The JC Letters Page, 6th September 2019

The scattering like confetti of allegations of Jewish “self hatred”, of which he accuses Bernie Sanders, is an old feature of the wilder shores of Herutism. Something which can properly be identified as a psychological trait is twisted into a stick for the intolerant to beat those who differ from them.

Setting Mr Trump way above any other American president as a supporter of Israel and the Jewish people and calling him a Heaven-sent gift is more the language of quasi-idolatrous satrap than rational people in  modern democracies.

Jeff Lewis
Whitefield M45

Commend that teacher

I was angry to read that Waltz with Bashir has been called pornographic, and that showing it to a group of children led to the dismissal of a teacher (Hebrew teacher sacked over 18 certificate film, August 30). 

It is an absolutely brilliant film and should be shown to all children as soon as they are old enough to know about war.  

Your report states that the teacher did not show the “pornographic” scenes and  stood in front of the screen during inappropriate scenes, so he had the sensitivities of the children at heart. 

He should not have been punished but commended for showing the children such a wonderful film and helping them to understand the pros and cons of war. 

I hope the teacher finds a job in a school which appreciates his artistic awareness.

Mrs. Renee Bravo, 
London E18 

Avoid more ghettos

The trend towards Jews huddling together in centres like Stamford Hill, Broughton Park and Gateshead is unwise because, as Jonathan Boyd says (Huddling together seems safer-but is it wise, August 30), the Charedi community who increasingly populate these areas are more insular and inward looking. 

In other words, they are creating the very ghettos that Jews spent much of the last millennium trying to escape from. 

Ghettos create mistrust and superstition and ultimately lead to persecution. That is the last thing we need in a modern pluralistic country like Britain.

Stan Labovitch
Windsor

Celebrate all success

Simon Rocker’s recent comment that “there is a value in learning to celebrate success” (JFS strikes a blow against grade elitism, August 30) seemed a snub to Rachel Fink’s decision not to name the high-achieving students at JFS. 

Whilst I agree with the sentiment, it seems to miss the point of Mrs Fink’s argument: that ‘success’ can be measured in different ways. 

She has pointed out to parents that success for some students is achieving more than they had thought possible. For others it may be succeeding despite difficult circumstances. Levels 8 and 9 are only one measure. 

As JFS parents we applaud Rachel Fink and all her team for their tireless work in supporting our young people to work hard, to value well-being and balance as well as academic achievement and to appreciate their own and others’ talents in many spheres.

Olivia Marks-Woldman and Dr Simon Woldman 
London

Glasman’s glory

A few weeks ago the editor said he hoped we were enjoying Lord Maurice Glasman’s uniquely extended biographical excerpts.  Well, I did.  

And despite his fears of over-running our patience, I happily could continue reading many more chapters.

His story came over as a paean of love, honesty, tenderness, tragedy and humour, flowing like a stream of emotional consciousness through a very painful visit to his ancestral Ukrainian homeland. 

The last, most personal chapter, of his childhood memories, was for me the most moving.  

But I was also taken by his youthful poetic version of Psalm 77  “…I raised my voice at you, but you don’t hear me…I cannot speak the doubts that shiver through me… Did you make your sacred promise just to break it?”  Reflecting on his words, I wondered if we could save much anguish by simply accepting that God is, or chooses not to be, any longer omnipotent in our own Post-Temple age, when the laser intensity of His Being is no longer supremely focused in His innermost sanctum, Kodesh Kodeshim.  

Being made in the image of God, perhaps in our times, our lives reflect this limitation too.

Like a child, we have been stumblingly learning to walk upright, anatomically and spiritually.  And perhaps now we are more B”nai Olam than B’nai Elohim. 

Dr Stanley Jacobs 
London SW18 

Pursuing justice

The facts of the get case reported in last week’s issue are not clear (Husband ‘reneges’ on get pledge, August 30). The burial of his mother appears to have been authorised on the basis of a commitment by the husband to grant a get. 

If that commitment was made to a Beth Din, did it include the appointment of the Beth Din as his agent to grant the get if necessary? 

This was foreseeably necessary, as the husband appears to have had a long history of refusal and may have regarded the commitment as having been extracted from him at a time of the emotional instability of grief. If appointed as the husband’s agent, a Beth Din could have granted the get.

Discussing the problem of the agunah who has been deserted by her husband, Chief Rabbi Hertz wrote that “…learned Rabbis are to-day seeking a radical solution of this urgent question” (Hertz Chumash, p. 933). That was in 1936. 

Between then and now various Halachic solutions have been suggested but not adopted. Halacha has what in English Law is termed the overriding objective. Tzedek tzedek tirdoof. Justice, justice shall you pursue (Devarim, 16, 20).

Jonathan Lewis
Pinner, Middlesex

Ignore foibles

The quote below is from page 165 of a Jewish Lives series biography by David Cesarani: “Whilst he basked in royal favor and public esteem his finances also improved. An ex Tory MP Andrew Montagu who wanted to assist the party took over the entire mortgage on (his residence)Hughenden. 

“But the debts involved were so staggering that he needed a second friend — Lionel de Rothschild.

“How much Rothschild gave him is unclear .The part played by Rothschild in his financial salvation was another marker in their mutually beneficial friendship. He plied the banker with inside information from Westminster and he in turn received foreign intelligence supplied by their agents abroad. They were frequent guests at each other’s official residences.”

In the above quote I deleted the recipient’s name: a well-respected Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli...not Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the current Israeli election, with the Prime Minister haunted by his nemesis, AvigdorLieberman,  we ignore at our peril great leaders, including Churchill, who, despite their financial flaws, saved nations.

Martin H. Stern
Jerusalem