Bob Schwartz,Yossi Cohen, and Peter Arneves - scientists at SelyraM Labs
One of the Mitzvos
associated with Purim, the holiday that we celebrate today is something called
the Purim Seudah. And if your family is anything like ours, you will overeat…
and get sick. You will be bloated. You will be constipated. And you will suffer
the indignities of something we call ‘irregularity’.
Well, have I got a product for you. It’s called Prub.
Prub is a derivative of a tried and true product of the 30s,
40s, and 50s called SerutaN. This product was very popular back then and was advertised
quite a lot on early TV. Especially on the old Arthur Godfrey Show.
For those who don’t remember Arthur, he was one of the most talented
entertainers of that time. Perhaps even of all time. And his credibility was
through the roof. I once bought a stock he recommended on his show, and I made
a fortune. I was able to retire at age 65. His show was sponsored by Serutan. And Arthur
sold a lot of that stuff. It really worked.
Anyway the scientists at Selyram Labs (pictured above) have
come up with a sure fire product that will give you relief. Prub is an updated version of Serutan. Using
technology not available back then our scientists (pictured above) were able to
combine the active ingredient in Serutan with Fleet. Used as directed it will give
you relief. Lots of it. You will not feel bloated after it does its magic. And
it tastes good too. (Available in
Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Tropical Fruit, and Garlic.)
So if you overeat this Purim, not to worry. Just have a
bottle of Prub handy and relax.
The commercial of that product back in the fifties ended
with a very clever line ‘…and remember, Serutan spelled backwards is natures’.
I will end this commercial the same way: ‘…and remember,
Prub spelled backwards is natures.’
To order, please call 1-800-288-2020. Ask for Bob.
Warning:This product is not affiliated with any reputable pharmaceutical
company. Certified Kosher by KKK. Must
be 18 to play. Void where prohibited. Not suitable for children under 5.
Batteries not included.
Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English
There is unfortunately evil in the world. Sometimes it is disguised
in religious garb. But that makes it no less evil. When that evil threatens to
take over the world by any means necessary, it becomes the duty
of free nations to do what they can to prevent it. Even if that means sending our own
children into harm’s way.
It is understandable
that there is a blind spot to that because of the potential danger. Opposing war with a
country still at peace seems like a no brainer. When the danger is not immediate and in any case not at your doorstep, it doesn’t
seem to exist at all except in the
media. I can therefore understand why the American people would be
reluctant to go to war with Iran… or vehemently oppose it.
Arguments about nuclear weapons in the hands of fanatic
regimes known to export terror… and known to have goals of world dominance someday,
fall flat in the face of thoughts about ‘my son’ going to war and coming back permanently
injured or dead.
This is how the war in Viet Nam was perceived by the public
after it started dragging on with no win in sight. Talk about communism
taking over the world starting with South East Asia made no difference. It was
their problem. We were safe here. Why should we care what happens in Asia? It
will not affect us in any way.
Well that attitude ended up being the right one.
Viet Nam was a disaster that should have never happened. The Communists won and it cost over 40,000 American lives to find that out. The communist takeover of Viet Nam
has not affected us one iota.
The war in Iraq had the similar arguments
made in support of it. There was a despot who we believed to have weapons of mass destruction
and he defied the world. Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator and ruled his country with an iron fist. If you lived there and opposed his regime,
you didn’t last very long. Hussein had no compunction about killing tens of thousands
of his own people with chemical weapons because they opposed him.
Morality was on our side. We believed that he had nuclear
weapons and attacked him. His army was no match for the Shock and Awe of the mighty US military. We toppled him quickly and
set up a democratic regime. But it was weak and divided… ripe for takeover by
religious fanatics. That country is now a disaster. Had we not invaded
Iraq, Saddam Hussein would still be
there as would the status quo ante of relative peace for its people. ISIS
would never have gotten off the ground.
In my view we lost more than we gained there and we should have stayed away. True Hussein was a brutal dictator and ridding the world of
Saddam Hussein may have been the right thing to do in a vacuum. But one must
consider the consequences. Sometimes you have to choose the lesser of 2 evils
no matter how bad the lesser evil is.
I don’t blame the Bush administration for going in with a
goal of destroying weapons they believed were there and with the hope of
replacing a dictatorship with a democracy. Nobel goals. But they miscalculated. There were no weapons of mass
destruction nor were any being built or even contemplated. The country was
relatively peaceful. If you supported Hussein you could get on with your life quite nicely there. But… hindsight is always 20/20. I supported
the war then. But I would have opposed it knowing then what I know now.
So when it comes to attacking Iran – which is a far more
dangerous proposition… where many more lives will be lost, It is very understandable
that the American people might very likely be strongly opposed to it. They see a country
7000 miles away that is no immediate danger to the US. There are no nuclear
weapons there now… and who knows if they will ever be. And they are in the middle negotiations to curb their pursuit of them. And even if they ever do get nuclear weapons… a lot of countries we don’t like have them. Like North
Korea. No one wants to send their child into harm’s way for this.
Understandable. But wrong. The threat from Iran is not unknown. It is there for the entire world to see. 19,000 centrifuges are there for the sole purpose of enriching uranium to nuclear grade
capacity. Iran has a fanatic fundamentalist religious leader
whose long term goal is to take over the
world. And whose short term goal is to annihilate 6,000,000 Jews
(the approximate number of Jews living in Israel). Something he repeatedly says
must be done. Unlike our ambiguity about nuclear weapons in Iraq, no one doubts Iran’s ambitions and intention
to see them through.
