Letters to the Editor: 'Did you know Edgar?'

Preference, not meshugass

I agree with Mike Hinden that courtesy to cabin staff and fellow travellers is key (Jewish News, 27 April). Most Charedi passengers do behave properly; it is a small minority who disgrace the rest. Sadly it is the latter’s bad behaviour that is reported, creating the impression they are typical of the whole sector.

What appalled me in the bigoted responses to my earlier letter was the implication that even a man who asks a woman politely to swap seats is guilty of an unacceptable offence that must be resisted.

On a recent journey (not to or from Israel), my wife and I were placed by the airline in two window seats rather than next to each other for some reason and the remaining seats in each row were occupied by two non-Jewish couples. I was struck in both cases that they sat themselves so that I was next to the man and my wife next to the woman – so it would seem that this is a natural preference, and not some Charedi meshugass.

Is it possible that some readers are so averse to Charedim that they are only too happy to find a reason to denigrate them?

Martin D. Stern, Salford

All you need to know about labour is enshrined in the Danczuk affair

All you need to know about the Labour Party under Comrade Corbyn: Simon Danczuk is stopped from standing for Labour in the general election for sending explicit texts but Ken Livingstone, found guilty of three charges of bringing the party into disrepute, is suspended for a further year.

Russell Ballen, by email

Mockery in the name of religion

The programme for the Copthall Stadium Yom Hashoah event has one of the most embarrassing bowdlerisations of Hebrew, with Hannah Szenesz’ song Eli, Eli billed as Keili, Keili – a preposterous fawning upon the wish by some to indulge in sanctimonious religiosity, not religious observance. I have attended a batmitzvah where three little girls said Halleluka. This is not a sanctification of The Name,

it is a mockery of it.

Barry Hyman, Bushey Heath

Jewish ladies want one thing

After placing a lonely hearts advert in Jewish News looking for love and a partner, I have come to the conclusion after meeting eight Jewish women on dates that nearly all who answered my ad were seeking a free meal ticket for life, and NOT for love or honest companionship! There was one exception, and she was not Jewish.

Every one of them enquired in a subtle and veiled way if I had money, and when I said I had been just an ordinary working fella throughout my life, they further enquired if I had my own business or had I worked for somebody else. I said I had always worked for an employer.

When they realised this, within the next seven to 10 minutes they were preparing to end the meeting after eating my pizza.

I would add they were in their mid-60s or older and certainly looked their age but that was not my worry; I was seeking a lady of down-to-earth qualities like myself. These women only wanted to know what I was worth financially and nothing else.

I am sorry and ashamed to say it was the one non-Jewess who
appeared to be truly genuine and honest and who wanted to meet up for subsequent dates.

Stupidly, I declined. I truly wish I had kept her details, and I am now going all out to find her.

These so-called “Jewish princesses” no more want to find love and a decent, loving partner than I want to become a Buddhist monk.

Isaac Cohen, By email

Did you know Edgar?

I am searching for relatives of Lt Edgar Finzi of the RAF, who was killed in Greece in 1918 during the course of the First World War.

If anyone knows of surviving family, or is related, please contact me as soon as possible by email at martin.sugarman@yahoo.co.uk

Martin Sugarman, AJEX Archivist

Vote is about more than being jewish

Is David Hirsch suggesting a good non-Jewish pro-Israel MP should be replaced by Jeremy Newmark because he is Jewish? Will Jewish voters support a member of a party led by Jeremy Corbyn in the hope they will reform it?

It’s not a contest about who is better on anti-Semitism. It would betray a good friend if Mike Freer is not re-elected.

I hope Jewish voters will understand the importance of this election. The useless Chakrabarti report and the suppressing of the Oxford Union verdict all point to how we should vote, and being Jewish must not be
the reason.

Sidney Sands, London

In praise of Jerusalem

I’d like to share with Jewish News readers the following poem that I have written in celebration of two events, the 69th birthday of Israel and the upcoming Yom Yerushalayim Day which we will be observing this month.

It was 50 years ago in June 1967

That our beloved holy city of
Jerusalem

Was reunified and became

Rightfully, whole again

And B’ezrat Hashem

Will be ad infinitum

And also the capital city

Of Israel – our country

So it’s a very special Yom
Yerushalayim Day

Which this year, we’ll celebrate
on 24 May

For the Jewish people, globally

Being a truly golden anniversary