Picking on Cotton
Saul Golubcow gets it right concerning the New York Times’ handling of Sen. Cotton’s (R-Ark.) op-ed (“Is Sen. Cotton Shammai or Goebbels?” Letters, June. 16). The airing of different points of view should be the standard — in newspapers, on college campuses —regardless of how misinformed or despicable they might seem.
On the other hand, the First Amendment does not give all speech carte blanche treatment: You cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater when there is none. Better to know where people are coming from, but as Golubcow suggested, not every individual or thought deserves a public forum.
RAYMOND COLEMAN, Potomac
Give, but give wisely
Regarding “You Should Know… Jonathan Schilit” (June 18): Righteous Crowd is a terrific initiative. I am surprised, though, that many of the places chosen by Righteous Crowd are not to the highest standards of giving tzedakah. They are not the most efficient or most effective organizations. Many have high overheads, large cash reserves, high salaries or other things that make them less desirable. I wish more people would give and give wisely. Here’s hoping.
ARNIE DRAIMAN, the writer is a Jerusalem-based philanthropic consultant.
White but not privileged
When Betsy Stone wrote that “real societal change requires personal change” (“The price of justice,” Editorial, June 18), that should not mean that we who are white, Ashkenazi Jews should feel guilt. Hearing white supremacists chant “Jews will not replace us” should not qualify us as being part of a privileged group.
At the same time, as frightening as that Charlottesville experience was, we must recognize that this is still not as dangerous as the daily fears our African American
fellow citizens face each time they get behind the wheel of a car.
BARRY DWORK, Alexandria
Negativity won’t pull you through
Negativity abounds in your recent editorial “The potential high cost of annexation” (June 18). With that attitude, Israel’s most venerated former prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, would never have declared Israeli independence in 1948. You have overlooked the many
reasons, voiced by ZOA and others, why this is the most opportune time to apply Israeli law to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and to the Jordan Valley region. Not the least of these reasons is that extension of Israeli sovereignty is consistent with, and in fact part and parcel of, President Donald Trump’s bold new “Peace to Prosperity” plan for the Middle East.
WJW and other like-minded entities have a perfect right to bury their heads in the sand. Be assured, though, that Zionists the world over will soon be jubilantly celebrating another historic victory for Zionism and the Jewish people, thanks to Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
MARC L. CAROFF, Virginia Beach
Holy work in Springfield
I am humbled by the cover and article in the June 16 edition of WJW (“Rabbi Bruce Aft eyes his future”).
My wife, Sue, and I have been privileged to serve Congregation Adat Reyim for 29 years. When I interviewed for the job, I told the congregation that I believed that serving as rabbi is avodat kodesh, a holy endeavor. Twenty-nine years later, I still believe that our work is sacred.
We are grateful for the partnership with a special group of people and to all who have shared our journey with us. Special thanks to writer Arno Rosenfeld for the wonderful article and photographer David Stuck for the excellent pictures.
RABBI BRUCE AFT, Springfield
