Academia and the American People

Columbia University President Nemat Shafik (JTA)

This time the answer was the right one. It’s too bad the first three times (in a row) the answer was stupid, foolish, and outright wrong. The question asked this time at a congressional hearing about antisemitism on college campuses was the same as it was in the other three cases: 

“Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate (Insert college here) code of conduct?”

The first time (back n December of last year) 3 university presidents with diverse backgrounds were asked that question: Harvard (now former) President Claudine Gay who is black, UPenn (now former) President Elizabeth McGill who is white, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth who is Jewish. They gave virtually identical answers. As though they were schooled by the ACLU in constitutionally protected free speech. Their answers were ‘It depends.

Yesterday at the latest congressional hearing on the subject, the correct answer was given by Columbia President Nemat Shafik who is of Egyptian descent. It was an a immediate and unequivocal yes. It did violate Columbia’s code of conduct.

The first 3 presidents were harshly criticized for their stupid answer by people on both sides of the political aisle. Staring with conservative Republican and Trump supporter Elise Stefanik (who first asked the question) - to Lawrence Tribe an arch-liberal constitutional scholar who said that he never thought he would ever agree with Stefanik on anything. But he did on this.

It seems ironic that a woman of Arab decent would give the right answer about antisemitism while a Jewish woman could not. But I think it is more about ‘lesson learned’ than actually knowing the difference between right and wrong. This was indicated by Shafik’s hesitation at a follow up question about a tenured Columbia professor of Arab descent who publicly expressed amazement and approval of what Hamas did on October 7^th. She was asked whether she would fire a teacher expressing a view like that. 

She stumbled over her answer but then answered in the affirmative.  She stumbled because for a moment - she probably thought his views were a function of his constitutionally protected free speech.

This is the problem with the progressiveness that has taken over in the hierarchy in university education. It isn’t just that a popular left wing Palestinian professor says things like this. It is that college presidents are condoning it.

If Jews on campus were to have a rally calling for the genocide of Palestinians, how far would university tolerance for free speech go?  I can’t imagine a question about whether Jewish students calling for the genocide of Palestinians was against school policy getting an ‘it depends’ answer. And I can’t imagine any university official expressing hesitation about firing a Jewish professor expressing joy over the 30,000 Gaza Palestinain deaths and the starvation of its refugees - thinking even for a moment it was his free speech right. There would be no hesitation at all about firing him.

What if anything does this say about antisemitism in America?   

Well for starters it says that both liberals and conservatives agree that antisemitism is wrong. It also say that the government does not tolerate it. But it also says something about academia. Major universities have gone from right wing antisemitism where Jews were at first barred from entry and later limited to quotas out of fear that those schools would become ‘too Jewish’... to left wing antisemitism under the guise of leveling the playing field through affrimative action. Disadvantaged minorities were given precedence over more qualified students.jsudge more by the Which in some cases were Jews started implementing quotas again in reverse. Instead of being accepted on merit a predetermined number of students would be accepted based on diversity. 

Now things have deteriorated into outright antisemtism being tolerated on college campuses from  faulty, students, and even administrations. All of whom are victims of woke progressives

I do not however believe this kind of thinking has filtered down to the average American.  The vast majority of Americans are not woke. Most are not hypnotozed by the rhetoric of the left that has for example villified he founding fathers as nothing ore than slaveholders who built this great country on the backs of those slaves. Most Americans still see the founding fathers m as great but flawed men who were influenced by the etos of theor time.  

This is why there is a distinct possibility that the most unqualified individual in the history of the American presidency may ascend to office again. The American  people are not happy with the woke direction in which this country is going. a direction that - among other things spawned a permissive attitude in academia about antisemitism.

My hope is that the pendulum will again swing back to where it was before he term woke even existed. 

The Ignorant View of a Biased Man

Pastor John Hagee speaking at the November March for Israel (Forward)

Jay Michaelson is an open and proud gay man who is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. He also is identified as a rabbi in his bio. 

I have no idea where he was ordained. But if he engages in male to male sexual activity typical of most gay people, then his rabbinic ordination is worthless – even if it is Orthodox.  There is no way a man can call himself a ‘teacher of Torah’ which is what a rabbi is supposed to do and deliberately violate one of its cardinal principles. I can't say for sure that he does that. But at the very least he has never said that such activity is forbidden if he is actually opposed to it as the Torah requires.

Please do not misunderstand. I am not anti LGBTQ+. On the contrary. I support their right to be treated with the dignity that every human being deserves. That is what being created in the image of God requires us to do. Mistreating them in any way is a violation of the Torah. They have a right to be treated with respect and human dignity. And to judge them by the content of their character, not by their sexual orientation. There is nothing sinful about being attracted to members of the same sex. It is how one reacts to that attraction that might be.

(I know that I have said this many times. But I have to say it every time the subject comes up lest I am accused of gay bashing. Something I am vehemently opposed to.)

I mention all this now because of an opinion piece he wrote in the Forward where his identity as a rabbi has relevance. Which he does bring to bear in his column.

