Lutherans Commended for Renouncing Slurs

Regarding “Founder’s Slurs on Jews Renounced by Lutherans” (Oct. 2):

The Lutheran Church is to be commended for renouncing Martin Luther’s “slurs on Jews.”

Only ways of reconciliation and peaceful relations between people, irrespective of one’s class, ethnicity, nationalism, race or religion, can create the civilized society necessary for humanity to survive.

Today’s raging violence, passions and wars suggest all churches, synagogues, temples and mosques must follow the lead of the Lutheran Church: preach and teach understanding and respect for differences and lead us to the Messianic Age where equal justice and opportunities for fulfillment are possible for all people.

And nations must do likewise.

We dare not have these developments remain, but words in a song where we “dream the impossible dream.”

HYMAN H. HAVES

Pacific Palisades

‘Unchurched’ Jews? A Curious Concept

Your story, “Study Finds Many Jews Stay Away From Services” (Oct. 23), commented that Jews are the most “unchurched” of all Americans. This seemed curious to me.

Why waste newsprint commenting on an esoteric Brandeis University study that makes the immense finding that “Jews who are synagogue members are more likely to participate in other spheres of Jewish life?”

What are “other spheres of Jewish life” anyway? Eating bagels and lox, having one’s child wear braces, playing chess, eating pork only in Chinese restaurants? Is a good Jew “churched” or “unchurched?” The article and the Brandeis study give the impression that a “good Jew” is a dues-paying synagogue member. Perhaps a bit self-serving in concept.

JEROME B. BLOCK

Rancho Palos Verdes