This is not to say we must go to war now. I agree that we
must allow diplomacy work. But the goal must be to eliminate their ability to produce
weapons of mass destruction entirely. Anything less gives them a green light to
eventually produce them; use them to annihilate 6,000,000 Jews; and further
advance their long term goal of establishing an Islamic world order governed by
a religious fanatic like Ayatollah Khameni.
There is such a thing a good war. A righteous war. A war
worthy of sacrifice. This is what World War II was. It was the Good War. The
American people knew what they were fighting. And sent their sons willingly
into harm’s way to combat it. People died. Our entry into World War II was an
example of what kind of sacrifice was required of us. The invasion at Normandy
Beach in France was a slaughterhouse! But we went in willingly to defeat the
man who was to become the greatest mass murderer in history.
We are not there yet… and hopefully we will never
be. But should it ever come to a war with Iran, it would be a just war. 6,000,000 Jewish lives are at
stake here too. And just like Hitler’s goal was eventually world domination, so
too is that the goal of Iran’s ‘Hitler’, Ayatollah Khameni and his henchmen in
office. The world cannot allow another Holocaust of six million Jews. That is
what is at stake here at the very least. Never again ought to mean something.
We cannot just turn our heads aside and say it will never
happen. That’s what many people said about Hitler before he attacked Poland. It was all just rhetoric for the benefit of
the masses at home. Even many Jews in Germany thought that. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past.
I will end with the
headline of an editorial by Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Al Arabiya English. He is
no fan of Israel and even less so of Netanyahu: President Obama, listen to Netanyahu on Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing Congress earlier today (NYT)
James Clapper is the Director National Intelligence. This
office is responsible for coordinating all American intelligence agencies. It
is in this capacity that he advises the President. If there is anyone who knows
the truth about Iran, it is Mr. Clapper.
He was interviewed on PBS by Charlie Rose. Clapper spoke very
highly of Israel’s intelligence community and the cooperation between
the two countries. It is closer now than ever. It will probably remain that way.
I don’t see how the deal being negotiated between the US and
Iran can in any way be supported. As it is currently structured, at best the
deal will allow Iran to maintain all of its nuclear infrastructure and will only
delay any further progress towards nuclear weapons for 10 years.
There is no requirement for Iran to dismantle a single
centrifuge that enriches uranium to weapons grade level. Iran will have eliminated sanctions and retain their ability to get a nuclear weapon. They will maintain
the expertise and the infrastructure do so.
This is a bad deal. And congress needs to be made aware of
just how bad it is for both the US and its closest ally in the Middle East,
Israel. That’s what Israel’s leader is here to do.
In my considered opinion,
all the anti Netanyahu rhetoric both here and Israel is based on politics or on personal
hatred. Not on substance. Because if they cared even half as much as the man
who is 3rd in line to succeed the President does they would be thanking
both him for inviting - and the Prime Minister for accepting. And yet the partisan
politics are so bad that some 30 Democrats will be boycotting Netanyahu’s
speech to this rare joint session of Congress. Not that there will be an empty seat in the house. It is the hottest ticket in Washington in a long time.
What about the supposed deterioration of the US Israel relationship?
That is ridiculous. Even the boycotters know that. That is what they say they
are protesting… the undermining of bi-partisan support. But don’t they see that
they are the ones undermining it? If they really supported Israel they wouldn’t
be boycotting the speech. I could understand criticizing the way in which this
came about. But don’t blame Israel for doing whatever it can to avoid a deal
that would hurt it.
The evidence that there will be no harm to the relationship is
clear. The White House went out of its way to show just how close the relationship
is yesterday in order to dispel such notions. I don’t even think there is any real
hatred between the 2 leaders. - despite the constant barrage of media pundits saying
there is. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to AIPAC, a pro Israel advocacy
group. As I expected he praised the relationship that Israel has with the US and
clearly stated that he respects both the office of the President as well as the
President himself. This got one of many standing ovations.
They both agree that Iran’s pursuit of Nuclear weapons must be
stopped. The only difference is in how to do that. That’s where the profound differences
between them are. He regrets that his visit has been perceived as partisan. Why did he come now just 2 weeks before the
election? Because the deadline for a
deal in the Iran talks is this March 24th. He does not want to
fiddle while Rome burns. It is also a fact that Iran is currently in Iraq fighting
ISIS. That means that they are getting a foothold there and are in a position
to turn Iraq into another Iran.
The partisan politics being played by about 30 members of
Congress does not do themselves proud. Boycotting the speech for political reasons
while listening to it electronically betrays their statements that they will not hear anything
new. What a bunch of fools! Thankfully the vast majority of congress will attend. Including most members of
the President’s own political party.
For the first time, a poll by CBS has found that the majority
of the American people see Israel as an ally and 75% see them as friendly. Only
15% see them as not friendly or worse. Considering all the hits Netanyahu has
taken of late, it is very encouraging to see a rise in American support.
Contrast that with Europe where antisemitism is on the rise.
And who is happiest about European antisemitism? The Supreme Leader. He sees
it as a message form God about the rectitude of his position on Israel. He may be a religious leader. But he is also modern day
Haman living in the very land where Haman made his mark advocating the same fate for the Jewish people - annihilation! He was ultimately hung on his own gallows. May the Supreme
Leader of Iran suffer the same fate.
I known the President wants a lasting legacy after 2 terms
in office. But it will not be a good one if this deal is what comes out of it.
Footnote:
I just finished watching Netanyahu address Congress. I don’t
know how many standing ovations he got. But I am absolutely certain that they surpassed the number the President got during his State of the Union Address.
In every year he has given it so far! And in most cases the ovation for Netanyahu was
bi-partisan.
He first expressed his gratitude to the United States for
its support of Israel since Israel’s founding. He went out of his way to thank
the President for all he has done for Israel since he has been in office. (Perhaps
more than any other President.) Including in areas that he could not speak
about since they are classified. He was genuinely grateful to him and to congress.
