I am pleased that the Philadelphia Inquirer posted my May 9th letter addressing the duplicity of DJT, our 47th president.

To the Editor:

There was warranted concern after President Donald Trump expressed doubts when asked if he believes he needs to keep his vow to uphold the Constitution. However, close observation reveals he completed no such vow. Yes, Trump parroted the necessary words during his inauguration — a promise to defend our Constitution — but when called upon to take the oath, his wife, Melania, held two Bibles, one belonging to the Trump family and one used at the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln. Her husband placed his hand on neither.

True, placing one’s hand on a Bible is not required at a presidential inauguration. Two others who did not, John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, were strong defenders of the rule of law — unlike Trump. Yes, we are a nation founded on the importance of the separation of church and state, which is why Adams placed his hand on a book of American law, rather than a Bible. However, the presidential oath is seen by most Americans as a biblical promise of devotion to the Constitution, a living document devoted to the opportunities, protection, and well-being of all citizens.

Trump’s decision was both calculated and intentional, his actions speaking louder than words, and marking a refusal to consummate his verbal promise. The only true vow our 47th president has made is one to himself: to enhance his own wealth, power, and control over others. His inauguration foreshadowed the endless violations our country now endures by one who does not see himself as our president, but as our god-ruler, the maker and keeper of the laws he selects. One who intended no vow to uphold our Constitution, but instead signaled the opposite — a total disregard for our rule of law and the determination to kill it.

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer May 9, 2025 

I am grateful to the Philadelphia  Inquirer for publishing this tribute.

If you have lost a loved one, do you ever feel a painful aching loss, not physical, but strongly there? In Jewish tradition, when a family member dies, friends visit to support and comfort the bereaved in a ritual known as shiva. This aching loss was my experience at the shiva held at the home of Phyllis W. Beck, the trailblazing first female member of the Pennsylvania Superior Court who died on March 3. There were countless shared personal experiences, including how Judge Beck offered wise counsel on professional direction, ever supporting successes. My heart seemed to weep, as myriad kindnesses to me flooded my memory. This included how she—somehow, someway—always found what I wrote, regardless of how little known its publishing source, and contacted me with sensitive endorsement.

As shiva progressed, I recalled that during my bat mitzvah year, our Baltimore congregation’s beloved rabbi, Uri Miller, discussed a little-known interpretation of the ritual with our class: Those we love do not realize their soul and spirit have left a body that no longer can serve them. Experiencing loved ones who speak about them, but not to them, informs them their lives on earth are over, and frees their soul and spirit to move onward. It seemed Beck, highly uncomfortable with praise, was with us in spirit and able to endure a full evening of expressed love.

As time passed, I felt as if an apartment were being created inside of me, where she brought her coffee and addictive creamer, cherished photographs, an array of takeout menus for long future dinners, and a birthday cake with the right number of candles. Beck was always 49. My pain eased. For I understood: Death does not end cherished relationships. They continue, even more precious.

SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

March 28, 2025: I am grateful that The Philadelphia Inquirer posted the following letter today.

To the Editor:

When my 6-year-old granddaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, making her dependent on injected insulin to live, the singer-songwriter Nick Jonas, who also has Type 1, became her hero. If he could handle this evil disease, she figured, so could she. Two years later, she testified before the Food and Drug Administration about the necessity of research into creating an artificial pancreas to save the lives of children, and quoted a line from one of Jonas’ songs, “A Little Bit Longer”: You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Shortly after, the FDA stepped up its work to develop a system to automatically supply insulin to the body. Today, facing devastating and haphazard cuts, it probably could not.

Surely, most people who support our 47th president do not do so with the intention of injuring vulnerable children or adults in crisis. They support him because he has skillfully convinced them he cares about them. Surely also, the ultimate threat of isolating us from our allies while praising despots has not sunk in. Supporters don’t yet realize that they, too — that all of us — are in grave danger because Donald Trump’s ultimate dream is to divide the world with the tyrants he respects and wishes to emulate.

