Not only 17th-century New World colonists contended that Native Americans are remnants of the Lost Tribes of Israel as Dr. Stanley Aronson wrote in his Oct. 12 column, “A scattered people gather in New England.”

Since its founding in 1830, the Mormon Church has taught that Native Americans are descendants of a Lost Tribe of Israel, based upon Joseph Smith’s translation of the golden plates that he said an angel had revealed to him.

Saul Ricklin
Bristol 

Thanks are due Geraldine (Jerry) Foster for her story, “The Jewish Seniors Agency is going platinum” in the Oct. 12 issue of The Jewish Voice & Herald.  Through her beautiful and inspiring account of a venerable agency that continues to meet the challenges of each new generation, she has honored all of our community’s mothers and fathers, and linked us with the richness of the past as we look towards the future delivery of senior services in greater Rhode Island.

Susan Leach DeBlasio
Providence
The writer is the immediate past president and a board member of Jewish Seniors Agency.

Sam Lehman-Wilzig (Sept. 14 issue, “Israeli weddings offer lots of décor but no decorum”) may be right when he says that American weddings are buttoned-up events compared to Israeli uncouth, appalling affairs but one thing remains the same for both, namely the breaking of the sound barrier with the music.

For most American weddings I recommend bringing earplugs as he did for his son’s wedding.

Saul Ricklin
Bristol

I feel compelled to comment on Shari Weinberger’s column (“One parent’s learning experience” in the Sept. 14 issue) as there have been similar experiences in our daughter’s public schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Years ago our daughter’s middle school administrator planned the NECAPs (standardized tests – New England Common Assessment Program) for the first day of Rosh Hashanah.  Another year, a science teacher planned an important lab test on Yom Kippur. In both these instances, parental persistence paid off and testing was rescheduled.

The middle school principal told me that the state mandated when NECAPs were to be held. We then called RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) to confirm that. We learned that RIDE gives a timeframe – not a single date – for school districts to administer these tests. Armed with that information, I went to the principal. The test dates were changed.

Although the science teacher offered a makeup test after school, we didn’t find that option acceptable. While I don’t expect schools to cater to my daughter (one of the few Jewish students in the district) and all the tests mentioned could have been taken later, I do expect sensitivity.

I expect school administrators to understand that youths don’t want to be singled out; they want to be treated the same as their classmates.  Staying after school or missing a grade-wide initiative shines a light on their difference.

I think the principal who Weinberger wrote about was wrong and lacked cultural sensitivity.  I urge you to keep educating those who need it.

Seena Franklin

Tiverton