To the Editor:
Re “The Liberal American Jew’s Dilemma,” by Nicholas Lemann (Opinion guest essay, July 12):
Mr. Lemann has it just right. The way for Jews to feel confident in these difficult times is to know themselves as part of a long tradition: to know and have their children know Jewish history and values, teachings and texts, along with the deep roots of Zionism.
I would add one thing: It is also the best way to fight antisemitism. Knowledge, as they say, is power.
Francine Klagsbrun New York The writer is the author of “Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel” and other books.
To the Editor:
Nicholas Lemann gives a deep and accurate description of the perspective of American Jews on the current wave of anti-Israel sentiment. But a deeper question is why the question of Zionism arises, rather than simply the question of Israel’s current government and policies.
Many nations have misguided, even despicable, leadership and policies, but while we may wish for changes of direction, or even forcible regime change, no one ever questions such other nations’ right to exist.
No one questions whether modern India and Pakistan should exist, despite their being created at the same time as Israel, similarly by partition of territory by the withdrawing British Empire. No one questions whether the United States should exist, even if both it and Israel were created by displacing existing populations.
Perhaps this is simply a matter of the word “Zionism” being readily available to speak of Israel, as no similar word is available to speak of other nations, and of people failing to make the relevant distinctions. Or perhaps, as many fear, it reflects a deep-seated antisemitism that is embraced by many people who otherwise fiercely reject all other kinds of racial and ethnic bias.
Ron Meyers New York
To the Editor:
Nicholas Lemann’s essay about what he perceives as a crisis for Jews in the United States is centered on two linked ideas that need not be linked. I can support the idea of the United States without supporting every position the U.S. government takes. Similarly, I can support the idea of Israel without supporting the actions of the Israeli government.
Too many Jewish organizations, from national ones to local ones, have had trouble separating the idea of Israel from the obviously destructive actions of the current Israeli government. They think that if you oppose the latter you must be in opposition to the former. It’s not true, and I wish more people, on the left and the right, could see that.
Adam Segal-Isaacson Brooklyn
Madonna’s Message
To the Editor:
Re “Madonna Has Become an Avatar for Our Fear of Aging,” by Glynnis MacNicol (Opinion guest essay, nytimes.com, July 2): While Ms. MacNicol fondly recalls Madonna as a fearless provocateur who challenged conventions and ignored public opinion, she appears less comfortable when Madonna applies those same instincts to her own appearance.
What, exactly, is the objection? Is it that Madonna is 67? Are women expected to stop making bold, unconventional choices about their bodies as they age? Or is the criticism simply of cosmetic procedures themselves?
Madonna has spent her career resisting expectations about how women should look, behave and age. Whether one admires her aesthetic choices is beside the point. At 67, she continues to create new music, performs at the highest level and remains a significant cultural figure. Those accomplishments seem more worthy of discussion than speculation about cosmetic enhancements.
If Madonna’s enduring message has been that women should define themselves on their own terms, then her appearance is not a departure from that philosophy — it is an extension of it.
Faith Black Norwich, Conn.
Death of a Laborer
To the Editor:
Re “Landscaper’s Lonely Death in Wealthy Enclave” (front page, July 9):
The death of Francisco Camey in the Hamptons illustrates the stunning moral depravity of a society — one of the richest in recorded history — in which an elite few live in opulent luxury, the middle class struggles and the poor are disregarded in almost every way.
I am tired of hearing phony rationales and excuses. Mr. Camey was a human being and should have been treated as one. We strive to treat animals better than he was treated.
Joseph Levendusky Watertown, Mass.