Take Henni’s Advice
Henni Halberstam is always wonderful, and in her column in the March 4 issue (“Buy One Get One Free!”) I thought she was exceptional.
To the young lady who is considering marrying a man who has a child, take Henni’s advice and just know that the future can be very good. It takes work, but everything worthwhile does. And the rewards will be more than you ever dreamed of.
I’ve been there and done that.
Nechama Stein
Via email
The Ukraine Conundrum
Regarding “Why Shed Tears for Ukraine,” by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlertsein (March 11), many Jews, myself included, are naturally ambivalent about Ukraine and its current problem with Russia. All of us have only contempt for Putin and his unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people. All of us condemn the senseless slaughter of civilians. And all of us are ready to provide various means of aid and support for the brave Ukrainians resisting the Russian onslaught.
What then is our (my) problem? It is history itself. It is the knowledge of hundreds of years of pogroms led by still-revered Ukrainian leaders that resulted in more than 100,000 Jewish deaths. And then, with Hitler’s invasion of the USSR, including Ukraine, a 20th-century horror unfolded in the bestial form of the Holocaust. Many examples of depraved murder, best exemplified by the massacre at Babi Yar, where 33,771 Jews were murdered at an enormous pit by the SS over a two-day period.
Aiding, abetting and celebrating these murders were a number of Kiev locals who cheered and applauded as the victims were shot and dumped into the pit. These were times when a Jew’s life was worth a sack of flour or sugar, as many Ukrainians were “paid” by the SS to betray them. These were times when some Ukrainian priests chose to demonize all Jews as “The murderers of our [Lord.]” These were parts of “sermons” preached in the churches. They inexorably fed into a climate that created a poison potion of hatred and bestiality hitherto unknown in human history.
Today’s Ukrainian people are the children and grandchildren of those who, by their betrayals, sent untold numbers of Jews to their deaths. Who among today’s population still harbor the age-old antisemitism, the blind hatred of the “Christ-killers?” And who, innocent and decent, abhor, regret, and feel a great shame for the participation of their parents and/or grandparents?
I don’t know and neither does anyone else. Rasmussen doesn’t do polling of a nation, asking them if they still hate Jews.
So where am I on this entire scenario? As stated above, no question about Putin’s rapacious and unprovoked invasion, but, sadly and truthfully, ambivalent. I can’t and won’t assume antisemitism where it may not exist, nor can I erase the horrific imagery of Babi Yar from my mind. In general, I wish the Ukrainian people well and I commend them for their determined and active resistance.
Myron Hecker
Via email
Support Jews in Ukraine, No Carte Blanche
There is an important question, “Who Hate Jews More – Ukraine or Russia,” on The Jewish Press website (jewishpress.com, March 10), which resembles one asked of a condemned prisoner. That is, if he would rather be hanged or shot. Although the best answer would be neither, unfortunately that was not an option. Similarly, in this case, the answer may also be uncertain, but it does have important implications.
Russia of course has a long history of violent antisemitism and massacres like the pogroms. However, the Ukrainians were much more vicious and pro-Nazi than the Russians. I am not aware of any massacres occurring on Russian territory similar to that perpetrated by the Germans with the aid of their Ukrainian supporters at Babi Yar. Also, I am not aware of any volunteer Russian Waffen SS divisions fighting for the German Army, as the Ukrainians did.
Thus, the answer to the dilemma at hand is that both were terrible, and Jews should be very selective in how they support the Jews in Ukraine. I feel the best way is that support should not be given carte blanche to any governmental-level agency; rather, support by Jews should be given to specific Jewish causes and institutions. There are many shuls and organizations that are soliciting for a variety of specific needs, so there is no shortage of causes to support directly, each to his own liking. Leave the global political machinations to the politicians. They are doing a horrendous job of it on their own.
Max Wisotsky
Highland Park, NJ
Time to Stand Up
When the world faces turmoil, it takes a special leader to pull through the chaos. In the past few weeks, the world has been watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine with precaution and uncertainty. Holding the defense against Russia is the Jewish president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, elected in 2019.
Zelensky, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, is fighting for Ukraine’s independence, democracy, and existence with the same courage demonstrated by Jewish leaders throughout history, such as the Maccabees and the fighters of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The Maccabees, comprised of a small group of farmers with little armor, defeated the well-trained and armed forces of the Greek Syrian army, leading to the miracle of Chanukah.
Nearly eighty years ago, when the Nazis entered the Warsaw ghetto to deport Jews to the death camps, approximately 700 Jews bravely fought back. Under the leadership of Mordechai Anielewicz, Jewish fighters in the Warsaw ghetto met the Nazis with force leading to an uprising that lasted four days, killed approximately 50 Germans, and caused the Germans to withdraw.
Zelensky, who publicly admires his Jewish faith and community, serves not only as the voice of encouragement and resilience for the Ukrainian people against their Russian oppressor, but also as a world leader standing up against oppression and hate.
When Kyiv’s Holocaust memorial, Babi Yar, was attacked by Russia, President Zelensky called on the Jewish people to stand up against hate.
Jews must not be the defenseless canary in the coal mine that is being sacrificed to die; instead, we must go on the offense and bravely stand up against our detractors.
The events in Ukraine should inspire us to take a strong stance against Jew-hatred, stop being reactive, and look over the horizon to detect threats against our community before they occur.
Brian Goldenfeld
Oak Park, CA
What If…
To all the people who criticize and vilify former President Trump, perhaps some serious soul searching is now in order. As the bloody war in Ukraine escalates, is it not improbable that the Russian invasion may have been aborted if Donald Trump was president? Mr. Trump, a mercurial, dynamic and volatile leader, who once threatened to nuke the Taliban, may have caused Mr. Putin sufficient uncertainty as to the American response to an invasion as to force its cancellation.
Henry Moscovic
Flushing, NY
Read the Fine Print
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and their colleagues could learn much from the late Idaho Republican Senator James A. McClure. For 18 years, he read every word of every bill before voting on it. How many members of Congress read all 2,700 pages with only 24 hours notice contained in the $1.5 trillion legislation for funding the federal government after receiving this bill from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? Millions of Americans take the time to read all the fine print before taking out a loan or mortgage. Shouldn’t members of Congress do the same and debate the contents in public prior to voting?
Larry Penner
Great Neck, NY
