As a result increasing numbers of Israeli Jews are joining progressive Jewish congregations springing up all over Israel and

As a result, increasing numbers of Israeli Jews are joining progressive Jewish congregations springing up all over Israel and demonstrating that tradition and modernity can be reconciled. The battle for the rights of progressive Judaism is a tough one but the World Union for Progressive Judaism, based in Jerusalem, has 1.5 million members worldwide in 1,500 synagogues. With an inclusive approach to women and encouragement for the less well religiously educated, Reform Judaism in this country is part of this picture. We have few hats or ringlets - although we own to a number of goodish beards - but secular we ain't. BARRY HYMANReform Synagogues of Great Britain, London N3.

THE APPARENT pro-hunting bias from the BBC may be partly due to the way in which the Countryside Alliance has managed to make "anti- hunting" appear synonymous with "anti-countryside." In so doing, the Countryside Alliance does a disservice to those it claims to represent, by taking attention away from the real problems facing country people, such as poor public transport and a lack of shops and other amenities. The majority of people living in rural areas agree with the majority of those in cities that hunting is wrong. A Gallup poll in March 1998 found that 77 per cent of rural dwellers disapprove of fox hunting, only slightly lower than the 84 per cent of urban dwellers who disapprove. RICHARD MOUNTFORDAnimal AidTonbridge, Kent. I'M NOT surprised that Waterstone's is in trouble, if my experience with its Piccadilly branch is typical ("Waterstone's facing staff revolt", 28 November). I was impressed by the splendid new interiors, the bar, the coffee shop, the restaurant and the loos. Wanting to celebrate a first visit, I asked for Roger Osborne's The Deprat Affair, at that time being read on BBC Radio 4. A member of staff found it on the computer, but could not tell me where, in the five miles of shelves, I could actually find the book, or even what category it came under.

She consulted colleagues, who could not help, so the sale was lost. What every section needs is a manager of the calibre of the old-fashioned bookseller, who was a reader himself, knew what was going on in the book world, and had a stock that he knew from hands-on experience. Computers cannot replace this knowledge, and a large number of books can be too many, if not under control. JOY BROOKFIELDFareham, Hampshire. GEOFFREY LEAN's article on the World Trade Organisation ("Bio- piracy", 28 November) makes no mention of climate changes. No amount of reform to the WTO can address the fact that the transport required to shift millions of tonnes of food and other products around the world is intrinsically damaging. Since the industrial revolution over 700 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide have been released into the atmosphere; half of this since the 1970s.

An increasingly globalised economy can only exacerbate this problem. World trade does not "relieve the plight of the poor"; instead it leads to more floods, cyclones and hurricanes, adding to the toll of human misery. PM EASTWOODHebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. YOUR FEATURE on road safety failed to point out the anomaly between the continued fall in the annual number of road deaths - Britain now has the best record in Europe - and the higher proportion of children killed, which places us towards the bottom. Contrast the pedestrians on our streets with the more ordered behaviour in France and Germany. Despite successive road safety campaigns in our schools, the theory of the classroom is totally forgotten when the child is out with parents or observes the antics of other adults. They see us ignoring pedestrian crossings and disregarding lights that are against us, dodging between vehicles, following whatever route best suits us and making use of a judgement of relative distance and speed that the child has not yet acquired. DJ INGALLWorksop, Nottinghamshire.

AHOY! Come alongside and walk this way, why don't you? Because today, drawing on the Captain's early experience as a floor walker at Gamages, I am, respectfully, going to offer some discreet advice to HM The Queen, whose current dress sense, and, in particular, a very lively little number last week, is, I read, giving rise to some concern: 1) Check that wardrobe in the seventy-second bedroom at the back, third floor, the white MFI one with vanity panel, to see if your Mum left anything behind She has quite an eye for a frock, you know. 2) Posh Spice, Your Majesty, shops at a splendid little place called Tarts in Waltham Cross, where you can pick up one of those handkerchief top efforts for as much as pounds 22.50. 4) And the Duke could wear it on his head when you're not using it. 5) I often liven up an old outfit by putting it in the washing machine at max temp with one of my replica footie shirts But it looks as if you're wise to that. 6) Do you knit? We're only on dishcloths here so far, but there is talk of a pants suit. 7) Accoutrements can also - subtly! - liven up an "old number"; which is why I have sent you one of my exclusive black and silver enamel effect Moonlight Badges. Your servant, Maam! Next! BBRRNNGG! Bless my soul, the clarion call of the Alexander Graham, and, on it, Ms Una Tributable, my redoubtable political source, who is excited! "Captain! The Norman Shaw Building, the MPs' office block - it's falling down! Scaffolding everywhere! And you must remember what Nostradamus said - "When the Norman Shaw goes skew-whiff/A new leader will come from the land of olives, initial P, with a quiff".