Messianic Jews
Recently, I went to my podiatrist, Dr. Adam Spector, who is Jewish. I no sooner got through telling him about the article “Messianic challenge” (WJW, Sept. 26) than he stepped out only to reappear with a peculiar look, holding a pamphlet. He handed me the pamphlet saying, “A patient just gave me this.” I thought, Okay he is giving me something good to read. NOPE.
There it was another misled, misguided soul had the need to spread the “word.” I was furious! Is there no escaping these brainwashed individuals? And then when I was leaving sure enough in the waiting room the patient had put these pamphlets on the chairs.
Is it not time we Jews start sharing pamphlets? What are we waiting for? Look I’m not saying we have to be just like them, but you must admit if they have stolen a country of Jews — the article states that one estimate of the number of Messianic Jews in the U.S. is 60,000-80,000 — they must be doing something right. Their tactics are working. We must be doing something wrong.
At the very least we should consider being a force to reckon with months before the High Holidays.
When is the last time you went out of your way to reach out to a fellow Jew?
EDITH BROWN, Silver Spring
Swapping chemical weapons
Inspectors are reviewing the list of chemical weapons provided by Syria and working on destroying the known chemical stockpiles and equipment. However, American and Middle East officials said Syria’s elite Unit 450, which runs Assad’s chemical weapons program, scattered the weapons across Syria and into Iraq.
A Lebanese newspaper reported 20 trucks loaded with equipment and chemical weapons were driven across the border into Iraq, on Sept. 12-13. The trucks were not inspected by the border guards.
Some of these chemical weapons going to Iraq could be weapons that were moved from Iraq into Syria prior to the Iraq war. James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, who formerly headed the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, stated in October 2003 that “satellite imagery” showed a heavy flow of truck traffic from Iraq into Syria just before the American invasion in March 2003.
In January 2006 Gen. Georges Sada, an Iraqi general under Saddam Hussein, claimed Iraq moved WMDs into Syria before the war, which were loaded on civilian aircraft and multiple truck convoys.
Iraq and Syria have been playing a WMD swap game for many years, which should be thoroughly investigated and ended with the destruction of these weapons.
DONALD A. MOSKOWITZ, Londonderry, N.H.
Weighing in on Theater J
As a proud American who supports the Constitution and is grateful for living in this country as a citizen, and as a proud Jew who supports my people with my time, effort and charitable donations, I feel compelled to weigh in on the controversy over funding for Theater J’s upcoming production of The Admission (“The play’s the thing — or is it?” WJW, Oct. 3).
I have no problem, and I support the right, for someone to produce a play, based on fact or fiction, to send a message, educate, entertain or for any other legitimate purpose.
I do have a major issue when charitable donations from Jews are used to support slander or denigration, or otherwise negatively portray Jews or their homeland, especially when based on a fictional event or in an unsupported opinion.
The article in WJW indicated that a small group of individuals acting as “vigilantes” opposes any Jewish charitable funding of the upcoming play. I might remind you of examples where a “small” group, that believed they were on the side of “right” stood up against wrongdoing. One group was known as the Maccabees. Other “small” groups in the 1940s fought racial discrimination believing it was wrong. Size does not, and should not, matter.
As to the point that both the Federation and the WJW article make, that it’s not the Federation’s responsibility to direct how recipient organization manage their activities or spend donated funds, I agree that “micromanagement” is inappropriate, at best. However, a charitable organization does have a most important fiduciary responsibility to its donors to assure appropriateness of activities it supports. That is not micromanagement. I doubt that any German Jew contributed funds in 1938 to support the Nazi right of freedom of speech!
TOBY GOTTESMAN, Bethesda
Meeting all Palestinian demands
Talk about chutzpah. J Street believes it is “Our time to lead” (WJW, Oct. 3). Shouldn’t Israeli leaders live in Israel? J Street pads its attendance figures with 900 students and declares it knows what’s best for Israel.
J Street’s policies are Palestinian policies.
1. Basing borders on the pre-1967 lines is the Palestinian position. No Israeli government has ever agreed to that policy.
2. Evacuating settlements is also the Palestinian position. Will J Street pay for the evacuation? What about evacuating Palestinians for “two states for two peoples.”
3. Balkanizing Jerusalem to create a truly apartheid city. Luckily, J Street wasn’t around in the 1960s or we would have southern cities divided between black and white neighborhoods. And what happens if Arabs attack Jews from their parts of the city or leave the confines of their neighborhoods to terrorize Israelis throughout Israel?
4. Protecting access to holy sites by the international community is the Palestinian position. No international force has ever protected Israeli or Jewish interests? The point of Israel is for Jews to protect Jewish interests as no one else ever has.
5. Compensating Palestinian refugees. Why? Arabs started the 1948 war. Shouldn’t Arabs compensate the Arab descendants, who are really not refugees, as only second, third or fourth generation Palestinians are considered refugees? Why not compensate Jews forced from their Arab homes or killed by Palestinian terrorism?
6. Resettling Palestinians in a future Palestinian state. What if they refuse or take compensation and continue to attack Israel? What if over 50 of the people west of the Jordan are Palestinians? Wouldn’t they demand 50 percent of the land?
7. Hamas is appeased. Actually, J Street has no policy on Hamas. It doesn’t exist.
J Street’s philosophy — meet all the Palestinian demands and “peace in our time.” After all J Street is now leading Israel from 6,000 miles away.
MELVIN FARBER, Silver Spring