I think he made his case for opposing the deal with Iran. He made it beautifully. And
just as I did above, he compared Iran’s Supreme Leader to Haman.
It is my hope that he
swayed enough of congress that might have been sitting on the fence about it - to
vote against any deal reached with Iran that does not include a dismantling of its
nuclear facilities.
The standing ovation he got when he ended his speech seemed
almost endless. It makes me proud to be an American and a proud to be a supporter of
the State of Israel.
Poor Charedim lining up for food handouts before last Pesach (Ha'aretz)
Once again, I have to thank Marty Bluke for paying attention
to what is going on in the Charedi world in Israel, and reporting on it to the English
speaking world. This time it is about a column in the Hebrew edition of Ynet
written by ‘Yisrael’, a former Avreich in Ponevitch. Marty took the time to
translate it and publish it on his blog. He obviously cares enough about the
Charedi world to share this story in the hope that it will stimulate change.
It is a heartbreaking letter. One that demonstrates what
must be on the minds of a great many more Avreichim suffering a similar fate
with respect to their level of poverty. A view that most of them will not share
except behind closed doors with their most intimate of friends and family.
This is a story about a 30 year old man who complains
bitterly at the lack of a formal secular education in high school. He went
through the system full bore. And he followed the tradition all Charedi men in
Israel follow. He got married at age 20 and continued his full timeTorah study
in a Kollel. He and his wife subsisted on a small Kollel stipend and the small
salary his wife earned as a secretary.
After a couple of children the financial pressures of living like that became unbearable. Shalom
Bayis was affected and they ended up getting a divorce. At age 26 he now had to
pay child support and needed a job.
He was hired by a Charedi bank and trained
for his position. He then thought that the Charedi argument against
teaching secular subjects in high school was validated. That one could get a decent job using the skills they learned via their Torah study plus some additional training at
work. Limudei Chol (secular studies) would therefore unnecessarily take precious time away from Torah study.
This is after all the clarion call of the Charedi world. It is what their leadership instills in them. And it is one of the arguments made in so strongly resisting
any attempts by anyone – especially the government – to install an even basic secular curriculum that would enable them to get better jobs if and when they need it.
But as he quickly found out, that belief was not the reality. He was
laid off. And the only jobs he could find after that were ones that paid more or
less minimum wage. So here you had this very bright young man unable to earn a
decent living because he had no education that would have given him career choices and better enable him to make a living.
And he resents it. Remember that this is not some
sort of contrarian. This is a man who played by all the rules and believed in them. And now he feels cheated out of an education.
What would he have liked to see? A system that pretty much emulates the
Charedi system in America. Where a core curriculum of secular subjects are taught.
He laments the fact that there are no Charedi doctors or professionals
of any kind in Israel – unless they are Baalei Teshuva. That is of course not the case in
the United States. There are plenty of Charedi professionals ere. He might have chosen a field like that had he been given a
basic high school education. But he was denied. And he is understandably bitter.
The letter ends with the following:
I turn to the Charedi leadership: For the future
generations, combine torah learning with secular studies. We will continue to
learn Gemara but at the same time we will get a HS diploma and degree so that
the next generation won't get stuck in the cycle of poverty. Someone has to
stop this cycle. It is time to admit the simple truth, we made a mistake.
Yisrael joins people like Lipa Schmeltzer in the US. Lipa was educated in the insular community
of New Square. Whose educational policies with respect to secular studies are
virtually identical to the entire Charedi world in Israel. They both feel they have been cheated out of an education. In Yisrael’s case might just have prevented a divorce. It is
well known that poverty is one of the primary things that can disrupt Shalom
Bayis; can create family dysfunction; can lead to divorce; and can cause children to go OTD
(Off the Derech). This is not the first case like this. Unfortunately it will likely not be the last.
Yisrael appeals to the Charedi leadership. And he is not the
only one that would like to see some sort of change. There are plenty of Charedi voices that would like it. But I believe it is a
Bracha L’vatalah (to borrow a phrase commonly used by Charedim meaning ‘a waste
of time’).
The Charedi leadership will never allow any secular studies into
their Yeshiva high schools. They insist that this is the will of God. And their die-hard ‘Chasidim’ insist that if ‘the
Gedolim’ are opposed, it is the same as God being opposed. And they will bring
proofs from various Gedolim of the past (as did Rabbi Doron Beckerman in a Cross Currents post) to show that this is indeed the Torah paradigm. That
a secular education is forbidden if the time taken for it will be from the time
designated for Torah study. So when the time mandated for Torah study is all
day, then any time taken for it will perforce be taken from Torah study.
But those Gedolim are not the only word on the issue. There were other Gedolim that had a different view of what God wants of His people. People like R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch, and Dr. Joseph Breuer whom Dr. Yitzchok Levine referenced in an eloquent article on this subject in the Jewish Press.
If the Charedim in Israel want to break free of their chains
of poverty, they have no choice but to have a literal grass roots revolt. And that has
about as much chance of happening as my becoming the Rosh HaYeshiva of Ponevitch.
On the other hand, if enough Avrechim speak up the way
Yisrael did you never know what that will bring.
What about the fact that rebelling against Charedi
leadership is considered near blasphemous? Well, again – if enough of them do
it, the Charedi leadership may just end up seeing this as an Eis La’asos – a time
to act.
When Charedi leaders see an existential threat to their way
of life, they make paradigmatic changes. This is how formal Jewish education for women was established in
Europe. It is why Rav Yosef Chaim Sonenfeld approved of Rabbi Dr. Shmuel Auerbach setting up a secular program in Yeshiva high schools in the Yishuv HaYashan - the original area in Israel settled by Chaerdi Jews long before the State of Israel was created.
