Views Were Insulting to Jewish Women

Re “Forget the Puppy Prozac” by Joel Greenberg (Jan. 11):

Dear Mr. Greenberg: Prejudice in the form of stereotyping by irrational Christians is something we Jews have been hurt by in our lives, but as Jewish mothers, to be the continual butt of jokes and blamed for all the miseries of Jewish sons by their Jewish sons is equally irrational and perpetuates stereotypes, don’t you think? Did you think your mom and all the other Jewish moms who read your column would take pride and pleasure in your callous remarks?

If you seriously believe you are beset by your Jewish mother’s instillation of guilt, try placing yourself in the sad position of a Christian (especially Catholic) son. Before you’re even dried from being born, you’re wetted down by a priest intent on removing your pre-birth sins. Then your troubles really begin. The rest of your life you must, if you know what’s good for you, confess your sins--and those can be thoughts as well as acts--before nibbling a bit of Christ’s body and taking a sip of his blood. As you lie dying you will want to be able to confess any leftover sins or you-know-what! Talk about instilling guilt! Is it strange that I have never heard of Catholic sons punishing the guilt-making moms that indoctrinated that kind of lifetime guilt?

So enough already with the Jewish mom stuff and remarks like “chicken soup toting yentas.” Let mom be. She is probably still wor-rying that she didn’t do enough for Sonny Joel.

ROSETTA LIVINGSTON

Los Angeles