Letters

The notion that American Jews can find sufficient motivation to sustain their Jewish identity in cultural paradigms, no matter how compelling, is erroneous.

One point not mentioned in Bret Stephens’ excellent analysis is Israel’s need for electoral reform: Every Israeli government has been a coalition formed post-election, often differing dramatically from the voters’ expectations on Election Day.

While I agree with Michael Steinhardt (Spring 2023) that non-Orthodox Diaspora Jewry needs help, I must disagree with two of his claims regarding Israel.

If Israel is losing American Jews, where do the problem and the solution lie?

Those of us who care deeply about both the future of Israel and the continued survival of American Jewry have an obligation to speak out and offer our guidance to our relatives who are going dangerously astray. Only then can both communities prosper.

Can Ms. Shaffir clarify her views on the intersection of Jewish history, tradition, faith and mamlachtiyut? Do religious values have anything to contribute to our understanding of “human rights”?

It is essential for funders, and the Jewish community at large, to accept that not every investment in an artist or cultural organization will result in such a slam dunk—and that that’s okay.

There is something even more important than a definition of Jewish art. Does the art enrich Judaism, Jewish history and culture?

In the course of the discussion, Rabbi Wolpe says: “According to Balzac, who knew something about human nature and money, ‘behind every great fortune is a great crime.’”  This quote, though widely and casually cited, is inaccurate and highly misleading. 

I opened this issue of SAPIR on culture with great anticipation…Thus, my deep disappointment when I realized that you had covered literature, cinema, food, television, and theater marvelously. You featured a critically important article about the challenges and current role of museums, but a hearty discussion of Jewish visual art was utterly absent.