Disgraceful sale?
As a 19-year-old boy in the Army Medical Corps in WWII, I entered six liberated labor and concentration camps in Germany and Austria to set up emergency aid for the dying prisoners. There were stacks of naked dead bodies, stripped of clothes, hair, gold in their teeth. They had not yet been put in the crematoria. We helped bury them in mass graves.
Last Friday j. published a story on Ron Peterson who makes money on memorabilia taken from these pathetic Jews (“Collector seeks buyer for jewelry crafted from Jews’ teeth,” Feb. 29). How low can a man stoop to merchandise our lost 6 million? Yes, they extracted the gold from these corpses who were our very family. And then, to make medallions so ugly people could make money from their souls.
I wish that Peterson and the Concs could have stood next to me to witness the scenes that will be with me forever. Lampshades and wallets made from their skin! For shame.
And shame on j., the staff and the board for allowing this story to be published.
Kenneth J. Colvin | Hillsborough
‘Horrified, enraged’
It is hard not to be horrified and enraged at the very idea of the trade in human tragedy that Ron Peterson pursues and represents. No one should profit from such evil. What is much more disturbing and frightening to me is the very fact that there are still people in this world who are so detached from humanity, so disconnected from their own feelings, that they could be involved in such an activity.
In my opinion, Mr. Peterson, despite his glib, verbal recognition of the shock factor, suffers from some kind of personality disorder and represents the type of person who could easily be persuaded to participate in the inhuman pursuit of evil. We should be vigilant of those like him, and of ourselves, lest our own society change us in ways we may regret.
Alan Helfen | Redwood City
Our evangelical friends
Your cartoon (Views, Feb. 29) has two Jews (one with a kippah) debating “Which of these two would you rather have over to dinner?”
One character shows an evangelical, with a potbelly, seemingly from the South, since he’s saying, “Praised be, we love Israel, mah friends.”
The other character shows a Methodist, dressed in a blue blazer, with a petition encouraging the Jewish couple to divest from Israel.
This cartoon is stereotypical, implying that evangelicals are overweight and uneducated, rather than acknowledging that evangelicals are professionals with college degrees, and farmers. Evangelicals are from all 50 states, including the South.
The fact that Methodists are calling for Israeli divestment is worrisome.
Here’s what your cartoon does not acknowledge: Fundamentalist Christians are Israel’s most loyal supporters in Congress and with President George Bush. These Christians represent a tourist boom to Israel, and donate funds for oppressed Jews to immigrate to Israel, and funds to support poor and impoverished Jews in Israel.
If I had to choose which group most supports Israel, politically and economically, I would vote for the conservative evangelicals, and not for the mainline liberal (secular) Methodists.
Stan Heimowitz | Castro Valley
The age game
In your last issue you listed an East Bay singles group for those who are 42+. I was wondering, would anyone object if those in their 30s showed up? In fact, I think people in their 30s and 40s are more appropriately grouped together than so-called “young adults” in their 20s and 30s. I thought “young adults” were those between the ages of 18-26.
At a recent showing of a documentary about Chinese-American actress Anna Mae Wong at CCSF, we were asked to identify as being a) under 20 b) between 20 and 29 c) between 30 and 55 d) 55 and over. In other words, people as young as 30 are sometimes placed in the same age demographic of those in their early 50s. However, I noticed that single groups are often divided between those under 40 and those over 40.
I suspect this reflects a form of age discrimination that may be misogynous. I am a woman in my mid to late 40s. Although I have friends in their 20s, I don’t think I should date them. However, I’m not sure why I should be barred from events where those in their 30s are attending. Apparently some assume that all single people (men) in their 30s would prefer to find a partner in the 20s rather than in their 40s. I hope this isn’t true.
Sybil Charlton | San Francisco
Time for apologies
It was recently determined by a French court that the Palestinian boy symbol, Muhammad al-Dura, was not killed by Israeli fire in 2000. In that year this boy’s image was all over the front pages of mainstream media outlets.
