LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I was disappointed to see no mention of Sheldon Adelson‘s passing in the Community section of your last issue.  I understand that he is not a local figure, nor is he a Gadol, Rav, or Rosh Yeshivah, but nevertheless, something should have been printed about his amazing achievements and contributions. Adelson was the son of poor immigrants and he managed to propel himself to richness. Unlike so many other billionaires, he used his wealth for good becoming a major donor to the Republican party, supporting medical research, Jewish causes, and of course Israel. It would have been nice for his legacy to be honored. You also didn’t mention the petiros of Rabbi Dr. Avrohom Twerski, zt’l, Rabbi Yitzchok Scheiner, zt’l, nor Rabbi Dovid Soloveichik, zt’l, but I am going to assume that is because their passing occurred after your print date. 

Harold Rosenthal

Dear Editor,

First, allow me to praise your fine magazine. I enjoy reading all the articles and columns and appreciate the efforts that go into putting it all together. That said, I did not find January’s Teen Story “Funny Farm” funny at all. Don’t get me wrong, the prose was comical and I like the overall message of the piece, but one element that really irked me was the idea of using livestock, namely chickens, as accessories or entertainment for a Purim house party. Chickens, like any other animal, or living being, have feelings and experience happiness, fear, and nervousness. It is truly tza’ar ba’alei chayim to utilize them in this fashion. How do you imagine the chickens felt being dropped off to a domestic environment as opposed to their usual rural habitat? Surely, this caused them much anxiety. The column even made light of the fact that one of the chickens disappeared, as if losing an animal is no big deal. What ever happened to that missing chicken? This article perhaps touched a nerve with me because this past summer, I heard about a man who ran a small business renting out rabbits to local people over the summer (being that so many were opting to stay home due to the pandemic). The kids were bored at home and relished the idea of playing, patting, and carrying a rabbit around for a week or two. I have heard of a few cases where the rabbits actually died. It wasn’t due to neglect, but I fathom from the trauma of being bounced around from house to house with screaming children constantly in their face. Please be more sensitive to the plight of animals in the future. They are not here as playthings for us.  Once again, I look forward to reading your fine publication and keep up the good work. 

Faigy Hershkovich

Dear Editor,

I was shocked to read about the anti-Semitic attack that occurred at Target in the Choose to Shine column. I didn’t hear anything about it on the news. I am eager to hear, perhaps from the author, about the results of the police investigation. I am very bothered at the way Target handled the situation. I understand from the statement that this is their official policy, but they should have restrained the attacker and held him until the authorities showed up. If someone steals merchandise from Target, will they also allow the perpetrator to leave the premises and let the police handle the matter later? The victim’s life and safety should have been a bigger concern for the main chain store. 

Baruch G.