frontlines >> letters }low 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. Proud To Be Citizen Of Two Great Democracies As a person of dual Israeli-American citizenship, I am often asked if this doesn't cause a conflict at times. My unequivocal answer is, "No, never." First of all, I remind the inquirer, Israel, my country of birth and upbring- ing, and the United States, my adoptive country where I lived most of my adult life, are strong friends and allies, and I can't see a possibility of a conflict between the two in which I would have to choose sides. But what about the decided lack of warmth between my president, Barack Obama, who, to my complete satisfac- tion, was recently awarded a second term, while at the same time, not to my satisfaction, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu seems to have just won another term? "How do you feel about that?" I keep getting asked. Well, to tell you the truth, I do under- stand my president and his dislike for my prime minister, for I, too, do not like the man and strongly oppose his poli- tics. Yet, paradoxically, I have to admit that I feel pride seeing him appear in forums such as the United Nations and speak in defense of Israel. But, you see, being the citizen of two countries that are model democracies, in which one can and does voice his opinion freely and noisily — in Israel with its multiple parties, it is even nois- ier than in the United State with only its two major parties — I have no problem in doing so. The inauguration of the 44th presi- dent of the United States, whether first term or second, is an immensely more formal and festive event than the election of a prime minister in Israel. There's no pomp and circumstance in the much-smaller Israel, where to engage in such extravaganza would be unseemly. Also very dissimilar is the method of electing the cabinet and the legis- lature — the Knesset comprising 120 members is a topic for another time. Yet, both my countries are democracies to their core, and I am equally proud of both. To be the product of two model democracies is a real privilege. Rachel Kapen West Bloomfield Israeli Voters Decrease Support Of Haredim I confess to being somewhat surprised by the angry responses to my rather bland letter concerning the rise of right- wing parties in Israel ("U.S. Jews May Not Agree With Israel's Right Wine Jan. 3, page 5). My initial letter did not mention Palestinians or the settlements, but that did not stop my right-wing American Jewish friends from setting up that straw man. Obviously, Israel requires a negotiat- ing partner, which does not appear to exist at this time. My letter did mention the Orthodox monopoly and the fact that some hare- dim [ultra-Orthodox] do not serve in the Isreal Defense Forces. Apparently, the Israeli electorate shifted somewhat with the sentiment that too many resources are being allocated to the ultras, not to mention the unfairness of exempting some of the haredim from their IDF service. I hope our right-wing friends respect this apparent shift in the Israeli electoral trends as well as the hard right-wing policies, which they so heartily endorse on a reflexive basis. You can't have it both ways. Michael Golob Bloomfield Hills Rabbi's Goldman's Early Shul Recalled Here is a little more information on Congregation Shaarey Shomayim. Rabbi Leo Goldman was its rabbi for many years, before the synagogue moved to Oak Park ("A Life Of Kindness And Torah:' Jan. 3, page 40). The synagogue was located on the northeast corner of Muirland and Midland in Detroit. I was bar mitz- vahed there in 1949. My father, Jacob Arbit, was president, and a friend's father, Harry Horowitz, also served as president. The synagogue also had a cemetery at Hebrew Memorial Park on Gratiot. My grandfather Peretz Weinziger would go there for daily minyan. The shul had a mechitzah to separate men from women. It was very small and comfortable. Rabbi Goldman was superb in leading the congregation. My parents donated two Sefer Torahs to the synagogue. They were still being used at the Oak Park synagogue. One year at the High Holidays, Rabbi Goldman had a blind cantor lead the services. He was mag- nificent. This was all during the war years. The original building remains in use as a church. Joining MLK Taskforce Was A Great Experience I was fascinated as I read Kenneth Jacobson's article because I have been affiliated with my Southfield Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Taskforce for almost five years ("MLK's Legacy: An Enduring Reminder Of The Just Way:' Jan. 17, page 25). I joined the taskforce because, as a Jewish citizen of Southfield, I wanted to see more diversity in the annual event. I cannot tell you how glad I am to be part of this group. They embraced me right from the start and honored me last year by nominating me for the Diversity Champion Award given by the Birmingham Community Building Diversity program. Happily, I was one of 40 people honored that beautiful day in April, and many taskforce members came to the breakfast ceremony to sup- port me. The taskforce also adopted the won- derful Jewish saying, "From Generation to Generation:' as we focus on program- ming for our youth. I am so proud. I look forward to many more years with my fellow taskforce members. I invite my Southfield Jewish friends to join me as we work together to further our relationship with each other. Euni Rose Southfield Gun Control Advocates Should Study Constitution What a shame to feature a short, trite, shallow article about a complex subject on the front page ("Gun Control; Jan. 24). Drunk driving isn't caused by cars, com- puters don't cause identity theft, and fraud and guns just don't go off by themselves! Our permissive society does not intervene to stop those who should be monitored. Violence in the media is rampant, yet those who create the prod- uct "self-righteously" deny they have set a violent mindset. The Jewish Community Relations Council has regularly assumed that its liberal or secular agenda is the "Jewish ideal." Wrong! Regarding a citizen's need for protection from a Hitler-like govern- ment, Rabbi Joseph Klein [of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park] said, "My America is not Germany in the 1930s:' However, many Jews in Germany in 1930 felt positively about Germany. I suggest that those who truly want to understand the Second Amendment read the original source material related to the creation of the Constitution. Dr. S Meyer Arbit David L. Harold, M.D. West Bloomfield West Bloomfield Ask Attorney Ken Gross about... Your Financial Issues Do the Math! If you are in a 30% tax bracket and you • are carrying $80,000 of credit card debt at 18% interest - do the math. You're paying $14,400 per year in interest (80K x 18%). This is non-deductible. 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