jnonline LETTERS
) The Refugee Issue
Dr. Wilbert Simkovitz of
Clawson takes a hard look at the
issue of the Arab Palestinian
refugees from a historical per-
spective. Exclusively at
www.detroitjewishnews.corn
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Gay Marriage Stance Hurtful
) Interfaith Family
Writer Nancy Laufer writes
about why her family chose to
celebrate Passover instead of
Easter. See
vvvvw.detroitjewishnews.corn
jewish.com
) The Prime Minister And The
Attorney General
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
is facing the possibility of indict-
ment on charges relating to the
behavior of his sons. Does he
deserve to be indicted, asks colum-
nist Micah Halpern.
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Quoted Source Disputed
I have just finished reading an article
I sat down to read the Jewish News and
titled, "Local Reaction: Jewish leaders
eat my lunch the other day, when a let-
address Israel's assassination of the leader
ter from the Council of Orthodox
of Hamas" (March 26, page 18).
Rabbis of Greater Detroit left me unable
I was flabbergasted to see that you
to finish eating ("Same-Sex Marriage Is
quote at length Ron Stockton of the
Wrong," March 19, page 6).
University of Michigan-Dearborn. He is
This letter, opposing same-sex mar-
not Jewish and certainly not a Jewish
riage, is written with a tone and message
that is more representative of fundamen- leader. Why he should have been
included in the article is beyond com-
talist groups than that of a group of reli-
prehension. He teaches a course at U-M
gious scholars.
Dearborn called "Politics and Religion"
The letter claims that by granting
in which I was enrolled. I felt his slanted
marriage to same-sex couples, the "insti-
approach carried an anti-Israel bias. I
tution of marriage is now under attack."
was part of protests to the administra-
My question is, who is attacking it?
tion about this lack of objectivity.
Does the fact that I desire to file joint
Claire Arm
tax returns with my partner and to share
West Bloomfield
her health insurance policy constitute an
attack" on anyone or anything? Are
Editor's Note: The article's headline sug-
Jews who have to work on the Sabbath
gested incorrectly that everyone interviewed
in order to support our families "attack-
was a Jewish leader. Under those circum-
ing" the sanctity of the Sabbath?
stances, Mr. Stockton should have been
Are Jews who choose not to keep
identified as not Jewish. He was chosen to
kosher "attacking" the laws of kashrut?
be interviewed to present readers with a
The analogy I am making with these
different perspective.
scenarios is that there are many Jews
who are born to, have to or choose to
live a life that is not 100 percent in
accordance with Talmudic law. Yet our
A Moving Experience
actions do not infringe upon the rights
I volunteered on March 28 at the
of others nor hurt anyone. Does this
Federation's Campaign Countdown.
characterize an "attack"?
While
both giving and receiving tele-
On the other hand, the actions of the
phone
solicitation is not my idea of a
Council of Orthodox rabbis taking a
good
time,
I must admit that I was
discriminatory stance on the issue and
moved
by
the
experience. It wasn't so
writing such a letter is hurtful and
much
the
volunteer
work as it was the
destructive. I recommend that the
discussions
I
had
with
other volunteers.
Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater
First,
I
had
no
idea
the
extent to
Detroit choose its battles and words
which
Federation
contributes
to tikkun
more carefully in the future.
[repairing
the
world].
But
I didn't
olam
Nikki E. Klein
realize
that
they
help
just
about
every
Ann Arbor
Jewish organization in the community.
Whether it is the elderly who need
Another Key Point
meals or transportation, women escap-
ing from abusive relationships in need of
Regarding "The Big Picture" (March
shelters, or families of my temple who
26, page 34), I regret that there was
need help paying for Sunday school,
insufficient space to include a very
Federation is there.
important point that Doris Miller and I
Second, one of the Federation volun-
had shared with the writer.
teers
mentioned to me that if I was
Lt. Col. Amos Guiora was part of the
speaking to someone who mentioned
team that was involved with the Jericho
that they could not contribute because
agreement; he spent over five years try-
times were difficult (unemployed, etc.),
ing to negotiate peace. He came to the
we should ask them if they need help!
realization that there was no partner on
Imagine doing that during a fund-rais-
the other side and that Palestinian leader
ing drive! It vvas this attitude in particu-
Yasser Arafat was not at all interested.
lar that moved me the most.
I asked Amos whether he had become
While fund-raising was undoubtedly
a cynic. To my surprise, he replied in the
the purpose of the drive, I was also
negative. He is convinced and is opti-
instructed to listen for opportunities to
mistic that in time there will be peace
reach out to members of our communi-
between both sides. From his mouth to
ty should they be in need. Those who
God's ears may it be so.
Helen Aminoff volunteered their time and those who
Ann Arbor contributed money should understand
"
the depth of caring that exists with the
Federation.
Richard Mukamal
Farmington Hills
Scriptural Accuracy
After reading "Facing Facts, Dispelling
Myths" (March 26, page 36), I found
myself agreeing with Mark Leuchter's
conclusions, but he needs to get the
facts straight.
He said Jeremiah argues that the sins
of the parents should not be visited
upon the children. It was Ezekiel (18:1-
4), which says 'As I live, says the Lord
God, you shall not have occasion any
more to use this proverb in Israel." This
is not an argument but an emphatic
prophesy from God. Calling this an
argument is a gross understatement.
Deuteronomy 24:16 quotes God's
rejecting the transfer of sin between par-
ent and child using the specific words
quoted by Mr. Leuchter. The curse
chanted by the mob that fed Jesus to the
Romans, in Matthew 27:25, is therefore
forbidden and invalidated by the word
of God. I would argue that using that
curse to justify persecution of Jews is
pure blasphemy, but in deference to Mr.
Leuchter, I've never had to make this
point to any sincere Christian.
I take exception to his comparison of
Christian anti-Semitism with bin Laden
and other Islamic extremists. Christian
Scriptures dispute Jewish practices of the
time but not Jewish Scripture; the
Christian mission is conversion by acts
of love and persuasion.
Islam's mission, as defined by Islam's
prophet Muhammad in the Koran, is a
one-world government that subjugates
all other religions to prevent their propa-
gation, which would inevitably lead to
their extinction.
The prescribed means to this end is
shunning the friendship of Christians
and Jews, abrogating oaths that interfere
with their mission, terrorizing neigh-
bors, severing limbs, battling to the
death and massacring their enemy
(specifically, don't take prisoners not use-
ful as slaves or wives) before seeking
peace. (Space does not permit referenc-
ing all these claims in a letter.)
It is a nihilistic myth that Christian
and Muslim anti-Semitism are compara-
ble. Islam declares Judaism and its
Scriptures corrupt and unworthy of
trust or respect. Christian anti-Semitism
is a sacrilege and Muslim anti-Semitism
is a commanded sacrament of Islam.
It would be dangerously naive to
ignore such a drastic difference.
Dennis L. Green
Detroit