Mistaken Identity
I enjoyed Saul Singer’s “Tehran Children” article (December 24). However, he has incorrectly identified “Agudat Harabanim” as associated with “the Agudah” throughout the article. “Agudath Israel” is often abbreviated colloquially as “the Agudah.” But Agudat Harabanim of the United States and Canada is an independent organization. The participation of leading Agudists among the membership and even leadership of the Agudat Harabanim does not change this fact. You have correctly noted the presence of Zionists (including active Mizrachi members) among the Agudat Harabanim membership of that wartime era. Indeed, some were not members of “the Agudah.”
Dr. Nisan Hershkowitz
Brooklyn, NY
Saul Singer Responds:
I unfortunately used the “Agudah” shorthand which, as Dr. Hershkowitz correctly notes, blurred the line between the two independent organizations. I thank him for the correction – and I’m pleased that he enjoyed the article despite my error!
Saul Jay Singer
‘Most Destructive’ List
Dennis Prager’s column, “The Awful Year” (December 31) prompted me to delineate a listing of “The Most Destructive Persons/Entities in the USA.” Yes, they are all Democrats or aligned with the “not your grandfather’s” Democratic party.
The people enumerated are destructive, divisive, dictatorial and sometimes even demented. If you decry inflation, open borders, appeasement of China, Russia and Iran, Critical Race Theory, crime, the debacle in Afghanistan, mandates, characterization of conservatives as “deplorables” or “small-minded people who cling to religion and their guns,” a Socialist/Marxist doctrine, etc. – these are your culprits. What will it take for Jews to stop voting for the Democratic Party? Iranian action against Israel? I shudder to think.
Theresa Rosenfeld
New York, NY
Slippery Slope
Our society is sliding down a slippery slope, getting worse as time goes by. Currently, the increase in crime is alarming. National polling shows crime is the second most serious issue facing the American public, following only inflation. Murder, shootings, car theft, and smash-and-grab robberies are reported on a daily basis.
Simultaneously, counterproductive “defund the police” demands are being pushed by Black Lives Matter and their woke supporters.
Many woke people have moved away from religion, G-d, and the Ten Commandments. To them, “Thou shall not steal” and “Thou shall not covet,” as well as the prohibition against false testimony, are not even considered in their daily lives. The result may be seen in the slide of society into mayhem. The large increase in children born into fatherless families reflects a disregard for marriage. This is a serious matter because children being raised without a father in the home correlates very highly with criminal activity and imprisonment.
Looting in many major Democrat-controlled cities clearly violates the prohibition against stealing. Coveting seems to be demonstrated by claiming, falsely, that “the rich do not pay their fair share.” (Actually, people in the top one percent of income pay approximately 50 percent of the tax burden.) The focus of many people on the wealth of others can lead to a variety of personal and social problems.
Thomas Sowell said, “I have never understood why it is ‘greed’ to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to take somebody else’s money.”
While a number of the woke people have moved away from religion, some seem to be acting as if they themselves were divine. They want to determine how much of your money you should be allowed to keep and how much should be transferred to people who did nothing to earn it.
Hopefully, many people will realize the need for security and for leaders, judges and police to provide that safety. I am optimistic in viewing New York City where the incoming mayor has a strong policing background and is focused on these issues.
Charles Winfield
Princeton, NJ