frontlines >> 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 jewishnews.com . We prefer email.

Tisha B'Av And
The Holocaust
The month of Av is an auspicious time
of mourning for the Jewish people.
On Tisha b'Av, the ninth day of Av, we
remember the numerous tragedies that
have befallen our people.
We mourn the destruction of our
holy temples; the first and second
Batei Mikdash that were destroyed over
2,000 years ago. Tens of thousands of
men, women and children were killed
by the Romans just because they were
Jews. We were driven. out from our holy
country that God himself gave us. We
have been in golus, exile, ever since.
On Tisha b'Av, we, too, should
remember another churban (tragedy)
that our generation experienced in
Europe. I am referring to the annihila-
tion of 6 million innocent Jews during
the Holocaust.
We should recall the recent his-
tory of the Jewish people. We lived in
Europe for hundreds of years. We were
good citizens, obeying the laws of the
country.
Then, in 1933, the Third Reich
came into power in Germany. It was
eventually joined by many European
countries. Together, they forced us out
of our homes and put us into ghettoes.
They built killing factories equipped
with gas chambers and crematoria in
Auschwitz, Majdenek and Buna, where
they murdered, in cold blood, millions
upon millions of Jews, including one-
and-a-half million children.
The 6 million kedoshim (holy ones)
were not allotted proper burials. Their
graves are in heaven and in our hearts.
Indeed, that was the churban of our
generation of Europe. That is the Tisha
b'Av for us, the survivors.
We Jews had many tragedies over
the years, but the Holocaust was the
most destructive. Yes, the Nazis killed
6 million Jews, burned our shuls and
our holy books, but they could not kill
Yiddishkeit.
Z'chor v'al tishkach ... remember,
never forget.

Michael Weiss
Holocaust survivor and speaker at

the Holocaust Memorial Center

Oak Park

Medium Lori Lipten
Touches The Soul
In July 2004, my mother passed away
after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's
disease. I had an irrational, yet
intensely insatiable need to talk to my
mother.
A dear friend told me about Lori

Lipten ("Soul Sister," July 19, page 1).
In September of that year, I called her,
and she said she usually can't make
contact so soon after someone dies,
but that my mother was "all over her?'
Perhaps that was because we were
not able to really talk to each other for
so long after the disease robbed her
essence away from me and everyone
else who loved her.
I was, I admit, skeptical, but I was
so desperate to connect with my mom.
Not even minutes after she began, Lori
echoed the same pressured words I
had spoken as I hugged my mom to
me after she passed away ... "I love
you,-I love you, I love you."
The rest of the session was in com-
plete harmony with who I knew my
mother to be. I left feeling so much
comfort and connection and confir-
mation of the bond my mother and I
shared. What a gift! It stays with me to
this day.
Thank you, Lori, and thank you Gail
Zimmerman for writing this story.

Yiddish
Limerick

Tisha B'Av

We lost Bais HaMikdash,* nisht eth
ober tzvay**
So Yidn are sad, Lamentations we
say.
Our Temple no more
So, yetzt yeder yohr,***
Mir gedeinken**** our Temple on
Tisha b'Av day.

* Bais HaMikdash — the Holy
Temple
** nisht ein, ober tzvay — not
one, but two.
*** yetzt yeder yohr — now every
year
**** Mir gedeinkn — we remem
ber

Janice Tracht

Rachel Kapen

West Bloomfield

Zealot's Acts Explained
In Torah Commentaries
In response to Rabbi Tamara Kolton's
interpretation of parshat Pinchas
("Do You `Do Torah?'" July 12, page
27), she seems to have a valid point
as to why Pinchas should not be con-
sidered a hero for killing the Jewish
prince, Zimri, for consorting with
the Medianite (non-Jewish) princess,
Cozbi.
Her position, as stated, seems to
make sense. The punishment does not
(seemingly) fit the crime. She invites
her readers to "just look up Pinchas and
read the Torah commentary yourself"
I did, and this is what I found.
On page 875 of the Stone edition of
the Chumash (bible), paragraph 25,
notes 1-18, it clarifies exactly what
was going on."... sexual morality is a
foundation of Jewish holiness and God
does not tolerate immorality ..."
The Ten Commandments begin with
the statements, "I am the Lord your
God" and "do not have other Gods?'
The Medianite and Moabite women
were sent to try to corrupt the Jewish
men into worshiping idols before con-
senting to cohabitation. This caused
the men to fall out of favor with God.
Prior to Pinchas killing both Cozbi
and Zimri, 24,000 Jews died of a
plague because of the many Jewish
men who fell prey and cohabited with
these women.

The Stone commentary further
states "in a shocking exhibit of bra-
zenness, a Jew brought his paramour
directly to Moses at the entrance of
the Tent of Assembly and sinned in
public view?' When Pinchas killed that
prince and princess, the plague ceased.
Through his act, many people were
saved from the plague.
Obviously, there is much more in
play here than was made clear in Rabbi
Kolton's analysis and presentation. The
facts are known to anyone who studies
the traditional commentaries.
In today's world, there are many
half-truths in political and business
TV ads. One would hope that this
would not occur when dealing with
a rabbi's interpretation of a religious
text, especially when that text has
significant commentaries that totally
clarify the meaning of the portion.
By downplaying the severity of the
event, she has misled anyone reading
her interpretation. She does not give
credence to the very commentaries she
made reference to.
So to Rabbi Kolton's, question, "do I
do Torah?:' I would respond, "You do
Torah and your congregation a disser-
vice by taking the erroneous, superfi-
cial position you have put forth here?'

Paul Garrett, Amy Walker
and Ron Elkus

Volunteers needed on
Sunday, September

2nd from 9:30 am -

3:30 pm to help
out at the fabulous
ARTS, BEATS & EATS

in downtown Royal
Oak. ARC is honored
to be chosen as one
of the Gate Charity

Partners and will
share in a portion of
the proceeds raised at
the event. For more

information, contact
Melissa Garrett

at 248-488-7541
or melissagarrett@

jarc.org.

MEET
Lauren Potter

Ron Lowy
West Bloomfield

Letters on page 6

248.538.6611 • jarc.org

