Losing a penetrating voice

Rabbi Morris B. Margolies attained what Heschel called “moral grandeur” not solely through brilliant sermons and teaching, though both were thrilling for those of us lucky enough to have been raised on his words. He understood that spiritual convictions could not be confined to the prayer book or the synagogue, but must be exercised in the world at large, through community action, social protest and political criticism fervent enough to rattle the old stained-glass windows on The Paseo.

He had the truth-telling impulses of both a scholar and a muckraking journalist, combining historical reverence with an almost prophetic willingness to arouse and disturb, if that’s what it took to shake off complacency in his congregation and his city. No guide was more important to my parents (the late Milton Firestone and Bea Firestone Flam, who once co-owned and published The Chronicle) as they shaped The Jewish Chronicle over two decades, and no voice penetrated as sharply as his in advocating a Zionism of compassion and understanding, in hundreds of columns in these pages. Intentionally or not, he turned out to be a born editorial writer.

Through words and deeds, he opened the eyes and formed the consciences of tens of thousands of Kansas Citians.

David Firestone
Brooklyn, N.Y.

I originally wrote the article below in January 2009 in response to the events surrounding Operation Cast Lead. Beginning in November 2008 Israel was faced with a barrage of hundreds of rockets and mortars fired from Gaza. After a month of attacks with devastating impact on Israelis living in the south, Israel responded with Operation Cast Lead including air and ground initiatives. This article was written in response to heated debate about Israel’s response. With more than 140 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel last weekend — and Israeli counterattacks — I sadly felt the need to re-post this article.

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I’ve started writing a dozen letters — but haven’t finished or sent any. I have discovered I’m all too human. All too conflicted. All too emotional. And all too stressed.

I’m having heated mental arguments with practically every news report, op-ed, article and post. It doesn’t matter left, right or center — I just want to argue because there are no easy answers, everyone is wrong and I’m tired.

My office is just within range of Hamas rocket fire — I’ve felt it shake at the impact of Grad rockets. [Now I work in Jerusalem and am no longer within range.] I’m not worried for my safety as my office was once the armory of the village where we’re located and it is a “safe room.” But it is nonetheless unsettling. My office is one of the places people come if a siren goes off. I find myself staring at photos of my children more than usual while at work — and spending more time with them than usual when I’m home.

In their school today one of the projects is creating gift boxes for Israeli soldiers — brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends of the students. My 6- and 7-year-olds [now 10 and 11], Gabi and Micah, are scared for their cousin in the IDF who just got a field assignment. They asked why she has to go to the war.

During dinner they asked if there are rockets landing in Tel Aviv. (They heard me and my wife, Varda, talking about a meeting in Tel Aviv). I’m a left wing, peace-loving, card-carrying liberal. I don’t live in the West Bank — or even Sderot. This is not a conversation I want to be having with my children — but I don’t have a choice.

Every time I hear a news report of a rocket hitting I pray to hear “no damage” at the end of the report. However, this is profoundly misleading. Along with hundreds of thousands of other Israelis, I’ve now heard the air raid sirens, run to the shelter, and felt the ground shake. I understand the deep emotional, psychological and spiritual damage even when there is minimal physical damage or loss of life.

I am mentally and physically exhausted from the anxiety and stress. But most of all I’m sad.

Sad that I have to think about whether going to work is safe — and where to run when the sirens sound.

Sad over the death of hundreds of Palestinian civilians.

Sad that my 6 and 7 year old children know stories of people hit by Hamas rocket fire.

Sad by what I sometimes perceive as a lack of sensitivity to the horrible suffering and anguish of so many Israeli families — especially the children — who have been living with the constant threat of rockets for years.

Sad at the conditions in which the Palestinians in Gaza have been living for so long — and Israel’s role along with Hamas in perpetuating this situation.

Sad to think that our children — young Israeli soldiers including kids from Gezer — are in the situation where they have to defend our people from those whose mission is our destruction — they and other innocents caught in the middle.

Sad at what this is doing to our souls.

