Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 12, 2020

Colombia cooperationThank you for the article about the virtual event launching the Colombia-Israel Free Trade Agreement. (Colombia Innovation Center to open Tuesday in Jerusalem, August 11).In this regard, it is important to point out that the Free Trade Agreement has now entered into force, and in effect, its implementation, will be essential for the bilateral trade relationship. In this context, Colombia is also in the process of strengthening cooperation and work on innovation in Israel, as was announced by our president.In the coming weeks and months we will have a corresponding series of events and promotions on these issues, with the competent Colombian entities, Ministry of Commerce, Procolombia and Innpulsa, among others.MARGARITA MANJARREZAmbassador of Colombia in IsraelTashkent taleRegarding Uzbekistan Jews fight to save 124-year-old synagogue from demolition (August 1), I would like to explain what really happened with Beit Menachem, the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in Tashkent.According to information from the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, the synagogue building will not be demolished in order to construct a housing complex on its site as the article stated. On August 5, the Absolute Business Trade construction company abandoned the demolition plan and withdrew the lawsuit against the Tashkent Jewish religious community of European Jews.There are several other clarifications. Beit Menachem was established not 124 years ago but in 1973. The building itself may be 124 years old, but its use as a synagogue was approved in 1973. This in itself was remarkable. In 1973, at the peak of the Soviet regime, it was extraordinary to establish a synagogue for European Jews in the USSR. It was possible only in the territory of multinational Uzbekistan, where a wide variety of ethnic groups, cultures and religions have coexisted for centuries in peace and harmony.The decision to turn the privately owned building at No. 15 on 2-1 Sapernaya Street (now Mirabad Street) into a synagogue for the community of European Jews was made by the Executive Committee of the Tashkent City Council on May 4, 1973. Recently, this unique document was published on the website of one of Uzbekistans popular newspapers.In the article, it seems unclear why the situation regarding the synagogue was linked with the issue of corruption. Today, Uzbekistan is undergoing a period of large-scale modernization. In particular, important reforms are being carried out in the sphere of combating corruption. An anti-corruption law has been adopted, a number of anti-corruption programs are being implemented and an anti-corruption agency has been created.The resolution to safeguard Beit Menachem is evidence of the fact that Uzbekistan espouses genuine religious and cultural tolerance and is committed to the preservation of its Jewish cultural heritage. More than 130 nationalities, representing 16 religions, live in Uzbekistan as one community.VICTORIA MARTYNOVMedia adviser, Uzbekistan Embassy in IsraelAirmail from GazaRegarding Hamas signals Qatar via Israel: Send more money (August 11), since 2012, Israel has been paying protection money to Hamas (via Qatar) so they will refrain from attacking us. It is hard to accept that any self-respecting country would go to such lengths to placate its enemies and buy quiet. In essence, the enemy runs our country, stepping up and ending attacks at will, presently restarting with incendiary balloons and rockets. When one thinks of the sacrifices made by so many for this Jewish Land, it hurts to see it now being humiliated by and capitulating to terrorists. People have a right to demonstrate against the PMs alleged corruption, but a main thrust of those demonstrations should also be against the surrender of our land to our enemies.PHYLLIS STERNNetanyaA perfect 10Rabbi Shmuley Boteach describes in great detail his superhuman efforts to say kaddish for his late father of three months in New York, largely deserted because of the Corona virus. Frenzied gathering of a minyan of ten males required extraordinary, even, bizarre efforts; calling friends, going to the Jewish butcher shop, the kosher Teaneck shopping market, stopping passersby on the sidewalk and in the subway (Corona kaddish chronicles, August 11). All this in order to mourn and honor his father in the Jewish Orthodox manner. One wonders whether in exceptional circumstances brought on by the corona the obsessive/compulsive obedience to ritual could not be tempered by some moderation. Perhaps the kaddish ritual in this case could have been replaced by solitary contemplation on his fathers life. YIGAL HOROWITZBeershebaWhile I share Rabbi Boteachs grief at the loss of his father and admire the extraordinary efforts he has gone through in the US to say kaddish, my biggest takeaway from his article is how dramatically different from his my experience is here in Israel.I lost my own father about the same time that Boteach lost his, yet saying kaddish has been almost ridiculously easy for me. When I am at home in Beit Shemesh, our neighborhood prays together outdoors masked and/or socially distanced three times a day. I need only step outside. When I am at work in Jerusalem, there are three robust minyanim I know of within a few moments walk of my workplace including at the Central Bus Station, which has almost non-stop, on-demand minha prayers.I wish Rabbi Boteach 1) comfort over his loss and 2) ease in saying kaddish in the coming months, and would like to thank my co-religionists at home and near my work for helping to create the prayerful and spiritual environment we enjoy and benefit from in our homeland.YAIR WEBMANBeit ShemeshCheers and jeersKudos to Rafael Korenzecher for telling it as it is (Hagia Sophia Jordans crimes against International Law, August 9). At last someone has had the guts to tell it as it is. I only hope he has a good bodyguard to watch over him.And kudos to The Jerusalem Post for printing this article in such a prominent position in the newspaper. It is so refreshing to read an article with real facts and not fake news.BARBARA A. PFEFFERRehovotThe Hagia Sophia article shows