Letters

I am writing regarding Rabbi Avi Shafran’s Opinion piece, “Measured Insularity Does Not A Monk Make” (May 11), which refuted the Opinion piece of Rabbi Eugene Korn on an element of haredi Judaism (“In The Name Of Judaism, Haredim Have Turned Inward,” April 13).

Rabbi Shafran explained that haredi Judaism tries to avoid “the effluence of a coarse popular culture...”

Comparing American culture to sewage?

It is not true that “the Palestinians” do not accept the right of Israel to exist (“The Real Catastrophe Of The Nakba,” Editorial, May 18). Undoubtedly some do not, but some do, in particular those in the Palestinian Authority who have declared that to be so for a long time.

Jayson Littman (“Confessions Of A Gay Zionist,” Back of the Book, April 20) states he has been able to rid his “heart of turmoil, self-hate, and questioning” while simultaneously asking God, while standing at the Kotel, “What do you expect of me?” 

His seemingly simple story made me very sad.

Most boys in yeshiva consider their rabbi to be as good at guidance as a formally trained therapist, and this is usually not the case. And sadly in this case Littman did not get the help he could have used and could not feel God’s love.

In response to Joseph C. Kaplan’s letter on the use of Title VI (May 11), some of his claims must be corrected. The Zionist Organization of America has never used Title VI to try to censor or suppress free speech, nor would we. We have filed two cases under Title VI. In both, Jewish students were threatened with violence. In one of the cases, Jewish students were actually physically assaulted.