Dear Editor:
Yaakov Meltzer’s letter to the editor is a classic example of how abuse is covered up in the Orthodox world. According to Mr. Meltzer, it is not Carlebach’s repeated abuse that is a chilul Hashem, but his victims bringing it to light.
This is disgraceful victim-shaming. Mr. Meltzer is apparently more concerned with preserving his pristine image of Carlebach than showing even a shred of sympathy for the scores of women who suffered. This attitude is unfortunately not uncommon, especially when the abuser is a person of high status or social standing.
I say to Mr. Meltzer: You are welcome to continue listening to Carlebach’s music. You are not welcome to shame his victims into silence. You are not welcome to dismiss their trauma or suggest that there is no point in sharing their stories or corroborating their accounts simply because their abuser is no longer alive. These women are not responsible for any “damage” that results from their brave admissions. Any outlet or person who’d prefer to suppress their stories in favor of Carlebach should be ashamed of themselves.
You admit that you are “unfamiliar with both the accusations and the documentary.” I suggest you do your research—you can start with the 1998 Lilith Magazine article, published nearly 30 years ago. And then maybe, once you have actually bothered to read what these women (in many cases, while they were young girls) allege Carlebach did to them, you will understand the toeles in publicizing these accusations.
Penina Gourdji
Dear Editor:
My heart goes out to Ms. Horowitz regarding her not being able to find her favorite coffee yogurt anymore. As someone who also loves coffee yogurt, though I use the non-dairy kind made from coconut milk, I totally understand her pain. That’s why I wanted to suggest an alternative that may be even healthier, since it won’t have all the added sugar that Dannon yogurt has.
I have started adding some regular coffee granules to my plain yogurt with a drop of honey as well. I throw in some chopped walnuts and/or slivered almonds, and I’m in heaven. Just a suggestion. Try it; you might like it. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
Rebecca Chesner
The School Year Cometh
Dear Editor:
Those were the days. I was recently in Amazing Savings (probably the third time in three days) when I was in line, standing behind a 10-year-old boy holding a shopping list for public school. His mother checked off the following: a pack of tissues, a small stapler, staples, markers, a glue stick, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, a marble notebook, a large blue notebook, and so on. These items brought back a flood of memories of preparing for school.
Among the items I always cherished were book covers. I always chose the Ivy League covers (There wasn’t overt antisemitism back then, and I figured that was as close as I was going to get to any Ivy League school.), with Yale having Hebrew written on it. Later on, my mom got smart and covered the books in silver foil and cut-up paper bags. The only problem with the silver foil was that it tore easily, and I could never figure out which book or sefer it was covering.
Then, there was the combination lock for the locker. I could never remember the numbers, and then I couldn’t figure out whether it was to the right or to the left. By the time I figured out the right combination, I had missed half the class. Also, as I opened the locker, all the books would slide out onto the floor.
It’s not school I remember fondly. As a matter of fact, it’s a miracle I made it through Latin, geometry, and dikduk. Yet, it’s the time of year that I recall and the lesson that “All beginnings are hard.”
Debbie Horowitz