If it happened then, it could happen now. But first there
has to be an outcry like the one made by Yisroel. By a lot more Charedim in
Israel. If the Charedi leadership sees enough of that, they will consider it an
existential threat. And only then, will the paradigm change. God willing.
Netanyahu praying at the Kotel prior to leaving for the United States (TOI)
Sometimes it’s hard to believe how partisan we all are. And
yet that is exactly the case. It seems that when it comes to partisanship, logic
goes out the window. Right along with common decency and even common sense.
The latest manifestation of this is now being
played out in media reports and analyses. The hottest topic of discussion of late is Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s acceptance of House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to address a
joint session of congress later this week. The lack of following protocol in by-passing the
White House by both Boehner and Netanyahu is being labeled a snub . For his
part President Obama decided to snub the Prime Minister back - claiming that as a
matter of tradition, US Presidents had always refrained from meeting with
foreign leaders just before an election.
Political pundits on both sides of the political aisle cannot not help playing up the supposed
hatred between the 2 leaders. It is interesting
to note that Obama supporters (who generally are Netanyahu haters) characterized
this as a blow to bi-partisanship by a Prime Minister interested more in his
own political fortunes than he is about the welfare of the country he leads.
While the Obama haters (who generally support Netanyahu) see Obama as another Neville Chamberlain pursuing a deal that gives Iran a green light to eventually become a nuclear power. And they characterize Netanyahu as a leader using every opportunity to explain why Iran’s
pursuit of nuclear weapons is an existential threat to his people.
As I have explained in the past, my own views on this tend
toward the latter. I agree that
getting a few standing ovations (which he will surely get) during a bipartisan address to the US congress
will boost his popularity among voters in Israel. But that does not take
away from what I believe to be the reality of Iran becoming a nuclear power and his mission to prevent that.
Iranian leaders have repeatedly said that Israel must be wiped off the map by all means at its
disposal. This is not just an empty threat by a former Iranian President. It is
the view of Iran’s supreme leader. He
is the man who sets the tone for the country. It is his theological views that supersede
anything any President of Iran would say or do. He has been clear. As their ‘Gadol HaDor’ he has stated that Israel mus be destroyed as a matter of theology. If he decides that Iran
should fire a nuclear tipped missile at Israel, that is what that government
will do.
Israel may be a strong country and have nuclear weapons of
its own. But that will not deter a religious fanatic who think that God is on
his side from attacking it when they think they have the weapons to do it.
Be that as it may, I have to take issue with a most
disgusting comment by an Obama hater. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has apparently taken out a full page ad in the New York Times that among other things said the following about the President’s national security adviser:
“Susan Rice has a blind spot: Genocide,”
To mention genocide in the same breath as Susan Rice goes well
beyond being critical about the President’s foreign policy. It is true that Ms. Rice has said that
Netanyahu’s speech is destructive to the US Israel relationship. But that does
not in any way indicate that she has a blind spot to genocide. Not that I agree
with her. Without a doubt Nenatyahu’s speech
to congress will not harm Israel in the slightest. I am 100% convinced that the bi-partisan support will
remain the same. The democrats that say it will not are simply playing politics.
Can anyone in their wildest dreams see the US withdrawing support from one of its closest
allies? Is there a sane person anywhere in the world that would say
that Obama is will take revenge against Netanyahu by hurting Israel? Does anyone think that
Obama does not mean it when he says that the US has Israel’s back? That a speech to
congress will cause
Israel to suffer any serious consequences? If anyone really believes that - I
have a bridge to sell them.
But that does not give license to an Obama hating ‘shoot
from the hip’ media hog, like Rabbi Shmuley to say reprehensible things about a woman that has showed continued support of Israel over her entire career. I am happy that
all responsible Orthodox organizations have condemned it regardless of how they feel about this speech.
It is hard for me to say this about someone whose views I often agree with. Shumley is an observant Jew who usually has his head screwed on straight. Even as he loves the attention he gets… and does whatever he can to get it.
This is certainly one of those times.
Shumley crossed a line here. He made
a statement that he knows has no basis in fact. How much must one hate a
President to smear one of his most trusted aides this way?! An Aide that has never been anything but supportive of the Jewish State.
I am happy to report that the vast majority of congress will
be attending the Prime Minister’s speech. Tickets for the event are now being
given for standing room only. The American people want to hear what our closest
ally has to say, even though many of them have bought into the negative political spin being
put on it by Obama supporters – both here and in Israel.
The potential agreement with Iran is something we should
all be worried about. What is being leaked about it seems to indicate that at
best we will delay their inevitability of becoming a nuclear power. Israel
is ‘the canary in the tunnel’ as former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee put it
this morning.
They are there right in the cross-hairs of Iranian Mullahs. If
Israel God forbid goes, the United States will be its next target. The President
knows that, and so do both houses of congress. Democrats included. It is time to put politics aside. I think the democrats in congress
knows that in their heart of hearts. That’s why most of them will be attending, despite
the politics of the situation.
I am not an Obama hater. Nor am I am Obama supporter. I
happen to believe that he is an honorable man that is sensitive to Israel’s
needs and means what he says about the US having Israel’s back. Even though I sometimes disagree with his policies he has shown his support for Israel time and again over his time in office. Relations between the 2 countries have never been closer despite the rhetoric that relations are at a low point. Don’t believe it!
As I have said in the past I am a Netanyahu supporter. I believe that even though he is a politician
and does what all politicians do (everything they can to win) he is also the leader
of his nation. There is no way that he puts politics ahead of his nation’s welfare.