Sad that thousands of Israeli children have been scarred for life — living in fear of rocket fire for more than eight years and for whom the “color red” means “take cover.”

Sad at the image portrayed of Israel throughout the world right now.

And sad that this is how I’m bringing in the New Year.

At Gezer there were some refugees from the south of Israel staying for a respite. Their childrens’ first question upon arrival was “where is the nearest bomb shelter?” They still couldn’t sleep at night.

What’s a parent to do? What’s a country to do?

I’m a rodef shalom — a pursuer of peace. I pray for a peaceful two-state solution. I pray for a quick end to the violence and for successful diplomatic intervention. I pray for true leaders — Palestinian, Israeli and international — with the hearts, souls, courage and strength to take bold steps toward peace. I pray that all Abraham’s children will be able to sleep soundly at night.

I pray for shalom.

Originally from Kansas City, Rabbi Steve Burnstein is director of the Saltz International Education Center of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (the international umbrella of the Reform Movement) in Jerusalem. He lives at Kibbutz Gezer with his wife, Varda Livney; their son, Micah; their daughter, Gavrielly; and Kitty-the-Dog.

Rabbis protest Israel’s

treatment of women at the Kotel

The response of the Israeli government to the arrest Oct. 16 of Anat Hoffman while she was leading worship at the Kotel is clearly inadequate and needs to be responded to further.

For instance the area of the Kotel that is considered a synagogue was recently expanded to include the entire visitors’ area. This has never been the case previously, and is an encroachment on the freedom of assembly and freedom of religious expression.

Second, the Israeli government, through its Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, has pointed out that the area under the nearby Robinson’s Arch was reserved for egalitarian prayer. We would like to make note that Robinson’s Arch is not the Kotel HaMaaravi, the Western Wall. This means that the Western Wall, the holiest site in world Jewry, is now exclusively run by and largely for the ultra-Orthodox, according to their customs and rules, no matter how discriminatory.

Nonetheless, the State of Israel requests the support of all of world Jewry, even as it excludes de jure and de facto our participation in the religious life of Israel. If Israel is our homeland then it is the homeland of all religious Jews of whatever expression, not exclusively the ultra-Orthodox.

Ambassador Oren’s response to Hoffman’s arrest is that “civil disobedience is the right of every Israeli, but exercising that right can lead to legal consequences.” We believe he cannot simply dismiss the outrageous arrest of Anat Hoffman on the basis of law. The vast majority of religious Jews in the Diaspora are being systematically barred from participation in accordance with our longstanding customs and rituals. Indeed, the right of women to pray in public, which is part of traditional Jewish life for millennia, is being abridged. This outrage cannot simply be excused, but must be protested by all those who truly love Israel and her people.

Kansas City area rabbis
Rabbi Doug Alpert, Congregation Kol Ami
Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, Temple Israel
Rabbi David Glickman, Congregation Beth Shalom
Rabbi Mark Levin, Congregation Beth Torah
Rabbi Alan Londy, New Reform Temple
Rabbi Herbert Mandl, Rabbi Emeritus, Kehilath Israel Synagogue
Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah
Rabbi Beryl Padorr, Research Medical Center, Pastoral Care Department
Rabbi Rebecca Reice, Congregation Beth Torah
Rabbi Moti Rieber, Lawrence Jewish Community Center
Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Kansas City Community Chaplain
Rabbi Neal Schuster, Kansas University Hillel
Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah
Rabbi Linda Steigman, Kansas City Community Rabbi
Rabbi Debbie Stiel, Temple Beth Sholom, Topeka
Rabbi H. Scott White, Congregation Ohev Sholom
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Kehilath Israel Synagogue

Proud to vote for Romney

In response to Sandy Salz’s letter in the Nov. 1 edition of The Chronicle, we are proud to vote for Mitt Romney.

Lisa and Lenny Cohen
Prairie Village, Kan.