us the true face of Islam and the hypocrisy of the UN and the world at large. Moslems have desecrated, destroyed and built on top of holy sites all over Israel and beyond.CHAIM WEISSMANJerusalemI want to congratulate David Weinberg on his 30th year of aliyah and that of his outstanding family. His articles are always superb but his Aliyah: A 30th year Retrospective (August 7) definitely hit home! It certainly brought back vivid memories. I was so impressed with his comparison examples and his choice of words! It was all so true!. His weekly articles are an asset to your paper!RUTH KREVSKYJerusalemHerb Keinons analysis (Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, August 7), while timely and certainly expressing the frustration we all feel in observing groups of all kinds disobeying the practices suggested by the Health Ministry concerning the use of masks and social distancing, only addresses one aspect of the problem. The other aspect is not a group problem but an individual problem. What has happened to the responsibility we all share as individuals in avoiding spread of the virus either by passing it on to others or contracting it from others? Both of these points are the responsibility of the individual. If those with responsibility for organizing group activities choose not to ensure that participants wear masks and socially distance, then those individuals bear the responsibility for those who might contract the virus because of their indifference. But lack of responsibility by leaders does not absolve individuals of their responsibility. The battle against this virus will only be won if we all (leaders and individuals) share in the efforts to control its spread and minimize the danger to ourselves and others. STEVE GARDNERJerusalemI totally agree with Herb Keinons A different country (August 3). The news media decide to show what they want and make those of us at home feel like Israel is on fire. But it is not. We have shown through our numerous elections, what we, the citizens of Israel, want and would likely vote the same way again. The media decided that the minority should get all the attention. Who is funding the demonstrators? Why are their opinions and voice more important than the majority? But the media wont cover that since it does not support their cause.On a different topic, I recently read that diners across the UK will see their restaurant bills slashed by as much as 50% from today as the governments landmark Eat Out to Help Out scheme. What an amazing idea! If I go out to eat, I only pay half of the bill and the government pays the other half. I get to go out at a reasonable cost, and the restaurant gets some needed help from the government win-win! Lets hope our leaders will be as creative in helping us all get through these challenging days!REBECCA RAABMaaleh AdumimWho will be the one to save Israel? (August 7) was beyond the pale in insults and generalizations that, written by a disgraced former prime minister, made me boil.Referencing the readers letter (August 10) talking about uncivil speech in an article about US President Donald Trump, where is The Jerusalem Posts responsibility when former prime minister Ehud Olmert calls the current prime minister a crook and the backbone of his crazy family, among quite a few other gratuitous insults.Not only does Olmert never talk about the positive, but is constantly exacerbating the negative. He wants us to go back to the 1949 ceasefire lines and establish another Arab state in much of the land we now control and cut the defense budget, while were at it.So, a former PM who spent jail time and tried to give away a large chunk of our land is giving us advice on how to manage the country over the coming years? Seriously?DEBRA FORMANModiinRegarding A budget battle that has nothing to do with economics (August 10), Jeff Barak may have been a former editor-in-chief at The Jerusalem Post, yet when reading his anti-Netanyahu pieces one cant help but feel they are a conglomeration of trash against the prime minister. No rhyme or reason just pure Netanyahu hatred that I am amazed the Post publishes.YOSSI BLASBALGKiryat MotskinWho are the victims?Regarding Cabinet okays directives in bid to stop COVID-19; Death toll hits 600 (August 10), every loss of life is tragic. Death leaves in its wake mourning family members and friends and a ripple effect of those whose lives were touched by the person who has died. I am sure there are many who also are very distressed that with six to 10 lives on average lost daily due to the virus there is no mention in the press of any of the victims identities, their age, or the number of children and grandchildren they have left behind. The loss of a life in a fire or car accident is no less tragic, but how can it be that that unfortunate persons identity is publicized and not the identities of people who succumbed to the ravages of the pandemic? Have we become so insensitive and numb that they are reduced to a simple global statistic? May their memories be a blessing.DR CHAYA RABNETTJerusalemA better wayInstead of the prime minister providing a financial handout to all the population to help alleviate the burden resulting from restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus, by a single stroke he could have temporarily removed VAT from basic essentials such as food, electricity, water and gas immediately.This way the Finance Ministry of would not have had to maneuver cash around from various budgets, it would not have had to pass the cash to Bituach Leumi, the latter would not have to transfer the sums to the banks to make payments and the public would not have to withdraw from their bank accounts this would additionally eliminate the huge charges incurred in transferring money levied on both the state and the individual by the banks. This way the benefits would not reduce the overall state exchequer, the financial burden would be shifted to the future and those in need would not have had to wait for this largesse.DR. COLIN L LECIJerusalem

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Letters to the Editor: August 12, 2020: Colombia cooperation - The Jerusalem Post

Category: Synagogue
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