Schumer: What a Phony
There is not much I can add to your erudite editorial last week about our Jewish senator, Chuck Schumer. Schumer is a political hack who has crashed every shul melaveh malka or similar event in Brooklyn for four decades, asking to speak and then giving his standard shpiel: “I am Chuck Schumer who represents you.”
In the past 40 years, though, he has proven that he certainly does not represent us. He is best known for hijacking topical news stories he usually has no connection with. He arranges a press conference and then calls for remedies which he forgets and abandons by the time the next news story appears on his radar, which calls for yet another Schumer hijacking. He has done little for anyone, except himself.
Sadly, as you intimate in your editorial, instead of speaking up on Jewish matters, Schumer focuses on those issues that he can make the most political hay out of, and which will garner him the most media attention. He is a disgrace to the Jewish community.
Judge Joseph A. Schubin (Ret.)
Suffern, New York
The Soros Family Best Be Quiet
If ever someone writing in defense of one near and dear managed at the same time to open a can of worms, it is Alexander Soros.
On October 24, he wrote an op-ed in The New York Times titled, “The Hate That Is Consuming Us.” Instead of focusing on the bomb mailed to his father George Soros, though, he spends much time accusing President Donald Trump of allegedly emboldening anti-Semites. Before doing that, he notes, “My father grew up in the shadow of the Nazi Regime in Hungary.” That wasn’t smart.
Soros didn’t just grow up in this regime. He helped it. He delivered deportation notices to Jews and served as an apprentice to an official at the Ministry of Agriculture who had Soros accompany him while he conducted inventory of confiscated Jewish property.
When questioned about his wartime activity on 60 Minutes in 1998, Soros said he felt no shame, claiming, “My character was made because I thought ahead anticipating events” and “The confiscations weren’t difficult at all.” He said if he hadn’t done it, others would have.
L. Charm Tenenbaum
Covering Up For Soros
The New York Times devoted a full page to praising George Soros on November 1. Unfortunately, that is to be expected from this anti-Israel and sometimes anti-Semitic paper. Only a bare mention is made in the article of Soros’s virulent hatred of the Jewish state and his funding of far-left organizations.
My only thought after reading this lengthy article was how similar the name Soros is to the Yiddish word for trouble, “tzouris.” For that is what Soros has been to the Jewish community, nothing but trouble.
Nelson Marans
New York, NY
Shuls Need Guns
The Pittsburgh massacre ironically occurred on Rabbi Meir Kahane’s 28th yahrzeit. The rabbi, co-founder of the Jewish Defense League, recognized that dangerous anti-Semitism existed in the United States and advocated potential life-saving Jewish self-defense – for which he was vilified by the Jewish establishment.
The JDL’s slogan of “Never Again” was adopted, but unfortunately never actualized, so synagogues remained open, soft targets for an inevitable murderous attack.
May the victims’ families only experience good tidings from now on, and may Jews protect themselves appropriately.
Henry Moscovic
Queens, NY
Anti-Semitism Isn’t Dead
The Haggadah says: In every generation, evil forces rise to destroy us. Some things have changed, but the poison of anti-Semitism remains. Anti-Zionism and plain Jew-hatred lurks in the corners while social media gives a platform to the darkest voices in our society.
We must remain vigilant and appreciate the protections offered by our government. We must come together as a community to support our synagogues and organizations fighting the scourge of Jew-hatred, BDS, and anti-Zionism. We must demand the removal of anti-Semitic material from social media.
We must teach love, not hate, and civil discourse must return to TV and the Internet. We must respect each other for – when all is said and done, we are one nation, however different, under one God.
Am Yisrael chai. Never again!
Rubin Margules
Chassidim and Reform Jews – Anti-Semites Don’t Distinguish
I’m sure some people don’t really care about the massacre in Pittsburgh because it took place in a non-Orthodox shul. But the lunatic who committed this atrocious crime was targeting Jews. He could not care less if the Jews he murdered were Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. If a Satmar shul or yeshiva stood in the same spot as the Tree of Life synagogue, Robert Bowers would have walked into it and done the same exact thing – kill Jews.
I think it was very telling that all of Squirrel Hill’s Jews, no matter what denomination they are affiliated with, came out to show their outrage and support for the victims and their families. We as Jews must also show our appreciation to the non-Jewish clergy and non-Jewish members of that community who came out to show their support. This was a crime against all Jews and all decent people.
Barry Koppel
Kew Gardens Hills, NY
No Media Bias?
President Trump is correct in pointing to media bias. The following proves it:
Several weeks ago, the federal government released statistics showing a vibrant economy with unemployment levels we haven’t seen in decades. Yet, all the major television networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC – completely ignored these statistics. Not one minute of coverage was given to them.
Keep in mind how important this information is. In 1992, the main slogan of the Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign was, “It’s the economy stupid.” In other words, promises of a good economy are critical to an election victory.
Consider the impact if blacks knew that black unemployment is the lowest it’s ever been. Or if Hispanics knew that Hispanic unemployment is the lowest it’s ever been. Or if Asians knew that Asians unemployment is the lowest it’s ever been. Or if women knew that female unemployment is the lowest it’s been in 65 years.
All this is important and great news, and yet it was not mentioned on the three largest television networks. Can anyone honestly argue that there’s no media bias?
Arthur Horn
East Windsor, New Jersey