Exponent Watch
276 Barwynne Lane
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096

pjv@loebtree.com
http://pjvoice.com

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Dear Sir or Madam,

As active members of the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community and supporters of our Jewish Federation, we are writing to express our concern about The Jewish Exponent.

Although The Jewish Exponent is the voice of Federation which appropriately "strives to connect all members of our community," The Jewish Exponent has often failed to live up to this standard. The editorials of Jonathan Tobin and others have a decidedly right wing bias and present national news in a way that does not represent the positions of the vast majority of the Philadelphia Jewish community.

We do not object to individuals and organizations making their own political statements in their own name. That is part of the American ideal of Freedom of Speech. However, we do object to a group appropriating the voice of the Philadelphia Jewish community to advance its own political agenda.

Furthermore, The Jewish Exponent has shown poor judgment and raised ethical issues by accepting false and/or misleading political advertisements.

Our goal is to see a Jewish Exponent that is bipartisan or non-partisan — a newspaper that truly reflects the diversity within our community, a newspaper that displays fairness and balance. Surely your editorial writers have a strong enough belief in their views that they would not be afraid to see other opinions printed.

Our group respectfully invites you as a representative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to a meeting on Sunday, January 16, 2005. The meeting, scheduled for 7pm at 276 Barwynne Lane, in Wynnewood, will be held so that we can have a full exchange of views.

Respectfully yours,

  • Irv Ackelsberg

  • Rabbi Howard Avruhum Addison (Temple University, Immediate Past President, Vaad-Board of Rabbis)

  • Milton Alter

  • Rabbi Phyllis Berman

  • Charlott Bliss

  • Barbara Blum

  • Shoshana Bricklin

  • Dr. Stuart Charme

  • Gail Dalickas

  • Joan Dennenberg

  • Jessica S. Diamond

  • Robert Dreyfus

  • Jim Feldman

  • Irene Glickman

  • Mina Gobler

  • Peter Handler

  • Jacob B. Himmelstein

  • Dr. William C. Holmes 

  • Aryeh Kosman

  • Alan Kosansky

  • Harry Kosansky

  • Linda Kriger

  • Rabbi Alan LaPayover, Beth Am Israel

  • Janice H. Levin

  • Susan Levin

  • Herb Levine

  • Rabbi Mordechai Liebling

  • Dr. Daniel E. Loeb

  • Dr. Helen S. Loeb

  • Prof. Ian S. Lustick (Univ. Penn.)

  • Joe Magid

  • Steve Masters

  • Jules J. Mermelstein
  • Steve Masters

  • Mike Merrill

  • Mary Morrison

  • Rabbi Steven Pik Nathan (Main Line Reform)

  • Rona Pietrzak

  • Adena Potok

  • Rena Potok

  • Rabbi Marcia Prager, P'nai Or Jewish Renewal Community

  • Deborah Roberts

  • Kathryn Romine

  • Marlene Santoyo

  • Robert Savett

  • Rachel Schoenfeld

  • Michael Selzer

  • Carol Shore

  • Cy Swartz, Philadelphia Jewish Peace Network

  • Lois Swartz

  • Rabbi Robert Tabak

  • Ted Tapper

  • Bruce S. Ticker

  • Alan Tuttle

  • Lisa Tuttle

  • Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Shalom Center

  • Shelley White

  • Felice G. Weiner, Lower Merion Township Commissioner

  • Dr. Flaura Winston

  • Asher Zelig

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