Jerusalem

Jerusalem — When, in 2007, the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary decided to admit openly gay students for the first time, the decision presented these students with a dilemma: where to study during their mandatory third year in Israel.

Traditionally, JTS rabbinical students have spent their Israel year at Machon Schechter, the Israeli Masorti movement’s rabbinical seminary, which does not ordain openly gay students.

This worried Ian Chesir-Teran and Aaron Weininger, JTS’ first two openly gay JTS students.

Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel says that in his private lunch meeting with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday, the president “wanted me to understand” his commitment to Israel. And the Holocaust survivor and memoirist wanted to share with his host (also a Nobel Peace Prize winner) how important Israel, and particularly Jerusalem, is to the Jewish people.

The unwritten “special relationship” with the U.S. is without a doubt Israel’s greatest and most potent outside asset. Consequently, avoiding an escalation in the current political conflict between the two countries should be Israel’s top priority.

 It was with dismay and disappointment, and some frustration, that I read the JInsider column entitled “March Meshuga 2010.” 

Yes, I know it was tongue in cheek, and meant to be a humor column, and a take-off on the college basketball tournament. Mark Pearlman attempted to “parse all of Judaism 2010 into one Elite 8 bracket.” However, one of the “brackets” was “E. Jerusalem Settlements,” and it was described as follows: “Israel has taken yet more land in the face of international opposition.” 

I am furious and astounded as to how a paper that calls itself The Jewish Week could allow an ad that is so anti-Israel, anti-Jewish in its paper (“An open letter to Elie Wiesel on Jerusalem,” April 30).
Change your name to The Arab Week. Though certainly there is no shortage of propaganda against Israel, why you would join the opposition is beyond comprehension. I plan to stop my subscription.

The J Street ad that you published [April 30, containing an open letter to Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel from Yossi Sarid, a former Israel minister of education and of the environment], is highly offensive, and lacking in sophistication.