Saving Lives
Thank you for publishing yet another inspiring article – “A Match Made in Heaven” (May 5). The article was about a woman who donated a kidney to a stranger and was inspired to do so by an ad in The Jewish Press.
It was an ad in The Jewish Press that first inspired me to donate a kidney as well. The ad said, “Save A Jewish Life. Be Mekayim A Once In A Lifetime Mitzvah.” My kidney donation ended up being the greatest experience of my life.
Since then, my brother and one of my nephews have donated kidneys as well. And I know of numerous others who’ve donated a kidney because of ads in The Jewish Press. The Jewish Press not only features such interesting, inspiring, and informative articles, it helps saves lives, too.
I have placed an ad on page 18 of this week’s Jewish Press for the wonderful wife of a prominent Hatzolah member who is blood type O and in desperate need of a kidney. I am hoping readers will be inspired by the ad to donate a kidney, and that someone will contact me to help save the life of an extraordinary woman.
I have been reading The Jewish Press since I was a young girl, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for a great newspaper and for all you do on behalf of the community.
Chaya Lipschutz
Kidney Donor
Kidney & Liver Matchmaker
KidneyMitzvah.com
Dismayed By Mizrachi Article (I)
I was dismayed to see the lengthy article about Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi in the Magazine section. It is my understanding that there is a public letter signed by 16 prominent rabbis that discredits him.
I have never heard him speak but would be wary of going to a lecture by someone who has been criticized by many respected rabbanim.
Nachum Myers
Via E-Mail
Dismayed By Mizrachi Article (II)
How could The Jewish Press publish such a favorable article about Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi when – among many other problematic remarks he’s made – he disputed the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, putting the total far lower than six million and claiming that most of those who perished were not real Jews?
He gave an apology of sorts after being hit by a wave of condemnation, but his original remarks are not easily forgotten.
Molly Schwartz
Via E-Mail
‘Enemy Of My Enemy’
Re “The Trump Middle East Reset Is a Signal Event” (editorial, May 26):
I understand your skepticism concerning the massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other aspects of the Israel/Saudi/U.S triangle.
I hearken back, as I’m often prone to do, to the very wise general I worked under years ago. He made the point during a discussion of a certain issue that life’s greatest, most effective motivator is fear, not love or compassion or a good heart. He referred to it as the “supreme motivator and catalyst.”
I believe this is exactly what we’re witnessing vis-a-vis the Saudis and the Egyptians. Both are motivated, driven, by a quite understandable fear of Iran’s mullahs. That fear is, without question, creating an “enemy of my enemy” scenario that needs strong assistance from the Israelis.
And while they’ll “get into bed” with Israel to counter the enormous threat to their regimes, your editorial point is well taken: be wary, and expect somewhere down the line the double-cross, the inevitable shift.
I no longer have any way of knowing, but my instinct, my gut, tells me that substantial connections have already be made and others are being discussed – namely and most critically, the logistics for striking Iranian nuclear facilities.
Today’s weaponry is a far cry from my days in Intelligence. We’re talking about cybernetics as crucial and powerful as planes carrying big bomb loads, with the ability (hopefully) to create massive disruptions and explosions. I’m certain that fighter-bomber air routes and Jericho missile coordinates are being discussed as well.
Myron Hecker
(Via E-Mail)
Public-Relations Stunt
Your decision to have Trump at the Western Wall on the front page was predictable, and something that Trump no doubt expected from publications such as yours. However, absent from your caption was the fact that this visit was made only after a visit beforehand the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and no Israeli was allowed to be anywhere close to the Kotel as long as Trump was there because his administration wanted to make clear it was not recognizing any Israeli sovereignty even at the Western Wall.
The truth is that Trump could have done more to help Israel if he publicly discussed the unwillingness of Abbas and company to reform its education of young people and fight terrorism. That would be far more important than carrying out a public-relations stunt to distract people from his unfulfilled promise about moving the U.S. embassy, not to mention the embarrassing revelations of his administration’s Russian connections.
Yosef Tannenbaum
(Via E-Mail)
‘Off Shabbos’
I don’t think I ever heard the concept of taking an “off Shabbos” from yeshiva until 10 or 15 years ago. Probably I just didn’t travel in those circles. It’s the concept that a yeshiva gives off a Sunday, cancels Shabbos activities, closes down the dormitories, and lets students go home to their families. Sort of like a weekend pass from jail.
I think many of us could use an occasional “off Shabbos,” especially right after the Sukkos and Pesach holidays. Of course, what an “off Shabbos” means depends on what your regular Shabbos is like. But this is what I have in mind:
Friday night Minchah would have a heicha Shemoneh Esrei; in other words, no repetition of the amidah. Kabbalas Shabbos/Maariv would be like a Chol HaMoed Shabbos. Kabbalas Shabbos would start with Mizmor Shir and no Bameh Madlikin, and of course there would be no chazzanus or sermonette or anything else to stretch out the davening.
Saturday morning would start with Berachos. If davening usually starts at 9 a.m., it would start on the “off Shabbos” at 9:30 or even 10. Pesukei Dezmira would consist of Baruch She’amar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach. After that, there would be a normal but fairly quick davening. Shemoneh Esrei again would have Kedushah first, and no chazzan’s repetition.
Either there would be no leining or three people would be called up for the same leining as the previous Thursday (of course, the “missing” parshah would be caught up with in subsequent weeks).
No rabbi’s speech (that’s a given) and no chazzan’s repetition of the Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei. There’d be no Anim Zemiros – that’s too holy for an “off Shabbos.”
Estimated morning davening time: less than an hour.
Minchah would have no leining. (If it did, it would be the same leining as that morning.) Again, no repetition of the amidah. At Maariv, those who usually say Barach Hashem L’Olam would skip it.
We might even continue with the same abridged davening for Sunday morning. After all, what they call “off Shabbos” in yeshiva is really “off weekend.”
A female colleague correctly pointed out that my proposal is rather male-centric. To a female, an “off Shabbos” might mean eating on plastic plates or even, God forbid, having leftovers, take-out, or pizza for Shabbos meals.
Quite honestly, I don’t consider any of this drastic, just an opportunity to recoup after eight days of Pesach or nine of Sukkos.
Say, maybe we should have an “off Shabbos” three or four times throughout the year. Just a thought!
Harold A. Marks
(Via E-Mail)