Community Magazine October 2003

14 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s ” xc Dear Community Magazine, I found your article “Not Back-To-School,” well written and so very disturbing. You mentioned how non-community schools only accept the good students so they can better their reputation, but how is that not true with our schools? All the parents want the schools to be respected so their children can get into good colleges, but they also want the schools to accept the under achievers. Parents can’t get everything even though they think they can. Ergo, the community must choose: everybody gets in and the diligent students are negatively affected because the colleges don’t want students from a “stupid school,” or the community schools choose the smart kids. How about that for the basis of your next article? J EFFREY D WECK Dear Editor, Like so many people I know, I read your magazine cover to cover (yes, the ads too). But in the latest issue (September 2003) your cover story “Not Back to School” was particularly intriguing and relevant. It would seem that while our community’s largest school, Magen David Yeshiva, is responding to the increase in high school enrollment by adding classes over the past few years, other schools are not doing the same. Parents might want to consider that they may not be serving their children’s best interest in placing them in a school that may not allow for continuity beyond eighth grade. S TEVEN C OHEN Dear Community Magazine, Rabbi Mansour’s article in the last issue “How to Get Those Pretrial Jitters” described how distanced we have become from Hashem since the days of old. While there certainly remains much room for improvement, I think it is also important to point out the tremendous progress our community has made over the past two decades in returning to the customs of our fathers in Halab. Men are waking up early for Selihot in unprecedented numbers and a growing contingent of ladies are dedicating their time to Hesed organizations. I pray that this trend continues and I applaud your contribution to this cause. J. S ETTON Dear Rabbi Mansour, Shalom u Bracha! After reading you article on modesty, I felt you would be the proper person to contact with a similar problem in our community: It can be best expressed by the words of Yaacob to his sons in Miketz. When we examine the current issue of Community Magazine we are struck by at least 3 pages of full glossy ads for jewelry; a full page of liquor(s); and other shouts of “If you’ve got it flaunt it! (I’ve got it)” page 45. (The latter by a one year old!) At a time when Bnei Yisrael is also not sveim, those who “got it” shouldn’t flaunt it. There are other instances when Jews show off their wealth. I believe this to be inappropriate and harmful, and if the economy continues down, history tells us this is dangerous. Can you write an article about this problem? With all best wishes, S INCERELY , R ABBI M EYER L UBIN Editor’s note: Rabbi Mansour has in fact written articles dealing with this subject over the past months. See “The Correct Perspective on Wealth” in the January 2003 issue and “Changing the Party Platform” in the April 2003 issue. SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Mail: Community Magazine 1616 Ocean Pkwy Brooklyn, NY 11223 Fax: 718-504-4246 email: letters@communitym.com Letters submitted become the property of Community Magazine and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Letters may be edited and revised for style grammar and spelling before publication. TRY ONE CLASS FREE! CALL NOW FOR THIS AMAZING OFFER! D AVID K AIREY (718) 645-2768 Teaching Ages 6 - 60 Private or Group Lessons . Shomer Shabbat Wishing a Happy & Healthy New Year to Al ,ucr ohbak ufz, S h o t o k a n k a r a t e Picture for illustration purposes only. L E T T E R S