Archived Opinion

Incomplete picture of events

In his cogent — and mostly impartial — analysis of former Ambassador Michael Oren’s new book about the American-Israeli relationship, Mr. Cohen (“With ‘Ally,’ Michael Oren lifts the veil on U.S.-Israeli relations, June 25, 2015) ignores one cogent fact that is central to understanding Ambassador Oren’s point of view. In his years prior to making aliyah, Michael Oren worked for a political establishment that has spent the last eight years doing nothing but vilifying President Obama and his family. Apparently he carried that perspective with him when he made aliyah, and it pervades his perception of the relationships between the United States and Israel. Indeed, if any additional evidence of this were necessary, one need only read his June 19, 2015, piece in Foreign Policy purporting to explain President Obama’s attitude toward Muslims, an article that has been disavowed and condemned both by multiple Israeli officials and retiring ADL National Director Abe Foxman. In counterpoint to Oren’s invective, we would be well served to listen to the likes of current U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Secretary of State John Kerry, who it would seem have a much more complete picture of the events than Ambassador Oren describes.

Rabbi Rick Shapiro

Interim Rabbi

Congregation Beth Torah

The last week in May saw us riding a roller coaster of emotions in our Beth Torah community. First we had the joy of honoring and paying tribute to Rabbi Reice and Aaron Nielsenshultz for their service to Beth Torah, but then had to say goodbye to Aaron and his family who left two days later for Philadelphia. We celebrated the festival of Shavuot and rejoiced with nine young members of our community as they celebrated their confirmation. Then, the very next day, I had to officiate at the funeral of a 20-year-old member of our congregation — Jason Arkin — who had taken his own life after suffering for eight long years with mental illness.

Problem is all Netanyahu’s

Am I missing something? Why should President Obama include Netanyahu in secret negotiations with Iran when it was Netanyahu who tried to get Mitt Romney elected instead of President Obama. That’s where all this distrust started. Netanyahu should have kept his Republican nose out of United States politics, and devoted more time helping Palestinian Arabs so they aren’t mistreated and shot at by those Ultra Orthodox Jewish settlers in the West Bank who believe God bequeathed the land to them. Netanyahu and Israel’s Ultra Orthodox Jews are the ones responsible for keeping peace from breaking out in the Middle East.

Marvin Fremerman, Springfield, Missouri 

I have just returned from the annual American Jewish Committee Global Forum, held in Washington, D.C., and I am feeling an amazing sense of pride at the indispensable role AJC plays around the world. Six Kansas Citians, accompanied by JCRB|AJC Executive Director Marvin Szneler, were joined by more than 2,000 attendees from chapters throughout the U.S. and over 70 countries, along with world leaders and foreign ministers from places as diverse as Israel, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. Video messages were sent by German Chancellor Angela Merckel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.  

We love the State of Israel. We want it to succeed in every way possible. This includes, of course, its security and economic prosperity, and it also includes its ability to live up to its own stated values.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence ensures freedom of religion and conscience to all. This does and should affect many aspects of life in Israel, but the specific concern of this resolution is the right to marry.

“Make for yourself a rabbi (teacher), and acquire for yourself a colleague (friend), and give all individuals the benefit of the doubt.” (Pirke Avot, 1:6)

Coming to Kansas City as a shlichah (emissary), I didn’t know what to expect. The people that interviewed me seemed nice and interesting but the place was so far from me and I only had the common misconception that Kansas City is that place from “The Wizard of Oz” and I will probably find lots of farmers and fields there. I was very wrong. 

My father turned 90 years young, and my wife and I welcomed him here to visit.  

While here, we had a birthday party for him with family and friends. Did I mention this was his third party in three separate cities? My dad is loved all over the United States!

Imagine my surprise when I saw my name appear in the articles about my AZA #22 Nordaunian Chapter (Nordaunian AZA’s Matzo Ball continues to bring community together, May 7). {mprestriction ids="1,3"}I have little recollection of that incident, however I am certain I enjoyed the notoriety at the time. I remain in touch with my buddies every so often during their Wednesday morning meetings when they pass around their cell phone and rap with me here in Cincinnati. Actually Morrie Kross (of blessed memory) and I were the co-chairs of the Matzo Ball several times during the latter ’40s, early ’50s before our service years. Thanks for the renewed memory and the coverage of the 80th Matzo Ball.{/mprestriction}

I was happy to read that Mr. Meth was still up and around. And healthy at 102.  I remember when he first came to work at Beth Shalom Synagogue at 34th and Paseo.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}In those days when someone asked you what synagogue you belonged to, you would just say “34th & Paseo.”  Mr. Meth was only about five feet tall but he was nothing short of a human dynamo...always busy around the building.  Though he was originally hired as janitor, he eventually worked his way into taking on other tasks such as being music director of the choir.  And if memory serves, I believe he taught himself to play the violin.  I remember he was always soft-spoken and was careful not to ever say anything that might hurt someone’s feelings.  He was a kind man then, and I’m sure he’s a kind man now...which is probably one of the reasons he has lived such a long and happy life.  May he live many more years. And be healthy.{/mprestriction}

Dear Jonathan,

You and I have a lot in common. We have both spent roughly 18 years living in Kansas City. We were both fully engaged with Jewish life there; you graduated from HBHA, as did my older children. And we both have a very deep and abiding love for Israel, as well as a vision for its future; we recognize that there are Palestinian narratives as well, and we believe that Israel should pursue a two-state solution.