Therein he bashes Pastor John Hagee, founder of CUFI (Christians United for Israel) one of the strongest supporters of Israel and the Jewish people in all of Christendom. I am not going to go into all the money Pastor Hagee has raised for the Jewish state or all the support he has drummed up among the Christian faithful. That kind of thing is easy to find online. Needless to say it is massive.

I am, however, going to address the Michaelson’s ‘proof’ that Hagee’s support is nothing more than a desire to bring on the second coming of his god and therefore no friend to Israel. This he says is evidenced by the following: 

“Prophetically, we are on the verge of the Gog-Magog war that Ezekiel described in chapters 38 and 39,” Hagee said on Sunday, after over 200 Iranian missiles were fired on Israel... 

And what does Hagee plan to do about this unprecedented attack? “We don’t need to de-escalate,” he said. Instead, Christians United For Israel — the Christian Zionist organization that Hagee founded in 2006 —held an “emergency fly-in” Monday to visit lawmakers in Washington, D.C., in order to “tell them to stop shuffling papers and do something to help Israel.”

A cursory look at Pastor Hagee’s comments might lead some people to say, Hey! Maybe Michaelson is right about all that Evangelical support. Maybe it is all about hastening end-times and the  second coming.  And accelerating Armageddon where non believing Jews and other non believers will die.

Wow! A Christian that believes in Christian theology. Is anyone really surprised at that? Anyone who thinks that an Evangelical preacher gave up a core Christian belief is a fool. And yet, Michaelson thinks that Hagee's true motives have finally been exposed. Which are not about supporting Israel but about hastening end-times. 

But that just isn’t the case. Of course Hagee believes in that. But guess what,  We have an end-times prophesy too. It is known as Acharis HaYomim.- the 'end of days’. Hagee’s  quote from Ezekiel is quite accurate. There will be a war between Gog and Magog - that will end with the coming of Moshiach. But not as Hagee believes with the second coming of his god. That result will manifest at the proper time. Until then Pastor Hagee’s support for Israel and the Jewish people is both warm and genuine.

In the meantime devout Jews and Christians base their views about Israel on the bible. This is why Evangelical Christians tend to support the most right wing position on settling the land of Israel. In this sense their views are not that far off from those of the religious Zionist right who believe the same thing. I don't agree that we should be doing that now for reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. My point is, however, that they do so because the bible tells them that all the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people.

This hardly makes Hagee no friend of Israel. At least not any more than the tens of thousands of Israelis that believe and advocate for the same thing. Does Michaelson think they too are no friends of Israel?  Disagree if you will. But enemies of Israel they are not.

What Michaelson chooses to ignore is that people like Hagee and his flock support Israel and the Jewish people not because they want to hasten end-times (even though they believe in that theology).. But that is clearly what Michaelson want’s you to believe. 

We know why they support Israel by what they constantly preach to the flock. Quoting passages from the Torah (their Old Testament) where God says numerous times that those who bless the Jewish people will themselves be blessed. 

That being said, a lot of people will actually agree with Michaelson and  say that they have been saying this was their true motive all along. But I have heard their televangelists preaching their reasons for many years and the vast majority of time, it is all about what their their Old Testament says, Not what their New Testament says. 

The late Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein who made a career out of courting Evangelical preachers told me the same thing. Evangelical support of Israel like that of John Hagee is not based on their end-times prophesy beliefs. Michaelson’s view to the contrary not withstanding. They are simply the machinations of an ignoramus with preconceived biases who has not done his homework.

Has There Been an Earthquake in Israel?

Do Charedim still consider the draft- Shmad?

There has been a massive earthquake in Israel.  Not a physical earthquake. A spiritual earthquake. So massive is the proposed  change in the Charedi position on drafting their students, I can’t really believe it’s happening. In fact, I’ll believe it when I see it…when it is actually implemented. It is almost too good to be true. From VIN: 

In the wake of the public debate over the new Draft Law, a dramatic proposal has allegedly been put forward by Charedi parties to begin drafting approximately 25% of yeshiva students who come of age each year, and later raise the percentage to nearly 50%, which would amount to 6,000 yeshiva students, Israel Hayom reported. 

A few days ago I referred to a story about a possible break between Charedi politicians in Israel and their rabbinic leadership (often referred to simply as ‘the Gedolim’). Which by itself was unprecedented. But this is more than a little ripple of disagreement. It seems like a split of gargantuan proportion. 

The hard fact is that Charedi opposition to the draft was one of the few things they have always said was non negotiable. Opposition that was based not only on  reducing the numbers of Charedim learning Torah full time. But fear that the army would disabuse their students of their God fearing ways - and ultimately their religious practice. Arguments to the contrary have always been dismissed as not good enough – with the government falling well short of all the promises they made to accommodate Charedi recruits in special Charedi units. 

Opposition to the draft  has remained firm since the establishment of the state. Every time there was discussion among Israeli officials about drafting any number of Charedim - no matter how small the percentage - massive protests  called for by the Gedolim broke out. As recently as a few days ago, in a act of solidarity with Israeli Gedolim the American Agudah Moetzes  published the following words in an email blast I received: 

Now, the authorities in the Holy Land have cancelled deferrals and exemptions from army service for those scholars, attacking the Torah and its Giver, and because of these anti-religious motivations they are endangering all Jews in this time of war.  

