Readers express their views on the approved Raoul Wallenberg stamp, the U.S.-Israel relationship and the pending Iran nuclear deal.
Recognizing Others in the Fight for Wallenberg
In her write-up on the resonance of the Wallenberg stamp, (First Person, April 16), Ilene Munetz Pachman failed to mention that there were others engaged in the movement to gain a stamp for Raoul Wallenberg.
We were part of that effort and, together with the Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States, circulated petitions to get that stamp.
At the behest of the Wallenberg committee, we delivered a 25-lb. pack of petitions directly into the hands of the U.S. Postmaster General Marvin Runyon.
When the stamp was officially issued on April 24, 1997, we, as writers of the song Wallenberg, were on the printed program at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
Our musical tribute was introduced and played at the climax of the stamp ceremonies, along with photos of those he had saved. This performance can be seen and heard on the Internet under “Raoul Wallenberg stamp ceremonies.”
Henry and Bobbie Shaffner | Bala Cynwyd
Drawing Strength From Israel Here at Home
Some American Jews see Israel as an insurance policy against anti-Semitism. For others, Israel and Zionism is about self-respect and a return to our ancestral homeland, where Jewish culture and tradition is the norm and where Jews speak the Hebrew tongue of our forefathers. (Yom Ha’atzmaut issue, April 23)
The reason that Jewish people can live normal lives as citizens of Western countries today is not that human nature has markedly improved since 1945, or that another series of attacks by anti-Semitic fanatics is unthinkable. That’s not true, as recent events have shown. We are not afraid because we know that there is one country in the world where we will be welcome, whose government will do its best to protect us with all the force at its disposal.
One of the great lessons of the Holocaust for the Jewish people is that the world will always talk a good game but will do precious little to save us. If we don’t stick together, we will die alone. The fact that the State of Israel exists means that the Jewish people will never be alone.
This generation is being inoculated with anti-Semitism in many American universities. Unless we actively educate the American public about the dangers of anti-Semitism, Jewish life in the United States will not be very different from Jewish life in France today. The Jews in Spain felt safe. The Jews in Poland felt safe. The Jews in Italy felt safe. The Jews in the Arab lands felt safe. The Jews in Germany felt safe. The Jews in France felt safe. The Jews in America feel safe — same as it ever was.
Dr. Allen Radwill | Southampton, N.J.
The Iran Question Must Be Answered
I was most impressed by the opinion piece written by Leonard Getz in the April 16 edition of the Jewish Exponent (“An Open Letter to the President on the Nuclear Deal”).
The letter was well thought-out, comprehensive, specifically detailed, honest and pointed.
This crucial matter has unresolved issues which must, in fact, be resolved if there is to be world peace and lessen nuclear proliferation.
Barry Jacobs | Philadelphia
