Letters To The Editor

By: Our Readers

Published: October 17th, 2012

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Siddur Left In Harrisburg

Our shul in Harrisburg is only about 20 minutes from Hershey, PA. As such, we enjoy the many visitors who pass through around Sukkos time. Last week a traveler came to our minyan and left behind a small Metzudah siddur with the name Dani Schon in it.

Can anyone help me get in touch with Dani so that our shul can reunite him with his siddur?

I can be reached at 717-238-0763 or RabbiMales@Yahoo.com.

Thanks so much.

Rabbi Akiva Males
Kesher Israel Congregation
Harrisburg, PA

Nix On Olmert

While I have mixed feelings about Prime Minister Netanyahu and his reliability, I am horrified that former prime minister Ehud Olmert is planning a comeback (“Netanyahu Announces Early Elections in Israel,” front page news story, Oct. 12).

While I doubt that anyone would step aside to allow him to snare the top spot, I fear Olmert could succeed in insinuating himself into the government if he wins a seat in the Knesset. By any measure I think this would be detrimental to Israel. Separate and apart from his legal difficulties, as prime minister Olmert seemed all too ready to sell out Israel’s interests in making a deal with the Palestinians.

Richard Feldman
(Via E-Mail)

Terrorism In Benghazi

It is obvious to me that something went very wrong in Benghazi in terms of U.S. preparedness, and your comment that the significance of 9/11 seems not to have been considered by those in charge was right on point (Investigating Benghazi,” editorial, Oct. 12).

I am intrigued though by your suggestion that President Obama and his administration may have been motivated somewhat by a refusal to acknowledge the existence of a threat when they had already declared victory over the terrorists in the area. Certainly taking drastic precautions would have been inconsistent with this claim, as would acknowledging that terrorists rather than protesters against that infamous video were to blame.

I doubt the current congressional hearings will get to the bottom of this before the election, though new revelations are possible. At any rate, the hearings should continue even after the election, whoever wins. As you noted, a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed. No stone should be left unturned.

Patrice Mongello
(Via E-Mail)

Sanctions And Iran

Reader Mindy Abrams got it only partially right (Letters, Oct. 12). Not only will the Iranians refuse to knuckle under any time soon, but the sanctions that were imposed have been a farce from the beginning. Most of Iran’s trading partners are exempt and it was only this past week that the European Union seriously targeted the Iranian banking system. The mullahs know we are not serious and the Russians and Chinese have their back.

Moshe Zuckerman
Jerusalem

Jews’ Support For Obama

The late sociologist Milton Himmelfarb famously said, “Jews earn like Episcopalians and vote like Puerto Ricans.” In America, Jews were given the opportunity under free market capitalism to become the best educated and the most financially successful group in the nation. Despite that, most Jews will vote in three weeks for a president who is hostile to capitalism and rules like a dictator with executive orders, unelected bureaucrats and activist judges.

Obama told us he would “fundamentally transform America.” He told Joe the Plumber that he intends to redistribute the wealth of the achievers to the dependency class that is his voting base. The nation’s wealth will continue to go to Obama’s green energy crony capitalist friends and to government and private sector labor unions whose members’ dues are laundered and then sent to the Democrats.

Many Jews who think Obama will safeguard Medicare ignore his looting of billions from Medicare to help fund Obamacare. The resulting reduction of payments to hospitals and doctors will force them to turn away Medicare patients. Under Obamacare seniors will be denied medical and hospital care by a board of non-medical bureaucrats to reduce costs.

The blind support for Obama by a majority of Jews defies all logic and understanding.

George Rubin
New York, NY

The Eyes Have It

While watching the first Romney/Obama debate on Oct. 3, I pointed out to my wife how Gov. Romney was constantly looking directly at President Obama and making eye contact with him, whereas Obama kept looking everywhere except at Romney.

I strongly felt the reason for his doing so was because it is very difficult to look someone straight in the eyes while you are completely distorting what that person has said or done.

So I was more than pleased to read, the very next day, something in Dr. Dovid Lieberman’s Human Nature 101 column (Jewish Press, Oct. 5) that confirmed my observation.

He wrote as follows:

No, or little, direct eye contact is a classic sign of deception. A person who is lying to you MAY do everything to avoid making eye contact. Unconsciously, he feels you will be able to see through him – via his eyes. Feeling guilty, he doesn’t want to face you. Instead he will glance down or his eyes may dart from side to side. Conversely, when we tell the truth or we’re offended by a false accusation, we tend to give our full focus and have fixed concentration. We lock eyes with our accuser as if to say, “You’re not getting away until we get to the bottom of this.”

The latter two sentences describe Gov. Romney’s demeanor and body language. He was telling the truth.

Meyer Rudner
Kew Garden Hills, NY

Jews Uniting

As soon as I read the article “Na’anuim: Moving Together As One People” by Rabbi Yona Reiss (The Magazine, Oct. 5), I just had to write to you.

I am currently attending a new seminary program in New York called Ateres Naava that perfectly exemplifies this idea. AN welcomes girls from all points on the religious spectrum and every girl learns to put aside her differences and really experience what it means to be a part of the Jewish nation and come together as a whole to learn and grow.

We are all different, and each and every group of Jews has something special to contribute to the klal. How special it is to witness Jews of all ages and abilities coming together to fulfill the will of God.

May we merit to always see the good in every Jew and look out for one another so that we can continue to be a “light unto the nations.”

Thank you for a beautiful article with an everlasting message.

Esther Deutsch
(Via E-Mail)

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