Letters
LETTERS Self Determination To the Editor: In "Securing Israel—A moment Symposium" (July-August 1980), Nathan Rotenstreich briefly touched upon a problem which is really the most serious facing...
...Though he indicates that this Hebrew reading program was pioneered by an Arlington, Virginia, Conservative synagogue in the mid-60's, his research in the matter did not go far enough and warrants an update...
...Steinitz and her friends were disturbed by the fact that the family they were planning to sponsor would be comprised of anti-Communist Laotians, because most members of the group had opposed the war in Southeast Asia...
...Irwin Swartz Philadelphia Tz'dakah To the Editor: Thank you for Danny Siegel's thought-provoking article...
...Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld New York, N.Y...
...seeking, there are many other factors that weigh much more heavily...
...No matter what we think about American involvement, it's absurd to question the moral right of a Laotian to defend the political system which, in his opinion, is better for Laos...
...This is the agonizing problem which many would prefer to ignore...
...Rotenstreich noted that despite Israeli concessions, the Arab attitude is likely to be, "self-determination...
...The students decide how much money should go to these organizations (and, of course, they can add other organizations to the list...
...Classes on the same lesson unit are offered every day of the week—morning, noon and night —so that if a student misses a class or wishes to review the lesson, he or she will have ample opportunity to do so during the remainder of the week...
...It spurs their interest in Tz'dakah, and it allows them the opportunity to decide how their contributions should be divided...
...The main feature of the program however, is that a large cadre of synagogue lay people volunteer to teach other lay people during a concentrated twelve week period...
...It's true that age may be one consideration, but for a senior rabbinic post such as the author was (is...
...Randy Medoff Hartsdale, New York Perspective To the Editor: Just a note to tell you how much we appreciate Abba Eban's contributions...
...I'm going to decide if it is self-determination up to the Green Line, or perhaps to Haifa, Jaffa, Lydda, Ramleh, Beersheva, etc...
...This is the easiest problem to solve...
...As an educator, I reacted very strongly to the point that most religious school students do not know who gets their Keren Ami contributions...
...Having served on several pulpit committees in two different communities in the last fifteen years, I believe that the lay people who undertake that difficult task are, by and large, sincere and deeply committed to the welfare of the synagogue, and earnestly try to find the right person for the job...
...Why can anyone look down at the anti-Communists of Southeast Asia...
...Welcoming the Stranger To the Editor: As a recent emigre from the Soviet Union, I was touched when reading Lucy Steinitz's emotional article, "Welcoming the Stranger" (June 1980...
...Eban's thoughts and ideas available to your readers...
...This extraordinarily successful project, implemented by the NFJMC a little over a year ago, has been carried out in close association with Rabbi Noah Golinkin, the brilliant mentor of the HLC program in the Arlington synagogue...
...We have found that this system helps to acquaint our students with the various charitable organizations...
...Perhaps now, having witnessed the first results of the Communist rule in that part of the world, one can even reevaluate her or her position...
...Steinitz to consider the difference between American soldiers in Vietnam and Laotians fighting in the civil war in their own country...
...LETTERS Self Determination To the Editor: In "Securing Israel—A moment Symposium" (July-August 1980), Nathan Rotenstreich briefly touched upon a problem which is really the most serious facing Israel, but which was not amply discussed by the symposium's participants...
...Mark B. Levy Birmingham, Alabama Conservative Judaism To the Editor: David Szonyi rightfully observes in his article ("The Conservative Condition," May 1980) that Conservative Judaism has always viewed itself as a "lay-centered" movement and that with a few notable exceptions, efforts are not made today to involve Conservative lay people in synagogue life beyond fund raising...
...As of May 1980, over 15,000 adults in over 200 synagogues throughout North America have participated in the Campaign under the direct sponsorship of the National Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, an affiliate arm of the Conservative Movement...
...In Temple Beth-El, for instance, the students are given a list of all the charitable organizations which have requested funds during the school year...
...It is tricky business to make a good fit between an individual rabbi and a huge congregation with complex, and sometimes conflicting, needs...
...Thank you for making Mr...
...However, I'd like to take exception to one of her remarks...
...The Keren Ami is then divided according to the composite student allotments, and these allotments are published in the Temple bulletin...
...With yeridah rising and aliyah declining, the Israeli Arabs— already some 20 percent of the population—could threaten Israel's Jewish majority in just a few decades...
...And will we wait until it does, before facing up to the danger posed by the Israeli Arabs...
...The list also contains a thumbnail description of each organization's functions...
...I ask Ms...
...Israel's Arabs have a birthrate twice that of Israel's Jews...
...I find myself reading and rereading them—the first time mesmerized by his language, and the second time paying more attention to the substance, which is always enlightening...
...It brought up many issues which should be taken very seriously by parents and Jewish educators...
...I respectfully submit that the issue here is not nearly so far-reaching as the author would have us believe, but rather a case of bad luck and, perhaps, sour grapes...
...Vladimir Lifschitz El Paso, Texas Age Discrimination To the Editor: I have just finished reading the article on age discrimination in the rabbinate (September) and, while I can sympathize with the author's personal problem, I think the broad charge is unwarrented...
...Joyce Abromowitz New York, N.Y...
...Eventually they decided to go ahead as planned, arguing that "people are people," and "the Talmud teaches us not to judge...
...Essentially, the HLC is a crash Hebrew reading course for adults based upon a new text, Shalom Aleichem, (already in its second printing), written by Rabbi Golinkin...
...Could Israel explode into another Northern Ireland...
...One of the "notable exceptions" which he lists is the Hebrew Literacy Campaign...
...With nationalism surging among Israel's Arabs, what will happen if we refuse demands for Arab "self-determination" in the Galilee...
...What will we do as Israeli Arabs demand "self-determination" in Haifa, Jaffa and elsewhere within the Green Line...
Vol. 5 • October 1980 • No. 9