We join in the pain and worry of all Jews at this danger. We join with the great Torah leaders of the Holy Land in their call to stand against this ruling. 

Obviously compromise was the furthest thing from the mind. And now… THIS? 

I’m not sure what to make of it. If true... have the Israeli Gedolim done a complete 180 about the draft? Or are Charedi  politicians acting on their own? I find the latter highly unlikely. Because almost by definition Charedi politicians will never defy their leadership. 

I am hopeful  but nonetheless skeptical about the reliability of this news. I do not see a massive change in policy on an issue of this nature. An issue that has been at the core of Chareid policy from which their leadership has never veered.

And what about the hard core Jerusalem faction? They are not going to take this sitting down. There will surely be unprecedented protests that will cause unprecedented disruption in the lives of all Israelis -  including Charedim. How will the Charedi leadership deal with that?

On the other hand if this is indeed true and a compromise of this nature is acceptable to both sides - it can usher in a new era of unprecedented unity among Jews of good will and of all stripes.. A unity that was heretofore unachievable except for the briefest of moments during times of tragedy. As was he case in the immediate aftermath of the October 7^th Hamas massacre.

 The benefits of this compromise (if true) are unlimited. If secular Israelis were ever ready for outreach... ready   to take a new look at what it means to be Jew.. there has never been a better time than now. The observant community will  have a golden opportunity to rise to the occasion and welcome them  with warmth and open arms.

Iran and John Fetterman's Moral Compass

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman (JTA)

He is a clear thinker whose moral compass does not let politics get in his way . An iconoclast of sorts one might say. The mere sight of him would surely lead one to realize that that he doesn’t much care about what others think of him. 

If you haven’t guessed who I’m talking about, it’s the US senator from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman. I don’t know if he even owns a suit. In fact I think he only has 2 pieces of outerwear, shorts and a hoodie. He also has a lot of tattoos plastered all over his rather sizable 6’ 8’’ frame. He does what he wants and says what he believes. Regardless of the political consequences.

Fetterman was a one time supporter of Democratic Socialist, Bernie Sanders. This made him the darling of progressives. His overall non conformist image and reputation as a progressive is why I supported his Republican opponent, TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2020. Oz’s conservative values were a lot closer to my own by far than anyone with a progressive reputation. It is a near religious tenet of progressives to see Israel as a colonialist oppressor nation with racist ‘Apartheid’ polices. Demanding  justice for Palestine by dismantling Israel and replacing it with a Palestinian state.

Needless to say, I was surprised and disappointed that Fetterman beat Oz. Especially after Fetterman had a stroke (from which he has still not fully recovered). How, I wondered, could anyone vote for a man as unconventional as that and was mentally disabled? That he was hospitalized for depression shortly after the election underscored his mental disability.  

And yet, he won. My guess is that the anti Trump vote swept a lot of  down ballot Democrats into office. That is the only way I can explain it. I thought that he would be yet another progressive anti Israel vote in congress.

But I could not have been more wrong. The progressives that loved him now see his support for Israel as a betrayal of their core values. Support that is quite strong and vigorous as noted in a March 21^st JTA article: 

In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, Fetterman said the United States had a duty to be in lockstep with our ally… 

Fetterman has been one of the most visible supporters of Israel among Democrats, perhaps rivaled only by New York Rep. Ritchie Torres. He has draped himself in an Israeli flag, met with hostage families and wallpapered his office with posters of Israeli hostages. In November, he waved an Israeli flag while walking past pro-Palestinian protesters outside the U.S. Capitol. 

Fetterman went from being a disappointment to being a hero in my eyes. As noted above. He could not care less about narrative of his own party and president. He saw what happened on October 7^th and never looked back. His support for Israel has earned him the scorn of progressives and the praise of many conservatives. Including me.

A couple of  days ago Israel was attacked by Iran was intended to kill a lot of Jews (even though it utterly failed to do so). Guided by his moral compass Fetterman once again rejected the narrative of his president and party and espoused the views of many conservatives as noted at The Hill: 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said that Iran’s aerial assault on Israel shows how the U.S. is “not standing firmly with Israel.”

Fetterman reiterated Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that there should not be conditions on sending additional aid to Israel and called again for the U.S. to stand with its ally in the wake of Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend. 

“Well, a couple of things, actually. I think it really demonstrates how it’s astonishing that we are not standing firmly with Israel. And there should never be any kinds of conditions on all that. When a nation can launch hundreds of drones towards Israel — I’m not going to be talking about conditions ever,” he said. 

He sure didn’t sound like a  progressive Democrat. Proving to be a major disappointment to them. But as Fetterman so clearly put it, wearing shorts and a hoodie does not make you a progressive. It only makes you somone that wear shorts and a hoodie. (As a bit of a non-conformist myself, I love that response!)

Fetterman did not say whether he supports an IDF military response to the attack. Frankly I am not even sure if I do. I have mixed feelings about that.