He believes in his message. He is worried about Israel’s fate.
As Prime
Minister, he has at his hand all the information Israel’s intelligence
community has to offer. No one has a better view of the situation than he does.
And I doubt there is a better intelligence apparatus anywhere in any democracy
than there is in Israel. As Israel’s leader he has an obligation to do whatever he
can to protect his people. That is how he sees addressing a joint session of congress, despite
the political fallout. Which in the long run is negligible at best.
But at the same time the politics of personal destruction by
a supposedly responsible Orthodox rabbi is nothing less than a Chilul HaShem. This is one of those rare times that Jewish organizations of all denominations and political persuasion are on the same page condemning his comments. Shmuley ought to show contrition and apologize immediately. Big time!
I often talk about the extreme portions of Orthodox Jewry.
Sometimes about the left and sometimes about the right. Unfortunately the left
has gone too far in some areas making their legitimacy as an Orthodox movement
questionable. And while the right has
not gone too far to make their Orthodoxy questionable, I often feel more of a
kinship with the left than I do with the right.
Orthodoxy as I have always said is primarily defined by 2 things:
Adherence to Halacha and the belief in the Torah narrative that the events at Sinai actually happened. While the left accepts the
former, it allows questioning of the latter. The right on the other hand
accepts both Halacha and the Torah narrative with respect to Sinai actually happened. And yet some of what they say and do makes me - and
many other Orthodox Jews - run as far away
from them as we can.
This might seem counter-intuitive. But if one factors interactions with fellow Jews that are not part of their ‘club’ (Bein Adam L’Chavero);
interactions with non Jews (being an Or
LaGoyim – a light unto the nations); the extremes of Tznius (modesty) causing
them to force their views on others - one might understand why many of us feel
that way.
The increased enforcement of Tznius standards by right wing extremists in religiously multi
cultural cities like Bet Shemesh is a case in point. Let us not forget the incident
of a few years ago where certain citizens of Bet Shemesh taunted a 7 year old
girl from a Religious Zionist family calling her a whore because she did not
measure up to their modesty standards. Or
the harassment of a book store owner in
Meah Shearim for refusing to carry modesty signs in his window. Or the torching
a few years ago of a clothing store in the nearby Geula because they sold women’s
clothing that did not meet their modesty standards.
These may have been criminal vigilantes that had no sanction
from their rabbinic leadership to do what they did. But there is not a question
in my mind that their actions were based on the modesty values of their extremist
community.
Recently they had come out with a bunch of rules about what
is and isn’t permitted to be advertised. Images of even a Shaitel (wig) or
women’s shoes are now considered immodest. A women’s
health clinic in Bet Shemesh had the word the word Isha (women) spray painted. A recent ad for Purim costumes for children featured
pictures of boys in costumes and girls costumes sans girls. Some of the bolder
business people did put girls in their ads for Purim, but blurred out their
faces.
This is nothing new. Extremists on the right have been
eliminating pictures of women altogether no matter how modestly they are
dressed. One might recall the now
infamous redaction of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from a
photo of Obama administration officials viewing the assassination of Bin Laden.
This kind of thing keeps happening. And mainstream Charedi publications have
decided to honor those standards – no in order doubt to increase their
circulation among that demographic.
How this affects a young girl growing up in that world
cannot be positive. They are taught that
men see them only as sex objects. That is the sum and substance of their existence.
As such they may never be seen in any form. They are to avoid being in public as
much as possible. And if they must. They are to play down their sexuality to
the point of being shapeless and skinless. So fully well have they taught this
modesty lesson that it should be no surprise that Burkas are now being worn by
some women.
This is not a group that I would in any way want to be a
part of. On the other hand they seem to
feel that their ways are the only Torah true ways.
I am happy to report that a group of non extremists have
taken it upon themselves to counter this trend. They have come up with a poster
that shows a young girl asking her Charedi mother the following question: ‘Mommy,
why did they erase the little girl’s face?’
There is no blurred out face in this poster. And I assume it
is being put up all over Bet Shemesh.
But I am worried. It is not beneath any of the extremists to
deface or tear down those ads. And because
they are ‘true believers’ who think that what they are doing – they do for God,
they will not compromise. For them it is a war they are fighting for God. You
don’t comprise when you are fighting for God.
I’m sorry. This is not the Judaism of our forefathers. This
is not the way religious Jewry behaved even a century ago. It is the way
extremists who are isolated from the rest of the world behave. The values they
are taught do not have any counter- balance. All they see is their own world. A world that to me – despite their observance
of Halacha and belief in the Torah, I want nothing to do with. I only wish that
the moderate Charedi world would stop catering to them!
Bris Milah - the circumcision ceremony (photo credit: Forward)
The pressure from the Charedi world was immense. And New York
Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to have succumbed to it. From the New York Times:
The city is seeking to waive a rule that requires parents to
sign a consent form before the ritual, which involves the circumciser using his
mouth to suck blood away from the incision on a boy’s penis. The ritual is
common among some branches of Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Judaism.
Administration officials on Tuesday announced a new policy
that they described as a compromise between reducing health risks for infants
and protecting the religious freedoms of those who cherish the ritual, known as
metzitzah b’peh, or oral suction.
The policy, which must be approved by the city’s Board of
Health, involves a series of medical tests when a baby is found to have herpes.
A circumciser who is proved through a DNA match to have the same herpes strain
as the baby’s would be banned for life from the practice.
Chasidim believe that Metzitza B’Peh (MbP) is an essential
part of the circumcision ritual. As such they felt that even a warning to a
parent of the possible hazards was an infraction of their constitutional right
to practice their religion freely. And although the Supreme Court has ruled
that freedom of religion does not extend to practices that are harmful, Chasdim
maintain that the incidence of a child becoming infected with Herpes via MbP
from a Mohel is yet to be proven. And in any case it is so rare, that health
concerns are hardly a significant worry.
