Letter in the CJN Takes Chief "Community Jew" Shimon Koffler Fogel to Task For His Presumptuousness

Mr. Fogel's editorial in last week's Canadian Jewish News elicited the following letter to the editor (not yet available online; I quote from the CJN's paper version that's delivered to my home):

Who does CIJA speak for?

     More pontification form Shimon Fogel in today's CJN ("We can't have it both ways," the CJN, Oct. 3)? Is he the new editor of The CJN? He uses lots of big words that one needs to look up in a dictionary to understand. And the point? Be nice to those who aren't so nice to the Jewish community and Israel? Be nice to those politicians who are documented supporters of the Islamic Society of North America and other groups deemed terrorist by the government of Canada? Sha shtill is his message. After all, that works, doesn't it?

     Who elected him and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to speak for the community? Nobody! So how about a more balanced perspective for the rest of us--and let's hear some facts, not hyperbole. 

Patricia Starr, Toronto 

The truth is that no one elected Shimon to speak for us. But, confoundingly and absurdly, he presumes to do so nonetheless. (And, personally, I would be shocked if he actually wrote the editorial in question.)

At the moment, this letter, a rebuttal to Dow Marmur's column asserting that Jews need more Peter Beinarts, is available online