Now that Israel has been vindicated will we see retractions? Will Egypt rename the street the Israeli embassy is on? Will Amnesty International issue an apology to the Israeli people for its malicious report?
Will the Palestinians admit that they made the whole thing up in collusion with TV station France 2 to further their efforts on destroying the world’s only Jewish state? Will the mainstream media report on this important ruling in France?
So far only the Jewish media seems to find this exoneration newsworthy.
The hypocrisy of the deafening silence by states, NGOs and mainstream media should be a cause of concern for any Jewish person.
Frankly, I see this whole eight-year escapade to be not unlike the Dreyfus affair at the turn of the 19th century.
Howard Roth | S. San Francisco
Undeserved criticism
How outrageous of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to criticize Israel for responding to the deadly launch last week of 335 Palestinian rockets on Israel’s civilian population. Against the better judgment of many, Israel pulled out of Gaza several years ago, hoping this would bring peace. Instead, it has only emboldened Hamas-led terrorists. The solution to Palestinian deaths in Gaza is for Hamas to end to its proclaimed war against Israel and its unprovoked attacks on Israeli civilians.
James Sinkinson | Oakland
Support Israel’s fight
Israel gave up all of Gaza more than two years ago in the hopes of peace, evacuating 9,000 Israeli civilians from this territory. What has Israel gotten in return?
More than 4,000 rockets shot toward Israel — rockets that are aimed at kindergartens and other civilians.
Now Iran-backed Hamas controls Gaza and they want to destroy Israel. In one week, 335 rockets were fired from Gaza into neighborhoods. As many as 150 rockets have been fired at Israel in one day. What country would stand idly by while their civilians are being slaughtered?
Just like the Americans went after the terrorists after 9/11, Israel has a right to wipe out those terrorists who seek its destruction. It is the only democratic state in the Middle East. We must support those who are fighting the same enemies — the cowardly evil terrorists who kill innocent civilians.
Suzanne Kleiman | Benicia
Agreeing on basics
We are all saturated with the endless Middle East conflict. But before we argue the subtleties, let’s agree that militias intentionally targeting non-combatant civilians is wrong by any definition. Israel gives up Gaza land for peace, Hamas responds by firing over 4,000 missiles at civilian areas, over 350 last week alone, trying to murder and maim. How can anyone negotiate with people like that? Am I the only one who still believes murder is wrong?
Richard Irving | San Jose
A lighter siddur
The new Reform siddur, Mishkan T’filah, may be weighty, but it doesn’t have to be heavy. Congregation Sherith Israel’s Rabbi Larry Raphael and Cantor Rita Glassman had a chance to see the new siddur in action at the URJ Biennial in December, and they saw how the physical size of the book was difficult to handle for people with arthritis, carpal tunnel and other physical issues. Their reaction was to change our order from the single volume version to separate siddurim for Shabbat/weekdays and for the festivals. The result is a prayerbook that is easier for everyone to manage and allows us to focus on wrestling with God instead of with the siddur.
David Newman | San Francisco, President, Congregation Sherith Israel
Going vegetarian
I was delighted to read Dan Pine’s column about his going back to a vegetarian diet. I’m 73, healthy, and have been vegetarian since 1993, after having been a heavy meat eater all my life.
I don’t miss meat and have no need for meat substitutes. Although I’m not fond of cooking, I make delicious soups, stir-frys and salads. And I get plenty of protein. There are many vegetarian potlucks I’ve been to where the dishes are delicious and imaginative. If restaurants devoted more space to meatless and fishless meals, people would get used to eating a plant-based diet. And they’d be healthier for it.
Animal eaters should read “The Sexual Politics of Meat” by Carol J. Adams for a real education. The industry hides the truth from us of the torture and misery of animals. I see no difference between slaughtering a dog, cat or human being and cooking the meat, than slaughtering tortured farm animals.
Sandy Tate | Sebastopol
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