To the editor:

It’s personal for me. Let’s just call it “top of heart” (and mind). After seven decades I’ve become more reflective even as the events of October 7, a date etched in ignominy, sink in. The massacre serves as a chilling reminder that the venom of antisemitism, a scourge I once believed to be vanquished, has risen yet again. Antisemitism is real, it’s ascendant and now seemingly ubiquitous. And I’m shocked by it all.

And why is all this so deeply meaningful to me? Perhaps it is the indelible mark left by my public-school education on the teaching of the holocaust and Jew hatred. Maybe it’s my understanding of Jewish history that reminds me of the three millennia of persecution the Jews endured. And certainly, my Catholic faith, too, not only encourages me to embrace the Commandments to love both God and neighbor but to recognize the common spiritual lineage shared with the Jewish people as we together acknowledge our spiritual Father in the Faith, Abraham.

Yet, most important are the myriad personal interactions I’ve had over the course of a lifetime. Nayatt School in the 60s gifted me companions whose names still resonate—Andy and Tom Rosenor, Randy Baker, Russell Pollak, Steve, and Jeffrey Kahn. Some were classmates at BHS, others, competitors on the tennis team. Nancy Mayer, a frequent visitor to my home, played tennis with my mother on our backyard court. Harvey Lapides tailored the suit I wore on my wedding day. More recently, the Goldbergs, with their warm invitations to Seder helped me appreciate the beauty of the Jewish tradition. Finally, Marvin Gordon, former BHS tennis coach, my “blood brother” in pickleball and I have become fast friends as we celebrate both our time on the court as well as an occasional lox and bagel at a local Jewish deli. My perspective and thinking regarding the devotion to the Jewish community has been framed by these people and events. There are others. 

Now you know why it’s personal. 

I hope you will stand with me and fight against all forms of Jew hatred and antisemitism. 

Wishing all our Jewish friends a Happy Hannukah!

Scott Fuller

Barrington