History validates that a nation’s power begins to unravel as leaders encourage a violation of the boundaries of decency, and when concern for the well-being of others is ignored. Let’s fight Trump with a passionate defense of truth — in every possible way. In addition to our courts, each member of Congress who cherishes America’s founding principles must call town halls to motivate purposeful choices for action and involvement. Outreach to the White House and Republican elected officials must unceasingly convey that we are not afraid — that we refuse to be cowed, fooled, or pitted against each other. Because, as my granddaughter warned: You don’t know what you have till it’s gone.

Sarakay Smullens, Philadelphia Inquirer

To the editor:

My husband proposed during halftime of the 1979 Super Bowl. I had been sitting next to him absorbed in my work when he entered the room with Champagne and roses. Everyone I was close to knew I had to be deeply in love, for I had always steered clear of football. To me, real life was dangerous enough. Games offered no diversion, only fear a player would be badly injured. But my husband is a loyal fan. Through the years, I sat next to him doing work, loving that he would hoot and holler, cheering his beloved Eagles on in their wins, and sure they would turn things around when they were losing — even hopelessly so.

As time passed, when the cameras focused on Philly fans, or players, coaches, and owners were interviewed, Stan would nudge me to put down my work to watch and listen. It struck me, as my husband and I sipped Champagne last Sunday, toasting our team to victory (and our anniversary), that President Donald Trump, who sat in the Chiefs’ box, left during halftime when his support, regardless of the outcome, would have meant so much. Our fans would never, ever do that. What does our Super Bowl championship mean to me? The grit and determination of our soaring Eagles, the unwavering love and loyalty of their fans, and my gratitude to live in my adopted city.

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer February 19, 2025

I am pleased that The Inquirer printed the following letter.

To the editor:

Don’t expect Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s incoming chief of staff and the first woman to be given this responsibility, to have an easily visible seat on the inaugural platform Monday — if she is there at all. Extremely capable in her leadership skills, and with a longstanding history in politics, Wiles on most days spends from 2 to 7 p.m. with the incoming president, offering extensive guidance in his presidential appointment selections as his means toward the end they both believe necessary: disruption of the status quo. 

Wiles states Trump has no responsibility whatsoever for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and that there was fraud in several states that caused his 2020 electoral defeat. Other than their mutual political beliefs and comfort with denial, there are strong reasons for the relationship between Trump and Wiles. After she rescued Ron DeSantis’s Florida campaign for governor, he and Wiles had an ugly falling-out. This unanticipated upheaval, which followed a 2017 divorce, likely brought an intense blow to one already familiar with trauma: Wiles’ father, the sports broadcaster Pat Summerall, was an alcoholic, causing inordinate pain to his family. 

Following Trump’s presidential defeat, and determined to return to power, Wiles has never left his side. She is a strong, devoted, even-tempered presence in Trump’s life. Hers is the first and last voice he hears during his workday. Despite his history of staff turnover, Wiles has stated publicly that she intends to hold her position throughout Trump’s presidency, where her control over access to the Oval Office will be enormous. Will she succeed in her determination to navigate their mutual success? Forget about Elon Musk, put your questions about Trump’s confusing marriage to Melania on the back burner. Of all of Trump’s complex relationships, the one with calm, cool, collected, and directed Susie Wiles is the one to watch.

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer January 17, 2024 

I am pleased that The Philadelphia Inquirer published the following letter this morning, December 20th, 2024

To the editor:

I wince every time I read that Kamala Harris is responsible for the enormous Democratic defeat in November. In the most confusing of times, she ably carried the mantle and stressed that we have more in common than the issues that divide us. However, what was not faced by those managing her campaign was that for years the Democratic Party has been losing touch — taking for granted the millions of constituents it had relied upon.  

The reasons for this are extremely complicated and will be closely analyzed. To me, leadership existed in a bubble of assurance that they were undoubtedly the best and the brightest and wanted no input from those of us in the trenches who tried mightily to communicate with them about the support they were losing. 

