wonder how you became so culturally
saying that so clearly.
But then he insists that gentiles do
sensitive, opening an opportunity to
need Jesus. He quotes the Apostle Paul
tell them about the Jewish Messiah"
to the effect that Judaism has nothing
("Hurricane Of Words, Sept. 10, page
to offer gentiles but Jesus does. As a
30).
With all the informative information
non-Jew, he says, "Jesus is my way into
salvation and makes it possible for me
the Jewish News has passed along about
to have a relationship with God."
the Jews for Jesus campaign in the
I must object. However good Mr.
Detroit area, we just want you to know
Blewett's intentions may be, this is a
how important this information has
been. Even though we don't like to see
horrible way to speak of the God of
this type of information in our Jewish
Israel. No one, Jew or gentile, needs a
mediator to come to God. In fact, as
newspaper (feeling like maybe we aren't
the Torah teaches, the only way He
approving of other peoples' beliefs), we
wants people to approach Him is
hope all Jewish News subscribers will
directly. And our obligation, as Jews, is
realize the importance of getting all the
news we need to know to live in this
to defend God's name against every
community.
contrary teaching.
Furthermore, as the Torah also
Thank you, Jewish News, for your
perfect place in our homes and offices.
teaches, gentiles already have a
Nancy and Maynard Kalef
covenantal relationship with God. This
Southfield
is the Noahide or Rainbow Covenant,
including the universal law that all of
us, Jew and gentile, must follow.
Stand With Kerry
Indeed, their path to salvation is as
An Antithetical Theology
As a supporter of John Kerry, I found
straight as ours is: to keep God's laws,
At Wayne State University, we have
much to agree with in the Sept. 10
as they are found in the Torah and to
been "lucky" enough to have been visit-
issue ("Vote For Bush Against Terror,"
strive to please Him directly.
page 66; 'America And Israel Need
Michael Ellias Dallen ed by Jews for Jesus ("Aiming For
Kerry," page 67).
Detroit Detroit," Aug. 27, page 16).
I personally have been "fortunate" to
There was letter writer David Kah.an's
Editor's note: The writer is the author of
have
engaged in an hour-long discus-
acknowledgement that Kerry "has an
The Rainbow Covenant, a book pub-
sion
with
one such Christian on cam-
excellent record supporting Israel ..."
lished in 2003.
pus. It is horrifying that there are so
There was Special Writer Ed Koch's
many Jews who are unaware and inse-
statement, "I do not agree with
cure in their knowledge of 3,000 years
President Bush on a single major
of Jewish thought and religious knowl-
domestic issue." And his conclusion
Kerry Best For Israel
JN Is Welcomed
edge that they are willing to dump
that "Kerry is a patriot who performed
I commend Special Writer Emery
On Sept. 12, our doorbell rang and a
what they believe is Judaism for a theol-
heroically in the Vietnam War."
Klein for his commentary ("Kerry Best
delivery person was standing on our
ogy that is antithetical to true Judaism.
[Editor's note: Both Kahan and Koch,
For Israel," Aug. 20, page 31) that
The Jewish News should not be giv-
however, endorsed President Bush's re-elec- porch with a beautifully wrapped wick-
makes a convincing case. I concur and
er basket containing a red apple, a green ing any space (even letters to the editor)
tion.]
add my voice to persuade voters who
apple, an apple candle, dried apple
to this group or any missionary group
Most important in my own evalua-
are gravely concerned over Israel's
rings, a bottle of honey and a small,
out to steal Jewish souls. Jews for Jesus
tion is the contrast between the candi-
future that President Bush is the
round challah. The basket was sent by a has spent and continues to spend mil-
dates as statesmen. Unlike the largely
wrong choice.
non-Jewish school friend of mine, a
lions of dollars in their missionary
uninterested current president, Kerry
Bush and Kerry have each publicly
person I've known for more than 50
activities. We should have no part in
has spent a lifetime learning the com-
confirmed their unbreakable alliance
years.
spreading their false and destructive
plexities of world affairs. The disastrous
with Israel. But in Bush's foreign poli-
I
asked
the
delivery
person
if
she
was
message.
policies of the Bush administration are
cy statements, I hear bluster; in his
With a company, and she only said that
Every Jew, no matter what stripe, in
badly in need of repair.
actions I see an ill-conceived interna-
Allen S. Rosenfeld she was the delivery person. I thought it response to this threat must take upon
tional policy. I hear a simplistic good
himself to strengthen himself in Torah
West Bloomfield was a little strange, but I let it go.
guy-bad guy mentality full of morality
When I phoned my friend to thank her
and mitzvot (commandments). We
but devoid of nuance and indifferent
for being so thoughtful, she was a little
must turn a negative situation into a
to world order in a very complex plan-
mysterious about where it came from.
positive opportunity where we as a
Straight Paths
et.
She said that she actually was scheduled
Jewish 'community step up to the chal-
I hear foreign policy couched in
to help make up the baskets in
Congratulations to David Blewett,
lenge and show ourselves to be com-
terms of "shock and awe — not in
Bloomfield Hills, not in or near Saline
director of the Ecumenical Institute
mitted to the faith of our fathers and
terms of consequence and aftermath.
where she lives. That should have been
for Jewish-Christian Studies in
mothers in an unbroken chain that
Under Bush's watch, the United States
my second clue.
Southfield, for speaking out against
reaches back to Mount Sinai.
has bungled the Iraqi war and, in the
Reading the Jewish News three days
the Jews for Jesus campaign to convert
May all of us be blessed with a year
process, we have exhausted and deplet-
later, I came upon the article about Jews full of inspiration and Torah learning.
Detroit Jews ("Ecumenical
ed our military.
for Jesus and read, with horror:
Viewpoint," Sept. 10, page 30).
Shira A. Drissman
The United States, as an ally of
"Shalom Baskets may be just the way to
Mr. Blewett, a Christian, says that
Farmington Hills
Israel, is now weakened and interna-
open the door to dialogue about your
Christians need to recognize that Jews
tionally discredited as a result of Bush's
faith in the Jewish Messiah! Receiving
already have a covenantal relationship
leadership.
such a lovely gift from a non-Jewish
with God and don't need to go
We need a president who will best . through Jesus. I'd like to thank him for person will make your Jewish friend
LEITERS on page 10

