Friends, Eight of you have responded, and thank you for taking the time. Half have liked the letter as is. Two suggested small changes (cutting last line), and two more, larger ones, raising other substantive issues.
After sleeping on all this, I think I will submit the letter in its original short form, and avoid turning it into something which does not (as Robin Lloyd put it so well) "call him" (Rabbi Chasan) -- personally -- on his demonizing. (To be clear, Robin thought I shouldn't personally "call him" on it.) He has taken that position for years, and I feel it is about time someone did call him on it. For him and other Jewish voices, it is a typical, effective, and chilling political strategy, destroying the possibility of productive discussion. It must be confronted -- which was the main point of my approach. Bob and Jules have suggested other issues which need speaking about (chilling effect, personal experiences, and issues covered at length in Jamie's letter). I think these need to be separately addressed, and would encourage them, and others, to contribute to what may turn out to be a multiple-response section for a P&J letters page. When a controversial piece is published, many magazines and journals publish multiple letters, often followed by a response from the original author. Perhaps P&J will take the space next issue to go this route on such an important issue. Perhaps the Rabbi will respond in genuine dialogue to what is written. I would encourage all of us to respond to Chasan's accusations and actions both with respect to their form and their content. There may also be other fora for this discussion. Sorry my Monday night rehearsals keep me from meetings. I do miss you all. Marc ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/MknplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VTJP/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
