By Jeremy Alk, , Seattle
I think there is an additional reason for Tree of Life being in jeopardy (“Losing its leaves?” July 10): The closing of Leah’s Bakery’s retail business. Stores are a foot-traffic business. People pop in and see what’s new. It’s also seasonal: Jews in the greater Seattle area take off in the summer, and except for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, synagogues are much quieter. Lastly, many non-Jews visit Tree of Life to shop for their Jewish friends. The general economic collapse hasn’t helped any of these trends.