As I have stated in the past. There are a variety of Poskim
on both the right and left, both past and present that have clearly Paskined
that Metzitza (drawing the blood out of the circumcision wound – a practice our
sages required as a health measure) may
be done by more sterile methods, like using a sterile pipette, or using gauze.
The Mohel’s lips need not touch the baby’s open wound. So I would have no
personal problem with abolishing the practice altogether. But I also respect
that there are others who disagree… and say that without MbP, the circumcision
is ritually invalid.
So for me the obvious and best compromise was the New York
Board of Health’s requirement for informed and written consent by any a parent before allowing
MbP to take place. That – combined with the relative rarity of a child
contracting an infection via MbP sufficed in my mind as both protecting freedom
of religion and at the same time making sure that a parent is aware that the
medical profession has determined MbP to be
a serious risk to the child’s health.
I’m sorry to see this reversal of what I thought was a sound
policy of compromise – even though it was probably observed by Chasidim and
many Charedim more in the breach. But at
least it was on the books. Parents deserve to know what the best medical minds in
the country have to say on the matter. That they may not care is up to them.
Opponents of informed written consent claimed that even
though MbP was not banned, the scare tactics of reading and signing a document
that put MbP in such a bad light was in itself a violation of their religious
rights.
I can’t really say I blame them. Who wants to see the government warning
you that a religious practice you consider to be inviolable - is considered dangerous to one’s health?!
Agudah Executive Vice President Rabbi
Chaim Dovid Zweibel called this requirement profoundly offensive to his
community
Nonetheless, the health of the child comes first. Way ahead of how offended someone
feels about it. When it comes to Sakana - danger to one’s health, there is no Halacha (aside from the 3 cardinal sins) that cannot be violated. Indeed they must be violated when it comes to health!
I suppose a recent test using DNA technology might have had
something to do with de Blasio’s decision. It was determined in the case of one
Mohel strongly suspected to have transmitted a herpes virus to a child he
circumcised (who subsequently died) that
he a was not the source. And to date, as far as I know there has been no direct
link made between an infected Mohel and a child that contracted herpes.
But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen... or can’t happen in the future. The Gemarah (Kesubos 23a) tells us: Lo Roinu Aino Rayah - Not
seeing something is not proof that it
didn’t happen.
So I am disappointed in the mayor of New York. I would like
to believe that he did this because of his sensitivity to his constituents’
religious rights, which was his stated reason. But I am a bit more cynical than that. He promised Chasidic voters during the election that he would get
rid of the informed consent requirement if he were elected. They voted for him. So now -even though he personally believes that MbP is a
dangerous procedure, he is keeping his promise. But it is a decision based on
politics, not on good government.
I don’t see how anyone could say it isn’t dangerous to place
a mouth on an 8 day old baby’s open wound. Would anyone in his right mind approve of a
surgeon sucking the blood out of an incision of that same infant undergoing surgery? Even
if he rinsed out his mouth with Listerine?
I suppose that half a loaf is better than no loaf as someone
so wisely reminded me recently. So testing a Mohel suspected of transmitting
herpes to a baby he circumcised and banning him for life if he is proven to have had it - is a plus. But
that will not prevent a Mohel that has never been tested from transmitting it.
Hopefully there has been so much public discussion about the
dangers of MbP that most parents are now aware of it and will think twice about
doing it. But for those who haven’t heard about it, the danger still remains or those who have but don’t care, the danger still remains..
Update
I have been informed by someone that was there that the story I was assured was an accurate description of events - did not quite happen the way it was described to me. Usually a very accurate source, this time he was not.
Here is what happened. There was a weekend event by Pirchei (Agudath Israel’s youth division) that celebrated a Siyum Mishnyos. Students from all the day schools in Chicago and beyond that participated in the study of the six orders of Mishnayos were invited to attend.
Pirchei used a camp facility outside of Chicago to have this event. The Charedi schools and the Centrist schools ended up in separate buildings. Some of the rooms in the Charedi building were at some point early on trashed. There were accusations floating around that it was students from the Centrist school that were responsible. One of the Centrist students made an offhand comment that was interpreted by the Charedi students as admitting that they did it.
And that led to a huge flap where both sides did not behave in ways that students steeped in the values of the Torah should behave. This included some of the Charedi students accusing the Centrist students of not being religious enough in various ways. (Which is where I suppose the error about the cause of the fight was made.) But there was plenty of bad behavior on both sides.
This was not a case of bullying at all.
So I have to retract this post as originally written. Although I do feel that as a general rule - telling your students how holy they are in comparison to everyone else is a bad policy that can result in some pretty bad behavior, this was not an incidence of that.
I know that a lot of parents are upset by what happened last weekend. And I'm sure that each side has its own version of exactly what happened. But the individual I spoke to moments ago was there and knows exactly what happened. There is enough blame to go around on both sides.
I apologize for reporting a story based on the word of one source. I tried to find other sources to tell me what really happened, and got nowhere. So I went with my trusted but (in this case) erroneous source. A source that is himself Charedi and had every reason to deny what happened. That's what gave him extra credibility and why I went with it. Once again I truly apologize.
I remember meeting him for the first time. It was at
least 20 years ago. He was the ‘Badchan’ at a Chicago wedding that I recorded
in my capacity as a videographer. A Badchan is basically a comedian hired to ‘sing-song’
praises of people honored to do a Mitzvah Tanz with the bride at the end of
Chasidic weddings. No one had ever heard
of him. My immediate response was that this impish young Chasid was going to be a major star someday. He was bright, funny, and quick on his feet. I
asked him his name, he said, ‘Lipa Schmeltzer’. I will never forget that
moment.
