Letters to the Editor: Oct. 29, 2014
Published October 29, 2014
Reaffirming St. Louis’ response to opera
However, the greater tragedy will come as this week passes, and the next one begins, and the only thing that will have been strengthened is ill-feelings all around. Jews who thought the opera was anti-Semitic have already expressed their ill-will towards those who were not sufficiently anti-“Klinghoffer.” Patrons of the arts in return have suggested that many of the the protesters are nothing more than right-wing fanatics. Certainly few (if any) minds have been changed, and it’s not clear how these protests (or counter-protests) have managed to help protect the Jewish people.
Four years ago, St. Louis took a different tact. They embraced the words of Justice Louis Brandeis who so eloquently stated: “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.” By engaging with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis laid the groundwork for the Sept. 11 Interfaith Commemoration in Music, Arts & Faith St. Louis, and many other communal initiatives that have helped to strengthen not only the Jewish community here, but the entire St. Louis community as well.
Russel Neiss, University City
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Engaging the next generation of Jews
I’m not sure that intermarried couples feeling shunned by synagogues and Jewish organizations is the primary cause for their disengagement from Jewish life. In many cases, the Jewish spouse was already somewhat disengaged and did not seek out a Jewish partner to begin with.
The editorial makes an excellent point, however, in that intermarried couples should not be shunned nor lost to our community. They should be welcomed and encouraged to embrace Judaism. Often Jews by choice add vitality to the Jewish home.
The primary reason we lose Jews is because we don’t raise our children to fully engage in powerful, joyful Jewish experiences, and we don’t provide them with a meaningful Jewish education, nor with environments that encourage it.
A fellow Jewish Light trustee recently noted, “…symphonies have figured out that if they don’t do outreach to try to build and capture youngsters’ interest in classical music and live orchestras, then there will be no next generation of adult audiences.” The same could be said for perpetuating our faith. We need to make sure our youth develop a love for Judaism that touches their soul and becomes a part of who they are. How can we expect our children and grandchildren to marry Jewish if they aren’t enveloped in Jewish life in a deep, profound, and positive way? They have to believe it’s worth holding onto.
I do think it’s possible to stem the tide of intermarriage and do not believe it has to follow naturally from living in an open society, as Rabbi Rick Jacobs suggests. I, and many others, are witness to a growing population of Jewish young adults who were raised to engage and embrace our open society but also shown the vibrancy, depth and wisdom of our teachings and culture. Most attended Jewish schools, camps, youth groups and spent some time studying and exploring Israel. They were raised to believe that Judaism has something special and unique to offer them and the world, with G-d at the center of it all. Most of these young adults marry Jewish.
Jill Mirowitz Mogil, University City
The letter entitled “President Obama and Israel’s Security” by Harvey Schramm (Oct. 22) is far too generous to the president on this crucial issue, and the “facts” presented need to be corrected. Schramm is right about Iron Dome: President Obama deserves praise (as does Congress, of course, which passed the bill) for supporting and funding that crucial defense of Israel.
But the two other examples listed, bunker-busting bombs and nuclear submarines, are not accurate. The bombs are absolutely necessary if Israel believes that destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities far underground in a unilateral attack is required for the Jewish State’s survival if (when?) Iran is allowed to build nuclear weapons. In 2009 the US did sell an earlier, smaller version of these bombs to Israel. But what Israel wanted most in the 2013 arms deal, the Obama administration refused to include: a version of the new giant bunker-buster bomb. According to both American and Israeli analysts, it is the only weapon that could destroy the crucial Fordo facility, 200 feet under a mountain. What message is President Obama sending to Iran?
As to Israel’s state-of-the-art nuclear-armed submarines, all the credit goes to Germany, not Obama. Since 2005, Germany has built and delivered four of these Dolphin-class submarines to Israel, and two more are on the way. They were jointly financed by Germany and Israel. Deepest thanks go to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who signed the original agreement, and Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has fulfilled and expanded it.
Irl Solomon, St. Louis County
