Despite the algebraic formula, things are not always equal to the same or equal things. Talmud has its Totafot commentary to explain and expand its reasoning, and The Jewish Week has its “Between The Lines” column to explain and expand New York Times columnist Bret Stephens’ thesis that Donald Trump is worse for Israel than was Barack Obama (Jan. 4).
Putting on such biased gloves in a controversy that already divides the newspaper’s Jewish readership may help explain why it is in such circulation and advertising financial straits.
Avrum Hyman
Riverdale, Bronx
Editor’s Note: Our column did not take a position on who was better for Israel, Trump or Obama.
Jewish Life In Slovakia
I read with joy your Dec. 28 article, “In Slovakia; Acts Of Memory.” It is heartwarming to know of the effort that people exert to remember their provenance and hence the Golden Age of Slovakian Jewish life.
Let me add that there are still remnants of Jewish life outside of Bratislava. Although the Jewish communities in the small towns are themselves very small, and their congregants are rapidly aging, the Jewish life is far from gone.
How do I know?
As an emigrant from Czechoslovakia (1985), I still keep contact with friends and relatives who remain there. Just south of Bratislava there are a few thriving communities, among them Komárno, Dunajská Streda, Nitra, and Galanta. All of these communities are dedicated to upholding Jewish heritage to the best of their abilities. They hold High Holidays services and annually commemorate the Shoah.
In Dunajská Streda, known before the war as Little Jerusalem, a Shoah memorial with over 3,000 names was erected recently. There will be three days of remembrance ceremonies there this coming June, the 75th anniversary of deportations to Auschwitz.
Galanta is unique with its celebration of “Zayin Adar,” the birth and death of Moses.
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In my home village, Pered, a memorial to the Shoah victims was erected a couple of years ago. I was present at the dedication, which was attended by a delegation from the Israeli Embassy and the media.
Skokie, Ill.
