Israel and democracy
In the article “What you need to know about Jewish state bill,” (Nov. 27) there is one item that needs to be addressed. The article states that “Israel’s declaration of independence defines it as a Jewish and democratic state.”
No, it does not. The declaration of independence does not contain the word democracy or democratic at all. It does state the following:
“The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the ingathering of the exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
To be sure, these are understood as democratic principles by most people. There is nothing in the proposed Basic Law that reduces or negates any of these principles, without mentioning the word democracy.
Alas, some of these principles are being violated by the same people who oppose the bill. A pending bill, referred to as the Israel Hayom law, aims at shutting down the widest circulation Israeli newspaper. It seems the word democracy has different meanings to different people.
Michael Salamon
Toronto
Right cause, wrong case
Jewish groups rushing in to the Ferguson, Mo., situation in a misguided drive for social justice bring shame upon our community (“Are Jews and blacks still allies?” Dec. 4).
Our tradition teaches that we must judge fairly and blindly based on the facts, which very early in this case showed the angry mob in the streets and on the airwaves to be bearing false witness against the police officer, Darren Wilson. That was confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt by Michael Brown’s autopsy, and finally put to rest by the grand jury from which no testimony or evidence was held back.
Those who ignore all this are actually perpetuating against Wilson what they claim to care about: a social injustice.
The cause was right, but the case was wrong.
Steve Mitchell
Toronto
Rescue vs collaboration
In our rush to judgment, it behooves us all to reflect on the difficult choices Reszo Kasztner faced in negotiating with Adolf Eichmann (“When rescue is not collaboration,” Dec. 4). Yes, he did rescue many Jews, but his conduct still raises many questions.
The Nazis did not want another messy Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Kasztner’s job was to lull most Hungarian Jews destined for extermination into a false sense of security. In return, Kasztner could pick a handful of Jews for safe passage out of Nazi-occupied Europe. Could he not have been a little more ambiguous about the perils and the fate that awaited most Hungarian Jews?
And why did he feel compelled to testify in favour of SS Col. Kurt Becher and other Nazi officers at Nuremberg after the war?
It is not true that Jews judge their own kind to a harsher standard than the Righteous Gentiles, as Gaylen Ross would have us believe.
Moshe Kraus worked with Carl Lutz, the Christian Swiss diplomat, to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews. He was probably one of many unsung Jewish heroes who laboured tirelessly to save their fellow Jews and at much greater personal risk than Kasztner.
If Gaylen Ross sees Kasztner suspended in limbo between the desperate Jew and Lutz, the guardian angel, then place Moshe Kraus, a real Jewish hero, standing right next to Carl Lutz.
Joe Ronn
Outremont, Que.
Shuls help the homeless
The CJN recently highlighted the dire straits that many poor Jews face. As Jews, we have a special obligation to care for our own. The national initiative organized by Jewish Federations of Canada and the Association of Jewish Family Services to call attention to poverty in the Jewish community is truly important. In Toronto, Beth Sholom and Pride of Israel synagogues operate kosher food banks. Jewish Family and Child provides special financial assistance (through a UJA Federation of Greater Toronto grant) for Jews below the poverty line. Tomchei Shabbos ensures that kosher food baskets are delivered to homes on Erev Shabbat. National Council of Jewish Women organizes a massive pre-Passover food drive.
Jews also assist non-Jews who face the challenges of homelessness and hunger. Many individual Jews volunteer in shelters for the homeless, food banks and soup kitchens that are unaffiliated with the organized Jewish community. They do so out of a deep conviction that the Jewish tradition going back to Abraham calls upon us to act with “righteousness and justice” for all people.
It was gratifying to see the attention The CJN gave to Temple Har Zion, Beth Emeth Bais Yehudah Synagogue and Holy Blossom Temple for their years of effort on behalf of the homeless of Toronto (“Shuls help homeless with Out of the Cold effort,” Dec. 11). These congregations and the volunteers who serve are worthy of commendation. As identified Jews they serve a primarily non-Jewish clientele. Similarly, Mazon raises funds to feed the hungry and distributes financial support to agencies that are Jewish and non-Jewish. All this is an act of kiddush HaShem (sanctifying God).
For 15 years, Beth Sholom and Beth Tzedec synagogues have co-operatively operated an Out of the Cold shelter. As someone who begins at 5 a.m. to prepare breakfast, I can vouch that many homeless look to Out of the Cold for warm meals and a shelter, and appreciate the chesed of the Jewish community. These clients will often take note of the location at Beth Sholom and the identified Jewish volunteers by greeting us with “shalom” and expressing “todah” (thanks) to us. We are pleased to offer one of the best breakfasts in Toronto for our clients.
All of us who provide financial and voluntary resources recognize that there is a thin line between sufficiency and scarcity. We are grateful for all those who help provide assistance.
Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl
Toronto
Remembering the war
In 1942, at 15 years of age, I was working at Shapiro’s Deli at the corner of Beatrice and College streets. When the lights would go out and the sirens would scream, I would put on my air raid helmet, grab my flashlight and patrol from College and Beatrice to Shaw Street. My job was to see that no lights were left on in any of the stores or the apartments above.
Am I considered one of the unsung heroes of the war?
Dave Warsh
Toronto