On the one hand, the Biden administration says that Israel must show restraint and not counter attack Iran. Iran failed  miserably. They did not do any real damage and no one was killed. The Biden administration said Israel should just take the win andnot retaliate Biden does not want to widen the conflict which could explode into a full scale regional war in which the US might have to get involved.

I get that. But if the US mainland were attacked with hundreds of drones and missiles from  - say Venezuela, would we just say, no one was killed so let’s just call it a win? I seriously doubt that. No nation that is attacked by another belligerent nation determined to annihilate it should just say, lets call it a win because no one as killed. That would just embolden them to try it again. Perhaps with greater force where some real damage could be done with many lives lost. Maybe Israel has to retaliate. 

On the other hand retaliating cold easily escalate into a war between Israel and Iran that could very possibly shed more Jewish blood than in all of its preceding wars. Even though Israel would likely win that war - the price may be too high. Maybe its better to let sleeping dogs lie.

If it were up to me. I think the best course of action would be not to retaliate. But to keep doing what they have been doing: Targeting their Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) leaders. When the opportunity to strike comes their way again, they should take them out. Covertly if possible. While remaining as vigilant as possible, let us not expose our young to the increased death and destruction that an immediate retaliatory strike might lead to.

Is There a Crack in the Wall of 'Daas Torah'?

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch (VIN)

I am no longer shocked or even surprised by the insular attitude of Charedi leadership. It has become the sine qua non of the Charedi world. The leadership believes that insularity is the best way to protect the Jewish people from the prevailing evil influences of the outside world.

It appears that the leader of Lithuanian Jewry (also known as the Yeshiva World)  Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch has just doubled down on this attitude as noted at VIN:

Rabbi Hirsch requested that yeshiva students not go on any trips (during Bein Haz’manin – the Pesach vacation period) and not make any plans to go to places where they will meet with secular elements…

Needless to say I am upset at his attitude, But not surprised. Contrast this with a perceptive and thoughtful approach to current events by Rabbi Moshe Bane, immediate past president of the OU. 

Rabbi Moshe Bane (Jewish Action)

In his recent Jewish Action column he described how the world has changed since October 7^th. Drastically for Israeli Jews but even for American Jews. After listing and detailing some of those changes, he suggested that we react with both individual and communal introspection. Which is how the Gemarah tells us to react when tragedy strikes. He then describes what that introspection should look like. 

Early on in his essay he makes the following caveat. Claims by anyone about a particular communal malady as the cause of our misfortune is a fallacy based on personal biases. Only a Navi can have that kind of insight. Something  that God no longer grants to human beings. (In my view people like this are either charlatans or fools. But I digress.) 

But at the same time the idea of introspection is always a good idea,. The Gemarah urges that when  tragedy strikes, that is a good time to have such introspection.

Rabbi Bane’s column is a must read in my view. I completely agree with all of his observations and suggestions about the various ways we can improve in light of the new reality since October 7^th.

The following are excerpts of what Rabbi Bane sees as opportunities for positive change. 

1. (We need to revisit) ‘our place in American society and higher education’.

2. Each segment of our community (needs) to examine whether the events of and reactions to October 7 and its aftermath compel revisions to the assessments and forecasts that long ago shaped their respective positions toward Zionism. For example, is the Jewish State a beacon of safety for all Jews, or the cause of hostility to and vulnerability for Jews throughout the world? Do the current reactions of both observant and non-observant Jews to Israel’s needs in its time of crisis highlight an invaluable role played by Israel as a source of national Jewish brotherhood? And should the post-October 7 surge of connection among IDF soldiers to Yiddishkeit and to the community of Klal Yisrael alter the view of those who have understood the IDF to be necessarily hostile to traditional Judaism?  

His last suggestion, however, seems to fly in the face of Rabbi Hirsch’s insular ways: 

3. With new realities emerging since October 7, perhaps we need to rethink our community’s attitude toward outreach. Post-October 7, we observe a surge of interest in Jewish identity across the spectrum of American Jewry…

Perhaps there is a rare window of opportunity to engage unaffiliated Jews and provide a path for their greater connection to Jews and Judaism. 

As noted I agree with all of Rabbi Bane’s observations and suggestions We would all do well as both individuals and as a community to heed his call.

My fear is, however, that the reaction by the right will be to support Rav Hirsch completely and thus reject what Rabbi Bane has suggested. The rationale being that Rav Hirsch represents Daas Torah. And Rabbi Bane is not a Bar Plugta. Meaning that he is nowhere near the caliber of Rav Hirsch which would give his views legitimacy among the faithful.  

I have heard this kind of argument from the right ad nauseum. It might be expressed this way:‘Who is Moishe Bane to argue with the Daas Torah of the Gadol HaDor?’ 

The mantra of the American Agudah is that the advice of the  Gedolim are inviolable. Their Torah and Yiras Shomayim (fear of Heaven) is so great that it is the closest thing to being Godly advice on the planet!  As such they are Mevatel (negate) their own Daas (considered opinion) to that of the Gedolim. Even when it is in stark disagreement with them. 