The teenage years are difficult in general. However, life is infinitely more challenging when your parents begin fighting all the time; your beloved grandmother is failing both physically and mentally; your best friend Alexis has become a cruel bully; your not-quite-boyfriend Jake is distant; and worst of all you overhear the rabbi whom you love and respect having sex on the bimah. During her 15th year, these are the issues that confront Rachel Greenberg in “Intentions.”

Rachel is by no means a perfect human being. Like everyone around her she has her failings. In the course of those months when her world begins to fall apart, Rachel’s grades suffer. She questions her self-worth. She experiments with drugs and sex. Worst of all, she gets even with her friend Alexis in a way that is utterly wrong.

Yet Rachel is basically a good person. Rabbi Cohn, for whom she now has no respect, had spoken to her confirmation class about the concept of kavanah  which means intention. In religious terms, it can be interpreted as not merely following religious practices by rote, but with intention. Your actions and prayers should have meaning. When her grandmother is hospitalized, Rachel realizes that the kavanah of her actions during the past several months has been partially made up of evil intentions. She comes to knows she must redirect her behavior and make amends for the wrong actions and the hurt she has caused. One by one she works to atone for her actions, saving a confrontation with the Rabbi for the very last.

Heiligman’s novel will be a page-turning read for young adults. It is also one of those cross-over titles that will appeal to adult readers as well. It’s somewhat rare to discover an excellent young adult novel with a specifically Jewish theme. “Intentions” is that book.

Heiligman’s biography “Charles and Emma,” which offers young readers an account of Charles Darwin’s personal life, is a Printz Honor Award Winner and a National Book Award Finalist. Her latest is sure to be on the awards lists as well.

Andrea Kempf is a retired librarian who speaks throughout the community on various topics related to books and reading.

Anatomy of voting

for the American president

The reasons Americans vote for a candidate can be: party affiliation; special issues, e.g., abortion; ethnicity; broad issues like taxes, U.S. debt, foreign policy, health insurance, unemployment, and religion.

There is a rare situation in which voters should abandon all the above considerations: when a candidate reveals qualities which conspicuously make him or her unfit to be president. We have such a situation in the 2012 election.

For the past four years, the Obama administration has been negotiating with Iran to stop its project of building nuclear weapons. Mr. Obama’s achievements in these negotiations have amounted to zero. The assumption that “economic sanctions will bring them to their senses” was wrong. In Tehran, they are laughing about American stupidity in general, and Mr. Obama’s stupidity in particular. Iran has not changed by one iota its march toward its nuclear goal. A nuclear Iran would be an existential threat to Israel. Moreover, a nuclear Iran could become the spark for igniting a global nuclear war — the dreaded World War III. This would be the most destructive war in mankind’s history. It would annihilate a large portion of the human race.

Mr. Obama has proved beyond any doubt his inability to resolve the Iranian problem. He is the Neville Chamberlain of the 21st century. The United States today is infinitely more powerful than England was in the 1930s. Without landing troops in Iran, the United States has a decided military ability to resolve the Iranian problem.

A serious but inconspicuous shortcoming of Mr. Obama was contained in his 2009 speech to the Muslim world. Superficial listening (the speech is available online) impressed people that the speech was even-handed, with Mr. Obama waving an olive branch toward the Muslim world. However, those who listened carefully could not help but raise the question: whose side is Mr. Obama on? A person who is not recognizably pro-American should never become our president.

Bottom line: Mr. Obama’s disqualification for the presidency is absolute. A second term for Mr. Obama could translate into a disaster not only for America, but for the whole world.

Zeev Dickman, Ph.D.
Overland Park, Kan.

Who paid for Romney ad?

The Oct. 25 edition of The Jewish Chronicle had an ad on the back cover supporting Gov. Romney for president. This ad was “Paid for by Kansas City Jews for a Safe America and Israel.” The ad had as its first line “Obama supporters ‘proudly’ support his reelection.” Well it appears that the “Kansas City Jews for a Safe America and Israel” do not have enough pride to sign their own names to their ad.

Sandy Salz
Overland Park, Kan.

