fbpx

The defenders, more Schwartzie, Sabeel

Letters to the Editor.
[additional-authors]
February 29, 2008

Battle for Israel’s Survival

We appreciate the praise for StandWithUs [SWU] in “L.A.’s Defenders of Israel” (Feb. 15) but believe the quotes from David Myers and others unfamiliar with our work misled readers. SWU’s mission is not to advocate specific policies but rather to counter demonization and distortions about Israel with facts so there can be responsible, informed dialogue.

We do not defend all Israel’s controversial policies. We explain them factually and in context so people can weigh the pros and cons responsibly. SWU also has larger educational goals than described in the article. The media focuses so much on the conflict that people don’t even know an Israel — a dynamic, multicultural democracy brimming with cultural, biomedical and technological innovations and humanitarianism — exists. Much of our educational focus is on Israel beyond the conflict.

We also try to fill the critical knowledge gap about the regional threats facing Israel, which are obstacles to peace and must be addressed. The polarization and misunderstanding caused by labels like “right wing,” “anti-Palestinian” and “hawks” is regrettable. The bitter realities of recent years make such simplistic, dismissive labels anachronistic, and they stifle critically needed debate. SWU believes that documented facts are indispensable for debate, regardless of one’s position on the political spectrum.

Esther Renzer
International President
Roberta P. Seid
Director of Education/Research
StandWithUs

I hasten to add two comments, which I emphasized throughout my conversations with Brad Greenberg.

First, although I often disagree with the approach and message of StandWithUs, I admire the organization and its meteoric growth. StandWithUs has not only tapped into the palpable sense of fear that Jews felt after Sept. 11 and the outbreak of the Second Intifada, it has become, in a very short period of time, the address for Israel advocacy in Los Angeles and beyond.

Second, I think that what the Jewish community deserves and needs is not another round of bitter recrimination but an open debate of ideas over what “pro-Israel” means at this critical juncture in history. That was the spirit in which my quoted comments were made — as a prod to such debate, not as a dig against StandWithUs.

David N. Myers
Los Angeles

Muslim Scholar

While I deeply appreciate The Jewish Journal’s interest in covering professor Ismail Bardhi’s predicament and the phenomenal support of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)to this heroic individual, one error needs to be corrected (“Hebrew College Funds Muslim Scholar’s Rescue,” Feb. 22).

The Scholar Rescue Fund is a program of the Institute of International Education (IIE) (http://www.iie.org/programs/srf), and is a public demonstration of IIE’s profound international commitment to academic freedom. HUC-JIR did indeed rescue scholars during the Holocaust, alone and with no assistance in those dark days. It is fully appropriate for HUC-JIR to be involved in helping religious scholars again facing violence and even death for their views today.

A generation ago it was Jews. In this generation it is Muslims, and it is a statement of HUC-JIR’s deep integrity that it would join with the Scholars Rescue Fund in dedication to this task. It has been the unwavering commitment of both institutions that has enabled this former dean of the Islamic Seminary of the Republic of Macedonia to continue his teaching, research and writing, and service as a leading Muslim scholar dedicated to reconciliation, religious pluralism, mutual understanding and world peace.

Reuven Firestone,
Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institite of Religion

Now that there is finally a Muslim scholar in Los Angeles that promotes tolerance — a rare find, indeed — professor Mehdi Bardhi should be brought to college campuses all around the country to speak to angry Muslim student groups.
While students at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion will, no doubt, benefit from his lectures, I think our community would be better served if he helped to diffuse the anti-Israel/Jewish propaganda to which other colleges are consistently subjected.

Daniel Iltis
Los Angeles

Schwartzie

I have recently read the article appearing in The Journal regarding Schwartzie and wanted to respond to the same (“Chai Center Rabbi Explains ‘Off-the-Handle’ E-mails,” Feb. 15).

I have had the great pleasure of knowing Schwartzie and his family for many years and cannot begin to say enough kind words about each and every one of them.

Like many Jews around the world, we often struggle to find a Jewish identity in a culture and environment where true Jewish boundaries are often forgotten. What Schwartzie and his family have set out to do through the Chai Center is a truly amazing and remarkable thing.

It is a tragedy in a city like Los Angeles that if you, as a Jew, wish to attend services on the High Holy Days, in almost all cases, you can only do so by spending a significant amount of money on purchasing tickets. The fact that the Chai Center opens their doors each year during the High Holy Days to hundreds of people at no charge, allows many people to participate in the community in circumstances where they might otherwise miss out.

To attend any of the Chai Center events is to share in an experience where one can truly see how wonderful being an active and participating Jew can be, which can only continue to strengthen the growth of the Jewish community in the United States.

When I went to Israel for the first time two years ago, being able to spend Shabbat with Schwartzie and his family, starting with saying Shabbat prayers at the Western Wall, has created a lasting memory for me.

I have read the article in The Journal and understand the reaction that some of the individuals referred to may have had. I realize that for many people, this kind of a response is not acceptable coming from an organization that says it is accessible to “any Jew that moves.” Notwithstanding, Jews all around the world have differing religious beliefs and frown upon the activities of many people who do not believe in the same standards as themselves. One only has to look at the views of the Orthodox movement in Israel or take a stroll through Meir Sharim in Jerusalem to experience this.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Difficult Choices

Jews have always believed in the importance of higher education. Today, with the rise in antisemitism across many college campuses, Jewish high school seniors are facing difficult choices.

All Aboard the Lifeboat

These are excruciating times for Israel, and for the Jewish people.  It is so tempting to succumb to despair. That is why we must keep our eyes open and revel in any blessing we can find.  

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.