This is probably why the American Agudah Moetzes recently fully endorsed the Daas Torah of their Israeli counterparts (whom they view as superior to theirs) - condemning the Israeli government as an enemy of Torah and of God Himself.

I am both encouraged and discouraged at the same time. I believe that Rabbi Bane has enormous respect for the members of the Agudah Moetzes and would never publicly disagree with their express views. And yet he has gone out on a limb and expressed a view that seems to completely disagree with their tendency to endorse what their Israeli counterparts say.

The discouraging part of this is that the majority of Charedi Jews will reject Rabbi Bane’s views in favor of their leaders’ Daas Torah. Even as they might privately agree with him 

There  is a glimmer of hope  in all of this. But how far that will take us remains to be seen.

Rabbi Michael Broyde Responds

Some Thoughts in Reply by Rabbi Michael J. Broyde

Pro Palestinian demonstration (PBS)

A few days ago, I posted my thoughts about Rabbi Michael Broyde’s op-ed on the subject of anitsemtsim versus anti-Zionism in America. His response to my thoughts follows in its entirety:

I deeply appreciate the engagement Emes Ve-Emunah undertook with my op-ed in Haaretz and the thoughtful response Harry Maryles presents. I understand and respect the optimism that underscores his perspective, and I too cherish the resilience and moral fiber of our liberal democracy in the United States. However, my concerns regarding anti-Israel sentiment stem from broader and more nuanced observations of global and historical trends, not just current or localized events.

The comparison between the fight for LGBTQ rights and the struggle against antisemitism, while illustrating many noble aspects of liberal democracy, might oversimplify the complexities surrounding Israel's geopolitical situation and the nature of anti-Zionism, both in America and world-wide. The latter often intersects with deeply ingrained political, religious, and cultural narratives that transcend the admirable American ethos of equality and justice for all. 

Furthermore, while the notion that anti-Zionism is a fringe element destined to wane holds emotional appeal, empirical evidence suggests that it has, regrettably, found a more substantial foothold in various segments of Western societies – even in America -- than one might hope.  Furthermore, the younger one is, the more statistically noticeable this is.  This makes it much harder to think it will ‘go away.’

This is not to say that the anti-Israel approach will dominate or run indefinitely, but rather that they pose a significant challenge that requires vigilant, sustained, and sophisticated engagement. They will not be crushed and go away, like overt racism mostly was years ago and which I predict will be the fate of overt antisemitism – Wassim Kanaan schooled me when he noted to the New York Times that “This has nothing to do with the Jewish faith.  It has everything to do with the policies of the state of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. But there’s a weaponization of antisemitism allegations to silence advocates for Palestine.”  No one wants to be labeled an antisemite, even opponents of Israel.

The resurgence of anti-Zionism and anti-Israelism in certain academic and political circles, particularly under the guise of legitimate criticism of Israeli policies, necessitates a nuanced response that acknowledges the complexity of the issues at hand while steadfastly opposing bigotry in any form: we need to make sure that we do not become the bigots we oppose. So too, it's crucial to differentiate between valid criticism of Israeli government actions and the delegitimization of a nation's right to exist.

Of course, as one of my friends noted, the true wild card in the entire equation is a factor that American Jewry cannot control; namely the decisions that Israel makes since October 7th. We are constantly forced to explain or justify policies that we do not shape and are not concerned with our needs. In fairness, we are not facing the challenges and dangers that Israelis face daily, but this often leaves us in a politically precarious spot. Do we reflexively defend all the IDF’s actions (out of both solidarity and an appreciation of the larger dangers that Israel encounters) or are we critical as well sometimes even though we are inadvertently joining with true “haters” of the medina? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to that question.  Neither mindless support nor harsh criticism is helpful, and the golden mean is hard to find.

Your faith in the pendulum swing of public opinion and the inherent goodness of the American people is both admirable and shared. Indeed, the values of democracy, freedom, and innovation that Israel embodies are morally compelling and should be more widely known and appreciated. This, however, does not negate the need for proactive measures to combat the rise of anti-Israel sentiment in America, which have and will continue to erode the very foundations of support upon which Israel relies on. Furthermore, I have little illusions that we will clearly win this battle.  Yet, we need to wage this political battle: American support of Israel helps America in countless ways, and we need to work as hard as we can to explain that, for Israel and Americas sake.

Additionally, those of you who think that if this or that candidate wins the next election, then the matter will go away, are deeply mistaken.  The matter will ebb and flow I suspect for more than a decade and we need to be prepared for both the ebb and the flow.

The alliance with evangelical Christians, while significant, is not a panacea. It is but one part of a broader strategy that must also include engaging with those who do not share their views, including many within the progressive community who might be swayed by a more comprehensive understanding of the issues.  Furthermore, these convenient alliances never win consistently and when they lose, payback for whom one’s allies are is a normal part of the political process, and a great deal of care is needed.