“Be a mensch Morgan,” they say. My dad, my mom, my grandma. They all want me to be a mensch. What’s a mensch? It’s the nicest, the most open-minded, the most caring a person could be. It’s a Yiddish term that was brought over to the United States by Jewish people in the late 19th and early 20th century.

So how do I “be a mensch?” It’s something I’ve always struggled with. Am I a mensch? How can I become one?

Everyday, I get thrown into situations where I may not display the qualities of a mensch. A big struggle of mine centers around my religion and how others around me react to it. It’s true, it’d probably be easier to go to church on Sundays or celebrate Christmas in December. It would be easier to acknowledge Easter in the spring instead of Passover. It would be easier to make a Christmas ham instead of matzah ball soup. But my family is Jewish, so explaining to others about my religion isn’t always that easy.

And when I think about all the struggles that my people have gone through before me, in theory, telling someone that I’m Jewish in 2012 shouldn’t be that hard.

But it is. Whenever I tell people about my faith, I am often struck with how high a level of ignorance others have. To some it’s almost as if they don’t even see me. They see my face, my hair color, my nose, and suddenly they are confused. I don’t add up in their minds.

“Really? You don’t look Jewish.”

I hear it all the time. At first I feel surprised, embarrassed, even ashamed. What’s that supposed to mean? What do you mean I don’t look Jewish? It’s a religion. Not a race. It’s my religion.

And yet, I say nothing. And my thoughts pound me. Five thousand years of scapegoating, persecution, bullies, and I can’t even stand up for myself. And I can’t tell them it’s wrong. I can’t stand up and be a real mensch. I can’t even act brave when someone is questioning or insulting the very values that make up my core.

So now I want to say what I haven’t been able to say before. I’m proud. I’m proud of my culture, my religion and of myself.
My religion doesn’t define me, I define my religion.

But I know the generalizations. I’m supposed to have curly dark brown hair, dark eyes, pale skin, a big nose and a small pale frame. I have blonde hair and an average-sized nose. I’m also a practicing Jewish American. The latter generalizations are so 1942 and World War II. They are the untrue, sweeping statements that brutally murdered 6 million of my people.

Every time I hear an ignorant stereotype my feelings are hurt. I hate that people think I need to fall into a certain category. The Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe best explains why the human race has a knack for generalizing. He says, “The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity — that it’s this or maybe that — you have just one large statement; it is this.” In other words, humans are uncomfortable with our differences so we try to box people up. To make ourselves more comfortable. To generalize instead of acknowledge reality. It’s obvious that creating a barrier isn’t right, but sometimes it’s easier than getting to know someone who is different. It’s very easy. So easy that I’m guilty of it too.

During the fall, my family joins Jews all over the world in celebration of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. My favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is that instead of looking ahead to the next year, we reflect on the prior year. We don’t have a countdown at midnight, or make resolution lists, or pop champagne bottles when the clock strikes 12. There aren’t any extravagant late-night parties, or confetti and balloons. Rosh Hashanah is about finding your true self, and getting back down to your core values. I get to spend time with my extended family and it gives me a really good chance to just slow down and evaluate myself.

This year, during my reflection I decided to examine how I see others. I looked at the judgments I make based on race, religion and appearance. I want to change because I want to be a mensch, but also, because I know how it feels. How it feels to be the brunt of a disrespectful joke, or be questioned for my beliefs. And I have a hunch I’m not the only one who knows how it feels. There must be millions of people out there who are left out or discounted for how they dress, how they talk, the color of their skin, the person they love, the party they vote for, the country they’re from, the country they live in, or even just the way they go about living their daily lives.

But still we are quick to judge or quick to criticize even when we can understand the pain it causes. I can assure you, taking the time to get to know someone else, learning about another culture or just slowing down to appreciate someone or something that differs from your personal lifestyle will be worth it.

I think that we as citizens of the world have to remember that we aren’t here to box up, and scrutinize others. We’re here to love one another. We’re here to capitalize on our differences and celebrate them.

