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Letters to the Editor
THE GIFT OF LIFE
The November/December 2021 articles about kidney donation (“A Perfect Match” and “Transplantation and Rebirth”) were not only inspiring but undoubtedly helped to demystify the process and educate the public about donorship.
My husband, Chuck Winer, a Jewish war veteran, is in desperate need of a lifesaving kidney transplant after the damage done to those organs by the medical treatments he received after exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Several family members and a few close friends have been disqualified to donate. Now, time is running out. To read more about Chuck and our search for a kidney, please visit Kidney4Chuck.com.
Debbie K. Winer
Newton, Mass.
SEPHARDI JEWISH GEOGRAPHY
I always look forward to receiving Hadassah Magazine. In the November/ December issue, Hannah Pressman’s essay, “Ladino as Sephardi Cultural Bedrock,” was of particular interest to me, as my maternal grandparents were Sephardi, having come from Turkey. Reading the article, I had hoped to find a familiar name—and Galante was it! It turns out that my great-great grandmother was a Galante.
Davida Ross Margate, N.J.
A FULLER TRUTH ON BULGARIA
I would like to comment on “Sofia’s Serendipity,” from the November/ December issue, in particular the statement that Bulgarian authorities saved the country’s entire Jewish population during World War II—a statement that is not wholly accurate.
As a reward for being an Axis regime, in 1941, Bulgaria was allowed by Germany to occupy most of Greek Thrace, Yugoslav Macedonia and Pirot County in eastern Serbia. In March
This is a wonderful Legacy and Sharing to benefit another family.
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Be our partner in this vital initiative; helping those who aren’t able to do, what we often take for granted...
1943, Bulgarian forces deported 11,343 Jews living in those occupied lands to Treblinka, where they were murdered in gas chambers or shot.
Philip Sherman
Coral Springs, Fla.
MOROCCO MEMORIES
The July/August 2020 article “Morocco, Where Jewish Memory Live On” by Lisa Hostein had a tremendous impact on me, so much that I booked a trip to Morocco for 2021. I have now returned.
I took Hostein’s article with me and walked in many of her footsteps. In Chefchaouen, we visited Abdullah at his market stall, where he weaves and sells baskets. In Marrakesh, we walked to Miara cemetery and met watchman Otman Kanami and his brother Khalid.
Although there are few Jews living in Morocco today, the extent to
TELL US ABOUT YOUR BAT MITZVAH
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the first bat mitzvah ceremony on March 18,
1922, Hadassah is collecting stories from our members and supporters. Were you the first bat mitzvah in your family or in your synagogue? Did you share the experience with your mom or grandmother, who never had their own? Did you become an adult bat mitzvah through Hadassah, in a ceremony held at a national convention? Did you have your bat mitzvah during a momentous or difficult time—World War II, Israel’s independence, a major snowstorm or blackout, for example? All stories—and photos!—are welcome. Please email them to marketing@hadassah.org and include your name, city and state and chapter.
Hadassah will be a sponsor of Rise Up/Bat Mitzvah at 100, a national initiative that will mark this historic milestone with a National Shabbat Celebration set for March 18-19, 2022. Stay tuned for more programming!
which our Jewish heritage is alive in this Muslim land is indeed a wonderful memory for me.
Deby Weinstein
Madeira Beach, Fla.
Bennett Center for Judaic Studies
LECTURES AND EVENTS: Spring 2022 A Semester of Free Learning
Joan and Henry Katz Lecture in Judaic Studies
“Too Long, Too Foreign. . . Too Jewish?: The Rise of Jewish Name Changing, 1917-1945”
Kirsten Fermaglich, PhD, Associate
Professor of History and Jewish Studies Michigan State University; author, A Rosenberg By Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America (2018).
Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Free webinar Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Lecture in Judaic Studies
“The Ancient ‘Gender Gap’: The Bible, Archeology, and Israelite Women”
Carol L. Meyers, PhD, Mary Grace
Wilson Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, Duke University. Biblical scholar and field archeologist; author, Discovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context.
Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m
- Free webinar Bennett Lecture in Judaic Studies
“Visions for the Future of Israel”
Tzipi Livni, Israeli politician, diplomat, and lawyer, Former Foreign Minister, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Leader of the Opposition of Chief Negotiator, IsraeliPalestinian Peace Talks.
Monday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Quick Center for the Arts Free: In-person or watch Livestream
Registration is required at fairfield.edu/bennettprograms. For questions, contact the Bennett Center at bennettcenter@fairfield.edu or (203) 254-4000, ext. 2066
