Trump and Israel
If your response to the news of the U.S.-brokered Israeli-UAE treaty was, 鈥淥h, no, now Donald Trump will have another argument that his presidency has been a blessing for Israel,鈥� maybe it鈥檚 time to consider the possibility that his presidency actually has been a blessing for Israel.
Robert F. Helfing,听Pasadena
The Story Behind the Play
I first heard about the Fugu Plan, referenced by Gerri Miller (鈥淰irtual Theater: 鈥楩ugu鈥� Tells Little-Known Holocaust Story,鈥� Aug. 14), in a talk at the Brandeis Bardin Institute in 1983, given by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, the former Chief (and only) Rabbi of Japan. The talk was spellbinding and inspiring. Tokayer, together with Mary Swartz, had published a novelized version of the story in 1979 titled 鈥淔ugu Plan: The Untold Story of the Japanese and the Jews During World War II.鈥�
A wonderful documentary, 鈥淪ugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness,鈥� produced by Diane Estelle Vicari, was shown on Boston鈥檚 WGBH in 2005, and was screened locally at the Skirball museum in 2011, and attended by the Consul General of Japan, Junichi Ihara, and Consul General of Israel, Jacob Dayan.
91传媒 refugees escaping via this route included, Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law School professor and an official in President Barack Obama鈥檚 Justice Department; artist Peter Max; W. Michael Blumenthal, secretary of the treasury in the Jimmy Carter administration; film producer Michael Medavoy; and the entire Mirrer Yeshivah.
Some of the 91传媒 survivors, who fled Kovno, Lithuania, and spent World War II in Japan (and Shanghai), eventually settled in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The widow of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese vice consul in Kovno, who largely was responsible for aiding the 91传媒 emigration detailed in this story, spoke at Stephen S. Wise Temple.
Avrum Bluming,听via email
Success of 91传媒 TV Series
Thane Rosenbaum offered an interesting perspective on the popularity of 91传媒-Israeli听TV programming and its jarring contrast with the stark reality of the increase in worldwide Jew hatred (鈥�91传媒 Series鈥� Successes Stave Off Complete Jew-Hatred,鈥� Aug. 14). His sarcastic comment,听鈥淎nti-Semitism, after all, goes way back 鈥� even before cable,鈥� hits right between the eyes.
Yet Rosenbaum鈥檚 historical review contains notable omissions, probably adhering to political correctness: 鈥淐enturies of Christian anti-Semitism depicted Jews as conniving 鈥� many believed Jews sported horns,鈥� etc., yet he follows up with: 鈥淪ome Muslims allege Jews or the Mossad (probably both) staged the 9-11 carnage.鈥�听
Why does Rosenbaum paint all of Christianity as anti-Semitic based on 1,000 years ago, but then qualifies听鈥渟ome Muslims鈥� in the recent past? Why does he neglect to mention that the vile Christian anti-Semitic tropes from 1,000 years ago mentioned above are alive and well today in the Muslim world 鈥� from Gaza, Iran, Egypt, as far as Malaysia, etc.,听depicting Jews with the identical vicious tropes inherited from medieval Christianity?
One can only hope the recent good news coming out of the United Arab Emirates is a harbinger of changing attitudes in the Arab world.
Richard Friedman,听Los Angeles
A Step Toward Peace in the Mideast
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, massive unemployment and protests, President Donald Trump brokered another bridge for Israel and Middle East peace with the United Arab Emirates.
Enriqu茅 Gascon,听Westside Village
Jews and the Palestinian Cause
David Suissa opines that Jews should 鈥渃are about the Palestinian cause鈥� (鈥淭oday, the Real Rebels Defend Israel,鈥� online Aug. 9). This raises a few questions. Why does he 鈥� in line with the 91传媒 establishment 鈥� fail to insist that Palestinians should care about the 91传媒 cause?
One frequently reads 鈥渓egitimate criticism of Israel,鈥� but where does the 91传媒 establishment offer legitimate criticism of Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a culture that pays pensions to incentivize the murderer of Israeli civilians?
The students who support Israel on systemically hostile campuses, compelled by their personal courage and integrity, face the intensely ugly, current form of the world鈥檚 oldest hatred mostly without any meaningful help from campus administrators or 91传媒 organizations. If this feels good, please explain why so very few 91传媒 students avail themselves of this rewarding experience.
Julia Lutch,听Davis, Calif.
Kamala Harris on the Ticket
Neither of Kamala Harris鈥� parents have African lineage. Calling her 鈥淎frican American鈥� is a misnomer.
Gary Dalin
Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, Israel
Dan Schnur made some valid points in his column about Kamala Harris (鈥淲hy Kamala Harris Was the Safe Choice,鈥� Aug. 14), but I am puzzled by his description of her as an 鈥淎frican American.鈥� He acknowledges that her mother was from India, and her father is from Jamaica. Neither of those places are in Africa.
Marc Russell,听Los Angeles
Editor鈥檚 note: Sen. Kamala Harris describes herself as African American on her dot.gov website. However, unless it is part of a direct quote, the Journal鈥檚 editorial policy is to follow other major newspapers that state Harris is Black and the first Black woman of Indian descent on a major party ticket.听 听
So we鈥檙e supposed to welcome Kamala Harris and Joe Biden with open arms in part because she smashed a glass at her wedding, is big on hate crimes and did the blue box thing. President Barack Obama and his vice president, Biden, brokered a deal with Iran. That would have put Israel in a pine box.
Mike Kamins,听Setauket, N.Y.
Steinsaltz and the Light
Street corner at twilight in Beverly-Fairfax
Waiting for the light to change
Rabbi Steinsaltz, my husband and I
Smiling at one another, enchanted
By the golden, hanging moon
I鈥檇 seen before only in Jerusalem
This iconic moon. So perfect.
Luminescent. Like the rabbi
Drawing us white like a magnet
To his presence, his genius, his sanctity
All of us 鈥� young, knowledgeable,
ignorant, broken
Equal in his eyes
Only love, he said
The light changed
Forever
Mina Stern,听Venice
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