Dear Editor:
Susie Garber’s article (“You’re Going Where??”) on her North Dakota encounter brought back memories of a visit there four years ago by my late colleague Henry Gerber of Bayside and me. Why? Because my wife Lenore’s paternal grandfather, Rabbi Abraham Wolfson, was a traveling rabbi there 95 years ago.
In eastern North Dakota, where we motored, we had a lovely conversation with Rabbi and Rebbetzin Grossman, who head the Chabad House in Fargo (www.jewishnorthdakota.com). We visited the kever of the pioneering Rabbi Binyamin Papermaster in the Jewish cemetery of Grand Forks, the town where he lived for 53 years.
The highlights were really two: First, a visit to the Sons of Jacob Cemetery in Garske, founded by pioneer Jewish homesteaders in 1883. Overgrown by tall prairie grass, the cemetery was rescued in recent years by a group originally of mostly non-Jews, headed by Mike Connor. Their efforts were so successful that Sons of Jacob is now listed on the official US National Register of Historic Places. Even if you’re not traveling to North Dakota, it’s worthwhile looking at their website at sojnorthdakota.org. Second, Henry and I had the pleasure of meeting with Mike and his colleagues in nearby Devils Lake, where Rabbi Wolfson had headquartered during his time in the state.
Glenn Richter
Dear Editor:
Am I getting older and crankier, or does the three-week break that used to be a two-week break that used to be a one-week break between the end of camp and start of school getting out of hand? I’m in my 40s, and camps used to end in the late 20s of August, with school starting early September.
This year, my daughter came home from camp on August 14 and does not start school until after Labor Day. That’s 22 days off! This, of course, has led to more expenses for tuition-overburdened parents in the form of after-camp “camps” and a demand for vacation getaways, as well as a whole host of issues for people who work outside their homes and need to find coverage for their kids over this extended time period.
As a community, we are often faced with obstacles created by those outside of our community. This one appears to be a self-inflicted wound. Please go back to the old schedule!
Jonathan Goldgrab
Dear Editor:
A fellow letter-writer from West Hempstead attacked the “Your Say” letters to the editor section of this fine newspaper last week as farcical due in part to “political wingnuts and Covid conspiracy theorists.” I would just like to make a brief observation on these charges. Not too long ago, only political wingnuts believed that the Hunter Biden laptop was real, that Twitter was doing the bidding of the Biden administration in shadow-banning conservatives, and Joe Biden knew nothing of his son’s corrupt influence-peddling schemes. Until, of course, the political wingnuts turned out to be correct, as all these “conspiracies” were proven to be demonstrably true. At this point, if you are NOT a conspiracy theorist, you likely are living under a rock or have OD’d on MSNBC.
With respect to Covid, I am not the only writer who writes to the Queens Jewish Link on a variety of topics related to Covid, so I will only speak for myself. There is nothing I have written about on the Covid topic that in hindsight I wished I never wrote or had to walk back as factually incorrect. Contrast that with all the lies, deceptions, revisions, and coverups that we have heard from Fauci, Birx, Wallensky, and the rest of our unelected leadership. I have noticed, though, that the letters to this great newspaper appear to be one-sided, ranging from dissatisfaction to utter outrage at our leadership’s response to Covid. What I have failed to notice over the past year and half are any letters defending the medical establishment’s response, and I am wondering why that is. Have my points of view become the majority viewpoint at this time? Unlikely, as I believe a sizable portion of the readership fall into the category of either being pareve about the Covid response or, incredibly, still believe that the government response was competent and largely correct.
If you believe what is being written in this section is of a conspiratorial nature, then instead of ad-hominem attacks, I suggest you put forth an argument for why the lockdowns were successful, cite us a study on how efficacious non-N95 masks are for Covid, quote us a medical journal explaining to us the need to “mask up between bites,” or sell us on the merits of a fifth booster shot of a vaccine that does not vaccinate. It’s easy to hurl insults from the cheap seats. It’s much harder to respond with cogent arguments in defense of what I and many believe is the indefensible, incompetent, and corrupt response of our medical establishment and government leaders.
Thank you to the QJL and its editorial staff for continuing to publish quality content and a broad range of opinions.
Jason Stark
Dear Editor:
Warren Hecht continues to offer his weekly legal analysis in the criminal cases brought against former President Donald Trump. Absent from his analysis is any context as to why these cases are now being brought. If Mr. Hecht had any interest in being even-handed in his column toward Trump, it would behoove him to address what many view as the corrupt weaponization of the legal system against Trump.
For instance:
Does Mr. Hecht find it strange that the events of January 6, 2021, occurred more than two and half years ago, yet charges against Mr. Trump were delayed until he was campaigning to become President again?
Does Mr. Hecht find it odd that the alleged transaction that forms the basis for Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump occurred seven years ago, yet is being charged now that Trump is the likely Republican nominee for President? Does the novel legal theory being used, in which Bragg practically contorts the law into a pretzel to charge Trump, give Mr. Hecht, any pause here?