Little did I know just how prescient I was. He is perhaps
the biggest musical star in Jewish entertainment today, by far. His music is played
and sung everywhere by virtually all Jewish bands at weddings and all kinds of
Simchos. There is a story about him in the Gothamist that got me to reflect on
his career and the fate of his former community, Skvere.
Lipa has been in the news a lot over his career. And not
always in a positive way. His music is viewed by his own community of Skvere
as not very Jewish. They see it as using lyrics taken from biblical sources and
setting them to the tune of rock and
roll music. His hit song called ‘Abi MiLebt’ (Yiddish for ‘as long as we are
alive’) was sung to the tune of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ - a popular rock and roll song from 1961. It
was immediately condemned and banned by his rabbinic leaders in Skvere among others.
Not long after that Lipa was to perform at a concert, called
‘The Big Event’. That too was condemned and shut down before it happened. Investors
lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Lipa promised
not tos sing songs like that ever again. But since that time he has given up
trying to keep his promise. The public demand for it was too great. He wanted
to satisfy his fans. Which caused one prominent Rabbi to embarrass him at
wedding at which he was hired to perform. Even though the songs he sang there were well
within the comfort zone of his righteous critics.
Skvere is not a very tolerant town. They do not suffer
dissent lightly. That said, the Skverer Rebbe is a very caring individual and
goes out of his way for his Chasidim. He famously met with President Bill
Clinton just before the latter left office to beg for mercy for some of his Chasidim.
They were convicted and sent to prison for using federal grant money for
purposes which it was not intended. The President was so impressed with the
Rebbe that he ended up commuting their sentences to time served.
But don’t let anyone cross the Rebbe. That can have some pretty severe repercussions carried out by Chasidic vigilantes for
his honor. Sometimes ending up with expulsion. Or worse. In one case a Skverer Chasid who tried
to set up a Minyan for a hospitalized friend. He suffered 3rd degree
burns in an arson attempt at the hands of the Rebbe’s young personal valet. Who
on his own decided to defend the honor of the Rebbe. It was against the Rebbe’s
rule of ‘no separate Shuls in Skvere under any circumstances’. As was the Rebbe’s
wont, he went to bat for the young Chasid who was arrested for that. But the
Chasid that suffered burns at his hand was to the best of my knowledge completely
ignored.
The control exerted by Skvere over its Chasidm does not end
with requiring attendance at the Rebbe’s big Shul. The control in that town was
described by both Shulem Deen and Lipa Shmeltzer as total. There is apparently no such thing as getting
an education outside of Skvere. They have little use for any kind of secular
education that would prepare them for a decent job. The Chasdim of Skvere are
left to fend for themselves with little to sell in the job market. When one considers the Chasidic ban against
any birth control except for reasons of health, a family of 12 or 13 children
is not that a uncommon. But the kinds of jobs available to them do not even pay
enough for two people to live an even lower middle class lifestyle.
An example of what their financial lives are like was
described by Shulem Deen in his (about to be released) book. He was once a religious
studies teacher in one of their elementary schools. They were paid in ‘school
money’. That is basically scrip printed up by the school that parents are required
to buy and use for groceries and the like from vendors that agree to accept it
in lieu of real money. The vendors then trade it in for cash at a discount. (Usually
something like 90 cents on the dollar.) Of course banks do not accept scrip to
pay off mortgages. How teachers got money for that is a question I can’t
answer.
And yet this community of about 7000 people is very
successful. Thriving in fact. For me, there is not enough money in the world to live like that. But Shuelm Deen’s tells us that Skverer Chasidim seem to love it
there. Shulem Deen who completely lost
his faith sometimes misses what he once had. I guess I can understand it up to
a point. There is a sense of belonging; a sense of joy in serving God, a sense
of camaraderie; an uncomplicated and structured way of life; arranged
marriages; and the knowledge that if you play by their rules, someone will have
your back. Including (and perhaps most importantly) the Rebbe himself.
But the human spirit will not be denied. When given the opportunity,
it yearns to be free. How free is up to the individual. For Shulem that
eventually meant breaking free of all the chains of religion. He found his ‘truth’
in atheism. But for Lipa, it meant breaking free of the restrictions of a sect.
A sect that denied him the both the education and the tools to get one. He has
broken with Skvere and at age 36 is now working towards a degree at Columbia
University. But he retains his beliefs, his observance of Halacha, and some of
the traditions of his Chasidus.
Lipa is lucky. His talent and success has enabled him to
break those chains. But I have to wonder just how many others there are like him
that have no realistic options. How many Skverer Chasidim yearn to live better
lives? And have no way of achieving it? Were they even to try to get a secular
education like Lipa, would they be expelled from their communities or worse? Even
if it were to be in a school like Yeshiva University? …which they might see as
a greater threat than a secular university? …because it grants what they consider
an illegitimate mantle of religious approval for something they consider
forbidden?
I am happy for Lipa. But what about everyone else in Skvere
and communities like it? These are the fastest
growing segments in all of Jewry. And they are the most insular, restricted,
and uneducated. And the poorest. Will the bubble burst? Or will they continue
to grow internally via a birthrate that will increase their numbers exponentially
over the next few generations. How will these future generations feed their
children? Will they still be the happy campers that Shulem Deen described in his
book? Or will there at some point be a massive revolution? I guess only time
will tell.
My admiration for Dov Lipman is well known to readers of this blog. He is a man of great courage. Where others speak… he does! He not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Given an opportunity to serve his people… and his country he jumped at the chance. There too he walked the walk.Where some beg for charity to help the needy, he legislates opportunities for them to help themselves.
