In his letter “Time for a change” (WJW, Aug. 29), Jonathan Grant has some good suggestions, but again slips into Obama Derangement Syndrome, with the grossly irresponsible and 100 percent false assertion that “similar to when rabbis and Russian Orthodox priests were given their sermons by the chairman of the USSR’s politburo… reform rabbis will be given their High Holiday talking points” by Barack Obama. Seriously? And this is based on what? He doesn’t say.
Let’s remember that back in the USSR, the Kremlin tried to infiltrate their people into religious leadership positions, and not only did they provide the “sermons,” they had the KGB ensure these sermons were given and arrested anyone who didn’t cooperate. Of course, any house of worship that had “too many” attendees was closed for “repairs.”
In the real world USA, we have this wonderful American invention called separation of church (religion) and state, one provision of which is that the government is forbidden to dictate to religious groups what their policies, activities, or sermons should or should not be. No American president has ever dictated to religious leaders what to say. Mr Grant should venture out into the Bible Belt, or just a bit out into Virginia or rural Maryland, and he could quite easily find many clerics of various faiths who say many things extremely far from whatever he fantasizes President Obama would order them to say. Also, back in reality in the USA, Mr. Grant is completely free to join any congregation he chooses, including one with a rabbi who doesn’t like the president — and of course, no communist Nazi jihadist thugs in black helicopters will bother them.
As to his suggestion that rabbis and Jewish leaders should set up an employment bank, not a bad idea, but maybe they should have done that after the last Republican president crashed the economy.
JAY GOLDBERG, Bethesda
Letters to the Editor
This is in response to Jay Goldberg’s letter mocking my statement that Barack Obama dictates the sermons to reform rabbis.
If Mr. Goldberg had read the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and countless other publications, he would know that each year President Obama has indeed had telephone conferences with hundreds of rabbis where he gives points he believes that rabbis should discuss in their High Holy Day services. This years talking points are about the peace talks and immigration.
Mr. Goldberg should read, research, and think before attacking a fellow Jew
Jonathan E. Grant