What unsettles me most is that Harris is being largely castigated for not abandoning her loyalty and throwing President Joe Biden under the bus. In essence, she is being scapegoated when she should be deeply thanked for her example of character, her enormous effort, and her devotion to each of us and the rule of law. My dream is that before Biden leaves office he will award Harris the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The ceremony would take place before Jan. 20 and serve as a reminder that until that time, and although he doesn’t seem to realize it, Donald Trump is not our president.

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer December 20, 2024

At this time of frightening division, manifesting societal burnout, I am grateful that the Inquirer printed my Thanksgiving submission.

To the editor:

I am thankful for the millions who refuse to be constrained by knee-jerk categories. The ones who are there, rich with common sense and concern for others, asking for no thanks, recognition, or acclaim, but when the hurricane comes — in whatever its form or expression, in ways that are the story of America’s endurance — they find each other, determined to either save or restore what is precious.

This group understands that in every human catastrophe, before there can be clarity of direction, we must be brave enough to recognize what went wrong and why — regardless of how unsettling. Something “we the people” can reveal far better than polls. I am grateful that in our city, unlike in Washington and Los Angeles where presidential endorsements were not allowed by newspaper owners, we have The Inquirer committed to this process. Devoted to the well-being and endurance of our proud, historic, complex city — where owners, reporters, and columnists pinpoint truths, regardless of the stony paths they necessitate.

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer November 28, 2024

To the editor:

When I was a young clinician in training, psychoanalysis was recommended as essential. This meant consulting a professional several days each week, where you examined your life to make sure that any of your own unfinished emotional business did not get in the way of deep listening to the hopes, frustrations, and painful experiences of others. One of the most important lessons for me was gaining an understanding of sociopathy, and how it is next to impossible to outmaneuver a sociopath.

They are human chameleons who can change their tunes and contradict themselves at every turn to achieve their goals. While most people have a conscience, this is a foreign concept to a sociopath. They are wired in ways completely different than most of us, who have a desire to love and care for others, which makes it next to impossible to outsmart them. While they care only for themselves, they are extremely skilled in making others believe they care deeply about them. The charisma of a sociopath can be so intense, so blinding, that those taken in will disregard any warning — unless and until inflicted pain teaches them that for survival, change is necessary. Unless and until they learn they have been duped.

Our president-elect is a perfect example. He knows precisely how to respond to the needs, frustrations, and pain of a large part of our citizenry, promising them that he alone can make their hopes and dreams come true. For many, his rage and vile, ugly expressions offered vicarious venting of long-simmering frustrations — “At last, I am seen. At last, I am heard.” Democracy has spoken, but together we must keep calling attention to duplicity, dishonor, and the dangers that surround us. In time, change will happen. I have seen it again and again in my work. It will also be true of our country.SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer November 13, 2024

To the editor:

We must do everything possible together to diminish the power of Donald Trump’s most recent hate fueled, passive aggressive behavior following Kamala Harris’s uplifting, authentic democracy fueled wind up message. President Biden misspoke about hate immediately following her triumph, and his timing was harmful. However, while our president did not apologize, he clarified. Once again, Harris responded appropriately, showing the precise temperament necessary for the office she seeks. Our vice-president reminded voters that she and Biden are not the same person. She reiterated her message, her essence—everyone will be welcome at her table—and she calmly refused to throw the president she served under the bus. 

But there is something far deeper and important to understand and discuss about this unfortunate incident—in addition to Joe Biden’s failing physical strength. Down deep, Joe Biden remains furious. Not only has he been forced out of office by those he considered loyal friends, but because of the necessity of succinct messengers at this extremely dangerous time, he has also been left out of major public appearances. Joe Biden is stubborn; he is seething; he is a fierce competitor who believes he had earned the right to his Party’s endorsement and that he would have once again won his office. Surely he is not cut for the role thrust on him. This, not his age, is the primary factor that impaired his judgement.

SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

Submitted to The Philadelphia Inquirer November 1, 2024

To the editor:

Last week I was invited to present evidence based material at a mental health conference held in Northeast Pennsylvania. My topic: The roots of dysfunctional leadership in families, work settings, on boards, and in elected and appointed office. The number of Trump-Vance signs dotting this trip seemed more abundant than those noting Harris-Walz. My surprise was not the signs, but the tight body of Trump supporters in my field who were present at the conference.  

To briefly summarize three of several essentials noted during the session I led: In a functional setting, anxiety flows upward. There is always someone to hear your concerns, thoughts, opinions respectfully and respond to them. In a dysfunctional setting anxiety from the leader is imposed from the top accompanied by threat, ridicule, and demeaning, humiliating verbiage. The goal to control and induce fear of a thought or opinion the leader disagrees with, causing either withdrawal or discord within a group. My second point: the state of dignity, a combination of pride and humility, is the sign of both a healthy citizen and leader. In other words, one experiences self-worth, but also knows that all others are just as worthy. Thirdly, the state of dignity begins to take root because someone — it does not have to be the parent! — loves the child. 

Two walked out of my presentation, one politely, and one throwing up her hands in disgust, loudly stating, “I’m otta here,” slamming the door behind her. The next day, she found me alone at a table during a session break, approaching with an attack: “This conference is not political, and you were political.” My response: “In today’s dangerous time personal development and politics cannot be separated. My session did not cover political issues. It covered the character development necessary for trustworthy leadership.” I asked her why she did not remain in the session to discuss her views, explaining that doing so would have added depth and quality to our time together. Adding “Civil discourse is so needed today. You had much to contribute.” She responded that the majority would not have been interested. I assured her she was wrong about this. 

A few hours later someone who sat through my session quietly approached me, with these words: “A different perspective was offered in our time together. I had been caught up believing that my family no longer mattered to present leadership. I understand now what is at stake if I vote for who I came to this conference supporting.” My eyes misted as we said one word in unison, “Everything.”

SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

Submitted to The Philadelphia Inquirer November 1, 2024

I'm very pleased the Inquirer printed my letter addressing the Harris-Trump debate.

To the editor:

The pervasive question about Tuesday evening’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump: Could Kamala hold her own with a devious showman skilled in the use of invectives? A two-word response: Yes, brilliantly! For me this event awakened precious, hopeful, sleeping memories. 

Dr. Mildred Otenasak, Maryland’s national committeewoman, was a devoted John F. Kennedy supporter who became my mentor and friend. She appointed me “page” to our Maryland delegation at the 1960 Democratic Convention. Otenasak introduced me to Sen. Kennedy; many of my college friends and I worked tirelessly for him. He urged me to begin working toward my master’s degree in social work. During my first year, he was assassinated.    

Kennedy’s short time in office was filled with optimism, based on his deep belief that our brave experiment in democracy could and would succeed because — as Kamala Harris reminded us — we have far more in common than what divides us. Americans want the same things for our children, and what we hope and dream of is possible. It has been unsettling at best to see how so many wish to tarnish the positives that JFK and his brother Robert brought us. But I was there; I saw firsthand what both men believed about America’s potential. 

Not long before the 1968 assassinations of each, Robert Kennedy heard these values put into words by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” At a time of debilitating division and hatred permeating America and the world, at Tuesday’s debate we, the people, became Harris’s jury — her professional training, experience, adversarial skill; authenticity and passion; and studious prep in perfect harmony.  The vice-president’s argument that all we have in common and yearn for can be achieved together parallels the hope and promise of King’s words. Harris won handedly over a ruthless performer. And so did we.

Sincerely,
SaraKay Smullens

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer September 13, 2024

The following letter was sent to the New York Times on July 7th

To the editor:

During his mother’s reign, King Charles, reportedly a supporter of newly elected Keir Starmer, was stymied at every turn in his passionate support of a revised Crown, one more responsive to the suffering of his subjects, intensified since Brexit, in ways other than appearances and public relations. So here’s an idea: Since Starmer has inherited a next to impossible task, “a legacy of ashes,” why not sell a few tiaras, and maybe some other jewels, and a property or two? Or three? What a difference that would make in housing, hospitals, and hope. And how many tiaras does one family require?

