LETTER : Jews: positive about change

From Mr Jay Rayner

Sir: As a Jewish man who has also married a non-Jew, I can only agree with everything Jon Ronson says ("Marrying 'out' is no longer an issue of concern", 15 February). We are accused of handing Hitler a post- humous victory by bringing the Jewish blood line to an end. But surely, to marry a Jew for fear of continuing the Holocaust by another means is to do exactly that; it is to operate to an agenda set solely by the Nazis.

True survival demands freedom of choice. I married the woman I loved, not somebody a false historical imperative said I should marry. That doesn't mean I despise my background; on the contrary, I am very proud of the Jewish intellectual tradition. But it is certainly not up to me to prove my dedication to the Jewish establishment. It is up to them to find a way to include me.

Yours sincerely,

Jay Rayner

London, SE24

15 February