Now, don’t start categorizing me as being a person who likes to make big smart quotations all the time. Trust me, I’m not that pretentious. But the quote from sociologist Charles Horton Cooley perfectly illustrates an ideal way to look at the world; “Our individual lives cannot, generally, be works of art unless the social order is also.” He means that we ourselves can’t be beautiful and appreciated, if our world doesn’t want to perceive us as so. To gain a certain level of respect we must also give that same level of respect to others.

This year, I hope you can join me in my fight against stereotypes, generalizations and barriers. Join me as I hope to open my mind and be more tolerant of others and their own practices. Join me in celebrating the variety and differences that make our world a beautiful place to live. Join me in becoming a true mensch.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

This article was originally published in the Shawnee Mission East Harbinger, the school’s student newspaper. Morgan Krakow is a sophomore at SME and co-editor of the opinion page. She is the daughter of Andrea and Jason Krakow, the granddaughter of Marlene Krakow, Larry and Susan Krakow and Vicki Johnson and a member of Congregation Beth Shalom.

Keep comments

constructive and civil

I am glad to have the opinions of our Jewish community printed in The Chronicle. I think it provides us with different opinions and hopefully thoughtful and constructive views. I am, however, distressed to read hateful letters that are not constructive. This is not helpful.

In the Kansas City area we have a small Jewish community and we are united just by that alone. As we express ourselves in our local community publication, keep in mind our community is lucky to have the KC Jewish Chronicle. When letters expressing complaints are made, let us keep it constructive and helpful to our community. Does it unite us or divide us?

We are about to exercise our right to vote in this country as another major election is coming up. The presidential race is highly contested and people feel passionately about their choices. When we make our choices we do not make them on one issue (my hope) but on many.

As far as what is printed in this newspaper, there is someone on the paper’s staff called an editor who makes choices based on space and a variety of other things. It is called freedom of speech/press. We are lucky to have this publication.

Debbie Dubinsky
Overland Park, Kan.

Apology necessary

I was disappointed to hear the story, “Cemetery For Hezbollah Martyrs Continues To Grow,” on “All Things Considered,” National Public Radio, Oct. 12. The host, Audie Cornish, said, “In a cemetery in Beirut, Lebanon, new graves are appearing more frequently than usual. This isn’t just any cemetery. It’s where the martyrs of Hezbollah are buried. ... Hezbollah, created in 1982 to resist the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, is not at war now, at least not openly.”

The Israeli invasion of Lebanon was a response to repeated attacks from the PLO.

Hezbollah is an enemy of the United States. The acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John McLaughlin, said in an interview, July 18, 2004, “Iran is the place where Hezbollah, an organization that killed more Americans that Al Qaida before 9/11, draws its inspiration and its finances.” The State Department has Hezbollah on its list of terrorist groups. Among the group’s many attacks against the United States is the bombing of our barracks in Beruit in 1983, murdering 241 marines.

In addition to hating the United States and Israel, Hezbollah is anti-Semitic. Its founder, Hassan Nasrallah, said, “If we searched the whole world for a person more cowardly and despicable, weak, and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology, and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew,” (quoted by Jeffrey Goldblum, “A Reporter at Large: In the Party of God,” New Yorker, Oct. 14, 2002).

If Hezbollah has martyrs, who else gets such glory? Our local martyrs/serial killers, Robert Berdella and John Robinson?  Al-Queda and Nazi SS? NPR owes an apology to Americans and Jews.

Elizabeth Appelbaum, Ph.D.
Overland Park, Kan.

Luea is the right choice

for Kansas House

Those of us who live in the Kansas House of Representative’s 19th District (which borders 83rd between Lamar and State Line to the north and I-435 and 99th St. to the south) have the opportunity to elect an outstanding candidate for state representative on Nov. 6: Zachary Luea.

