Community Magazine June 2009

14 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE DRESS FOR SUCCESS In the article, “Know Your Place,” Rabbi Mansour analogizes a Jew to a letter in the Torah to indicate both the importance of each one of us to one another and our intrinsic holiness. An interesting point that Rabbi Mansour also touches on is the way Jews can represent their distinguished importance and holiness by the way they carry themselves. The most important people in society – world leaders, royalty, etc. – always present themselves in formal attire. This is not only because it makes them appear regal, but also because it makes them feel that way. A key element in allowing people to appreciate their importance is maintaining an appearance which is consistent with this ideal. J. Beyda INVESTING IN HOPE Thank you for being among the few media sources to focus on the opportunities presented by the current economic condition, instead of the gloom and unhelpful alarm seen elsewhere. For a time, the mainstream media got everyone into such a panic that many people were almost afraid to conduct business at all. Your real estate articles – Investing in Renovation and To Buy or Not to Buy – along with your refinancing tips and others that appeared in the May issue, send the right message – that we should be looking at productive ways to make the most of the situation, rather than simply scaring ourselves into helpless passivity. A. Dayan MASHIAH FOR EVERY LEVEL I very much appreciate the ongoing Mashiah Revealed series the magazine is running. It is an event we all anxiously await and are eager to learn more about. But I especially admire the depth and breadth of the sources cited. It is obvious that the author has spent many hours researching this subject, and the seriousness in which it is presented, based on sources, is very much enjoyed by our whole family, adults and children alike. Mozelle S. SITO’S HOUSE Sito’s advice to House Hunting seems quite sound and even ingenious. But that is only assuming that the writer’s assessment is correct, that her husband’s reluctance to consider the houses suggested is because he is too proud to accept gifts. As a renter with a wife who is constantly urging me to look at certain houses for sale, I’d like to propose an alternate motive. Parents and in-laws are great, but too much involvement and constant contact can potentially ruin an otherwise good marriage. The dynamics in the relationship when families live very close to parents and in-laws are complex and unpredictable. I would venture to say that House Hunting’s husband is more worried about living close to his parents and/or his in-laws than he is about accepting gifts. I know I would be. D. Harrary PALESTINIAN STRAWBERRIES I would like to thank you so much for your recent and informative write-up regarding shemita strawberries grown in Palestinian fields irrigated with waste water [The International Community, May 2009]. There had been some claims that it was impossible to clean strawberries properly altogether, when in fact, all the major kashrut agencies (OU, OK and Star K) continue to maintain that proper cleaning procedures effectively eliminate all insects. Your article indicated that the problem was confined to Palestinian strawberries, a point some people missed. Thank you for clarifying a highly misunderstood issue. P.S. If anyone would like to learn the proper cleaning procedures, they can email me at NY313@ediblearrangements.com or log onto the OU or Star K websites. Richard Bobo, Edible Arrangements WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! GOT A STORY ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY MAGAZINE HELPED YOU OR YOUR BUSINESS? PLEASE SHARE IT WITH US. 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 length, style and grammar before publication. All submissions are considered for publication unless otherwise requested. Preferential consideration is given to brief comments and insights that relate directly to published content. L E T T E R S MAIL: COMMUNITY MAGAZINE 1616 OCEAN PKWY BROOKLYN, NY 11223 FAX: 718-504-4246 EMAIL: letters@community m .com