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The death of Israel?

The situation in Israel is clearly dire. There are a million Israelis living in shelters and at least 300,000 refugees. If American Jews don't do something significant, I fear that the Jewish state will perish within a year.

The Arab world was watching closely at a bunch of Islamic terrorists holding back the great Israeli army and killing scores of soldiers while doing so. Today's Israel is obviously weak with inexperienced military commanders, poor political leadership and the lack of technology to thwart the hundreds of missiles launched at her.

If the same countries that attacked Israel in 1948 did so today, the country would be overrun in a matter of days. This sort of attack could happen tomorrow. At least a million Jews would be slaughtered in the process. This is the reality of the situation.

Jews in America must act, donate money till it hurts, volunteer for the Israeli reserves, provide support for those going off to fight, and, most of all, give a clear, vocal and united signal to the world that the Jews in America will not sit idly by and watch the miracle of Israel disappear.

Howard Roth |South San Francisco




Two-sided mourning

I'm troubled by the Greenberg cartoon in the Aug. 11 j. about staged civilian deaths in Lebanon. While there is much truth in it, I think it is more appropriate that we mourn the civilian deaths in both Israel and Lebanon, as well as the heartbreaking losses of our courageous men and woman in the IDF.

I truly believe that the above is what we Jews are all about.

Ron Berman | Kentfield




'Dream on'

As usual, Peace Now, Women in Black, Michael Lerner, et al. are preaching to the wrong choir. Instead, they should forthwith go to Iran, Iraq and Syria, talk peace with Hezbollah and Hamas, where, I am sure, they will receive an enthusiastic reception. Dream on.

Israel and its citizens have always desired peace. Israel has no suicide bombers inflicting death and destruction, nor has it attacked its neighbors without cause.

What Israel has done was defend its very existence, which Iran and company has promised to wipe off the map.

Eva Hirschel | Rohnert Park




No 'rah-rah rhetoric'

I was relieved to see the Aug. 11 opinion column in j. written by Orit Weksler, with its strong and accurate title "This war is the latest mistake for Israel."

I urge — in fact plead with — j. to make certain each issue represents a perspective that questions what's going on. Much of what you publish, including your recent editorial, simply signs off on whatever Israel is doing.

Regarding Israeli policy and actions, there is far more dissent and discussion in the Israeli press. American Jews often don't take time to consider less obvious conclusions.

The complexity and gravity of the ongoing Middle East crisis requires nuanced thought and discussion, not rah-rah rhetoric.

Rose Levinson | Albany




Good advice

Thank you for printing Orit Weksler's excellent opinion in the Aug. 11 j., "This war is the latest mistake for Israel." Our leaders could use her advice.

Linda Fries | San Francisco




Heart of problems

The opinion pieces by Tirzah Agassi and Orit Weksler in the Aug. 11 j. drive right to the heart of Israel's problems. They address the essential purpose of a Jewish state, and the fundamental obstacle to maintaining this state.

The highest purpose of the Jewish state of Israel is to prevent another Holocaust. Why this state that has such a noble function has been so attacked and vilified is because of the fact that it was built on another people's land.

The opinions expressed by these women are ones that I wish were held by many more Jews, especially Jews living in Israel.

Having just returned from a stay in Jerusalem, I know first-hand how much ground has been lost in overcoming these obstacles, as was mentioned in the articles, but there is still hope. All Jews — in the Bay Area, Israel, or anywhere — must remember that we can still consider ourselves Zionists while we condemn courses of

action taken by Israel that cause the death of innocents and the breeding of hatred.

Julian Clark | Berkeley




Ensuring the future

On Aug. 11, j. ran a story about teens returning from their Young Judaea summers in Israel. Young Judaea is the Zionist youth movement of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America.

Hadassah fully funds and operates this program. We raise money to send thousands

of Jewish teens to Israel every year — through wars, through the intifada, and through this latest crisis.

Thank you for recognizing our teens and their bravery during the current crisis.

In our Young Judaea programs, including our year-course in Israel, Hadassah educates our youth about Israel and their Jewish heritage. A recent study showed Hadassah's Young Judaea to be one of the most effective programs in the world at instilling a Jewish identity. For example, compared to a normal 40 to 50 percent intermarriage rate, Young Judaea alumni intermarry at a rate of only 9 percent.

This year Hadassah will send more students than ever before to our Young Judaea year-course program in Jerusalem. As we have for 94 years, we at Hadassah and Young Judaea stand united with Israel to make sure that the Jewish people and Israel have a future.

Deborah Lopez | San Francisco
president, S.F. Chapter Hadassah

$1 million for Israel?

Mel Gibson, this is the appropriate time to prove you are not anti-Semitic. Donate $1 million to the Israel Emergency Fund.

Irvin J. Borowsky | Philadelphia
founder/chairman, American Interfaith Institute

Camp memories

We drove to Camp Tawonga recently and my thoughts carried me back 73 years — to the age of 8, when I started Tawonga at Lake Tahoe.

Tawonga isn't just a wonderful kids' camp but a spirit that's difficult to define. Something magical happens there that remains in your heart for a lifetime.

Shabbat is the highlight of the week.

The Shabbat I was there was dedicated to deep discussions. I sat in with 18 Israelis, emissaries who talked about war in Israel. Many tears streamed down those sunburned faces.

No Chabolot is complete without Tawonga's "freilich." And away the campers danced, led by song-leaders Isaac Zone and Gal Friedman. Saturday morning services were conducted in the beautiful natural amphitheater, with camp director Debbie Newbrum conducting services.

Sunday, we watched kids going to arts and crafts activities, the swimming pool, ball games and welcoming former camp director Ken Kramarz, bringing in a group from a hike in those beautiful Sierras.

Memories, memories of my days at Tawonga in the '30s and continuing my association with camp for all these years. I'm a lucky guy at 81. May all the campers be Tawonga campers all their lives.

Ken Colvin | Hillsborough




Motto questioned

Over the years, I have noted the motto of j. — "the Jewish news weekly of Northern California" — first with amusement, then with annoyance, and finally with offense.

Anyone reading j. would come to the conclusion that Judaism in the Bay Area exists only in the West Bay corridor between southern Marin County and San Jose, with some small spillover into Berkeley and Oakland.

Rarely is there any mention of the Jewish communities or activities at Beth Torah in Fremont, Beth Emek in Pleasanton, B'nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek, Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, B'nai Torah in Antioch, Beth Sholom in San Leandro or Beth Hillel in Richmond. Sacramento and Stockton Jewish life is never mentioned. All of these communities are part of "Northern California."

I am a member of Beth Emek. I would hold our temple, our rabbi, our community and our Jewish life activities up proudly against any of the Jewish communities that get so much coverage in j. Yet the casual reader of j. would never know that we or any other East Bay Jewish community even exists.

Peter Cohen | Pleasanton

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