Sasha Stone’s film reviews are usually perceptive, and his [sic] “Quinceanera” review seems well written.
My problem is not with the review itself, but with Stone’s characterization of the Quinceanera as “Not unlike a Jewish Bat Mitzvah where the parents’ economic status and the child’s high demand are put on display.” Stone’s caricature is deeply offensive.
While it may be true that some Jewish yuppie parents turn a religious ceremony into an exercise in conspicuous consumption, it is a fact that for most Jewish parents the Bar Mitzvah for boys and Bat Mitzvah for girls (except the Orthodox) remains a deeply emotional RELIGIOUS rite of passage. At a synagogue service, the young boy or girl recites a passage from the Torah and delivers a homily, thus literally entering into the Covenant. Afterwards there is a modest reception, not a circus!
One wonders why Stone did not equally attack the non-Hispanic confirmation rites of the various Christian denominations.
Sara Meric
Santa Monica
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Dear Editor,
The recent immigration debate has gathered attention of Americans all over this country. Smaller towns and cities have now took it upon their own initiative to stop illegal immigration. Nearby cities such as Costa Mesa and San Bernardino have voted recently in favor of local police enforcing federal immigration laws. Rallies this week in Maywood, CA, a small industrial city south of the 10 freeway and downtown, signal that local immigration enforcement is possible in LA County. I urge anyone who is concerned about maintaining their quality of life here in Santa Monica, to contact the City Council immediately to show your concern for this issue. Local enforcement doesn’t involve cross-checking every Hispanic on the streets. It focuses on checking the illegal status of criminals when they are arrested. We all benefit from a safer, cleaner and graffiti-free city. And if Santa Monica has a reputation for enforcing immigration laws it will make a much more wonderful place to live, play and work.
Regards,
Bill Dunfuey
Santa Monica