Sincerely,
SaraKay Smullens

Sent to The New York Times, July 7, 2024

I am pleased that the Philadelphia Inquirer published the following letter.

Rising hate

To the editor:

Several months after the deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, my husband and I took a trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. Our guide was a friendly, knowledgeable man with whom we shared long days, meals, and informative conversations. We thought he had become a warm acquaintance we would keep in touch with. However, at the conclusion of our last dinner, his eyes and voice changed, and he gave us a prescient warning. “9/11 was only the beginning,” he said. “Do you know that as we speak, we are infiltrating your universities and the minds of your young?” The horror in Gaza today, beginning with the long-planned Hamas attack on innocents in Israel on Oct. 7, has unleashed a torrent of palpable antisemitism, staining long-respected American universities and making acts of antisemitism commonplace. How else to explain the conversation I had outside of a store where I shopped for Father’s Day cards?

While paying my bill, a Muslim woman and her daughter, about 10 years old, were next to me in line. The woman was wearing a shirt that read “Journalist” in bold letters. Walking out of the store together, I asked what newspaper or journal she wrote for. She explained that her shirt was to honor the journalists who were killed in Gaza. I then asked, “How can a two-state solution in this tormented area be achieved?” In her response, her eyes held the same rage as our Marrakesh guide, her voice the same hatred. “There can be no two-state solution,” she said. “Israel must be destroyed, along with the Jews who protect it.” Unless addressed, this overt rise in antisemitism — an expression of hate, divisiveness, and discord — foreshadows catastrophe for our country.

SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 19, 2024 

I am grateful that The Inquirer added this tragic lack of insight to their coverage.

To the Editor:

As I read about the effort by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to rid Kensington of an encampment, I shook my head in disbelief. Where was the necessary planning and demonstrated humanity as the lives of terrified human beings were uprooted?

City officials had assured all that this action would be led by outreach teams, but as police cleared two blocks, no social service workers were on hand to support and direct those frightened and confused, scattered and clueless about where to go. Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer called the Kensington dismantling "a good day:' But for whom? Surely not those in the encampment, forced to flee on foot, with their meager rain-soaked belongings, not knowing where.

 A neighbor, John Cacciola, was quoted as saying he'd been "sold a false bill of goods:' As reported by The Inquirer, Cacciola had been assured that those in outdoor encampments would be moved to treatment facilities and shelters. Instead, they were pushed into residential streets such as his, with no social workers available for direction. Does this ill-planned action remind you of our mayor's refusal to respect the endorsement of professionals whose lives are devoted to supporting hope and direction for substance users? They were overwhelmingly united in their endorsement of overdose prevention centers, where trained staff can oversee those using drugs - which has been shown to decrease overdose fatalities - and subsequently lead those living with addiction to treatment.

Could Mayor Parker's disregard for human frailty reveal her Achilles' heel: Does she see herself as always right about everything, requiring no input from others whose experience can contribute to the success of her office?

SaraKay Smullens
Philadelphia

Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 2014

To the Editor:

Peggy Noonan’s commentaries on events that highlight America’s newly faced realities and accompanying challenges are impeccable. Yes, O.J. Simpson’s explanations that he could not have killed his wife, Nicole, for he "loved her too much” illuminated what those (like myself) who work with abused and battered women know to be manipulative, seductive, and even delusional. And yes again, the reaction to being found innocent in Simpson's juried criminal trial for killing Nicole and 25-year-old Ron Goldman, whose devoted friendship most likely got her through many terrified nights, did fall along racial lines, documenting opposing beliefs in our criminal justice system. As a Philadelphian, I closely followed reactions at our two major law schools, the University of Pennsylvania, largely White, and Temple University, largely Black. The student body at the former was aghast, while the student body at the later cheered.

