‘Tug of War’ at Y.U. An Imagined Conflict The February 18 Viewpoint news analysis column posits that Yeshiva University President Richard “Joel stands at the center of a theological tug of war” between left and right at the university (“Y.U. Chief’s Quiet Gambit Creates Space for Change”). The Forward, however, omits reference to two innovative…
David Irving Responds In her gripping February 14 opinion article, Deborah Lipstadt shows that one reason she did not speak for three months during the British High Court trial of my libel action against her — a reticence that has puzzled many observers hitherto — was evidently because she was asleep (“60 Years Later, Dresden…
Privatized Religion Thank you for showing us a new side of Gary Bauer: comedy writer (“It’s ‘One Nation Under God,’ or America Goes Under,” February 11). I especially enjoyed the line, “Is it a coincidence that as Europe’s churches empty, its antisemitism and hatred of Israel grow?” Hysterical. Because of course nothing bad ever happened…
Fiction on the Orthodox Affects Societal Views My January 30 New York Times Book Review essay on fictional representation of Orthodox Judaism seems to have touched a nerve. Arts and culture writer Tova Mirvis, like other letter writers and bloggers, accuses me of trying to impose ideological standards on writers (“Judging a Book by Its…
Call Modern Hebrew By Its Name: ‘Israeli’ In the December 24 On Language column, Philologos criticizes my glottonym “Israeli” as a “denigrating word for modern Hebrew” (“Hebrew vs. Israeli”). But I would argue that “Israeli” is not at all derogatory. It simply acknowledges that the marvelously complex language spoken by Israelis is very different from…
Ad Against Withdrawal Crosses Communal Line The Forward ran an ad in the January 21 issue about the Gaza withdrawal plan, listing the Zionist Organization of America’s Washington office as its sponsor. We need to inform your readers that the individual who personally wrote and placed this ad did not receive the approval or authorization…
For Rights Here, Too While we appreciate your recent article on our organization’s human rights work in North America (“Rabbis’ Group Focuses on Rights in U.S.,” January 14), there were two inaccuracies in the article that we would like to correct. The letter that Rabbis for Human Rights signed along with a coalition of religious…
Unintelligent Designs In his December 24 opinion column (“A Former Atheist Gives Us a Reason To Believe”), David Klinghoffer refers to “Intelligent Design” as “an alternative scientific theory that seeks to explain how the complex features of living organisms arose.” Unfortunately, this has recently become an all-too-common mistake. “Intelligent Design,” a rebranded version of the…
The Nucleus of Faith Cannot Be Science In his December 24 opinion column, David Klinghoffer cites the work of physicist Gerald Schroeder as a primary influence behind Antony Flew’s famous turn toward theism (“A Former Atheist Gives Us a Reason To Believe”). Klinghoffer begins with a wonderful statement about Jews being divinely ordained teachers, and…
‘You Gotta Go to Iran’ David Twersky’s selective quote in his December 17 opinion article on the exchange between Bill O’Reilly and his radio caller is misleading (“A Lesson in American Civics”). According to Twersky’s rendering, O’Reilly said that the United States is “a predominantly Christian nation.” “If you are really offended,” O’Reilly added according…
Rabbi Backs Iowa Plant A December 10 letter to the editor mentions my name in declaring the slaughtering of animals at the AgriProcessors plant in Iowa as non-kosher (“Iowa Slaughterhouse Violates Rabbinic Law”). As I already have written to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, I forbid further use of my name as questioning…
דער בעל־שׂימחה האָט יאָרן לאַנג געדינט ווי דער רעדאַקטאָר פֿונעם ייִדישן פֿאָרווערטס.
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