September 7: Remembering Abigail

Abigail Radoszkowicz: 'Her memory will endure.'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters 88 (photo credit: )
letters 88
(photo credit: )
Sir, - I didn't know Abigail other than that long, recognizable name in my paper. But reading her obituary two weeks before Rosh Hashana, one cannot help thinking that if we want to be remembered like that, we'd better start acting like it. How beautiful to be a giver, and not a taker ("Post's beloved op-ed editor, Abigail Radoszkowicz, dies at 53," September 6). M.M. MORDECHAI VAN ZUIDEN Jerusalem Sir, - I only knew Abigail via e-mails, but she seemed like a wonderful person. The obituary in yesterday's paper only reinforced those thoughts. I share in your loss. MICHAEL HIRSCH Kochav Ya'ir Sir, - Please send the whole Jerusalem Post team heartfelt condolences from myself, and from Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and our bureau on the passing of Abigail. I always enjoyed working with her and will remember her extremely fondly. Even when she was under pressure she kept her sense of humor and her composure. Though I had only a professional relationship with her, she always found time to enquire about my personal life. She will be sadly missed by us all. ASHLEY PERRY Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jerusalem Sir, - I was stunned to hear of Abigail's death. I never met her personally in old-fashioned, non-virtual reality, yet found her a wonderful person to work with: quick on the uptake, open-minded and generous toward op-ed contributors. I felt her warmth coming through cyberspace. A wonderful role model for all of us on how plain old meschlichkeit can trump the Web. We mourn her, but her memory will endure. ELIHU D RICHTER Jerusalem Sir, - I didn't know Abigail for long, but every moment spent with her was full of laughter and gaiety. Her sudden death will leave a big void. NATHALIE BLAU, Editor Jerusalem Post French Edition Jerusalem Sir, - I am truly saddened to hear this tragic news, and ask that God provide Abigail's family with comfort and blessing. SHMULEY BOTEACH Englewood, New Jersey Sir, - I never had the privilege of meeting Abigail, yet she had an impact on me. A few months ago she published an op-ed article of mine, my first-ever published article. As a result, I continued to send her articles. Of course, most of them were not accepted, but Abigail's e-mail replies were always polite and encouraging. YONATAN SREDNI Jerusalem Sir, - I was very saddened to hear about the passing of Abigail Radoszkowicz. She gave me my first big break when she accepted me as a contributing cartoonist to the Post, and she was always quick to dish out praise when I sent in an entry she liked. MENACHEM G. JERENBERG Ramat Beit Shemesh Wallets, not words Sir, - Jerusalemites who attended the recent ENP Ethiopian Cultural Festival saw how Ethiopian Jewish teenagers can soar when given educational and social mentoring. Sadly, as the academic year begins, there are insufficient funds to open 26 ENP Scholastic Assistance Programs at Jerusalem schools - 480 Ethiopian teens are to be cut off from participation in this lifeline to success. Was the sparse attendance at the ENP festival a reflection of the vacation season, or an absence of concern among those able to support the Ethiopian National Project (www.enp.org.il)? Those moved by Pnina Radai's "Give Ethiopian Jews a chance to flourish" (August 25) must respond with wallets, not words. JO ANNE C. ADLERSTEIN Jerusalem Boom and bust Sir, - As David Horovitz pointed out, a company cannot thrive if it gives away its product on-line for nothing. The solution should be clear. Offer a small free sample to the customer, then charge for the full product. Offer today's headlines and yesterday's news free; those who want the full story and current news will have to pay. People have become used to getting it all for nothing, so the initial charge should be small; when they get used to paying, the price can be raised to meet the cost of maintaining the product or, horrors, even make a modest profit ("Boom and bust, online," August 28). STEPHEN COHEN Ma'aleh Adumim This is taking sleep too far Sir, - "Sleeping on planes: Advice from a specialist" (Andrea Sachs, Travel, September 6) contained an innocent-appearing suggestion that alarmed me. Despite the disclaimer of first needing to consult with a physician, Steven Scharf "recommends an aid such as Ambien," despite the fact that the drug has been well known for its deleterious side-effects for over 20 years. I bear personal witness to that. In 1984, I was invited to New Zealand as a visiting professor during a decade when I was experiencing serious lower back pain. The first leg of the flight was from Los Angeles to Hawaii. I was advised to get some sleep with Ambien, and was assured that the drug would wear off before we landed. It became one of the worst episodes of my life; it made me into a zombie. I had to exit the plane in a state in which I understood the phrase "living dead." It was a terrible, totally helpless feeling that didn't wear off for hours. Back home, I researched the drug. The evidence against it was accumulating. Its especially serious reactions, including antegrade amnesia - amnesia of events after the drug was taken - were being reported, acknowledging the special aggravation induced by jet flight. Why such a casual-appearing recommendation now I don't know, but I am compelled to write this warning. PESACH GOODLEY, M.D. Telz Stone Terrible waste Sir, - Further to Leonard Zurakov's "Ready & waiting" (Letters, August 28) about his desire to teach English, is anyone else aware that if you apply to teach English to students in the Israeli Intelligence Services, there is a cut-off date of 1960? If, like me, you were born in 1949, you need not apply. What happened? Did I lose my ability to speak read and write in English? Or did I perhaps suddenly lose the use of my diploma, my (for life) teaching certificate, and any other knowledge I may have gained along the way such as writing a business letter, a business proposal or a grammatically correct sentence? I ask, why this terrible waste of talent? REIDA MISHORY-ISSEROFF Kfar Yona CORRECTION In Sunday's story headlined "Poll shows surge of support for Israel among Americans," some 59 percent of the respondents said they were Israel supporters, compared to 8% for the Palestinians, and not 29% as inadvertently reported. Likewise, 63 percent of the respondents said that America should support Israel over the Palestinians and only 8% think Washington should back the Palestinians. This was a significant jump from November, when that number was 44% for Israel, and 5% for the Palestinians.