These astute observations noted, Noonan was incorrect in stating that the notoriety brought to Simpson's attorney and longtime friend, Robert Kardashian led to his shrewd former wife Kris's ushering in “the first reality-TV family.” This distinction belongs to the sensational “An American Family,” a PBS documentary produced by Craig Gilbert, which aired over 12 one-hour installments in 1973. “Family” mesmerized viewers, privy to the upscale Santa Barbara lives of a Pat and Bill Loud and their five children. We were there when Pat tells her philandering husband to get out and “take the Jag," and when their son, Lance, who later contracted HIV and died of AIDS, became one of the first openly gay figures to appear on television.

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

Submitted to The Wall Street Journal, April 14, 2024

To the Editor:

Yes, racism thrives in Philadelphia. But most do not realize that racism and other menacing “isms” are rooted in unfinished emotional business from one’s young years — due to terror, rejection, abuse, rage, jealousy, and envy. These feelings are then displaced onto others and ingrained in families and institutions, where scapegoating takes on malignant life. You’ve got to be carefully taught, indeed. That said, the label of racism can be dangerously misused — a misuse I was involved in that haunts me to this day.

From 1991 through 2010, I received an extraordinary pro bono professional opportunity, one used to demonstrate that intervention in early criminal acts offers a far more effective approach to change than jail, as well as one that saves our city money. Carefully selected cases involving domestic violence were referred to me for intensive psychotherapy, in lieu of incarceration. One case involved a professional woman with several children who scapegoated one, beating her mercilessly in the very same way her mother (whom the child resembled) beat her. I worked as I was trained by the extraordinary multicultural, multiracial staff of the nonprofit Society to Protect Children, telling the mom that the city of Philadelphia cared deeply for the well-being of our children and would not tolerate her behavior.

Through developing a trusting relationship with each of the children, along with marital and family therapy, the dangers ceased. However, unknown to me, the mom reported me to the agency where the case was outsourced, labeling me a racist. Long story short, the family was removed from my care. I was given an opportunity to say goodbye to the children, and I do not know who wept more.

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

To The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 1, 2024

To the editor:

At this precarious time in the life of our country and the world, it is urgent to look at why the public is so focused on President Joe Biden’s age and to shed light on this damaging disruption. At first, it may seem this is due to our fear about our president’s aging, impairment, and death. However, the real reason is that when we look at someone who’s older, we are reminded of what we do not want to face in our own lives. To avoid this, we emphasize what we see as negatives, denying countless positives. In truth, there are enormous benefits to aging. For a presidential candidate, this one is major: leaders like Biden face challenges with far wiser judgment and perspective.

Biden, who boldly fought for and won the presidency, was handed what can be called the hottest of hot messes. He has done a magnificent job, yet any little thing will feed the narrative that he has issues with his mental acuity. Take a recent news conference, where, showing respect for the press, the president returned to the podium to respond to a question about Gaza. But because he is deeply concerned by impossible conditions and suffering at our southern border, he offers the name of the Egyptian president but misidentifies the border with Mexico. Why doesn’t this make complete sense? Put differently: How many times does a parent juggling countless responsibilities, and who obviously knows who his children are, look at one child and call another’s name?

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

To The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 19, 2024

Peace between brothers and sisters and their loved ones must be a priority, and I am grateful that the Inquirer published the following.

To the editor:

The complex path toward resolving perilous, enduring personal tragedies sheds light on effectively addressing seemingly impenetrable political quagmires, such as the war in Gaza. Both necessitate facing unsettling truths about dangerous human beings who will not change, recognizing profiles in courage as leaders, and a community awakened to these moral imperatives. For example, abused women are told repeatedly by partners who imprison them: “If you attempt to leave, I will kill you. Or I will make your life so miserable that you will wish you were dead.” Although much work remains, domestic violence organizations provide a tireless coterie of people who provide hope, direction, and protection to those living in fear. In doing so, they transform lives.

