Opinions

No champion of Jewish values

I cannot share Washington Jewish Week/JNS.orgreporter Dmitriy Shapiro’s lament for the demise of Eric Cantor’s political career (The Chronicle, June 19, or www.jns.org), because I have never seen him as a champion of Jewish values — at least, not the values that are of importance to most of the Jews with whom I am acquainted. He has been in the forefront in opposing universal health care, living wages for American workers and employment rights for gays, to name just a few of his reactionary positions. Although these were not the issues that brought him down, I am glad he will no longer be the symbol of all that is wrong in American politics today.

Stu Lewis

Prairie Village, Kan.

Last month, I was honored to travel on a mission with nine other Kansas City Jewish Federation Israel & Overseas Committee members and leaders to Eastern Europe. It was an unforgettable journey, where we saw some of the projects that our Federation funds in partnership with the JDC (American Jewish Joint

“Propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert.” — Adolf Hitler, “Mein Kampf,” 1924

I attended a press preview this week for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums Exhibition “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda,” which opened to the public Tuesday at the National Archives at Kansas City. The exhibition is presented by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, one of the jewels of our Jewish community. 

Stop saying ‘hate’

The name of our community is Village Shalom — a place of peace. That peace was shattered April 13 when Terri LaManno was killed at Village Shalom, and Dr. William Corporon and Reat Underwood at the Jewish Community Campus.

Judaism is a religion not a career … or so I thought.

Growing up in a family full of business minded people, being Jewish was my religion but I had never thought of it as anything more. In 2009 I was working for a company in Chicago and began networking in Kansas to potentially move there. I was put in touch with Jay

J Street exclusion proper move

I agree with the majority decision to keep J Street out of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.

My wife Mickey and I were members of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces delegation that recently traveled on a March of the Living type tour to Poland and Israel. The delegation consisted of 60 FIDF supporters and 40 active officers from all branches of the IDF. All ranks from brigadier-general to commander were represented. These IDF officers were on a Witness in Uniform program, where soldiers and officers are sent to Poland to commemorate and to learn about the Holocaust.

Building understanding among Jews

Rabbi David Londy of The New Reform Temple gave an inspiring introduction at last week’s Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy graduation. I have never met Rabbi Londy, but I look forward to meeting him. He spoke beautifully about Jews being kind to each other in regard to different religious beliefs within Judaism. 

Tuesday, May 13, was the  shloshim, 30 days, since the murder of three dearly loved Christian souls, martyrs of our Jewish community. Looking in the rear view mirror on April 13, we could view only the shocking tragedy of the previous day and vainly attempt to comprehend what it all meant. By Thursday, April 17, unity through interfaith worship lifted our spirits and enabled us to dream of a better tomorrow, freed of the plague of enmity and the scourge of anti-Semitism.

J Street and The Chronicle

Ron Kampeas writes in The Chronicle (May 8, Page 18 or www.jta.org) of “support from leading Jewish groups” for J Street. Was Rabbi Schonfeld speaking her own opinions or expressing a vote of the entire assembly? Kampeas goes on to describe the tent as “big enough to … continue to have dialogue,” but I submit that my own tent is too small for such conversation.