‘Voice of reason’ on SFJFF
I want to say thank you to Rabbi Moshe Levin for his op-ed (“It’s a joy to see Judaism’s full spectrum on the silver screen,” July 16). I have been the community outreach coordinator for the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival for the last eight years. It is a part-time, seasonal staff position.
By the end of last year’s festival I was so discouraged from the assault of a few among our community that I was thinking of not coming back for another year. I did come back, though, and found support among the community that realized that the verbal e-mail and written assault was from a few, not from the majority. They knew that the greater good that the festival does counters the few that want to reach out and try to destroy it.
So thank you, Rabbi Levin, for being a voice of reason and so eloquently letting everybody know what the festival is really all about. It brings us together as a community, to laugh, to cry, to think, to learn, to share our heritage and to discuss — but not to try to destroy the festival with heated arguments. We are a more enlightened community and there is room for many respectful opinions.
Myra Feiger | Hayward
Use power of film wisely
The problem is not that we shouldn’t “look at ourselves critically” as Rabbi Moshe Levin says the SFJFF films and speakers make us do. It’s that we shouldn’t come to conclusions about ourselves without getting the facts right.
It’s not “controversy” that those of us defending Israel’s right to be one Jewish state in a sea of 56 Muslim states oppose — it’s the lack of films countering what amounts to Arab propaganda. Film is a powerful teacher. The SFJFF has the moral obligation to be able to know the difference between accuracy and misinformation, or to at least give us both sides of the story.
I have seen many sad tales about “occupation,” but nothing about the history of the wars that caused it; documentaries about IDF soldiers misbehaving but none about their heroism; many critical stories about the “fence” but only one about a victim of suicide bombers. And I’m still waiting for the SFJFF to screen “The Forgotten Refugees” about the 900,000 Jewish refugees from Arab lands.
Please SFJFF, you have power to teach us. Help us to know our history and to feel proud of the miracle that is the rebirth of Israel.
Sheree Roth | Palo Alto
Hard to stomach J Street
J Street’s campaign to probe U.S. charitable organizations that provide tax-deductible donations in support of Jewish activities in Jerusalem, Samaria and Judea (“J Street questions charities that help settlers,” July 16) is the most audacious action so far by this Jewish group that champions itself as a pro-Israel organization.
Add to that J Street’s collaboration with the New Israel Fund — which clearly funds anti-Israel NGOs’ activities within Israel under the guise of liberal causes and humanitarian aid, a la the infamous Gaza Flotilla — and it’s just too heinous to swallow.
It is time for the U.S. Jewish community, in particular those on the progressive-liberal side, to wake up and reject such
seditious activity by a so-called pro-Israel group and stop funding its subversive actions — actions that fly in the face of the wishes of a majority of Israeli citizens and Israel’s elected government.
Sam Liron | Foster City
On the wrong side of the street
I’m wondering why J Street shouldn’t be called P Street? When one looks at their agenda, it is really similar to the public statements of the Palestinian Authority: loss of Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, no requirement that the P.A. recognize Israel as a Jewish state, withdrawal from Jewish holy sites in the West Bank, etc.
One big difference between J Street and the statements of the Palestinian Authority is in regard to Gaza, where J Street wants Israel to negotiate with Hamas — while the P.A. does not recognize the legitimacy of Hamas in Gaza.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the P.A. and J Street is that the Palestinians know that their ultimate goal is the elimination of Israel, and the J Streeters haven’t figured that out yet.
Gil Stein | Aptos
Too soft on PR firm
The JTA article that defined Fenton Communications’ business as “PR for not-for-profit groups” (“Local PR firm to drop pro-Palestinian client,” July 16) would be like calling Hamas “a health, social welfare, religious, cultural and educational services” organization.
Fenton is the foremost public relations firm of the political left, representing the Sandinistas in the ’80s, MoveOn.org in the ’90s and the Council on American-Islamic Relations in more recent years.
Given their history, it is surprising that Fenton decided to give up this dirty money. Possibly, being associated with support of Hamas was too much for Fenton’s better paying clients.
Shelton Ehrlich | Palo Alto
Undermining Israel
Rachel Biale (Letters, July 9) touts a one-sided New York Times article that omits the charities that fund the organizations that are trying to eliminate both Israel’s Jewish and democratic character. Foremost among these “charitable” organizations is the New Israel Fund, which funds organizations that demonize and wage political war against Israel such as B’Tselem.
B’Tselem was found by Lee Kaplan to be working with the ISM terrorism abettors. Neither Fatah nor Hamas are democratic and certainly do not wish to live in peace with Israel. If they get their way, Israel will truly be neither majority Jewish nor democratic, but probably “judenrein.”
Arthur Cohn | Portola Valley
‘Cherry-picking’ the Torah
Arik Ascherman of “Rabbis for Human Rights” would have us believe that he’s following the highest Jewish values by siding with the Palestinian Arabs against Israel (“Trying to ‘impact hearts and minds’,” June 25). He’s apparently confusing Judaism with liberal humanism, which, unlike Judaism, believes that every conflict can be resolved peacefully if you’re willing to show enough sympathy for your enemy’s viewpoint.
Unfortunately, history doesn’t support this theory. Experience shows that trying to appease those who are bent on conquest only brings greater destruction.
Palestinian Arab culture continually incites hatred and violence against Jews, rejects Israel’s very right to exist, and teaches every Arab child to aspire to suicide martyrdom. Such a culture cannot be reformed, it can only be destroyed. They cherish and nurture their hatred, and won’t abandon it, no matter how much “understanding” they receive from Rabbi Ascherman.
By cherry-picking the Torah in order to find a religious justification for his extremist political agenda, Ascherman is doing a grave disservice to Judaism itself, and seriously damaging the Jewish state and the Jewish people.
Martin Wasserman | Sunnyvale
Inspired by Zionist
In reply to Mr. Bruce Ballin’s letter (Letters, June 25) defining his view of Zionism, let me out a few facts about his assertion of Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s contribution to the Zionist cause.
I am a Holocaust survivor and a proud Jew and a Zionist because of Jabotinsky. As it is documented, Jabotinsky was instrumental in the creation of the Zion Mule Corp in World War I, which fought with the British against the Germans. He also was involved in the creation of the Haganah in the 1920s to protect Jewish farmers from Arab marauders.
Jabotinsky also urged European Jews to defend themselves against anti-Semitic pogroms in Europe. He was one of the first Zionist leaders who urged Jews to leave Europe and immigrate to pre-state Israel. If his advice would have been taken, thousands of Jews could have been saved from the Holocaust.
I find that the ultimate chutzpah is of some Jews living in the comfort and safety of the U.S., not having Scud missiles aimed at them, giving any Israeli government advice on how to conduct foreign policy. What would Mr. Ballin’s reply be when these missiles reach Tel Aviv from Gaza, as this surely will come about in the near future, if Israel does not inspect goods coming into Gaza.
Henry Sommer | Burlingame