Letters to the Editor: Morrisons did no wrong

Morrisons did no wrong

Morrisons did nothing wrong in placing pork pies next to the kosher aisle [Jewish News, 9 March]. As someone who strictly observes kashrut, there is nothing treif in stacking sealed cold kosher products next to or touching sealed cold pork products.

To claim it is “insensitivity, stupidity or deliberate anti-Semitic provocation”, as one of your website users claimed, is bonkers. There are serious issues of anti-Semitism in this country, but the way Morrisons stacks its shelves isn’t one. To claim otherwise belittles actual anti-Semitism. I sincerely hope your website user was making a Purim joke.

Ben Salasnik, NW7

Gender seating is wrong agenda

I was astonished by the letter from Martin Stern about Charidim and aircraft seats [Jewish News, 2 March]. If strictly-Orthodox Jewish men book a flight, they should know there is a good chance they will seated next to a female, especially on a low-cost airline like easyJet.

To create havoc and turmoil is upsetting for other passengers and shows prejudice against women. These men should be arrested and charged like anyone else causing a breach of peace. If they are so worried about sitting next to a woman, maybe they should book an extra seat next to themselves that they can claim, or travel with two other men and book
a row of three.

To suggest airlines should give options for seating by gender is beyond comprehension. Next, we will be booking our flights categorising such options as not wanting to sit next to children or people of certain race or colour.

These strictly-Orthodox men are giving the rest of the Jewish community a bad name. Mr Stern, you should be ashamed.

Clive Pollard, By email

Peaceful and tolerant? Odious and arrogant bullies is nearer the mark

Hooligans masquerading as peaceful and tolerant Charedim bully women into vacating their seats on a plane, and Martin Stern, ardent apologist for religious extremism, offers another helping of nebulous sophistry from his Salford citadel. On one hand, he condemns the behaviour, but on the other states “their foibles should be accommodated”.

I wonder if Mr Stern would similarly advocate pandering to a Muslim not wanting to sit next to a Jew, a Catholic not wanting to sit next to a Protestant, an ageing lothario wanting to sit next to a seductive female, even a JN reader wishing to avoid Mr Stern!

One reader suggests the Charedim start their own airline. Far more appropriate to their origins and abstemious ethos would be a fleet of ox-carts. Or there is another option – airlines are legally entitled to remove passengers ignoring directions from flight staff. It’s time to lift Charedi passengers’ apparent immunity from this.

Finally, I take issue with your headline ‘A remedy for the seat problem’. The problem is not with the seats – it’s with the odious and arrogant bullies who occupy them.

Herbert Goldberg, Pinner

An acceptable seat – it’s as easy as ABC

Regarding the rumpus caused by Charedi men on easyJet flights, Martin Stern says perhaps they could pay a premium to obtain the seating they want.

Incorporating this idea and considering easyJet offers pre-booked seating, one can readily accommodate their requirements: on booking
on-line, one is shown a seat-map of the plane and those seats that are still available.

There are three seats in every block, either side of the gangway – A, B, C or D, E, F. In order to ensure no foreign element enters one’s vicinity, they should simply book the whole block, A,B,C.

Obviously it’s more economical if one has friends to share the cost, but in extremis, this will ensure one is not sullied by the opposite sex. It’s as easy as ABC.

Rabbi Menahem Lester, Israel

An acceptable seat – it’s as easy as ABC

Regarding the rumpus caused by Charedi men on easyJet flights, Martin Stern says perhaps they could pay a premium to obtain the seating they want.

Incorporating this idea and considering easyJet offers pre-booked seating, one can readily accommodate their requirements: on booking
on-line, one is shown a seat-map of the plane and those seats that are still available.

There are three seats in every block, either side of the gangway – A, B, C or D, E, F. In order to ensure no foreign element enters one’s vicinity, they should simply book the whole block, A,B,C.

Obviously it’s more economical if one has friends to share the cost, but in extremis, this will ensure one is not sullied by the opposite sex. It’s as easy as ABC.

Rabbi Menahem Lester

Israel

Jewish news has gone the way of the liberals

Your headline and wording in the article on Beth Jacob Grammar School [inset] and its Ofsted inspection were strongly anti-Charedi and an apparent continuation of the trend in your paper [Jewish News, 2 March]. It seems you are looking to publish as much negativity as possible against the Orthodox community. It seems you have gone the way of liberals.

Many of the issues raised by Ofsted may well be valid, but the organisation of late has got an obsession with promoting ‘different lifestyle choices and sexualities’. Once again, the liberals force their agenda on the rest of us, with little respect or tolerance for those with a different viewpoint.

I might have hoped a Jewish newspaper would support Orthodox schools and their traditional Jewish approach to the sensitive teaching of sexuality. It appears this is just wishful thinking. With friends like these…

David Hallton

By email

No forgiveness for Kaufman

Your semi-tribute to Gerald Kaufman [Jewish News, 2 March], as though he was just mischievous, and the tributes to him in Parliament, detracted from his spiteful speeches. His comments about Jews and Israel should not be forgiven.

Sidney Sands

N12