It is essential that we elect Zach because he is the candidate who will strongly support the funding we need for our public schools, the separation of church and state, women’s health, and the merit selection of judges in our state in fearless opposition to Gov. Brownback’s destructive agenda. Zach is an attorney focusing on business law and an educator/administrator for an area university. He is a former public school teacher and a passionate advocate for strong public schools. Zach and his wife, Emily, are active members of our Jewish community. Emily’s family were long-time members of K.I. Zach is endorsed by the MAINstream Coalition PAC, KNEA, Kansas Families for Education, Citizens for Higher Education, former Congressman Dennis Moore and former State Rep. Lisa Benlon. As a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives from our area, I join them all in urging you to vote for Zach Luea as our state representative for the 19th District. The preservation of all that we value in Kansas depends upon it.

For more information on Zach, please visit his website at www.zachluea.com.

Carol H. Sader
Former Kansas State Representative
Prairie Village, Kan.

Making menschen

Regarding the article “HBHA senior enjoys helping kids become menches” on page six of the Oct. 18 edition, there is no such word as “mensches.” The singular for a person is “mensch” and the plural is “menschen.”

Andrew Reiz
Leawood, Kan.

As we are reflecting during this domestic abuse awareness month, we can think about all types of victims and invisible people in our society today.

Having moved between countries and cities throughout my childhood, I recall often standing alone at recess feeling as if I was invisible. In a very small way, I feel like I can relate to the hundreds of people feeling the powerlessness of invisibility in a society that does not see them.

Far beyond the social awkwardness of the playground, there are invisible people everywhere who are victims of deep injustices and oppression. They are the boys who wash our dishes at restaurants and the men who wash our cars. They are the girls who make our hotel beds and the women who serve in our homes. They are the slaves confined by our penal code and the objectified defined by our sexual appetites. They are the homeless who spend their days in our shadow and their nights in our parks. They are the abused who cry but are not heard.

While “underclass” invisibility is caused initially by systems of oppression, shame invariably leads these vulnerable individuals to perpetuate this depressed psychological and social state. “Shame involves the realization that one is weak and inadequate in some ways in which one expects oneself to be adequate. Its reflex is to hide from the eyes of those who will see one’s deficiency, to cover it up,” explains legal scholar Martha Nussbaum.

One who lacks basic needs often wishes not to be seen for fear of shame. This is made worse by our shame at seeing them and not taking action, and the further clouding of visibility that follows. As Nelson Mandela rose to become the first democratically elected state president of South Africa, a country shamed by a history of painful injustice, he shared that, “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” We need the courage to see and make seen the victims of injustice among us.

We have been granted the power to help make visible the invisible. We accomplish this by letting the vulnerable hiding in the shadows know every time we encounter them that they are recognized members of society, members in good standing even, and especially by letting the public know they exist by advocating for their rights and welfare.

Jewish law even demands not only that we see but that we be seen (“yireh, yai’raeh”) in Jerusalem on the festivals (Chagigah 2a). This is training for the rest of the year that our eyes, and hearts, be open to see those who are unseen. Connecting and supporting the unseen is not a distraction from the tradition but its actualization.

One of the primary goals of Jewish spiritual life is to see beyond the physical, to sanctify the unseen and to elevate matter to a higher plane. The Maggid of Mezritch, the great Chassidic master, helped to introduce us to the idea of “yesh me’ayin” — creation out of nothing — to mean that in helping something come into existence that previously did not exist, or helping something be seen that previously was unseen, it is like we are emulating the very creation of the universe.

Greater than lending money or giving tzedakah to a poor individual, the rabbis tell us, is providing partnership (Shabbat 63a). Our charge is to join the invisible in solidarity and partnership: Let us help make their voices heard and their humanity seen.

Some of the most terrifying times in my own life have been when I didn’t really feel like I existed; in these moments, I didn’t feel acknowledged by the world, let alone appreciated or loved.

I have been fortunate to have the support to get through those times. I would venture to say I am not alone in having had these feelings, neither am I alone in recognizing the crucial role played by friends and family members to remind me of my visibility and humanity. Let us be those friends, let us be those family members, and let us be those advocates for those who have none. May we be blessed with the good sight to see the unseen, and the vision to increase their visibility in our blessed nation.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the senior rabbi at Kehilath Israel Synagogue, the founder and president of Uri L’Tzedek, and is the author of “Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century.” Newsweek named Rav Shmuly one of the top 50 rabbis in America earlier this year.

