Week of Oct. 8, 2015

Letters to the Editor THE CJN PHOTO
Letters to the Editor THE CJN PHOTO

Response to the United Church

Gail Allan, as spokesperson for the United Church of Canada, invokes the quest for “justice and peace” as her church’s purpose in investing so much energy in anti-Israel activities (“United Church responds”). She claims that the United Church’s “action does not target Israel. Rather, the focus is Israeli policies and practices relating to the occupation of Palestinian territories.”

If Allan wished the readers of her letter to believe in “justice and peace” as the motive for choosing Israel for special attention, her position may be slightly more credible if the United Church made motions against China for occupying Tibet, Turkey for northern Cyprus, Russia for the Crimea, Morocco for Western Sahara, etc. The “selection” of Israel for condemnation betrays the underlying, irrefutable, anti-Semitic motivation driving the action of the United Church of Canada.

Steve Samuel

Toronto

Views on marijuana

I am very disappointed that The CJN would publish an article (with a front page cartoon to make matters worse) that promotes the use of marijuana and practically endorses it with a Jewish hechsher (“The complicated halachahs of getting high”).

I have worked with people and their families suffering from addictions for more than 20 years. There is no glamour when dealing with the consequences of addiction, be it mental health, financial hardship, involvement with the law, and of course, family and relationship breakdowns.

Marijuana is not a benign “medicine” as your article portrays, especially when in the hands of youth and susceptible adults with concurrent mental health disorders.

This says nothing of the detrimental physical health effects of marijuana, including respiratory and cardiovascular risks. It is irresponsible to only state the “potential benefits” of this drug.

Furthermore, it is insulting to me as a Jew that marijuana should be a vehicle to become more “spiritual.” To me, that is a failure in the most fundamental sense of what it means to be a Jew.

Thea Weisdorf

Toronto

As a parent of two young men, I was appalled to see the Sept. 24 cover of The CJN.

I thoroughly discourage the use of smoking pot in our family. This week, you put an illustration of a young Jewish man clearly smoking pot with a smile on his face, depicting that this activity is accepted, good and calming for young men.

May I remind you that this activity in Canada is still illegal. This kind of image creates the illusion that this is an OK activity. It is not! It doesn’t help to see this image in our home for a week.

I know that the article discusses more of this issue. It is the cover that is awful and irresponsible. I have disposed of the cover and kept the rest of the paper for reading, although I am so disgusted by this irresponsible choice, I can’t bring myself to read the paper yet.

Suzanne Reisler Litwin

Montreal

I enjoyed the article on marijuana and what Rabbi Daniel Korobkin had to say.

I would just like to point out that marijuana is not a gateway drug and that marijuana is mentioned in the Bible. It says, “let he who sins be stoned!” I think a few of us have sinned once or twice!

Howard Dover

Toronto

Why we start with Kol Nidrei

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz is puzzled over the purpose of the Kol Nidrei prayer, writing that it is “more melody than meaning”. Perhaps this analogy might shed light on its purpose.

As a lawyer, I have always appreciated judges who commence a hearing by telling litigants they should relax and try to be at ease, even though the next few hours of trial might be stressful. The Kol Nidrei prayer has a similar purpose. By assuring us that we are absolved of the vows we have made and the promises we have broken, we can relax and more easily endure our fast while we are being judged from on high. That is why the Yom Kippur service begins with Kol Nidrei and not the heavier “who by fire, who by stoning” prayer of Unetaneh Tokef.

And as Rabbi Steinmetz notes, it does have a great melody.

Max Berger

Toronto