Love and belief
I write to comment on a recent letter sent by a gentleman who claims that he is of the “Orthodox Jewish Persuasion.” (“Taps for my people,” Dec. 11) He asserts that the announcement of engagements or weddings of our Jewish children if they partner with a non- Jew should be discontinued as this contributes to the demise
of the Jewish people.
I sent my children into the world with a strong background of Jewish education and told them that they were to hold strong to a belief that all of us are equal, that there is goodness and worth in everyone. My wife and I felt and prayed that this might lead them to find Jewish partners. But if they were to come home with other than a Jew, we would accept their choice as part of the strength that gave them the insight to pick who they picked. I would not mourn their loss by virtue of their choice nor would we discontinue contact with them. They are our children, they are our pride and we should expect that if we were to request announcing their wedding to a non- Jew by the NJJN we would not see this as the death knell of the NJJN nor of the Jewish people.
When the Messiah comes he will love all of us. If we were to mourn our children rather than be mourned by them what might that give us? It would be the sadness of a poor choice. When I recount the slaughter that has been created by the claims of adhering or not adhering to a faith I am appalled by the loss of life in the name of a belief. May we continue to live in an environment of equality of person as well as belief.
Abraham Bunis
West Orange
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