The Jewish vote: For humanity

A while ago Shoula Horing, an ardent supporter of Israel, urged us to vote against the re-election of President Obama so that Israel, with United States support, could go to war with Iran after the election. She also speculates that, if re-elected, President Obama’s policies will favor the Arab nations in the resolution of the Middle East problems.

War with Iran is not a permanent answer to the developing nuclear threat. Nor is it likely that a re-elected President Obama will not support Israel, the only functioning democracy in the region, as the search for a peaceful solution continues.

What, then, of Ms. Horing’s advice to vote against President Obama? That leaves two choices — stay at home or vote for Gov. Romney. Staying home, even where the conclusion is foregone, as in Kansas, is really not an option. Voting is a privilege which must be exercised to be protected.

So what do we get if the vote is for Gov. Romney?

Continuation of a 14 percent tax rate for the very rich while the rest of us pay more.

A policy against equal pay for women for equal work.

A policy against allowing women to control their own bodily future.

A policy against affordable health care for all Americans.

A policy in favor of the manipulation of the economy to benefit big financial institutions and against the middle classes.

A policy to privatize Medicare and Social Security to the detriment of the middle classes and in favor of the insurance and financial institutions.

A Policy of reducing federal program benefits for future generations.

A policy against preserving the environment from pollution.

President Obama, on the other hand, is trying to remedy these problems in the face of determined opposition from the Republicans and their billionaire supporters. He is curing an economy that was many years in the making. He is ending our undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have drained our blood and resources. He is trying to preserve the American way of life for all Americans, not just the 1 percent. He is trying to maintain our moral stance in the eyes of the world.

The Jewish obligation is to heal the world. The choice in November then is clear.

Joel Pelofsky
Kansas City, Mo.

Pay attention to local races

Public education and the arts are important Jewish values that I believe are an essential part of a democratic society. I encourage everyone who also feels these are critical to pay attention to the local races for the Kansas House and Kansas Senate. Unfortunately, many of the moderate Republicans in the legislature lost in the primary to candidates who favor Gov. Brownback’s policies. These include cutting public education, eliminating arts funding to Kansas communities (which caused us to lose $1.2 million in federal arts funding), and draconian tax cuts that will decimate vital services. Brownback’s attitude toward separation of church and state is another concern. It is imperative that enough moderates win races to keep Brownback from getting a supermajority in the legislature and giving him the opportunity to make changes to the Kansas Constitution.

There is hope. In almost all races, the only moderate candidate is the Democrat who can win with your help. Even current State Senators Tim Owens (lost in primary) and John Vratil (retiring) have crossed party lines to endorse several Democratic candidates, praising their common moderate philosophies.

Do your own research. Check out the endorsements from Mainstream Coalition (http://www.mainstreamcoalition.org) and Kansas Families for Education (http://www.fundourpublicschools.com/Endorsements.html.) Take advantage of early voting to avoid lines on Nov. 6. Get details at www.jocoelection.org, and take your driver’s license or government issued ID to the polls. Your vote counts.

Alice Capson
Overland Park, Kan.

Assist older adults

Thanks to Anita Loeb for her kind letter (Oct. 4) about how the JET Express volunteer driver program has changed her life for the better. While our volunteers love to give older adults the support they need to stay active and independent, the friendships formed often mean so much more than the services provided.

Jewish Family Services’ older adults initiatives offer a variety of ways for volunteers to connect with older adults in our community. In addition to JET Express, our Help@Home program uses handy volunteers of every skill level to make minor home repairs, provide computer support, and other services so older adults can stay independent, comfortable, and in control of their daily lives.

