Letters to the Editor

Children of Chernobyl
It is with deepest gratitude that I write to thank you on behalf of Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl for the special report on the Chernobyl disaster that you ran in the Chanukah edition (Dec. 1999) of The Jewish Homemaker.

We greatly appreciate the prominence and space you accorded this urgent issue. Too many people believe that the Chernobyl nuclear nightmare took place in the past and has no effect on people today. As you know, the opposite is quite the truth. The contamination continues to profoundly affect the health and well-being of the people in the surrounding areas, and will do so for decades to come — especially the children, and in particular the Jewish children, who are genetically at greater risk than the rest of the population. You have performed an invaluable service in making your readership aware of this situation.

We have received many letters from people who read the report and then sent generous donations and requested further information.

On behalf of the children — and everyone involved in CCOC’s lifesaving work — you have our eternal gratitude for the great mitzvah you have done in bringing the Chernobyl situation to the attention of your readers. The end result is that the lives of more Jewish children will be saved. Thank you.

Abi Raichik
Executive Director, CCOC
New York, NY

Color Coordination
In a recent issue, you state: “Researchers teach that . . . leaves look green in the spring and summer . . . Chlorophyll keeps leaves green, which hides their real colors until autumn” (Odds & Ends, Sept. 1999).

Which researchers? Can you quote one or name an exact reference? Actually, the opposite is true. Trees are green in the summer because there is little or no pigment present besides chlorophyll. In trees that have a lot of pigment all season, such as Crimson King maple, the chlorophyll is almost completely hidden. In the fall, the warm sunny days and cold nights stimulate the production and storage of sugar. Leaf pigment in trees that “turn” is a byproduct of sugar production.

Moreover, you write that leaves fall off in autumn because they lack a supply of chlorophyll and that they “weaken.” Actually, leaf fall in deciduous trees is not directly related to the production of chlorophyll and has nothing to do with weakness. Prompted by changing day length, the tree sets up a layer of cork cells along a line at the base of the leaf stem. This line is called the abscission layer. When the cork layer is complete, the leaf falls off. If you look at newly fallen leaves, they will look strong and healthy, unless disease or weather has damaged them. I hope you will print a correction.

Chalmit Cohen
Received via e-mail

Sara Chana Silverstein replies: In the Fall 1999 issue of Scientific American Explorations, the following statement about a leaf’s fall colors is made: “Surprisingly, some of these colors have been in the leaf from the very beginning — they were just hidden by plentiful green chlorophyll.” Funk and Wagnall’s online encyclopedia states: “Most of the autumn coloration in leaves occurs when, as a result of the decomposition of chlorophyll, additional pigments are revealed.”

Compliments
I want to commend Chani Hadad for her personal story “Faith Beyond Closed Doors” (Dec. 1999). Her story was beautiful! I’ve shared it with others, who have also benefited from her words. Chani’s moving experience speaks more than words can ever comfort.

Tehila Weisberg
Lakewood, NJ

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