Does Mr. Hecht really expect Mr. Trump to get a fair trial in places like New York City or Washington, DC, cities that overwhelmingly vote Democrat and by-and-large hate Trump?
How does Mr. Hecht view Joe Biden’s disgusting fundraising tweet, released at 7:30 p.m. this past Thursday, coinciding with Trump’s arrest in Georgia, which stated: “Apropos of nothing. I think today’s a great day to give to my campaign”? Was this a mere coincidence, a case of poor timing, or perhaps now Mr. Hecht can see the corrupt lawfare being waged against Trump?
Opining week after week on Trump’s legal issues and treating them as run-of-the-mill criminal cases against a former President without offering the QJL readership any context as to why these cases are being brought now is profoundly disingenuous.
Doniel Behar
Dear Editor:
As someone very active in the New York Jewish community, I read with interest about 27th NYS Assembly Republican candidate David Hirsch. A few items of note:
The New York obsession with Democrats while so much accelerating damage on all fronts can be laid at one party’s doorstep is beyond all rationality. Rosenthal, I remind the public, is now employed by a prominent 501c-3: UJA-Federation. As such, he has no business politicking/lobbying labor unions for any candidate, least of all another Democrat.
Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld
Great Neck, New York
Dear Editor:
Have no fear! Your intrepid, trusty movie critic is here. No, I haven’t seen Barbie because my intellect called for Oppenheimer. I assumed that Oppenheimer would be playing on Metropolitan Avenue, but you know what they say about assuming things. In fact, it was playing there, so I entered Metropolitan Avenue into Waze, assuming the movie theater would magically pop up. Well, after driving for almost an hour, this geographically challenged individual saw the Manhattan skyline in front of her. Realizing I was going the wrong way, I entered “Metropolitan Cinemart” and was directed three and a half miles in the opposite direction.
Arriving at the movie theater a half an hour late, I estimated that this would have been the amount of time I would have napped during a three-hour movie. (Of course, I later learned that I had missed the steamier scenes of the movie.) Thrilled that I had to pay only $9 and got free parking, I received my seat placement and proceeded to the correct screening room. I then understood what was meant by “Makas Choshech.” I tried to use my phone to direct my way to the seat, but I figured a broken knee and hip, in addition to eight angry viewers, wasn’t worth it. I finally got the teen concession kid to angrily help me to my seat.
Oh, the movie. Well, there was lots of “Yada, yada, yada” and scientific terms. However, my question was: “Why did Oppenheimer seem to wear the same clothes in all the scenes?” I know Los Alamos wasn’t exactly Fifth Avenue, but still. Also, where did the wardrobe person get Oppenheimer’s hat? I loved it. What bothered me, though, was that Einstein’s hair wasn’t messy enough, and LBJ didn’t resemble the real LBJ.
Oh, the bottom line was I thought the movie was worth the $9. Just don’t make my mistakes when going.
Debbie Horowitz
Dear Editor:
As someone who reads the Queens Jewish Link weekly, I appreciate the different takes offered in the “Your Say” section of the paper. This past week’s issue was great but left me with a broad spectrum of emotions.
I agree 100 percent with Barry Koppel’s take on talking in shul. It’s disgraceful, should not be tolerated, and is an even more frustrating experience from the women’s section. The constant chatter in the women’s section makes it nearly impossible to follow what is going on in shul. Men have an obligation to go to shul; women don’t. If you are a woman and are lucky enough to come to shul, please bear in mind why you are there and maintain proper decorum.
As a Covid vaccine injury survivor, I was amazed at Mr. Azulai’s ability to recap virtually all the issues with safety testing, the inherent conflict of profit over safety, and the complete lack of sympathy for those like me who were coerced by their jobs to take the Covid vaccine, only to suffer physical harm from the injection.
Dr. Joseph’s letter left me with mixed feelings. While I agree with his main point in not demonizing a wonderful organization such as Masbia, I take issue with his belief that the QJL readership does not enjoy the letters to the editor. As one who frequently discusses the issues brought up in this section with friends, I assure you this is not true. Some of the funniest takes, such as Mr. Behar’s hilarious PSA for vaccinating ahead of hurricane season, appear weekly in this section. As a political centrist who leans right, I love reading Mr. Stark’s weekly commentary but can also appreciate Mr. Ribner’s point of view.
Please keep your letters to the editor section as is!
Meira Berger
Dear Editor:
I read the letters from fellow readers Barry Koppel and Jason Stark and thought they provided an interesting comparison.
Unlike Mr. Koppel and most of the readers of the Queens Jewish Link, I am a Conservative Jew. I have served as a VP of the former Rosedale Jewish Center and I supported the concept of turning it into a Modern Orthodox shul if that could have saved it, but ultimately, I was in the minority. I have attended Orthodox services of an Orthodox congregation that rents space from my current congregation at Temple Hillel so that they would have a minyan. I have also witnessed my current rabbi having to shame young Orthodox men who disrespectfully tried to interfere with our Tashlich services.
