Communities remain united
We write to add important details to the WJW articles regarding the Montgomery County Council redistricting efforts (Nov. 25 and Dec. 16). Original boundaries submitted by the redistricting commission divided the Kemp Mill Jewish Community down Arcola Avenue and the Potomac Jewish community down Seven Locks Road. These unnatural district lines would have significantly weakened both communities’ representative voice and run counter to two of the underlying premises of redistricting: to preserve contiguous communities and to help ensure a diversity of interests are heard.
After these concerns were brought to the attention of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the agency lobbied the county council and mobilized the community to contact legislators. We thank the JCRC for leading the successful effort that kept both Jewish communities united in the redrawn districts and the activists who responded to their call for action. Special thanks to the councilmembers for their responsiveness.
JULES POLONETSKY
Potomac
BEHNAM DAYANIM
Kemp Mill
Support the Sudanese people
Regarding “Israel and US Jews should support democracy in Sudan” (Opinion, Dec. 2): Thank you, Andrea Barron for the fantastic article that speaks well on behalf of the pro-democracy Sudanese people. As a Sudanese American, I can attest to the friendliness of Sudanese toward other nations. It is in the best interest of Israel to support the people who will eventually prevail over military dictators, rather than be seen as an ally of Darfur genocide leaders and peaceful civilian-killers. When — not if — Sudan transitions to true democracy, Israel will be on the right side of history.
NADA FADUL
The writer is associate professor,
University of Nebraska Medical Center
