Letters to the Editor | March 27, 2024

I keep reading about the split between older and younger Jewish Americans over Israel and the assault on Gaza, but I am 65 years old and have been marching, protesting, and going to jail to persuade the U.S. government to insist on an immediate and lasting cease-fire. I do this in memory of my mother, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Austria. Her family was forced to flee a place they loved — a common experience for Jews in many times and places and for many other people, including Palestinians.

My mother was engaged in social justice work throughout her life, and she marched with Palestinians, protesting the Israeli occupation, as a fellow refugee. If she were alive today, I’m sure she could have imagined herself among the victims on Oct. 7 — but she would also have imagined herself among the victims starving and dying in Gaza today. She could not have imagined herself among the people flying the planes and dropping the bombs or supporting yet another escalation in the cycle of killing. We need to end the carnage and begin the long, hard work of building an equitable future in Israel/Palestine — whether as one state or two, from the river to the sea.

Elijah Wald, Philadelphia

The searing truth that Miguel E. Andrade presents in his op-ed assessment of President Joe Biden and Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman’s stand on our broken immigration system correctly shows them to be out of touch with a significant voting demographic. Supporting this current, cruelly flawed system will pave the way for another Donald Trump presidency. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) voters are the nation’s fastest-growing demographic, a group that was instrumental in assuring Biden’s victory in 2020. Continuing to ignore or minimize Hispanic issues and challenges regarding immigration will result in a catastrophic Democratic loss of votes. Our leaders’ moral imperative is to treat every person with recognition, respect, and dignity, not to follow a political imperative based on racism, isolationism, and demonization. Biden and our Pennsylvania senators must wake up before Election Day.

Thomas Dwyer, Hollywood, Pa.

Miguel E. Andrade’s op-ed piece claiming that the immigration policies of President Joe Biden and Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman are alienating immigrant voters ignores reality. Biden is restricted by the underlying legislation and the congressional appropriations for border security. The same day that this piece appeared, a large group of immigrants broke through the border controls and overwhelmed the agents and National Guard members patrolling the border. A bipartisan bill that would have brought some order to the border was rejected by Republicans — on orders from Donald Trump, who asserted that if elected, he would pass legislation that would be far harsher and would result in mass deportations. Moreover, it is the Democrats who have tried to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigrants. It is Trump who has claimed that this wave of immigration is made up of drug smugglers and rapists. The immigrant community’s best hope in solving the immigration problem lies with Biden and a Democratic Congress.

David C. Harrison, Philadelphia, dcharrlaw55@comcast.net

There has been recent press about the Encore Series’ orchestra, formerly known as the Philly Pops, coming to a sudden halt in 2022. It’s hard to describe the disappointment the musicians and tens of thousands of fans and supporters experienced. But the dedication of the musicians is clear, as we formed the No Name Pops in early 2023 with the singular focus of keeping the Pops alive in Philadelphia. Many times, we all donated our services to demonstrate our commitment to Philadelphians and others in the region. Indeed, through everyone’s generosity, the musicians are the No Name Pops’ largest donors to date.

In just one year, our start-up nonprofit organization has organized multiple successful performances and a well-reviewed concert series at the Kimmel Center. Our next show is on April 20, when we will honor the legacy of the inimitable Peter Nero, who helped make our city home to one of the great Pops traditions in America. What has kept the No Name Pops going is pure bootstrapped ambition and fear for the alternative. We have succeeded through ticket sales and donations, but we’re too young to earn the support of major donors, foundations, and government grant programs — the lifeblood of arts organizations. So let’s draw our focus away from what is lost and shift to nurturing the good. The No Name Pops is a seedling, but our roots grow deep. Let’s preserve this beloved Philly tradition.

Brooke Beazley, Jon Fink, Ron Kerber, and Dave Nelson, musicians and founding board members, No Name Pops

With the collapse of Joe Biden’s impeachment investigation based on the lack of evidence from his son’s computer files and misinformation from a Russian operative, I would like to ask Sen. Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee of Investigations, to take up Rep. Jamie Raskin’s request to House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer to investigate the $2 billion investment in Jared Kushner’s private equity fund from Saudi Arabia. The transaction occurred a mere six months after Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, left government.

Roy Lehman, Woolwich Township

Imagine if the coach of your favorite team was heard bragging about his ability to assault a woman sexually because he was a celebrity. Then, a jury finds that he did just that — assaulted a woman — and later defamed her. After the court finding against him, the coach again defamed the woman, making her a punch line of his jokes. Would that person be a good choice to remain as coach? Would you want that person to coach your son or daughter? Would you want that person on a school board? Imagine if you heard that coach intimidating officials to change the outcome of a championship game. Trying to get them to add or take away just enough points to change the result. Imagine if the coach lied repeatedly to fans about the game and they rioted — with many injured and some dead. Should that coach be let back in the league? Over and over again, I’ve seen sports fans demand better behavior from athletes, coaches, and team owners. Hopefully, those standards still apply to elected officials.

Bob Gold, Philadelphia

The Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corp. has been actively exploring possibilities to revitalize the John Coltrane House in partnership with the Gadson-Weldon family. We want to ensure accurate information is shared about the history and future of this building. First, it’s crucial to clarify that the house has never been at risk of demolition. Since Norman Gadson, a jazz enthusiast, purchased the property, the family has made repairs to ensure the building’s structural integrity and has opened the house for public tours. They have been steadfast stewards.

Community-driven efforts to revitalize the Coltrane House date back to 2013, led initially by the Preservation Alliance. In recent years, with support from the Community Design Collaborative, our organization has expanded on the vision of transforming the Coltrane House and neighboring properties into the John Coltrane Museum and Cultural Arts Center. We have assembled a strong team and secured nearly $1 million to support engagement, planning, and facade restoration. Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the Friends of the John and Alice Coltrane Home, the new owners, to realize our shared mission of opening the house to the public and honoring the community’s vision.

Tonnetta Graham, president, Strawberry Mansion CDC, Philadelphia

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