Ethiopian Jews still struggle

Prof. Gil Troy (“Made-in-Israel success stories at IDC,” Feb. 5) commends the Interdisciplinary Center for its Ethiopian scholarship program as an example of the joyous welcome accorded Ethiopian Jews. By doing so without reference to the hardships the vast majority continue to endure, he unwittingly distorts the true state of affairs.

Their path toward acceptance into the mainstream is an ongoing battle marked by discrimination and racism. Tzago Malko, an Ethiopian Jew and former director of Israel Radio’s Reshet Alef station, who fills the No. 3 slot in Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party list contesting the upcoming elections, puts it quite succinctly. “To this day I still get asked, ‘Lady, I need cleaning twice a week. Are you available?’ Yes, I’m available for cleaning, but not houses. I’m ready to clean up corruption, to clean up the view of the other as inferior because of his/her name, accent or skin colour.”

Examples of residential, job and even school discrimination are legion. It is but one more journey this extraordinary community has yet to traverse. To only speak of the remarkable few wholly out of context of the humiliation visited upon the many is to dodge our responsibility to double up in our efforts for klal Yisrael.

Dov Harris 
Toronto 

Free speech has limits

I believe that freedom of speech does not exist unless it applies to the right to speak without fear (“University free speech can be unsettling,” Feb. 5.) However, freedom is not license, nor absolute. Therefore, there are limits. The obvious one is shouting “fire” in a theatre. Not so obvious is targeting a minority group with abusive slander and threats of violence that cause harm by perpetuating negative myths and stereotypes. That is hate speech, which in Canada is a crime.

Certainly the university environment encourages all kinds of rebellious behaviour and language, and so it should. Yet even there, abusive behaviour, both verbal and physical, should not be condoned. That kind of behaviour on university campuses, including York, is what many of us object to.  

Dorothy Shoichet
Toronto 

Balance good news with bad 

I know that, unfortunately, domestic abuse exists in the Jewish community, but I could not believe that it was as prevalent as claimed in the articles by Sheri Shefa. So I did my own research in the Orthodox Jewish community to which I belong. Although the professionals were not sure of the statistics, they corroborated that abuse  is much more widespread than the average person would imagine.  

However, I would caution the community  to balance the bad with the good.  The Jewish haredi community runs unbelievably dedicated volunteer organizations such as Bikur Cholim, Hachnassat Kallah, and Hatzolah. We now have one more difficult challenge to take on. 

Rebecca Birnbaum
Toronto

Preserving a piece of history

I have recently returned from a trip to Berlin to deliver a silver Torah shield that has been in my family for close to 200 years. After extensive research, I decided that the Berlin Jewish Museum would be the most appropriate home for the Torah shield, which was made in Dresden, Germany, around 1712. 

I recall that for all the years that we had the Torah shield in our home, it was kept in the original wooden box in a cupboard. And it was so until 2009, when my parents moved to Baycrest and I became the keeper of the Torah shield.

Realizing that this Torah shield has a special history and is a fairly unique piece of Judaica, and that the Berlin Jewish Museum has a mission to commemorate Jewish life over time in Germany, I decided to place it there. This museum has a collection of family memorabilia, documents and any kind of item that would reflect personal histories and life in Germany. 

For generations to come, my sons, their families and progeny will be able to visit this museum and see our Torah shield on display together with other family items, that will reflect the story of their heritage. 

The museum is still in the process of gathering items from families with German origins and welcomes contributions. I recommend a visit. n

Loretta Helman (Falk)
Toronto