a blade at the neck of one of a child — and, horrors, Santa Claus.

"Chronicles" features respect and admiration for a well-trained military, which brought to mind the Israeli Defense Forces and the U.S. military.

Perhaps these observations are not what j. considers acceptable in its readership, but don't be too sure. Our country is based on Judeo-Christian principles, and over time we've attempted to be inclusive in the construction of a great democracy.

As a Zionist, I'm grateful for the support Israel receives from Christians around the world. I resent that j. prefers to Christian bash (Dec. 9 "Lion, Witch and Wardrobe") while failing to report on the real threat to Western Civilization — the threat of extremist Islam.

Lisa Cohen | Menlo Park




'Sensitive issue'

Thank you to Dan Pine for his brilliant Dec.2 cover story "Finding light in the darkness." It was a breath of fresh Bay Area air to read this article.

Pine had the courage in this article to focus on a very sensitive but key issue affecting the Jewish and non-Jewish communities: our mental health.

Thank you again to the brave people who volunteered their stories for the article and also to Pine for focusing on the issue of mental health with sensitivity, awareness and tact.

Ben Pastcan | Benicia




A distinction

Thank you for publishing Dan Pine's compassionate Dec. 2 article, "Finding Light in the Darkness." I am writing with a distinction that I have found valuable in my personal advocacy for those with the stigma of mental illness.

When a person is referred to by the phrase "has schizophrenia" or "has manic depression" rather than "is schizophrenic," it may help people to see there is a person who has a biochemical brain disorder that isn't seen.

Like with physical illnesses, one

doesn't say, for example, my mother "is" breast cancer, rather "has," which shows it is a person with a soul who has a disease. If more media considers and uses the verb "has" rather than "is" what a difference in the public's perceptions and fears.

Another point: In the "Where to get help" listing that was included, there is another resource, and for families too: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) has local volunteer chapters in most areas.

Marsha Felton | San Francisco




'Like an outsider'

I read Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky's Dec. 9 opinion piece ("It's time to accept the rest of the Jewish community") with great interest.

As a former San Franciscan and semi-observant Jew, I always felt the Bay Area community was fairly open to interaction. But since moving to Los Angeles (Hancock Park) a few years ago, I always feel like an outsider in my highly Orthodox neighborhood.

The Orthodox community here could learn a lot from the Bay Area rabbis and from Kanefsky. Yet I fear that little will change and the So-Cal Jewish community will lose more members in the future.

It's time for the changes Kanefsky proposes ... and it must start with each of us as vocal individuals insisting on more interaction. Let's dedicate ourselves in 2006 to building bridges to others within our community.

Molly Miller-Davidson | Los Angeles




'A magical being'

Carl Rothblum recently passed away at the Jewish Home at the age of 93. He was a magical human being who was joyful and caring, and a talented artist, too.

We met Carl because our son Greg began volunteering in the art room three years ago. Our whole family fell in love with Carl, and we are lucky to have shared time and holidays.

The day Carl died, the staff held their annual holiday party. They learned that he had raised over $20,000 for gifts for them.

Carl was known for his art — it was his passion, and he painted portraits of pets. These pictures grace the halls at the Home, and many lucky homes.

The Carl Rothblum Fund at the Jewish Home purchases items for his "hangout," the art room.

Jeanie Schram | San Francisco




Giving to charity

Our community is very lucky to have generous machers like the Oshmans and Tad Taube, who recently donated a combined total of $25 million to the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center.

Having said that, the generosity of affluent members of our community does not excuse the rest of us from tzedakah. This holiday season, young professionals can also significantly enrich our local community by giving to charity.

Dennis Hiller | Stanford




Martial language

Social action as a year-round endeavor is a praiseworthy idea. But in promoting it in the Nov. 25 issue, you might have chosen a different term than "a global call to arms."

We are already inundated with martial language. Inviting people to engage in performing social action and social justice strikes me more as a global call to "heartfulness" (not a dictionary word, but it conveys what I mean) or compassion for the plight of others.

Mirka Knaster | Oakland




'A fact of life'

After reading Orah Amira's Dec. 9 letter ("She was lied to"), I think perhaps Amira knows very little about Reform Judaism.

I am a convert to Reform Judaism. I went to a mikvah as part of my conversion ceremony. I am free at any time to welcome Shabbat into my home or at synagogue as I choose.

Lastly, the Reform movement does not encourage intermarriage but does accept it as a realistic fact of life. It welcomes the couple of the intermarriage lovingly. Reform believes in tolerance, acceptance and loving generosity to the convert and the non-Jewish member of the intermarriage.

We believe that our Bible demands this of each and everyone of us as mandated by our God.

Julia Humphreys | Daly City




New lows?

Each Friday, with great trepidation, I open my j. to discover what new lows of racism, homophobia and xenophobia my letter-writing "brethren" will spew forth this Shabbat.

The Dec. 9 responses to Ken Kramarz's Dec. 2 op-ed and Rachel Sarah's column about her trials of fully realizing her Judaism — "A Tookie Solution" and "She was lied to" — were certainly no exception.

The mean-spiritedness and cynicism in the letters section give great cause to wonder if your letter writers are truly representative of our Jewish community today.

If this is the rachmonis we show fellow Jews who open their hearts and soul to their Jewish community, one shouldn't be surprised at the draconian ways and attitudes we treat our "enemies," the Palestinians. With these provincial attitudes, it's no wonder we can find no peace in the Middle East.

Jacob Mandelsberg | El Cerrito




Facing 'the law'

I commend Rachel Sarah's commitment to her sense of Jewishness (Dec. 2 column) and realize how painful it is for her to face the position of Jewish law on a question as delicate and personal as matrilineal descent.

It is one thing to struggle with the way the Torah has been interpreted, and another to assert Jews are currently abiding by a law decreed by Rome, the nation that forced us into the longest of our exiles. Jews don't follow an antiquated Roman law, just as they do not wear Stars of David on their garments today, even though this was the decreed mark of belonging to the Jewish people in our not-so-distant past.

While I respect Sarah's right to debate this issue, I ask that she read relevant sources (Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and Talmud tractate Kidushin 68b).

Elsewhere, she'll also find the Torah commands us not to follow in the ways of gentile nations. The author of the commentary on matrilineality is also the author of the Zohar. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai lived during Roman times, thus perhaps Professor Bryan Mark Rigg's confusion.

Sarah should research and raise the issue with rabbis, not a history professor at American Military University.

Sam Adler | San Francisco