The Feb. 24 issue of The CJN reached us in Florida recently, and we welcomed the excellent article, “Egyptian revolution will impact entire Mideast,” by Charles Bronfman. We respect the views of someone like Bronfman, who, along with his family, have been prominent leaders in the Montreal Jewish community with strong attachments to Israel and the Diaspora. Yet Bronfman’s understanding and approach to the events sweeping the Arab world stands in sharp contrast to some others.
He looks on it as an opportunity to be on the right side of history by helping “Arab democracy emerge from the ice age imposed on it by its autocratic leaders.” He says that Israel must finally end its occupation over the Palestinians. This would pull the rug from under those anti-Israel forces in Iran and elsewhere who have made Israel a pariah in the region. As Bronfman says, by breaking out of its isolation in the Middle East and internationally, Israel could use its technological know-how to assist the economic growth of the newly reformed countries surrounding it.
Instead of a future of continuous conflict, isn’t the prospect of peace and co-operation between Israel and its neighbours a more desirable and possible objective? That is the question Bronfman poses. The pessimists will say it can never happen. But those same people also said that genuine peoples’ revolutions erupting against dictators in Arab countries was an idle dream. Isn’t it time for a more positive outlook and a new, more hopeful future for Israel?
Saul Rose
Name of town??/Fla.

 
We feel that there are many important issues that need to be addressed regarding the proposed Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools/United Talmud Torahs merger (“Teachers have concerns about school merger plan,” Feb. 17). Before embarking on it, there are many realities that must be taken into consideration.
To the best of our knowledge there have been no educators, at any level, who have had any input whatsoever in the planning of this proposal. In order to build the best Jewish school system in North America, it stands to reason that consultation with educators at every level should have been an integral part of this process.
JPPS is presently thriving. Due to the unsurpassed leadership of our principal, Adina Matas, prospective parents tour our school daily with the desire to enrol their children here. Our school is not, and never has been, mediocre. Our school already is a centre of excellence, where young people learn about Jewish values and history and also develop the skill set to prosper in Quebec and in a global economy. We already have the stamp of approval from Standards in Excellence And Learning (SEAL), formerly the Canadian Educational Standards Institute (CESI). The school is financially secure. These facts all demonstrate and confirm that we have nothing to fear in the future except the proposed merger.
Our registration has been increasing steadily for the last five years. However, with the news of the proposed merger, those who are newly registered have become apprehensive about their decision. We, too, want the families on the West Island to have access to a Jewish high school education as soon as possible. We, too, want the donated funds directed there. We, too, want a tuition support fund to be established. All of these things can come to fruition while JPPS continues to be an independent school, caring and nurturing, and as always, achieving excellence.
Harriet Pardo
On behalf of a caring group of teachers and parents of JPPS
Montreal

Kudos to Lawrence Hart on his assessment of Israeli Apartheid Week (“IAW: a legacy of inaction,” March 3).
It pains me to write this letter – a critique of our Toronto Jewish community and its attitude toward handling Israel on campuses. As someone who has been doing Israel advocacy at York university for some time, I can attest to the feeling of abandonment that resides with the Jewish students on campus who choose to stand up and speak up for Israel. The fundraising, organizing and producing of Israel advocacy programs are done by a small group of students on their own time, on top of their full schedules.
The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto must start living up to what it claims to do. “Representing students on campus” does not mean holding cultural events outside of school hours. It entails constant pro-Israel speakers and events on campus, standing at tables in the halls of the university, not just during IAW but rather year-long, and presenting the student public with the true reality of the Mideast. The anti-Israel movement is not going away, and Jewish students are forced to fight this community’s battle at the front lines of a much bigger war. Enough inaction, Im tirzu ain zo agada.
Adir Dishy
President of Hasbara at York
Toronto

For too long, Israel has absorbed barrages of the worst propaganda without mounting an effective defence (Students stand up to Israeli Apartheid Week, March 10) . Congratulations to David Plotkin and his colleagues on campus for facing down the haters and publicizing the truth about Israel and those would who drive it into the sea.
Steven Lesser
Newton, Mass.

As a Jewish student I take great pride that our communal leaders continue to take on difficult but necessary work on our behalf (“United Church to reassess Mideast policies,” March 3). I want to commend Bernie Farber, CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, for his efforts in trying to present the Israeli story to the United Church of Canada members with whom he recently travelled to Israel. Farber has always been a model to many of us thinking about volunteering or working for Canadian Jewry. Supporting the State of Israel among those who prefer the Palestinian story must be very complicated. Let us hope that his diplomatic skills bear fruit with the Church.
Benjamin Goodman
Kingston, Ont.

I was pleased to read the article “Documentary screened despite Iranian objections” (Feb. 10), regarding the recent showing of the film Iranium at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. As a young student studying civics in high school, the issue of the place in society for free thought and expression is especially relevant to me. The Iranian embassy doesn’t have the right to decide what films can or cannot be shown here.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental political freedoms safeguarded in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms  and should be defended with all the democratic power at our disposal. How can we expect to make any headway in confronting this contentious issue if at the first sign of trouble we cave in to demands for censorship and suppression? The simple and only answer is that we can’t. We should be proud that our government has the intestinal fortitude to stick up for democratic values. After all, as the crisis in the Middle East has repeatedly shown, not many countries can boast that.  
Gideon Blinick
Toronto

Kol hakavod to Martin Lockshin for his keen insight regarding identification with Jewish life and with Israel (“Israel identification among young Jews debated,” March 10). Those at the centre of community life tend to forget or disregard the thousands of Jews who are indifferent to or disaffected with Jewish life. Their attitudes toward Israel, negative or neutral, are merely a product of their distance from Jewish concerns. The remedy is not more pro-Israel rhetoric, but more and enhanced pluralistic outreach to marginal Jews offering them both old and new paths to Jewish life.
Seymour Epstein
Toronto