Recalling Kollek
When I read of the death of Teddy Kollek, six-term mayor of Jerusalem, who was a great man and much admired, I remembered that sometime in the early 1980s I was in Jerusalem on behalf of the American Friends of the Hebrew University.
One of my assignments was to invite Kollek to San Francisco to receive the Scopus Award, given annually by the American Friends. So here I was, in the mayor’s anteroom at the appointed time, when his secretary came out to inform me that Kollek had just called to advise me he was still at the dentist and would be delayed by 15-20 minutes. Would I please excuse this delay, and kindly wait for him.
Standard procedure when you’re late for an appointment? Done by every politician? Or could it be the action of a great man, full of consideration for other people, known to him or not?
Unfortunately, the mayor’s schedule didn’t allow an appearance in San Francisco within the time frame available to us. This was a great disappointment, but I’ll always remember the few minutes spent with him at City Hall and the extraordinary courtesy he extended to me.
C. Roy Calder | San Rafael
Cutting consumption
In his Jan. 5 j. opinion piece, Michael Jacobs discusses a critical issue facing America today — the pressing need to cut back on our energy use in the fight against Islamic fundamentalism.
The American Jewish Committee recognized the dangers of our oil addiction and has advocated for more than 30 years to rectify this dangerous behavior. The AJCommittee has published numerous studies on the perilous implications of America’s energy dependence.
In his weekly national CBS radio commentaries, David Harris, national executive director of the AJCommittee, has advocated our stance for higher fuel economy standards, energy conservation, a gas tax despite its unpopularity, and alternative energy sources.
In his Dec. 26 radio address, Harris said, “American security, environment and economy will all benefit if we can break our energy addiction.”
The AJCommittee is backing up its words with actions in the struggle to decrease America’s oil dependence. It is the first nonprofit organization to provide cash incentives to employees who purchase hybrid cars, and in 2007 the national headquarters will completely “green” the eight-floor office building in New York.
We must cut the flow of oil money to America’s and Israel’s enemies. To learn more, visit www.ajc.org.
Steven Kornetsky, president
Kelly Ramot, associate director
AJCommittee, Northern California region
Prejudiced view?
I was angered, though not surprised, to find that the writers and cartoonists featured in your Jan. 5 views/opinions spread had only one opinion between them — anti-Arab, anti-Muslim sentiment.
Michael Jacobs’ article proposed that we boycott Iranian oil — practically the sole revenue of a poor country — rather than “aid and comfort” a state ruled by anti-Semites.
A cartoon portrayed “the Muslim community” as a group of mindless Israel-bashers. Especially prominent was a swarthy, dark-bearded, beady-eyed caricature of Saddam Hussein. His nose took up half of his face.
It was all so comparable to anti-Semitic propaganda in other eras and regions — they’re out there, they want to kill us all, and they have big noses.
We cannot use our minority status to excuse this prejudice.
Zoe Gross | Oakland
Cultural collapse?
William Schwartz’s Dec. 22 letter on our religion’s future was a tour de force. I would like to emphasize one of his points. In the book “The Jew in the Lotus” a disappointed Dalai Lama at his Himalaya headquarters in India learns from five American Jewish scholars that the key to Jewish survival in America (he was losing followers to Tibetan Buddhism in their diaspora) is the family with its pride in the Book plus Jewish summer camps. Unfortunately, his most intelligent followers are celibate monks.
As Schwartz points out, Jewish survival in America is moving toward a tipping point of cultural collapse. We cannot rest on our past laurels.
Dr. Gerson Jacobs | Greenbrae
‘Outrage, disgust’
I reacted with outrage and disgust when I saw in a recent j. that some Orthodox rabbis met with the enemy of the Jewish people and Israel.
They have no idea what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad represents: the traitorous nation of Iran.
It started with Ahmadinejad lacking respect for the Jews when he dismissed the Holocaust as a hoax.
He also showed enormous lack of respect for President Bush, a true hero of the Jewish people and for Israel.
How dare do these rabbis of the Neturei Karta branch insult their Jewish heritage by meeting with the enemy and supporting Ahmadinejad’s lies and hypocritical statements concerning the destruction of Israel and Judaism as a whole (not just Zionism)?
They should be very well aware of Bush’s heroic intention by dismantling Ahmadinejad’s illegal nuclear ambition.
By attending this dangerous and unauthorized meeting these Orthodox Jews are risking their lives, the lives of their fellow Jews (including the betrayal of Israel), and especially America.
Do they have to insult their fellow Jews?
Anne Cohen | San Francisco
Dickens and Jews
Readers of j. can see the memorable musical “Oliver!” from Jan. 12 to 21 at the Bayside Performing Arts Center in San Mateo. But why is a letter to the editor appearing here? Because there are interesting Jewish “twists” to this musical.
Of course, there’s Dickens’ portrayal of Fagin as a villainous Jew. But there’s more. A quick Internet search indicates that writer/composer Lionel Bart was the son of a Jewish tailor in London’s East End. Readers whose ancestors fled Galicia apparently share this history with his family.
An article in the Jewish Theological Seminary Magazine indicates that Dickens excised many references to Fagin as a Jew after selling his home to a Jewish banker and corresponding with the banker’s wife.
I’m sure there’s more — for another day on the Net.
I found it interesting to consider the improbable “collaboration” of Dickens and Bart, stereotypes — and the prospect of authors reconsidering them — and Jews in literature and music, and hoped other j. readers might, too.
I won’t deny wanting to mention the show. For more information, readers can call the Bay Area Educational Theater Company (an educational, family-oriented, nonprofit
theater group) at (650) 802-8423 or visit www.bayareaetc.org.
Carrie Small | Millbrae
Limit criticism, please
Michael Lerner (Dec. 8 j. view) suffers from the delusion that Israel needs his, and Jimmy Carter’s, “constructive criticism.”
First, Israel doesn’t need any more criticism. From its own raucous press, to narcissistic American Jews desperately peddling their liberal credentials; from the country with the “peace treaty” Carter is so proud of facilitating (where the most vicious anti-Semitic material in the Middle East is produced and distributed), to the annihilationist Arabs of Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Syria, who openly espouse genocide, Israel gets more than its fair share of criticism.
Second, Carter doesn’t “select” facts, he creates facts that fit his anti-Israel prejudice. Many people, including Dennis Ross and others, have pointed out some of his egregious factual errors, but his book is rife with them. Almost the entire Palestinian narrative is a lie, and promoting it is not criticism, it’s libel. It’s a libel whose purpose is not peace, but the destruction of Israel.
Israel has always been an essential component of Judaism, and her restoration is a modern miracle. Israel acts with unprecedented ethical restraint against those fanatically devoted to the murder of Jews. What Israel needs is everyone’s support, most critically the support of every Jew.
Sheldon Whitten-Vile | Oakland
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