site www.johnkerry.com for many
months.
President Bush specializes in high-
flying, generic sound bites that are
clearly designed to leave his audiences
with the impression that what he
means is what they believe. How can
anyone seriously look to him to make
Israel safe when he has repeatedly
failed to fund "loose nuke" programs
to retrieve uranium from sites scattered
throughout the former Soviet Union?
What about the fact that by taking
out Saddam, Bush has managed to
make Iran an even greater Mideast
power that it was when Saddam was
helping to keep it in check? What
about Bush's inexplicable, continued
refusal to support appropriations for
homeland security to protect civilian
U.S. aircraft against SAMs, to enhance
cargo inspections, to provide state-of-
the-art communications equipment to
first responders and to improve securi-
ty at chemical and nuclear power
plants?
Jewish voters should think long and
hard before buying the phony line that
George W. Bush is a better and more
effective friend to Israel than John
Kerry.
Nancy F. Kaplan
West Bloomfield

lead the United States back to eco-
nomic and military health and rein-
state an international credibility that
convinces our sometimes fickle and ill-
informed allies, such as France and
Germany, that they should follow the
United States' lead instead of mocking
us. The need to contain terrorism is
not a problem unique to America.
We may think we can go it virtually
alone, but we can't. If we continue to
dissipate our assets with tax cuts and
the over-extension of our military, we
are very likely to fail in our struggle for
the soul of civilization — forced to
retreat into isolationalism.
That's not good for Israel. That's not
good for the United States. That's not
good for the world.
Asher N. Tilchin
Farmington Hills

314

9/24
2004

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