No Diplomacy Necessary

My Sunday morning ritual of reading the Travel Section of The Times was ruined by the front page article “Hidden Venice: The First Jewish Ghetto,” (May 6). The article describes a group of Italian tourists visiting the old Jewish ghetto in Venice, Italy. The following dialogue takes place: “Why did people discriminate against Jews in the first place?” asks one woman. “Because they killed Christ,” says a second. “But that was a Roman proceeding. The whole thing was done by the Romans. Isn’t that right?” a third demands. . .the guide responds diplomatically: “Perhaps it would be better to talk with a rabbi.”

My points are the following:

--Why does the guide have to respond diplomatically? Doesn’t he know that the Jews did not kill Christ and that the Vatican declared this officially years ago? If he doesn’t, he should not be in the position of educating impressionable people.

--In the article, no rabbi is ever consulted. The debate is left unsettled in the minds of the tourists and in the minds of your readers.

--Why even print such out-dated anti-Semitic rhetoric in the first place?

SHARI FINN LECKER

Los Angeles