We really really need to exercise a lot of due care.  Just between us, I have my doubts that the political leadership of our American Jewish community has been battle-tested for these conditions.  I worry that we are behind the well-fortified Maginot line and the unexpected water cannons are approaching the Bar Lev line. Our strategies do not reflect the realities we actually face, and our tactics are already out or date, unbeknownst to us. Sometimes I worry our political alliances turn us into the proverbial gang member who is instructed [by someone who wants him dead] to come to a gun fight holding a knife – armed enough to be shot, but not armed enough to actually defend hilself.  In sum, I am scared.

In closing, while I share your hope for a future where both antisemitism and anti-Zionism are relegated to the margins of society, I believe that this is not achievable in the short term.  If we work hard and marshal resources well, I hope and think we can mostly suppress the antisemitic uncaged lion that is roaming the fields.   Anti-Israelism is here for the longer run, I suspect. The work ahead is considerable, and it demands a concerted effort from all who cherish democracy, freedom, and the right of all peoples, including the Jewish people, to religious freedom and self-determination.

Thank you again for your engagement and for prompting this essential dialogue. It is only through such exchanges that we can hope to foster a more informed and compassionate understanding of these complex issues.

Rabbi Broyde's most recent Torah article is on whether there is a bracha when seeing an eclipse.

No New Post Today

On my way to Baltimore for my grandson's wedding. Not sure about Thursday or Friday either. I will be involved with the wedding in various different ways. Stay tuned. New posts will God willing  resume on Sunday.

Profile in Courage

Ritchie Torres in Kibbutz Nir Oz on March 29

One of the issues I have with all the harsh criticism of Israel’s conduct in war (even from some of its friends) is that it lacks perspective. The sympathy Israel’s critics have for the legitimately and deeply suffering ‘innocent’ Palestinians are going through rarely includes the reasons they are experiencing it.

There are reasons.  Reasons that do not in any way include the desire by Israel for Palestinians to suffer. Only Hamas has such desires. They are determined  to maximize and exaggerate casualties as a strategy to increase world sympathy. 

But that isn’t even what I’m talking about –  truthful though it is. I am talking about how and way this war started. 

First the why. It is well known by now – especially by the US - that the Hamas charter is all about the genocide of the Jewish people. All of us! First in ‘Palestine’ and then all over the world (...channeling Hitler but with a religious fervor rivaling that of Hitler. One of their heroes)

That was well known even before the October 7^th. But what was not as well known is how determined they are and what lengths they will go to to carry out their mission.  On October 7^th it became extremely well known. In case anyone has forgotten what happened on that day let me remind you. 

1200 Jews were mercilessly slaughtered in some of the most brutal and barbaric ways imaginable, Jewish women were raped, sexually mutilated and beheaded. Babies were burned alive; and over 200 hostages taken. (...over a hundred of which remain six months after the war began with some of the female captives continually being raped in front of the captive husbands.  

And this doesn’t even address the hundreds of thousands of Jews living near the borders of Gaza and Lebanon (Hezbollah) that have been displaced form their home (and in many cases - jobs)  indefinitely fearing similarly brutal attacks

I rarely hear anything at all about that from all those crying over ‘civilian’ Palestinian casualties being thrown under the Israeli bus by Hamas. It is either completely ignored or at best given very short shrift.

Even if those Palestinians were completely innocent (which is hardly the case according to a Palestinian insider) to ignore the cause of all this while crying over unavoidable causalities of war where the enemy is determined to increase those casualties... well.- that kind of sympathy disgusts me. Even if it is the president that expresses it. 

I am, however, glad that at least one Democrat has not ignored it at all. He understands the real reasons for all the Palestinian casualties and suffering. And he has the courage to express this truth despite the fact that it is not the current narrative of his own president and his own party.  

Now there are a few other Democrats like him. But not most Democrats – including Jewish Democrats  that seem to feel the pain of ‘innocent’ Palestinians a lot more than they do the pain of Israelis that have gone through the worst butchery since the Holocaust. And in many ways they still are. His name is Ritchie Torres.- a profile in courage and  a true hero who refuses to bend to the party line when he knows it is mistaken:

In the two-minute clip, shared on April 4, the Bronx congressman parries accusations from pro-Palestinian activists that he supports the starvation of children during a genocide in Gaza. In response, he denies that Israel is committing genocide and blames the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on Hamas stealing aid meant for civilians. Both arguments hew closely to the Israeli government line. 

A pro-Israel activist called Torres a “king” for how he responded to the activists. An opponent wrote, “Torres lies, people die!”

But for Torres himself, the exchange was a sharp turn from the reception he got two days earlier, when he wrapped up a three-day trip to Israel. There, he told the New York Jewish Week, he was treated like a celebrity. 

Indeed. He knows what the Israeli people know Even those Israelis that hate their prime minister know in their hearts. Torres is willing to take his lumps for expressing the unvarnished truth. If only his fellow Democrats and all the knee jerk liberals in media and entertainment weren’t blinded by the high casualty numbers  understood what Torres understands....  and realizes that Israel has no choice but to obliterate Hamas from the face of the earth regardless of how many civilians Hamas places in their way.... 

If the Jewish people want to eliminate their most immediate source of mortal danger, they have no choice. Maybe the president should listen to Torres too instead of looking at his poll numbers in Michigan and Minneapolis.

