Letters to the editor

Future looks bright for new combined religious school
While the merger of Temple Sinai and Rodef Shalom Congregation will leave behind some traditions, the new congregation faces an exciting future.

For me, a former 45-year teacher at Temple Sinai, the most exciting aspect is the combining of the religious schools, which will once again put Rabbi Larry Freedman in charge. I had the extreme privilege of working with Rabbi Freedman during his 10-year tenure as Temple Sinai’s assistant rabbi and educational director. His guidance and leadership made our religious school program the envy of congregations from New York to Chicago. Rabbi Freedman’s program was filled with innovation, creativity and fun. He also excelled at teaching the teachers. Our students were excited to attend and our teachers were excited to teach.

I believe that things are bashert and it was bashert that Rabbi Freedman decided to return to Pittsburgh to educate future generations of our students. The future is looking bright.

Harold Marcus
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

Israelis say stop the war
Massive protests have seized Israel, as hundreds of thousands of Israelis gather to call for an end to the war (“ ‘We want them back’: Israelis strike and protest in call for hostage deal, end of war,” online Aug. 17).

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of some of the captives, said on Aug. 24 that more than 400,000 people joined the protest in and around a Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostages Square; 400,000 out of about 7 million Jews in Israel is the equivalent to approximately 20 million in the U.S.

It’s increasingly clear that Netanyahu and his cabinet — far-right, corrupt — do not represent the will of Israelis. Netanyahu is only extending the war to avoid his trial for corruption.

After Oct. 7, the Pittsburgh Jewish Federation distributed signs that said, “We Stand with Israel.” As American Jews, we need to sharpen that message. We shouldn’t support the Netanyahu government and its endless war.

Instead, we should listen to the people of Israel — as well as 19 former Israeli security chiefs — who say that the time has come to end the war (“Ending the war is a moral and strategic imperative,” Aug. 20).

The protest on Aug. 24 was called by the October Council, which is made up of family members of hostages and those killed on Oct. 7 and survivors of the attack. They called for the protest after Netanyahu’s cabinet voted earlier last month to conquer Gaza City despite warnings by the IDF that it would endanger the hostages.

The October Council and other Israelis protesting represent the voice of wisdom and the voice of the people. In July, 74% of Israelis backed an agreement to release hostages and end the war. The Times of Israel reported that only 8% backed Netanyahu’s approach.

Let’s amplify the voices of the Israelis on the streets. For Israel, for our religion, for people starving in Gaza — this war must end.

Andi Fischhoff
Pittsburgh

The voices of Jewish BDS activists should not be ignored
Simone Shapiro’s op-ed on recent BDS efforts (“From City Hall to Trader Joe’s: How BDS activists are trying to marginalize Pittsburgh Jews,” Aug. 29) continues in the Jewish Chronicle’s well-established practices of denying the existence of those of us in the Jewish community who hold opinions critical of the Israel government’s actions. The claim that “BDS activists are trying to marginalize Pittsburgh Jews” conveniently avoids the clear reality that many of those activists are Pittsburgh Jews.

A more balanced perspective would invite those activists to discuss their perspective on Judaism and Israel, and how it motivates their commitment to these actions. I have spoken with several.

Although I don’t always agree with their arguments, I am convinced by the sincerity of their convictions. As a Jewish member-owner of the East End Food Co-op, I have spoken with the activists promoting the divestment actions. Nothing that I heard in these discussions was antisemitic. I’m still not sure how I will act if this question comes up for a co-op vote, but I believe the discussion is valuable and should continue.

Pittsburgh’s Jews hold a wide variety of views on these and other challenging questions. In omitting the richness of these perspectives, the Chronicle’s coverage does us all a disservice.

Harry Hochheiser
Squirrel Hill