Underreported hatred
In the Aug. 2 article entitled "Pranked Egyptian actor loses it" (Briefly), you seriously underreported the hatred. If you look at the MEMRI video clip 3504, you will see that not one but three actors were tricked into thinking they were being interviewed by Israelis. You will also see that all three of the actors voiced vicious anti-Jewish remarks in addition to anti-Israel remarks. If you further look at PEW and other opinion surveys in Egypt, as well as sales of anti-Jewish books and pamphlets there, you will also see that vicious anti-Jewish attitudes seem to be the norm in Egypt and have been so for many years.
MARTIN WEISS
Potomac
'It's a Girl Thing'
I enjoyed reading your two-part article on boys ("Letting boys be boys," July 26; "Boy to mensch," Aug. 2). Our girls have participated in the "It's a Girl Thing" program for many years. However, you incorrectly identified the person all the way on the right in the article on page 13 in the Aug. 2 issue. It is Chazzan Matt Klein from Congregation Beth El in Bethesda.
MITCHELL SOLKOWITZ
Bethesda
Inspired commitment
As we reflect on Tu B'Av ("Looking for 'The One,' " WJW, Editor's Notebook, Aug. 2), I can't help but think about the ongoing battle for marriage equality in Maryland. A poll came out recently that 54 percent of Marylanders want to keep marriage equality legal in the state. However, the numbers were that high in North Carolina and California, which ended up losing.
We mustn't rest on our laurels, but rather encourage that momentum to keep that percentage higher and higher. Fighting for love has never been easy, but has always been a fight that the Jewish people have championed and this time is no different. The Jewish people have always been a part of the fight for equality and justice in all of the communities where we live.
It is one of the greater reasons why I chose Judaism years ago. I have been so moved by my current synagogue, Adat Shalom's, commitment to loving all Marylanders and working for their rights that after a Shabbat service where we were called for a marriage equality team aliyah, my fiance and I joined the shul. That's the community we want to be a part of, so I know Adat Shalom will continue this effort on into November.
I am inspired by Adat Shalom's commitment to loving all families and fighting for them, so please sign up with Marylanders for Marriage Equality to strengthen those efforts in the next few months. Be inconvenienced. There are a million other things going on these next few months and many other campaigns, but this is about justice, rights, equality and love - a very Jewish issue.
ANNE GREGORY
Washington
Degrading, outrageous
I find it very strange that not a single word is being written in the Jewish press with reference to the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has converted thousands of Jews posthumously to Mormonism. It is degrading, it is an insult, it is outrageous! These poor victims of the Holocaust were murdered because they were Jews and for no other reason and then, without any permission, the Mormon Church converts them to Mormonism.
Despite the fact that the church had promised to stop this practice in 1995, as recently as February of this year, Anne Frank and the parents of Simon Wiesenthal as well as Daniel Pearl were "converted." Mitt Romney, who is a Mormon has yet to come out and speak against this practice and to apologize to all the Jews he hopes will vote for him.
JOHANNA NEUMANN
Silver Spring