‘The Fact of Jewish Particularity’

In last Wednesday’s issue Hillel Halkin stated, quoting Noah Feldman, that Jews will not answer the call to help a non-Jew [Oped, “The Fact Of Jewish Particularity,” August 8, 2007].

My son is a volunteer fireman in the Woodmere Fire department. He is one of many religious Jews who routinely turn out on the Sabbath, Jewish holidays, and even on the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, to answer a fire call.

They do not know or try to know the religion of the party in need.

The rabbis even spoke to them telling them that they must answer immediately. It isunwise to enforce this false premise.

Bernard Deutsch
Woodmere, N.Y.

‘Bloomberg At His Best’

I was frankly stunned at your editorial defending Mayor Bloomberg’s attitude toward immigration in New York City and your attack on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney [Editorial, “Bloomberg At His Best,” August14,2007].

Mr. Bloomberg seems unconscious about the negative effects of illegal immigration in New York City. We have had criminal aliens in the tristate region who have committed heinous acts against American citizens.

The most recent terrible act was that perpetrated against four college students in Newark, three of whom were brutally murdered execution style allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Peru. Like New York City, the entire state of New Jersey has been designated a sanctuary state thanks to Governor Corzine.

It is illegal immigration that Mr. Romney mentioned — and Mr. Bloomberg ignores its negative impact at considerable risk to the citizens he has sworn to defend.

Alice Lemos
Woodside, N.Y.