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.