Gender separation

I enjoyed reading about the young ladies who staged a musical for their mothers and other female friends. Norman Pressman (Letter to the editor, Feb. 29) took great umbrage at the teenage thespians. Some might consider his letter vitriolic anti-Orthodox bigotry (and question its publication) but I think he has a point. There are many organizations in our community which promote outrageous single-gender chauvinism—these anachronistic organizations must wake up and smell the 21st century.

It has come to my attention that several synagogues and temples have “sisterhood” and “brotherhood” organizations—they must immediately cease apartheid and be renamed “peoplehood.” The National Council of Jewish Women must be renamed the National Council of Jewish Humans. Hadassah, the “women’s Zionist organization of America,” must change the motto and stop relegating male members to the demeaning status of “associate.”

There are many examples of chauvinism right here at our beautiful JCC complex as well. It is an outrage that we segregate our athletic facilities. Why must we fund a facility that harkens back to the “whites only” Old South? All our athletic facilities must remove detestable “gender only” signage. I look forward to seeing all of my Jewish brethren and sistren fig-leafed in the hot tub, showers and steam room, as we fulfill Norman’s vision of a genderless utopian society. Happy Purim.

—Todd Binenstock, Frontenac

 Obama and Israel

I have been saying for a long time how “wishy-washy” President Barack Obama is about so many different issues, particularly towards Israel. A while back, he ridiculously suggested outright that Israel give back the territory obtained for the Jewish Homeland’s security at the end of the 1967 war.

All of a sudden, with the upcoming national election, he is reversing himself once again and speaking up so “loudly” about support for America’s sole ally in the Mideast, at the AIPAC Policy Conference.

While I have true respect for the man as a human being and for some of his advocacies, his general switching of opinions is a truly terrible weakness as the Commander-in-Chief.

—Howard Sandler, University City