The JTNews review of David Klinghoffer’s latest book, Shattered Tablets: Why We Ignore the Ten Commandments at Our Peril (“Touring Seattle’s moral landscape,” Oct. 5), including copious quotes from the author, reveals Mr. Klinghoffer to be a person of remarkable arrogance and chutzpah. From his current status of young Jewish acolyte without formal rabbinic training (“I’m a journalist”), he easily pontificates on the vices and deficiencies of the “liberal and secular” Jewish community to which he attributes the decline of the nation, and generously offers to debate community rabbis on “what Judaism actually says about the political and cultural teachings of the Hebrew Bible for America.” Our greater Seattle Jewish community has an unfortunate recent history of revilement of our “liberal and secular” members by a rabidly ultra-conservative clique with an agenda that is far more political than religious. Mr. Klinghoffer has learned well from his older mentors.
Despite his apparent delusions to the contrary, Mr. Klinghoffer is clearly not a reincarnation of the Vilna Gaon, and unless he reveals some wisdom not heretofore evident, we will continue to honor all members of our Jewish community and celebrate the remarkable human rights advances facilitated by the energy and compassion of our “liberal and secular” colleagues.