Accuracy a must
Sir, – With regard to “Police arrest four haredim for graffiti
at Yad Vashem” (June 27), I believe your reporting is inaccurate when you don’t
state until the third paragraph that it was members of the Natorei Karta who
were involved in the spray painting at Yad Vashem and other sites.
For
most haredim the actions and views of this group are totally repugnant and
unacceptable.
Your headline should have read, “Police arrest four Natorei
Karta members for graffiti at Yad Vashem.”
Accuracy here is very
important!
LEAH WEINBERG
Jerusalem
Dying of thirst
Sir, – The State of Israel
has much to learn from the rabbinate. The country’s secular are indeed thirsty
for spiritual knowledge and for the waters in the well of holiness. However, the
chief rabbis, instead of quenching the people’s thirst, have erected a mighty
wall around this well, effectively keeping tens of thousands from drinking from
its waters (“Amar: Non-Orthodox movements put Judaism in danger of irreparable
split,” June 27).
Brick by brick the chief rabbis have managed to cut off
so many of our brethren that even knowledge about the well is becoming scarce
and people are dying of thirst.
YAACOV PETERSEIL
Jerusalem
No comparison
Sir, – Regarding “Providing hope for refugees in Tel Aviv” (Comment &
Features, June 27), which compares the fate we dish out to African refugees to
the fate of Jews over the ages, I do have a little difficulty in seeing all
those cattle trucks packed with refugees on their way concentration camps to be
worked or starved to death or to be murdered in gas chambers.
JULIAN
ISRAEL
Haifa
In our hands?
Sir, – While it may be fashionable whether one wears
a scarf that looks like a tallit or not, the whole issue is a disgrace to us
(“Woman detained at Kotel for wearing ‘male’ tallit,” June 22).
One of
the most inspiring results of the 1967 war is that the State of Israel regained
control of its holy places. So, now we have the “rabbi” of the Wall and his
followers telling valorous Jewish women what they can and can’t wear or
do.
While we technically have the Temple Mount in our hands, practically
we don’t, and it is a deep shame and stain on the Jewish state that such bigotry
and discrimination against women exist in such a holy place.
BARRY LYNN
Efrat
Unfair article
Sir, – I was surprised to see your article “Montenegro’s
tiny Jewish community gets organized” by Gil Shefler (June 6).
Many of
the remarks were disparaging and offensive. Besides its diminishing tone, the
article manipulated factual inaccuracies and interviews recently given to Israel
Radio and Army Radio. Portraying the story of the Jewish community of Montenegro
– widely accepted as a story of success – in a deprecating light was at the very
least distasteful.
Forgive my frankness, but the author’s paraphrase of
Frank Zappa’s statement that every country needs to have its own national brand
of beer and airline, to which Shefler adds “Jewish community,” is deeply
offensive. Moreover, his statement that there are 10 active members in our
community is taken out of context – it numbers about 80 members, along with 200
inactive Jews across Montenegro. We have to bear in mind that the whole country
has a population of only 650,000.
JASHA ALFANDARI GEORG RAICEVIC-LEVY
Podogroica, Montenegro
The writers are president and vice president,
respectively, of the Jewish community of Montenegro
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