8 June 13 • 2019
jn

continued from page 5
online comments

Rabbi Tamara Kolton’
s opinion piece 
(page 8, May 30) about the abortion 
issue prompted comments on the 
JN’
s Facebook page: 

Jim Van Eaton: “With today’
s 
emphasis on science, when are we 
going to start caring about the MOST 
vulnerable of us, the unborn children? 
Anyone who has seen an ultrasound 
knows there is a person in there. 
It’
s not just tissue. To equate pro-life 
with patriarchy is the highest hubris I 
could imagine. Killing children is not 
feminism.” 

Ambre Abbott: “Nice article. But 
to be clear, it’
s not just ‘
late-term 
abortions’
 that’
s become a hot topic. 
Any abortion, six weeks or even 
in cases for rape, is trying to be 
overturned.” 

Lissa Zack LoVasco: “Pro-choice is 
not equivalent to pro-abortion. The 
so-called pro-life people seem to only 
care about the zygote/child pre-being 
born. If all the people who are pro-
life supporters took the time to help 
children in need (who have already 
been born), the world would be a 
much better place.” 
 
Steven Seiler: “It’
s not about power 
of the ruling class and more to do 
with destroying human life! You can 

twist the subject all you want by 
going back to slavery and the Salem 
witch trials. Please take a long look 
at yourself, and I will pray that you 
change your ways!” 

Frances Swoish: “Any man who 
comments against abortion rights has 
no idea whatsoever.” 

Max Rohtbart: “Wow, [this piece] 
really misses the mark. More 
centered on religious or philosophical 
arguments from the pro-life side 
and liberty or practicality arguments 
from the pro-choice side. Lots of 
passions on both sides, which is 
understandable since it really is 
a complex issue which both sides 
rationalize into simplistic talking 
points.” 

Laura Hearshen: “Jewish pro-life 
female moderate Democrat survivor 
of sexual assault. Thank you for the 
article.” 

The Jewish News welcomes reader 
feedback. Feel free to comment on 
thejewishnews.com, our Facebook page 
or send a letter to letters@renmedia.us. 

views

publisher’
s notebook

Father’s Day

Mir hobn, kinder, Mother’
s Day
Mit bloomen, dinner, that’
s OK.
But what about your Tate, too
Un alle things er toot for you? 
Mein kind, that’
s all ich hob to say.

Mir hobn: we have
Kinder: children
Bloomen: flowers
Tate: Father
Un alle: And all
Er toot: he does
Mein kind: my child
Ich hob: I have

— By Rachel Kapen

Yiddish Limerick

possesses more of the skills necessary 
to participate in the country’
s high-tech 
economy — and reap its benefits — than 
the Haredi Jewish population.
The Taub data show that 62.2 percent 
of non-Haredi Jews and 36.9 percent of 
Israeli-Arabs possess good or very good 
English skills. This compares to 27 per-
cent of Haredi Jews. 
For Israeli-Arab girls studying in high 
school, 68 percent said their coursework 
includes math, 57 percent physics, 56 
percent computer science and 56 percent 
electronics. In general, these numbers 
are about twice as high as the overall 
Jewish population, and substantially 
higher than the Haredi population. 
Further, the data show that about 3 
percent of Haredi girls and 1 percent of 
Haredi boys are on high-tech education 
tracks.
The high cost of living in Israel places 
added pressure on the bulk of the pop-
ulation. According to the Taub Center 
data, prices in Israel are 14 percent 
higher than the average OECD country. 
They are 40 percent higher than the U.S. 
And with Israeli prices as the bench-
mark, only two countries — Chile and 
Latvia — are more expensive than Israel. 
Behind the startup nation curtain, 18.6 
percent of Israeli households fall below 
the poverty rate. Among Israeli Arabs, 
the poverty rate is 49.4 percent and 45.1 
percent among the Haredi Jewish popu-
lation. It is 13.3 percent for non-Haredi 

Jews. When measured using disposable 
income, Israel’
s poverty rate is the high-
est among all OECD countries.
None of these data detract from the 
miracle that is Israel, its high-tech savvy 
and its regional and global achievements 
under overwhelming external military, 
political and economic pressure. But car-
ing about Israel’
s future requires looking 
beyond the allure of “start-up nation” 
and remembering there are millions of 
ordinary Israelis from all walks of life 
who struggle daily to make ends meet 
in a high-cost, low-disposable income 
country. 
The Israeli government must prioritize 
and address these fundamental dispari-
ties, equipping more of the current and 
future labor force with the educational 
and English-language skills needed 
to compete and succeed. Jews in the 
diaspora have an ongoing role to play, 
too. One notable example is the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’
s 
Partnership2Gether achievement in 
teaching critical English language skills 
to thousands of children residing in the 
Central Galilee region.
With reliable data and trusted insights 
from the Taub Center, closing the gap 
between Israel’
s haves and have nots is 
not rocket science — that’
s reserved for 
moon shots. It will, however, require the 
same now-legendary focus an 
d deter-
mination that are the underpinnings of 
“startup nation.” ■

