I read with interest your coverage of J Street's being denied access to a local synagogue last week. Recently a novel was published in Great Britain and honored with a prestigious award. One of its central characters is a left-leaning Jewish intellectual who founds an organization called Ashamed Jews, prompted by Israeli actions toward the Palestinians. What makes him a figure of ridicule in the novel is how proud he is of being ashamed. I get a whiff of that pride from J Street. They come across as a bit too proud of how virtuous they are for being brave enough to criticize Israel. Many of their positions are at least worthy of discussion, and I appreciate their access to left-leaning college students whom conventional Zionist groups cannot reach. But I wish they would parade their moral superiority a little less blatantly. To date, their only notable achievement has been to provide cover for the current administration to be less supportive of Israel than any since the days of George H.W. Bush and James Baker. (Note to Tom Mountain: They were Republicans.) When Isaiah criticized the Jews of his time, you could feel the pain in his words. I don't feel that from J Street.

RABBI HAROLD S. KUSHNER

The writer is rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick.