As a member of the provincial legislature of Ontario, I express deepest concern and outright opposition to the United Church of Canada’s proposed resolution calling for the “Divestment of Israel,” titled “Seeking peace in the Middle East using South African actions for justice as a model” (“United Church weighs anti-Israel measures,” Aug. 6). This resolution is not only one-sided against Israel, but also counterproductive and insulting to the Middle East’s only democracy, Israel, especially when the resolution places the State of Israel in a South African “apartheid” context.
I have the greatest respect for free debate and discussion, but this one-sided resolution adds nothing to the building of understanding and compassion. At best, this is a misguided attempt by a vocal minority within the United Church of Canada to pursue a very partisan agenda.
Hopefully, this resolution will be rejected, and the United Church and its members –who have a legacy of humanitarian outreach and compassion – will move away from this confrontational approach and stop attacking a most vulnerable and fragile democracy: Israel and its people.
Mike Colle, MPP
Eglinton-Lawrence
Toronto
Editor’s note: Please see the front-page story in the August 20 issue for the results of the vote on the United Church’s resolutions concerning Israel.

One way The CJN could help the new president of Canadian Jewish Congress to reach out to the left would be to devote one op-ed column in every edition to a view from the left on Israel and/or the Jewish community (“New CJC head aims to mend relations with left,” July 30). A second way would be to have as an editorial policy to not allow the words “self-hating Jew” or “naive” and “deluded” to be used in articles and letters to the editor, except as a direct quotation from a source. The third would be to recognize that the left represents a broad spectrum of opinion, so that when some far-left group decides upon an action, the whole left is not branded as supporters of it. The Jewish community needs its active left to be in the pages of The CJN, for when there is no voice of loyal opposition, the tendency is to move further and further to the right.
Eric Mendelsohn
Toronto

In her letter to the editor, Eileen Shapero states her case for the Jewish law of no cremation (“Cremation and Jewish law,” Aug. 6). While no one can argue that it is a Jewish law, her argument is that one could be responsible for undue suffering “on the other side” if cremated.
My father was cremated in 1980, and my mother was cremated in 1996. My father, who died in Florida, did not want to be buried above ground, as is the practice there. Nor did he want his body shipped back to the grave site he had purchased in Montreal 30 year prior, as his children no longer lived in Montreal. My mother had her own reasons. I can assure Ms. Shapero that no evil has come to pass as a result and that the memory of my dear parents as good, kind, honest, generous people is still intact and will be until the last person who knew them has died.
Ron Sloan (Slutsky)
Toronto

Paul van der Straten, president of the Fédération Abbé Froidure in Belgium is hoping to have the abbé recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. Father Edouard Froidure organized and ran a camp for children. He rescued 300 Jewish children before he was arrested and sent to Dachau, where he managed to survive until the camp’s liberation. Van der Straten is looking for former hidden children who can attest to being saved by Abbé Froidure. A partial list follows: Abelow, Leon (Polonais), 18/4/34; Berger, André, 11/11/37; Bywalski, Berthe, 10/5/35; Bywalski, Sévern, 1/9/31; Cherszaft, Jacob Samuel, 18/11/29; Cherszaft, Simon, 27/9/34; Cohen, Eva, 23/5/37; Cohen, Jean Pierre, 29/6/31; Finkelstein, Marc, 2/11/37; Frisz, José, 4/3/36; Fritz, Mary, 10/7/37; Hamburger, Louis, 2/10/30; Habert, Maurice; Katz, Joseph, 13/10/30; Krygier, Esther, 24/5/31; Lipszyc, Bernard, 5/12/27; Mizrahi, Régine, 27/5/29; Mizrahi, Estrella, 21/6/33; Rozenwajn, Léon, 19/1/32; Schneeberg, Gabrielle, 17/6/37; Sonabend, Léon, 30/7/34; Sonabend, Maurice, 28/7/28; Teperman, Henri; Teperman, Marie; Wolff, Jean; Wolgang, Pierre.
If you were rescued by Abbé Froidure or if you know someone on the list, please e-mail van der Straten at [email protected] or contact Max Iland at [email protected] or at 705-248-2290.
Max Iland
Echo Bay, Ont.