We would love to expand these services and offer assistance to even more older adults who just need a little help to continue living independently. However, demand for these much-needed services continues to increase, as does the need for volunteers. If you want to connect with older adults and would like to learn more about getting involved with great programs like JET Express and Help@Home, please call 913-730-1410 or visit www.jfskc.com/volunteer.

Suzanna Barnes
Washburn Americorps VISTA Fellow
Volunteer Coordinator
Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City

Tzedakah at its best

Kudos to The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah for continuing to think outside the box and initiating another wonderfully creative project that engages their congregation: The Giving Tree Project. Many congregants plucked leaves from the tree that involved purchasing gifts for SAFEHOME’s residents/clients. Many of these generous people called asking “is this really enough?” When women and children need to leave their homes quickly to be safe, it’s the little things in life that end up meaning the most. Perspectives change. Everyone who chose a leaf for SAFEHOME should feel good about the fact that when these gifts reached the intended resident or client, they made a huge difference in that person’s life. This project beautifully illustrates how one can give tzedakah by performing a mitzvah, and teach the importance of both to children. Thank you for your innovative thinking and generosity.

Sharon Katz
Executive Director
SAFEHOME5

Is it tradition or Jewish law?

QUESTION: I am a member of a local Orthodox congregation here in Kansas City. My son is marrying a modern Orthodox girl in a large East Coast city. The wedding will take place in a Spanish Portuguese synagogue of which her family has been a member for generations. My son has been told by the rabbi that it is not their tradition for the bride to walk around the groom. Furthermore, my son was told he cannot wear a kittel or the white gown that many Orthodox grooms wear when they are married. Are not these laws in Judaism or are they just tradition?

ANSWER: These are just traditions. They are not law. Unfortunately in the Spanish and Portuguese world the groom does not wear a kittel nor does the bride usually walk around seven times. That is an Ashkenazic tradition.

There are many traditions in Judaism that we hold near and dear, but they are just traditions.

For example, my wife and I have different traditions about lighting yahrzeit lights. I come from a Germanic tradition and our custom is to light a yahrzeit on Yom Kippur for all our deceased loved ones and on the yahrzeit date, the date on which they passed. We do not have a tradition of lighting a yahrzeit light on the day when Yizkor is recited in synagogue such as Passover, Shavuot, or Sukkot. My wife comes from an Eastern European background and yahrzeit lights are lit also on days when Yizkor is recited in the synagogue. It is not that one tradition is right or wrong. They are just different.

Obviously, there are many things that are law; but there are other things that are tradition depending on where your family comes from or what the tradition of the synagogue is. I am sure that if the rabbi officiating at your son’s wedding were doing the ceremony at a hotel or a private home or a catering hall, he might have been more flexible about permitting those traditions you mentioned in your question. However, with the wedding being held in a Spanish Portuguese synagogue those are just not traditions that are practiced in that type of setting.

Another area where tradition or custom plays a very important role deals with death. There are other traditions regarding whether a person should say Yizkor or memorial prayers on the different holidays in the Jewish year during the first year after the passing of a relative. Generally we advise people these days that it is preferable to say Yizkor immediately and not wait until the year of mourning passes, particularly for a parent, to recite memorial prayers on holidays. If however a family has a strong tradition for generations of not reciting Yizkor or memorial prayers in that first year after death, then they certainly should follow their family tradition.

Another area that has become a little controversial over recent years is whether or not people who have both their parents in life should recite Yizkor or not. When I was a child no one recited Yizkor for anyone if one’s mother and father were both living. Even if one had lost a sibling or G-d forbid a child or a spouse, one did not say Yizkor if one’s mother and father were both living out of respect to them.

In recent years many Conservative and even some modern Orthodox rabbis have now recommended that because of the losses of the Holocaust and for other reasons, people should remain in the service for Yizkor services. However, if one’s family tradition is to leave services during memorial prayers if your mother and father are both in life, that tradition should be followed. There are serious roots for that tradition and it is actually found in the Code of Jewish Law that one whose parents are living does not recite Yizkor. Once again you should depend on your family tradition as far as what is practiced in your individual life.