Will Antisemtism Decrease While Anti Zionism Does Not?

Rabbi Michael Broyde’s op-ed in Ha’aretz (available at this link in PDF) about antisemtism versus anti Zionism struck a chord with me. I agree with what he says about antisemitism in this country. But not necessarily with his view of anti Zionism 

Rabbi Broyde believes that the current atmosphere of antisemitism will eventually decrease. Mostly because of the nature of a liberal democracy like ours having no tolerance for discrimination of any kind based on externals. This is why, for example,  the majority of Americans favor LGBTQ rights. They see these people in the same light as Jews, Blacks, Muslims, migrants ...and what have you. 

That is this nature of our liberal democracy.. It was in fact Americans with that liberal ethos that held rallies during the Holocaust demanding the US do something about Jewish suffering in Europe. It was the liberal ethos that championed the creation of the state of Israel after the Holocaust – as a haven for Jewish refugees.  

It is that very liberal ethos taken to the extreme that has today - turned the left against Israel. The same sympathy they had for Jewish refugees of the Holocaust they now have for Palestinian refugees. (Whether that is right or wrong is beyond the scope of this post.) 

It is Rabbi Broyde’s contention (and I agree) that it is tolerance of all peoples that defines a liberal democracy. Antisemitism cannot in good conscience be tolerated for long. Eventually - to whatever  extent it exists now, it will dissipate to the point it was before the war in Gaza. 

But I’m not sure I agree with contention that anti Israel sentiment is here to stay in any large measure. I do agree that it will still exist. But I don’t think it will be mainstream. 

That being said - even though antisemitism cannot be justified or sustained in a liberal democracy like ours, anti Zionism has no such protection  The evidence for this is based on what is going on in college campuses all over the world. Which seems to have increased exponentially since the war with Hamas began. 

I believe that those who hate Israel the most are on the extreme left of American society. They can be found mostly among hardcore leftist academics. And they see Israel only as a colonialist nation that subjugates indigenous peoples with an inhumane occupation. I would contend that these are the same people that hate the US for similar reasons. Only instead of Palestinians being mistreated, it is Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities that have always been mistreated and still are.  

But I also believe this hatred is limited to a left whose ascendancy has peaked and is now in decline. As is their influence on the mainstream media. It sill exists now while Israel is at war with Hamas. But that war will not go on forever. The left  will not always be the dominating influence on American culture that it is now. Once the war is over and sufficient time passes, Israel will no longer be seen by the typical American in a negative light.

Rabbi Broyde takes note of the fact that Evangelicals are very pro Israel too. Their numbers are not insignificant. 

Even elected officials (most of them at least) that tend to be liberal nonetheless understand Israel's strategic value to the US. They will not abandon it.That message will not go unnoticed by Americans that pay any attention to world events. 

There is also the fact that - looked at objectively - Israel is still a shining democracy in a neighborhood of dictators. A democracy where Israeli Arabs can vote and have representation in government. Even to the extent of joining a ruling coalition.  

There is also the fact that Israel is a nation that has given so much to the world in terms of medicine, science, economics, and literature. Things which have not been ignored by the mainstream media.

Public opinion on just about any issue does not remain stagnant. The pendulum swings both ways over time. Right now it is tilted toward the left. But in my view, its direction is towards the right. It is not that the country is becoming radicalized in that direction. But Americans are tending to vote for more conservative candidates than they used to. 

Even if they have some differences with them on some issues (like abortion rights) the trend is definitely away from the freefall into moral depravity the left is so willing to tolerate if not entirely support. The typical American does not not tolerate belittling our founding fathers and they reject the notion that Israel is a colonialist oppressor nation that ought to be dismantled.

It might be hard to see this now, but after the war is over (God willing - soon!) Israel will eventually go back to being seen as a nation whose democratic values are the same as those of the US. The only people that will continue to hate Israel will be the same people that continue to hate the US.

That being said, I agree with  Rabbi Broyde that no one can predict the future. He may be proven right  But that possibility exists for me in equal measure, I think. 

I don’t know. Maybe I am just a hopeless optimist. But I still believe that at the core the majority of the American people are neither antisemitic nor anti Israel. That they will eventually return to the  respect and even admiration for a country that has given so much for the world. 

On that score Israel needs to do a much better job of making their contributions to the world better  known . It may not be possible now during  a war with so many civilian casualties, But once the war is over, I think  (or at least I hope) faith in the innate goodness of the Israeli people will be restored.

Too Big to Ignore

Statement from the Agudah Moetzes

Updated*

A statement by the Moetzes was just released by the American Agudah. To say that I am upset by it would be an understatement of epic proportion. 

This is not  to say that I’m on their level of Torah knowledge. Far from it.  It is to say that I am a total loss to understand how it is possible for any Torah leader to insist that every single Charedi individual in Israel sitting in a Beis HaMedresh should automatically be exempt from army service. Especially now at a time of war when there is a shortage of manpower - and no other subset of Jews is exempt.

