Some defense of intermarriage.

Express any opposition and you're a Nazi; the proof is in Mein Kampf, I gather. And furthermore, the "Christians in general and Roman Catholics in particular" are so good to us Jews (with the exception of things like the Inquisition and Crusades and that stuff about the Pope Pius XII).

Yes, we have so much in common. Except that if a Jew is unwilling to accept their messiah, then Jews like Dave Laibow have no chance at "redemption" and will spend their afterlife in hell (presumably separated from their earthly spouses) according to their church teachings. And still, Dave can focus on what unites Jews and Catholics in marriage.

Let me suggest that Mr. Laibow is not a self-hating Jew, nor a race-traitor. That he is silent about his true motivation to marry a non-Jew speaks volumes by itself.

Had he put his mindset into words, I imagine he would have written the following: I am a Jew by birth, a totally random event. Judaism happens to be the background of my family. It has many interesting facets, but in the end, I count my Jewish heritage as nothing more than another ingredient in my genetic, cultural, and social makeup with no particular emphasis over anything else such as my favorite color, my blood type, or my favorite baseball team.

He might continue: Now, the concept of Torah, that it comes directly from Hashem, that it defines me a Jew and sets me apart from all the other peoples and nations of the world -- this is a concept I utterly reject. The Torah is nothing more than an interesting historical document probably written by one or more men that has no relevance in modern enlightened society.

He would conclude: Since Judaism is only an ethnic flavor to my whole being, there was no consideration that it would prevent me from marrying whomever I wanted. But, I still show that I care passionately about my Jewish background by sticking six-pointed stars on trees.

Anyway, rejecting the Torah, the very basis of what truly defines a Jew is not much of an argument for why they should intermarry. But, in the end, this is what such people must believe (or more correctly, what they must not believe) in order to do what they do. And why you, the publisher, would want to print this is not clear to me.

I am not a rabbi or scholar, but a practicing Jew who is very concerned about the lackadaisical attitude more and more Jews have toward intermarriage. And I firmly believe that Dave Laibow's comments should not go unchallenged.

I was appalled by the blasphemous and tactless, (not to mention poorly constructed) article in last week's edition of The Jewish State entitled "Deck the Halls: Interfaith Marriage in the 21st Century." While I pity the author's personal opinions, I fault not him but the editors of this paper for the thoughtless publishing of such an offensive piece. I am ashamed and angered that a newspaper which prides itself in catering to this vast community is promoting its collapse via intermarriage.

It is no secret that intermarriage is one of the fastest growing problems the Jewish community faces today -- our values encourage the proliferation and flourishing of our people and recourses, not its disintegration. We are a very warm and accepting community; however, we must know where to create boundaries when it comes to issues regarding the future of our people. Marrying within our faith is not merely a clever fad which is established to provide convenience for newly-weds and their family's religious orientations. Rather, it is an assurance to the future of the Jewish people, allowing us to uphold the morals and ethics of our forefathers, and to pass on the legacy to subsequent generations. Each Jew has the unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the Jewish population, be it as a spouse, a parent or as any role model who uses his or her Judaism as a solid foundation for life -- not as something that can become compromised by emotion, secular culture, or holiday propaganda.

The inclusion of this article makes me doubt the legitimacy of this paper's editors. After all, what could they have possibly seen worthwhile to print, in a piece which is completely antithetical to Jewish law and tradition? This is a poor reflection on The Jewish State, a newspaper which, in the past, has been so loyal to its readers and their values. It hurts me to think that my community is being represented as one which glorifies assimilation. Please make sure that such a travesty does not appear in our newspaper again.

For a newspaper servicing the Jewish community of central New Jersey, you are killing out your own clientele.