Tweet

Share
 

Enemies on campus

At the risk of sounding Cassandra-like, I'd like to call the community's attention to the war being fought in the ivy halls of our most prestigious universities. With hundreds of millions of dollars graciously donated by Saudi Arabia, dozens of chairs of Islamic Studies have been created across the country.

The latest and most egregious manifestation of this largess is a 20-page study by two authors, Stephen M. Walt and John Mearsheimer, the former is the dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the latter is the co-director of the program on international security policy at the University of Chicago.

Their premise is that AIPAC is a de facto agent for a foreign government, has a stranglehold on Congress, and is manipulating the media into creating the environment necessary for American service personnel to die in order to protect Israel.

They put forward the notion that Israel's conduct has no moral basis for privileging it over the Palestinians. This idea has become prevalent at many of our major universities, including the University of California.

Outraged? I am. Worried? I am. Unless the Jewish people recognize our real enemies, our passivity and tolerance will spell disaster for us once again.

Richard Diamond | Berkeley




Good and the bad

Like Michael Harris (Letters, March 17, "Film Fest Protest"), we look to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival to display "the good and bad of Israel, honestly, fairly and in context." That's why we are so proud of SFJFF's selections over the last few years, which do exactly that, in the spirit of free and open debate so cherished in Israel.

Harris focuses his protest on films he disagreed with (most have been screened in Israel and many received funding from the Israeli government). What he left out are dozens of recent SFJFF films proudly celebrating the diversity, democracy and creativity of Israel and its filmmakers. Last year SFJFF brought 16 films from Israel including award-winning drama, comedies and shorts. SFJFF has no ideological litmus test: "100 Children" showed Israel as a haven for Holocaust refugees; "Protocols of Zion" exposed corrosive anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism in the Arab world; 2004 films profiled a West Bank settler (we brought him to the Bay Area as our guest) and a teenage suicide-bombing victim. We encourage readers to browse through 25 years of films at http://www.sfjff.org to see the range of Israeli — and Jewish — images the festival has brought to the Bay Area.

Doug Okun | San Francisco
President, SFJFF board of directors

Fest promotes hatred

What do you do if get off BART and are accosted by a Jew for Jesus? You say "no, thank you," and walk away.

Missionizing Christians are not the greatest threat to Jews in the Bay Area or elsewhere. A much greater threat to Jews and Judaism is posed by those so troubled by their Jewishness that they harm their own community. The 14 Friends of Palestine and the like are the nonviolent equivalent to Hamas in seeking the destruction of traditional Yiddishkeit and our age-old bond to Israel. The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival board should choose to be on the side of building community, and cease promoting hatred of fellow Jews.

David Kaim | Austin, Texas




Intellectual honesty

As director of the Jewish Music Festival, I must respond to two recent letters in j. regarding our sister cultural organization, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Music, like film, is a form of cultural expression. Festivals amplify this expression and are vital to the emotional health of a community. As celebrations of art, they stimulate new ideas and ways of being in the world, which in turn keep us thinking and, ultimately, keep us human. A world view that censors ideas is a world view motivated by fear not faith.

I urge the readers of j. to support the ongoing creativity, imagination, intellectual honesty, integrity and love for the Jewish people that have guided the programming of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival since its inception.

Ellie Shapiro | Berkeley




Rewriting history

J. reports March 17 that Israeli journalist Gadi Sukenik said that "Sharon understood that 70 percent of Israelis wanted disengagement." Sukenik is attempting to rewrite history. What actually happened was that many Israelis wanted a referendum on the "disengagement" plan, and they all agreed that they would abide by the vote of the electorate.

But Ariel Sharon did not allow a referendum to take place, because he knew that he would lose the vote. Sharon did not allow the Israeli public to express its opinion on his disengagement plan.