Like abusive partners, leaders of both the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas have “led” with blinding corruption and a lack of concern for their suffering population, who are terrified to oppose them. Since Hamas’ long-planned Oct. 7 atrocities, the dangerous limitations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been made shockingly clear. So, just as a determined citizenry unites to protect vulnerable families within its borders, there are powerful voices in all countries (in Israel and Gaza, as well) who insist that bloodshed between those once brothers be resolved through a two-state solution. Their commitment, determination, and grit will energize and inspire others to support this necessity and find a peaceful way to work within Israel and Palestine to make it happen.

Building a quality framework toward this goal can eventually lead to new leadership in Israel, as well as the emergence of a leader the Palestinians deserve — one with the vision, strength, and bravery of Egypt’s Anwar Sadat. Imagine his welcome to Israel by a leader like Golda Meir, who once again would ask, “What took you so long?”

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

To The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 2023

Dear friends and colleagues, 
I was pleased that my letter was included in The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Thanksgiving issue.

To the editor:

I am grateful that, against great odds, our Philadelphia Inquirer staff refuse to relinquish the importance of their mission in serving our historic, brave but divided, and, in many ways, tortured city. But there is more: Although it is not overt, there is poetry in our hometown paper’s editing and design, and poetry provides enduring hope, despite all. Take, as an example, the Nov. 17 letter to the editor headlines: “Poor delivery,” “Rethink location,” “Understanding,” “Enough war,” “Bipartisan effort,” “System works.” Wow! (The wow is mine.) And there is still more: The Inquirer is widely read and respected. My recently published letter to the editor led to an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune. In accepting my submission, the editor, who also knows how necessary poetry is, offered me two poems, which I now offer you: “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” by Adam Zagajewski and “A Brief for the Defense” by Jack Gilbert.

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

To The Wall Street Journal, September 9, 2023

I am pleased that The Philadelphia Inquirer printed the following recently submitted letter.  With warm wishes in this tragic, dangerous time of deepest possible suffering for all concerned, SaraKay

To the editor:

When I was young, my mother became ill, and I went to live with my grandfather. Though I could not understand his references to the pogroms or concentration camps, I did learn from him that the world hated Jews: “We are not family, and never will be.” I remember my joy in 1945 when Bess Myerson became the first Jewish Miss America. Waving her photo in the Baltimore Sun, I spoke with much excitement: “Look, Pop. You’re wrong. Look, we are not hated. We are family.” My grandfather shook his head. “This only happened because of the guilt about the camps, when no one stopped the Nazis till it was too late,” he said.

A few years ago, my husband and I attended a Seder where survivors of concentration camps spoke of changes in America, ones reminiscent of their experience in Germany as Hitler was gaining power. They referenced extreme right and extreme left movements “fanning the flames” of hatred. At that time, neither my husband nor I had ever experienced antisemitism personally. That has changed.

Raised in a modern Orthodox setting, I never parted with a knit suit with a matching beret bought many years ago for going to synagogue with my parents. Recently, invited to an Orthodox bar mitzvah, I took the outfit to an excellent dressmaker I’ve known for years. As she was pinning the suit to alter it, she asked where I was going to wear it. A week or so after the event, I took some of my husband’s shirts to her shop to be laundered. She greeted me with a look I had never seen, and a tone I had never heard. “Did you have a good time at the bar mitzvah with your rich Jewish friends?” she asked with contempt.

Now, following the barbaric assault on Israeli civilians — where atrocities too horrific to wrap one’s head around took place — the world is protesting Israel’s response to that brutality. “What,” asked a thoughtful and intelligent friend, “do you think that Israel did to provoke the massacre?” As she concluded her sentence, I was no longer at a cocktail party. I was instead at my grandfather’s kitchen table.

I often dream of Pop. In past dreams, I look for him everywhere, but cannot find him. Amid today’s horror, my dream changed. I do find him; he grabs my hand and I tell him he was right: Jews will never be family.

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

To The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 25, 2023