JDate article offends

I know the article about JDate (“Life after JDate,” The CJN, June 12) was meant to be funny, but it wasn’t funny at all.

I was extremely put off by it. The author, Bruce Freedman, seems like a superficial jerk looking for Jewish girls simply out of sympathy for his mother (not because he actually cares about Judaism, or raising a Jewish family.) He, in turn, makes the single women of JDate seem like overweight, old, crazy women desperate for a man. And God forbid the women of JDate should want the men they date to say they want kids. Gasp!

Normally I’m a big fan of your publication. I think you can do better.

Shayna Lavi

Toronto

Author needs soul searching

Given Bruce Freedman’s revulsion at 54-year-old divorcées and curvy women (“Life after JDate, The CJN, June 12), I assume he is a young, virile specimen,

perhaps filling in between writing assignments as an exotic dancer. There can be no other reason why he, by his own admission, had at least 50 opportunities to meet a Jewish woman and flatly rejected them all.

It is common knowledge that men prefer younger partners, leaving a sizable population of single women over 40. The epidemic of intermarriage, primarily by men, has left an even greater percentage of single Jewish women.

Nowhere in his saga does this fastidious Don Juan make mention of what he has to offer in a mature relationship. Perhaps when Freedman has finished exploiting others’ sincere efforts to meet and fall in love, he can do some soul-searching instead. 

Stephanie Ein

Montreal

Put attacks in perspective

I was quite taken aback by Rabbi Dow Marmur’s article warning against Jewish “moral duplicity” regarding what have been dubbed price-tag attacks and his fear of such possible attacks during Pope Francis’ visit (“We must all speak out against Jewish terror,” The CJN, June 3).

In reality, in spite of the fact that some of these attacks were Arab-staged, the Israeli government and police have come down very strongly, often on Jewish youth, and with what many decry a little too much zeal.

No one is condoning slashing tires or graffiti, and, yes, the misdeeds have to be addressed, but, let’s put things into perspective here.  

Israel is surrounded by a multitude of nations whose leaders openly swear they are willing to spare no lie, terror or horror to wipe it off the map. There are teenagers and young families who’ve been uprooted, thrown out of their decades-old homes and livelihoods – demolished by Jewish hands – all in the hope of making peace with such leaders.

Worse, as “settlers,” they are still being called the obstacle to peace. So there you have it: a few teenagers are acting out. 

As for the Pope, he had no problem showing his political agenda, praying before a graffitied wall built to keep out random violence and changing the status quo at King David’s grave on Mount Zion, to the shock and detriment of Jewish worshippers.

Rabbi Meyer Berglas, dean of Midreshet Moriah in Jerusalem, understood the situation well when several years after making aliyah, he made an important observation: Arab men, women and youth feel free and safe to shop, mingle and go about their business in the most Jewish of neighbourhoods. We, as Jews, are threatened with our lives in theirs. The situation speaks volumes. Perspective, please.

Aviva Woznica

Toronto

My Jewish playlist

In response to Yoni Goldstein’s playlist of favourite songs by Jewish artists (“My Jewish playlist,” The CJN, June 12), here are my choices:

• Do It Again, Steely Dan (Donald Fagen)

• I Feel The Earth Move, Carole King

• You’re So Vain, Carly Simon

• California Dreamin’, The Mamas and The Papas (Cass Elliott)

• Uptown Girl, Billy Joel

• Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand

• Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel

• Cracklin’ Rosie, Neil Diamond

• Looks Like We Made It, Barry Manilow

• Mother And Child Reunion, Paul Simon  

Lorne Freeman

Montreal, Quebec