Israel under fire

Could you imagine if there were 143 terrorist attacks on the United States in one year?  Or what if there were that many in one month? Or one week? Or even in one day?  Now imagine that all of these attacks took place within the state of New Jersey?  

How would we as citizens react or our government or the government and citizens of our neighbors and allies? As American Jews, unfortunately it doesn’t take a powerful imagination to see this, it simply requires that we open our eyes. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, that is exactly what happened in Israel. There were 143 terrorist attacks; stabbings, rock throwing, vehicular assault, and more. The day before was similar and unfortunately future days may  also be similar. 

As American Jews, what can we do?  The first thing is we must open our eyes, we must not make excuses for the terrorists, we must defend our homeland and we must educate ourselves, our children, our neighbors and every registered voter that Israeli lives matter and are at stake every single day.  

The second thing we must do is support Israel, support the Israel Defense Forces, support Israel’s businesses and Israel-produced products. The Jewish calendar year 5776 has started out as a very rocky one for Israel. American Jews must come to her aid and help her maintain her balance and fight back immediately.  Am Yisrael Chai!

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Mike Minoff, Olivette

Sports columnist deserves kudos

 Allow me to single out for meritorious achievement Skip Erwin, who has been writing a weekly ad-supported column for the Jewish Light for the past decade entitled “Inside Sports.”

Erwin is a St. Louis sports legend, in both the print and broadcast media, and a member of the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

I’ve especially enjoyed his commentaries about the former St. Louis Hawks, an NBA team that moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis in 1955, and was a fixture in the Gateway City until the club relocated to Atlanta after the 1968 season.

Special accolades for Erwin have long been overdue.

As one who has both played sports and written about them, I take particular pleasure and enjoyment in reading his weekly journalistic endeavors.  

The signature phrase of the late Hall of Fame Cardinals broadcaster, Jack Buck, was, “that’s a winner,” whenever the Redbirds won.

No doubt, the same can also be said of Skip Erwin.

Gene Carton, Olivette