Antisemitism’s Kanye moment
As a committed and proud Jew, I have been following the rise of antisemitism and, in my own small way, doing what I can to fight the rise of this 2,000+-year-old hate movement.A new thought came to me when I read about Kanye West’s behavior and words:
In Jewish thought, we endeavor to find something positive or good when something bad happens. In our most happy moments, we choose to remember evil things that have happened (for example: breaking a glass at weddings).
What to make of this Kanye West thing? The “good” is that the Kanye incident and resulting denunciation by so many, including corporate America, has received huge publicity and has raised the national awareness about antisemitism. I think that this may be our “George Floyd moment.” Perhaps, just as the murder of George Floyd significantly raised the consciousness of Americans to racism in America, the Kanye West incident may raise the level of consciousness of Americans to the hateful movement of antisemitism.
TOBY GOTTESMAN
Rockville
The artist behind the stamp
I was excited to see “USPS issues Chanukah stamp” (Oct. 27). But the beautiful design didn’t mysteriously materialize; the artist is Jeannette Kuvin Oren. Her work is well known in the Jewish art world, and the fiber art pictured in the stamp design will hang in the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, in easy reach of your local readers.
RACHEL BRAUN
Silver Spring
A new name
We were honored to have been chosen by WJW readers as Best Hebrew School in the recent Best of Jewish Washington issue (Oct. 27). We would like to acknowledge that our school underwent a name change last year and is now called the Dr. Stuart Lessans Talmud Torah. We are grateful for the volunteers and professionals who deliver excellence to our students every day, and the philanthropic donors who make the holy work of our congregation — and the larger Jewish community — possible.
The Leadership of B’nai Israel Congregation
Rockville
