The whole idea of Holocaust Remembrance Day is never to forget.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Reward her insteadIn response to “Rishon Lezion teacher sends children home with yellow stars” (April 17), the pre-school instructor should be given an award instead of being castigated.First, children of pre-school age would certainly not be traumatized, and the reaction of the parents was extreme, to say the least. Second, this is a perfect time for parents to explain to their children the meaning of the yellow star and the fact that many children their age were forced to wear them.The whole idea of Holocaust Remembrance Day is never to forget. By sitting down with our children and explaining in the simplest terms what the Jews of Europe went through is to make sure that future generations do not forget.CLIVE LEVYPetah TikvaHow ironic!The teacher who, in an attempt to convey to her charges a small measure of the situation in which our fellow Jews found themselves in pre-war Europe – including being fired from their jobs – has herself been suspended from her position.The more things change, the more they stay the same!DAVID S. ADDLEMANMevaseret ZionShe appreciates itRegarding “Turkish ‘documentary’ claims Jews have been Mastermind for the past 3,500 years” (April 17), as far as the narrator (and probably Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan) are concerned, we have masterminded everything in the world since Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. This proves what we have been saying all the time: The Land of Israel has always belonged to the Jews.Thank you, Mr. Erdogan, and the producers and writers of this film, for agreeing with us and stating it publicly.JUDY GOLDINKiryat OnoThe Turkish documentary being shown to millions of Turks is worse than the defamation in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It states that Jews have been controlling the world, and not for good, since the days of Moses.I wish that Jews were indeed controlling the world because it would be in a far better position than it is today by having every individual and nation observe the Ten Commandments.Instead of observing God’s laws and treasuring the people of the book, we have nations running amok and individuals going berserk all over the world, unable to deal with themselves or any problems they might have.Isn’t it time the world understood Judaism, and treasured the State of Israel as the hope of a civilized world?THELMA SUSSWEINJerusalemA sad read I was saddened to read “Lord Janner’s ill health saves him from prosecution for sex abuse” (April 17).Not having lived in England since I made aliya 13 years ago, I cannot comment on the allegations.But it is my sincere hope that they will not be allowed to overshadow the amazing work Lord Janner did for Anglo-Jewry in the second half of the last century, both as president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and in the House of Lords.I can testify to his tireless energy and devotion to the cause of the community. Hopefully, these qualities will be remembered longer than his current problems.HYAM CORNEYNetanyaThe writer is a former public relations officer of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He worked closely with Lord Janner during the latter’s presidency.Not necessarily ‘bad’ Your April editorial “Bad comparisons” was very interesting.Many thanks for pointing out that some facts have unfortunately been played down or over-simplified in order to allow comparisons between Nazi Germany and the current Iranian regime.This, though, does not necessarily mean it is a “bad” comparison, as it provides “an effective rhetorical device.” This in itself should be recognized as being of major importance at this time.We are not in an ideal world, and the priority and focus of the Jewish state now has to be in taking part effectively in the propaganda war being waged against us.LYNETTE ORDMANNetanya Why bring it up now?In “Let go of the status quo” (Cultural Prism, April 17), Reuven Ben-Shalom claims: “The state now in fact forces everyone to bend over backwards to purchase cars....” This is patent nonsense.Since private taxis do operate on Shabbat and holidays, it is not economically justified to buy a car for use just on those days.Even if they were to spend as much as NIS 500 each Shabbat for taxi service, people would incur an expense of just NIS 2,600 annually. That sum does not come close to covering the average fixed costs of car ownership (test, insurance and annual service), let alone amortization and fuel.Anyone who uses the Shabbat and holidays as justification for purchasing a car is either fooling himself or can’t do simple arithmetic.In addition, the timing of recent complaints about the lack of public transportation on Shabbat is somewhat incomprehensible.The claim that the trigger was the seventh day of Passover being followed immediately by Shabbat is suspect.In September, Rosh Hashana fell on a Thursday and Friday, immediately followed by Shabbat.There was a three-day hiatus in public transportation. Why didn’t we hear any demand for changes in the status quo then? At the time, Yesh Atid was in the government; the haredi parties were not. Is it possible that the media would like to keep United Torah Judaism and Shas out of the new coalition and are therefore drumming up the issue now?HAIM SHALOM SNYDERPetah TikvaNo pogroms in ’68With regard to “High time for Poland to confront its past” (Comment & Features, April 8), Daniel Schatz focuses on the issue of the restitution of property of Polish victims of Nazi occupation authorities and the Communist government after World War II. I have noticed two instances of improper wording where the events of social and political unrest of March 1968 were referred to as “1968 pogroms.”There are no historical records indicating that Jews suffered organized violence during the events of 1968. It is true that the policy of the Communist regime of the time was discriminatory against the Jewish minority, and that many had to flee the country.But I hope you will agree that there is a substantial difference between alleged pogroms and government-inspired anti-Jewish propaganda. It is an important distinction that should have been reflected.Also, I would like to bring to your attention the fact that, contrary to Mr. Schatz’s suggestions, private property restitution has been continuously underway in Poland for decades. The Polish legal system makes it perfectly clear that any legal owner or heir is entitled to recover prewar property unlawfully seized during the war by the Nazi or Soviet occupation authorities, or by the post-war Communist regime.Much has been achieved by means of agreements and bills, including the Eastern Borderland Act of 2005, which offers compensation for property left by Poland’s pre-war citizens (Jews among them) in territories now beyond our frontiers.Moreover, the writer did not mention that the issue of property restitution in Poland also has a communal aspect. Jewish communal property has been settled through the 1997 Act on Relations between the State and Jewish Religious Communities in the Republic of Poland. Over $27 million has been paid so far by the state to Jewish communities in compensation and damages.JACEK CHODOROWICZTel AvivThe writer is ambassador of Poland to Israel.
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