Admittedly, I am not Charedi. My Daas Torah is not the Agudah Moetzes. The rabbinic leaders that I look to for advice and counsel would not even be considered by them for membership to their most exclusive of clubs. Nonetheless, I respect their views as Talmidei Chachomim and elders in the Torah world. Even when my own rabbinic leaders are in profound disagreement with them as they are on this subject. One can disagree but one must respect such people. And I do.

But in this case I am not alone. There are many prominent Charedi voices that probably have the same sense of consternation over this statement as I do.

That statement was published in Hebrew only. Not sure why they don’t want the non Hebrew speaking public to know what they are saying. 

Not that my Hebrew speaking abilities are all that great - but it doesn’t take a great deal of knowledge about the Hebrew language to more or less understand what it says. Which in my view is a direct rebuke of the rabbinic leaders that I agree with. The gist of which is as follows.

First they say that the thousands of their people that study with complete dedication and extreme effort are the ones that protect us  from our enemies and haters.

Then they declare that the G’zeira (edict) from the evil government voiding their army exemption - forcing them into the army - is a war against the Torah itself and even the Giver of the Torah (God Himself!)...in deadly pursuit against observance. Making this especially egregious in their eyes is that this G’zeira comes at a time of danger to the Jewish people (when more people should be studying Torah Not less).

In sharing the pain of the Charedi leadership in Israel they are asking their people to strengthen and maximally exert themselves to set up additional time for Torah study, prayer, and charity and cry out to the Heavens to void this G’zeira - so that not a single soul fall to destruction. 

As I indicated above, I am extremely disturbed by this statement. And I’m sure that many Charedim who have suggested common sense changes in the Charedi attitude to army service - are equally disturbed. At least privately if not publicly. 

I get the strong commitment Charedim have to Torah study. A very laudable trait. What I do not get is why the entire population of  Charedi Jews must be exempt from army service. I get that they don’t want any of their young people to die in combat. But I don’t get how they justify others dying for them while they all sit in relative safety. 

Why do they not believe that that at least those that are not studying but faking it (which by their own count is at least 10% of them) - should be drafted? If they have a legitimate reason for that position, why don’t they articulate it? And what about the prominent voices within their own community that believe they should rethink their ‘no exception’ policy? 

Why do they not recognize that there are religious Jews fighting and dying in Gaza in greater proportion than secular Jews? And that these soldiers study Torah just as diligently as their people do when they are not serving their country?  Why do they not consider what the parents of these  brave soldier/learners are gong through? ...or even what the parents of secular Jews in the IDF are gong through? If they are concerned, why have we not heard much if anything about that from them? It certainly was not part of the Agudah Moetzes statement!

Why don’t they realize the damage this policy has done to the morale of the nation? Why do they not realize the extreme divisiveness to the Jewish  nation this causes?...a divisiveness that pits them not only against secular Jews but against religious Jews that study the same Torah they do? 

Do they think that the rabbinic leaders of these soldier/learners have declared a war against the Torah too? ...with the murderous intent to stop Mitzvah observance?

Do they not realize that enmity of secular Jews in Israel against them is exacerbated to the extreme with an attitude like this? That it pours gasoline onto the fire? 

Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to simply come to a sensible compromise where the majority of them could continue their exemption and study Torah full time while agreeing that the 10%  that are fakers be drafted?

I truly do not understand. why the Agudah Moetzes does not answer questions like these that are clearly on the minds of the secular and non Charedi religious public... and even on the minds of more than a few Charedim.

But I do understand the nature of the Charedi general public when it coms to Daas Torah. They consider their Daas Torah to be inviolable to the point of near heresy. The wisdom of their rabbinic leaders is considered the closet thing to God’s actual desire. So they follow it even when their own common sense says otherwise. If they are told right is left and left is right - that is how many of them will view it.. 

Some people believe that change will come from the bottom up. That grass roots Charedim will somehow - at some time revolt against their rabbinic leadership. But based on their view of Daas Torah, I don’t see that happening. Not on any large scale that would make a difference, anyway. Which is why I am so upset at the Agudah statement. The Charedi world is too big too ignore and growing exponentially with every passing moment.

*Agudah just released the following free translation of their Moetzes statement:

It is a kindness of Hashem to His nation that an entire world of Torah has grown in Eretz Yisroel. Those toiling in Torah learning have increased in quantity and quality. We have merited tens of thousands of Torah scholars – in whose merit the Jewish Nation exists – as well as a large population of G-d-fearing Jews, who fulfill the Will of Hashem, and through them all our people are protected from our enemies.

Now, the authorities in the Holy Land have cancelled deferrals and exemptions from army service for those scholars, attacking the Torah and its Giver, and because of these anti-religious motivations they are endangering all Jews in this time of war. 

We join in the pain and worry of all Jews at this danger. We join with the great Torah leaders of the Holy Land in their call to stand against this ruling. And we should all increase our Torah learning, our prayer, and charity, crying out to our Father in Heaven that not even one more soul should fall, until this time of Heavenly wrath passes.  

Hashem does not spurn the prayers of many – may we merit to see the raising of the banner of Torah and His salvation of His nation and His land, with the coming of the true redeemer, speedily in our days. 

Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America