Welcome o Our Community
Letters
How to Send Letters
We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Letters of 225
words or less are considered first. Longer ones will be subject to trimming. Letter writers are limited in
frequency of publication. Letters must be original and contain the name, address and title of the writer
and a day phone number. Non-electronic copies must be hand signed. Send letters to the JN: 29200
Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax (248) 304-8885; e-mail, letters@the jewish-
news.com. We prefer e-mail.
STAR
COMMUNITY
BANK
5.0010
*
MAWS AP
AcC0utfi
MONEY
/A At h
C 0 fv/ MUN/TY
NSTAR is proud to be a Community Bank, dedicated to developing and maintaining relationships with customers
who value exceptional service. We invite you to call or stop by, and discover how personal service and
exceptional rates define a truly great Community Bank. NsTAR Community Bank - Welcome to Our Community.
NSTAR COMMUNITY BANK • 31780 Telegraph Rd • Bingham Farms, MI 48025
248-645-8888 • www.NsTARcommunitybank.com
MEMBER FDIC ''Rates subject to change at any notice. 0
I t SGC.10
Baby Steps to a Healthy Pregnancy and On-Time Delivery
The test came back and it's positive — you're pregnant. Your mind is rattled with excite-
ment." While your "to-do" list and questions continue to grow, it's important to take the
necessary steps to ensure an on-time and safe arrival of your most precious cargo yet.
You've probably heard a few old wives' tales about pregnancy, including "A tooth lost for
every child." While it seems far-fetched, it actually is based loosely in fact. Your teeth
and gums are affected by pregnancy, just as other tissues in your body. You may not be
aware that the health of your gums may also affect the health of your baby-to-be„
How does pregnancy affect your teeth and gums?
About half of women experience pregnancy gingivitis. This condition can be uncomfort-
able and cause swelling, bleeding, redness or tenderness in the gum tissue. Conversely,
a more advanced oral health condition called periodontal disease (a serious gum infec-
tion that destroys attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold teeth in the mouth)
may affect the health of your baby.
Is periodontal disease linked to preterm low birthweight babies?
Studies have shown a relationship between periodontal disease and preterm, low
birthweight babies. In fact, pregnant women with periodontal disease may be seven
times more likely to have a baby that's born too early and too small. The likely culprit is
a labor-inducing chemical found in oral bacteria called prostaglandin. Very high levels of
prostaglandin are found in women with severe cases of periodontal disease.
On Intermarriage
In his Editor's Letter, "This Linkage
Is A Keeper" (Nov. 2, page 5), Editor
Robert A. Sklar refers to intermarriage
as one of "the Big Three of threats to
the religious identity of Jews age 18-39
in America."
It's a familiar lament, only there's
one problem: increasing evidence sug-
gests that it's not true.
The just-released study of Boston's
Jewish community revealed that 60
percent of intermarried families in the
Boston area are raising their children
as Jews, which means that intermar-
ried families aren't contributing to
the decline of the Boston Jewish com-
munity — they're actually helping to
increase its size!
It's also no coincidence that Boston
has the best-funded, best-organized
collection of outreach programs in the
country, and much of the community,
from the federation on down, makes
outreach a priority.
This comes on top of data from the
2004 Jewish Community Study of San
Francisco that showed that a greater
percentage of interfaith families rais-
ing their children Jewish had given
their children formal Jewish education
than had in-married families.
As the cases of Boston and San
Francisco demonstrate, intermar-
riage need not be a threat to religious
identity. With the right attitude and
the right programming, it can be an
opportunity.
For more information on periodontal disease speak with your periodontist or visit
the American Academy of Periodontolgy web site at www.perio.org
Dr. Steve L. Wolf (Periodontist)
23895 Novi Rd, Suite 200. Novi, MI
Tel (248)380-8020
November 23 • 2006
Ferndale
InterfaithFamily.com, Inc.
Newton Upper Falls, Mass.
Steven A. Kohler
Micah Sachs
online managing editor
West Bloomfield
Unfair Swipe
Harry Kirsbaum, in his column about
Saddam Hussein's trial and the death
penalty, took an unfair swipe at the
Democrats ("Hang 'Em High:' Nov. 9,
page 9).
After criticizing the death penalty
and describing a barbaric example in
Iran, Mr. Kirsbaum expressed his cyn-
icism at the timing of the verdict being
Correction
In "Coming Home" (Nov. 16, page 28),
it was stated that Steven Ingber of
Huntington Woods attended Wayne
State University law school, Detroit. He
did not, but his wife, Jill, did. She is an
attorney with Dickinson Wright PLLC
in Bloomfield Hills. Steven has taken
over his family's business, Diehl Auto
Parts in Southfield.
nunacT 'cha Don't Know
Borrowed from the English are the following modern
Hebrew verbs. Can you guess their meaning?
A. le-sabsed
B. le-zapzep
C. le-daskes
D. le-tarped
—Goldfein
•eap! ue „opediol„ of
'CI :ssnps!p 03 '3 :lauueq3 Al lueieWP e 0l „dez„ 03 .g :azip!sqns 03 *v Jamsuy
,;Copyright 2006, Jewish Renaissance Media
6
Jonathan Warshay
Anti-Semitic Borat
My wife and I returned from watching
the new movie release Borat, expect-
ing satirical comedy. We were incensed
after watching the performance of
Sacha Baron Cohen and his character's
blatant outpouring of unnecessary
anti-Semitism in the movie, particu-
larly from a fellow Jew.
Although Cohen might consider
himself a political satirist of the
likes of the late Ernie Kovacs, I am
shocked that the Jewish community
has not raised cries of outrage. The
mere thought of implicating the Jews
as being behind 9-11 was almost too
much to bear.
Particularly upsetting was Borat's
visit to a Jewish-run bed and breakfast
and the implication that the owners
transformed themselves into cock-
roaches to spy on them were remind-
ers of World War II anti-Semitism at
its finest.
What if I'm diagnosed with periodontal disease during pregnancy?
Research suggests that removing the destructive bacteria may reduce your risk, al-
leviate many of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with pregnancy gingivitis and
prevent irreversible damage from periodontitis.
As you make your way through the "to-dos," remember to check off a visit to your
dentist or periodontist. This baby step benefits you and your unborn baby!
just before our recent election. He then
said that if the roles were reversed, the
Democrats would have used the trial
to their advantage.
This war was George W. Bush's war
from the start. The president was look-
ing for any excuse to invade Iraq. Had
the roles been reversed, the war would
not have occurred, or at least not in
the manner it has. If Mr. Kirsbaum
feels the need to be evenhanded, he
should find a real issue. The use of a
hypothetical issue serves no proper
journalistic purpose.