Letters
Trump’s win called divine intervention
The unappreciated political reality is that Donald Trump was the only candidate that was concerned with the liberal issues of the working class population. This giant sleeping population that was awakened to bring Trump to power has been neglected for more than 50 years. Their perception is that for eight years they have experienced economic hardships due to the nation’s bleak economic growth and competing expanding foreign labor. Trump was the only one sympathetic to their concerns.
This group also perceived that both political parties nurtured the inner city population for political purposes. In spite of bestowed benefits the inner cities’ population grew and continued to fall behind on issues of crime rate, broken families, education and high unemployment, as well as increasingly becoming dependent on government favors.
The cause of this change in the U.S. governance might be perceived as divine intervention punishment or a divine saving from disaster. The depth of belief in the Jewish soul is that events happen according to plan. According to Genesis the reason for humans’ existence was for societies to continue the creative process, ineluctably advancing in knowledge and building. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed for sinful morality and the saving of Nineveh was because of the wealth and creativity of the society. It is reasoned that this change in U.S. governance is a saving positive event for the U.S. to go forward. It may be considered as both a saving and a warning. We can repent by noting the need for correcting the structure of family and out-of-wedlock births that encumber every aspect of society and particularly creativity — the reason for our existence.
Sidney Kaplan
Fort Lee
Irresponsible journalism?
I am a big fan of The Standard, having read every issue, cover to cover, I believe, since 1988.
I also respect and admire Joanne Palmer, who as editor has taken your paper to great heights.
Joanne, the final paragraph of your “Moving Forward” editorial on the Trump presidency was disturbing in many ways. Allow me to highlight some of your words:
“To understate, the result was a shock.” Even Michael Moore, uber-liberal film producer and ardent Clinton advocate, took Democrats to task for not seeing the inevitable. Take a look at the Red/Blue map, scorched with red throughout the Great Plains of America. It was only a shock because we don’t live there, but rather in our own cozy-comfy Northeast bubble.
“The angry results have divided the country even further.” Who can call 60 million Americans supporting a candidate an “angry result”? I do not believe that is responsible journalism.
“Many others of us feel abject terror”. You are fanning the flames here. If you are Moving Forward, how could you feel abject terror? How can you possibly be an impartial advocate for Moving Forward??
“The world as we know it has been smashed.” No it hasn’t! A meteor crashing into Times Square would do that. ISIS reaching the eastern shores of the U.S. would do that. 9/11 came close. A Trump win has smashed this world?
“Kristallnacht”— another allusion to “smashing.” The Nazis. Terror. Isn’t this the media fanning the flames after all? Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Jeff Sessions et al may not be your cup of tea, but they too, like the Clintons, have served the public for decades, faithfully and successfully, and are part of Mr. Trump’s inner circle. They are a seasoned and astute team with whom you may have disagreements, but it ends there.
Your Moving Forward words made me take two steps back in astonishment.
Robert Katz
Fair Lawn
Thanks from the Challah Bake
This past Wednesday evening, November 9, over 1,000 women from Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Morris and Essex counties gathered at Factory 220 in Passaic to take part in this year’s NJ Great Big Challah Bake. The event kicked off a weekend of programs as part of the Shabbos Project.
Thank you to the Jewish Standard for announcements and an article to help promote the event. In addition, area synagogues and temples, schools, organizations, businesses, and corporations helped publicize and support the event, without which it would not have been successful. In addition, over 200 teens and women volunteered their time the week of the event to help prepare ingredients and the venue for the evening’s program.
On behalf of the 2016 NJ Great Big Challah Bake Steering Committee, thanks once again to the northern New Jersey Jewish community for supporting the event.
Miriam D. Gershfield
Teaneck
Where the Bible came from
The Jewish community had no say in what constituted the Bible. The decision was made by a small group of rabbis whose respect by the community enabled its acceptance. The Samaritans never accepted rabbinic Judaism because they were excluded and shunned by those who left Babylon in order to construct the second Temple in Jerusalem. The current Bible is a result of the work of the Masorites in the early Middle Ages. The Psalms were never prayers and the Greek translation gives the reason for many of them. Some Psalms were recited with musical accompaniment.
I applaud the efforts of Dr. Brettler (“Why’s the Bible the way it is?” November 4). Too many Jews are not aware of the history and evolution of the Bible. The one in use today was certainly not the original, despite the claims by persons unaware of the history of our people. Studying the Bible and the Talmud without studying the history of our people and their relationship to others, Jews or Gentiles, falls short of what a real Jewish education encompasses.
Shel Haas
Fort Lee
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