Like Mr. Koppel, I tuned into a Central Synagogue service. I don’t care for uncovered male heads either. But the opportunity to hear the incredible voices of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Cantors Jenna Pearsall and Daniel Mutlu every week is too much joy to pass up. And the sermons, unlike some hateful ones I heard years ago in Rosedale, have been inspiring. While I don’t agree with all he said, I commend Mr. Koppel for at least finding something positive to say about another part of the Jewish community.
But then I read Mr. Stark’s weekly diatribe, where he now attacks the soul of perhaps our most pious president. Why he feels the need to rehash the Putin-inspired rantings of a woman who defected to Russia is beyond me.
President Biden actually attended the return of the remains of soldiers from Afghanistan who died because Trump negotiated a full withdrawal with the Taliban, excluding the elected Afghan government. He didn’t call them losers like Trump did to brave soldiers laid to rest at Arlington. He didn’t skip the ceremony like Trump did at Normandy.
Joe was endorsed by Republican Cindy McCain after Trump publicly disrespected the service of the late Senator McCain. The Republican governor of Ohio, just like the Democratic governor of Hawaii, have stated that they promptly received all necessary aid to deal with disasters in East Palestine and Maui, respectively. Unlike Trump in Puerto Rico, President Biden didn’t throw paper towels at them, nor did he condition aid on political subservience because Joe Biden knows that he is the President for all Americans. And it needs to be pointed out that the Ohio disaster occurred because Trump changed rules that could have prevented it. I suggest that Jason follow the lead of Utah’s Republican Governor, who stated that while he and our President disagree on issues, the concept that one should disrespect the office of the President is unacceptable.
I also need to point out that I read Jason’s caustic comments while watching Trump and his crime syndicate turn themselves in for arrest in Fulton County, because a grand jury of their peers found sufficient evidence that they violated Georgia’s RICO racketeering statutes in order to overthrow the will of 81 million Americans who blessedly elected President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to lead our nation out of the darkness created by Trump’s contemptible four long years in office.
After reading this and his other weekly rantings, in which he has thrown nothing but false and contemptuous charges at our President, I would suggest that before he pens another screed, Jason should look into the mirror with a microscope to see if he can find any evidence of a soul rather than say our mentch of a President lacks a soul, understanding that we all must look for forgiveness of our own sins during Yom Kippur.
David S Pecoraro
We All Miss John McCain
Dear Editor:
The late Republican Arizona Senator and Presidential candidate John McCain, born on August 29, 1936, was always a breath of fresh air. What you see is what you got with the “Straight Talk Express.” He could work across the aisle with Democratic Senate colleagues, including Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman and others on a regular bipartisan basis. This also included Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy on comprehensive immigration reform and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform. His history in the Senate harkens back to an age of collegiality no longer seen today. McCain, like New York’s late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, was an intellectual giant standing head and shoulders above today’s newer generation of Senators.
In our era of highly partisan politics, let’s hope that Congress members from different parties on the fifth anniversary of his passing on August 26, 2018, can honor McCain’s memory. Will we ever move beyond rigid ideological commitments and come together on behalf of all Americans? McCain is a role model others should be emulating. With his death, Diogenes is still searching for an honest politician.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck, New York
Dear Editor:
The Dems are at it again. They do something sinister and then claim that the conservatives are doing it. Case in point: The Dems are claiming that the Hunter Biden investigation is a distraction from the Trump crimes. Warren Hecht’s article expands upon this nonsense. The truth is quite the opposite. Here is the timeline:
March 16: Comer reveals Biden Family Payments
April 4: Trump NY criminal indictment
June 6: GOP views Biden Bribery 1023 form
June 9: Trump Classified Documents indictment
July 26: Hunter plea deal falls apart
July 27: Trump additional charges from John Smith
July 31: Devon Archer Testifies (against Biden family)
August 1: Trump Jan. 6 Indictment
August 11: Special Council Appointed in Hunter Biden Probe
August 14: Trump indicted in Georgia 2020 Election case
Warren also cheers on the phony political indictments against Trump. In the January 6 federal indictment, Trump is charged with exercising his First Amendment right by saying the election was “rigged.” Even if we assume that Trump was inaccurate, he has the right to speak. In fact, there were many problems with the 2020 election. It recently came to light that GBI strategies (a Democratic group) was involved in election fraud in Michigan regarding the 2020 presidential election. The FBI covered it up, and that is why we never heard about it.
It should also be noted that Hillary Clinton also claimed that the 2016 presidential election was fraudulent. She proceeded to hire a firm to make false criminal allegations against Trump to have him removed from office. She also mishandled classified documents and destroyed the evidence. Hillary is laughing. She got away with everything, and now Trump is being charged instead of her. The hypocrisy of the Left never seems to amaze me.
Martin Berkowitz