Yehuda Sherman | Lafayette




Not the answer

Answer Coalition organized the march against the War and Israel Saturday, March 18. That is disgusting! Why don't they support Israel and oppose terrorism? They say, End The Occupation in Palestine. The land of Israel belongs Jews. The Answer Coalition must stand for Israel. What makes me upset is that there are a lot of Jews in that organization marching against Israel. Jews supported Hitler in Germany. And, finally, Hitler killed them.

Why can't the Answer Coalition say next: Support Israel! Stand for Israel! End the Arab occupation in the Jewish land! Against terrorism! I am marching on the other side, proud for Israel.

Paul Shkuratov | San Francisco




Justice was served

Bravo for Israel in taking decisive action to capture Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmed Saadat and his henchman and hopefully bring them to justice in a real court of law for the cold-blooded murder of Rehavam Ze'evi.

Complaints from Palestinian sources that Israel colluded with the United States and the United Kingdom to breach their accords strain credulity at best.

There is no question in my mind that Israel acted justly. My only question is what took them so long?

Have we forgotten the murderous actions of the PFLP including the November 2004 attack on Tel Aviv's Carmel market and Fouan Shubaki's actions in the Karinne A incident only four years ago?

The "Jericho 6" were no choir boys and I applaud Israel's actions in capturing them. It may have been an election ploy and Israel will unjustly take its lumps in the press. But at the end of the day, as long as justice is served, who cares?

Steve Lipman | Foster City




Misguided messianists

In her March 10 Torah column, Rabbi Janet Marder writes that Moses' "greatest achievement as a teacher was to prepare his people for a world in which he would not exist. Moses knew he wouldn't live forever, but he left behind a Torah, a teaching that has sustained us ever since." Marder notes that "true teachers give us the strength to live without them."

The Mishnah in Ethics of the Fathers quotes Ben Zoma who rhetorically asks, "Who is wise?" His answer: "Someone who learns from every person."

The numerous messianists in the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement who believe their deceased rebbe will return from the grave as the messiah are leading their followers, children and supporters into a christological type of heresy. These misguided messianists and their adherents should take to heart the above truth expressed by a Reform woman rabbi; otherwise, severe and perhaps irreparable damage will be done to the theological and social fabric of contemporary Judaism.

The Orthodox community should stop treating this topic like the elephant in the room that almost no one dares call attention to or criticize. Heresy is not a sin the Torah views lightly.

Yisroel Pensack | San Francisco




The 'chutzpah'

Jay Schwartz is entitled to his opinion (March 10, "Rap parody ..."), but he has acted maliciously in printing false information. I'm saddened to see that someone with so much anger and self-loathing would be allowed to engage in such unethical practices.

Schwartz states the group Chutzpah "uses samples." This is untrue and potentially damaging to my reputation as a producer. He should have checked this before printing it as fact. We are not made up of "industry insiders." We're a publicist, mid-level record producer and an actor/waiter ... hardly insiders. He states we are a "parody group." Webster's defines parody as "imitation." We don't imitate anyone.

We take what we do seriously, using humor as a way to get deeper messages across to Jewish youth. We feel this is healthier than writing a critique filled with malice and lies.

The group has been embraced by the Chabad both on their 25th telethon and at Purimpalooza, where the group opened up for Matisyahu. Chutzpah is also being honored at several Jewish film festivals.

Schwartz obviously has a bias against Hollywood, which, sadly, has prevented him from acting ethically, missing that Chutzpah is bringing joy to Jewish people.

Tor Hyams | Los Angeles




Humanists, too

Thank you for your March 10 story on the Brit Tzedek v'Shalom rabbinic letter urging "constructive engagement" with the Palestinian government.

You noted that it was signed by Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis. It was also signed by over half of the Secular Humanistic rabbis, members of the Association of Humanist Rabbis.

Secular Humanistic Jews were among the first to recognize that a two-state solution is the only hope for a viable Israel, and we were proud to sign the letter that we believe supports the best hope for a secure and peaceful Israel.

Rabbi Judith Seid | Pleasanton

most popular rss feeds