And what is his reward for all this? Scorn! He is scorned, ridiculed, and even condemned for apparently not walking in lockstep with the Charedi leadership; for joining hands with the ‘devil’ - Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid, the political party Charedim see as anti Torah.
While it’s true that Yesh Atid is not a religious party and some of its agenda is not necessarily Torah based, it is also true that it is the party that has been in the forefront of trying to bring the Charedi world into 21st century Israel… and participate as responsible citizens along with fellow Israelis who are not Charedi.
Who is Dov Lipman? What is his background? Does he really have the credentilas to speak as the Charedi he often says he is? Here is a brief bio from the Wikipedia entry on him:
This clearly indicates that his orientation is Charedi. Those who claim he is not are clearly misinformed. MK Rabbi Lipman has been kind enough to submit a post. I am honored to host it. It follows unedited in its entirety:
Yesh Atid has put out two videos (below) featuring issues related to the haredi community. One relates to haredi employment and the other to haredim serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
Many are asking how a party like Yesh Atid can possibly bring haredi issues into the election campaign. Wasn’t Yesh Atid destructive for the haredi community? I appreciate the opportunity to answer this question clearly with the facts so once and for all we can abolish the misconceptions.
Leading up to the passing of the legislation regarding the haredim and the draft, meetings were held with rabbis of the highest caliber in the haredi community. In one of those meetings, a Rosh Yeshiva actually revealed that in his estimation, 60% of the young men in the yeshiva system throughout Israel don’t belong there beyond 3-4 years after high school because Torah study is not their one and only passion and they are not truly learning day and night.
These rabbis all agreed that boys who are not truly studying day and night should go and serve in the army. In addition, they said that there would have to be a demonstration no matter what was written in the law. If they are unhappy with the law, there will be a major demonstration with fiery speeches to ignite the crowd.
If they are satisfied with the law, they will call the demonstration a “prayer rally” and there will be no speeches. Just a public prayer. When the law was being passed, a law which sets reasonable goals for numbers of haredi males between the ages of 18 and 24 that must serve (a few thousand out of 55,000!), the haredi community came out en masse for what the gedolim called, “a prayer rally.” Enough said.
There was one issue which they took issue with regarding the law. They were against the “criminal sanctions.” Just to clarify, the law says that if the goals are not met, then a full draft will apply to haredim just like the rest of Israeli society with the elite masmidim not having to serve. It doesn’t mention jail. It doesn’t mention arresting yeshiva boys. It says the regular draft will apply. Since for the rest of Israeli society, failure to show up when drafted is a criminal offense, the same would apply to haredim in that situation.
The Yesh Atid platform did not have this component as part of the law. We knew it would be an issue for the haredi world even if it was just theoretical but there will never be police entering yeshiva dormitories and arresting the boys. So why was it included?
The government attorneys explained that the reason why we were writing a law to begin with was because the Supreme Court demanded that the Knesset pass a law with “equality.” If there was no clause in the law which mentioned the possibility of a full draft if the goals were not met, the law suits which would come on the heels of the law’s passage would not pass the test of the Supreme Court and we would be back to trying to draft another law.
Some suggested that the law outline economic sanctions towards haredim who don’t serve as opposed to the implied criminal sanctions. The problem with this suggestion is that, once again, the Supreme Court would turn to the Knesset and say the consequences of not serving must be equal for all – either criminal or economic. Economic won’t work because then we would have a scenario in which the wealthy would avoid service and the poor would serve. Thus, it was left as is with a regular draft if the goals are not met.
There is one part of the law which is not sufficiently condoned in yeshiva circles. It used to be that those who learned Torah were given an exemption from serving. This law changes that. All of am yisrael serves. We are one people and no one is exempt from serving the nation. The Torah learning of those who do not serve in the army or national service will be counted as their service to the Jewish people. This is stipulated in the law. Torah learning is now categorized as serving the state and the people of Israel by law and Yair Lapid has said that this is one of the accomplishments he is most proud of s in our short first term in office.
As for the question of whether the law is working and whether haredim are coming to serve in the IDF as a result of it, I will turn to a source other than me, so as not to be accused of being subjective in my answer. The following is from Israel National News on February 21 of this year:
“Despite continuing protests by groups of haredi community members against IDF service, more members of the community are joining the army than ever before, Yonatan Bransky said.
Branksy is the Chairman of the Netzah Yehuda organization, which consists of veterans of the IDF and rabbis in the haredi community.
The protests, which have been going on for months, are the work of just a small, but loud, minority in the community, said Bransky. ‘I think most of the community just ignores them," he said. "Everyone understands the importance of working together.’ Among other things, Netzach Yehuda arranges ceremonies for haredi soldiers, such as their graduation from basic training to regular service units. The latest ceremony was held Thursday, and Bransky said that it went very well.
‘Our soldiers bring a great deal of pride to the community and to their families. Our job is to enable these soldiers to serve without compromising their religious lifestyle, and we are able to work with the army on this fully.’
The system works, he said. ‘Many of the soldiers we have worked with are now working and supporting families. They are our best ambassadors. We are here and ready to help any haredi soldier who joins the army to learn Torah, to provide spiritual support, and to find the appropriate service framework,’ he said.”
There is an element of the new draft law which is also less known but is more important than the haredim who are now serving in the IDF or national service. Until this law was passed, anyone who did not serve was not allowed to legally join the workforce until they were post army age – close to 30 years old. This meant that young men who did not want to learn day and night were somewhat trapped since ideologically they would not serve and legally they could not work.
In order to jumpstart a culture which values work, we wrote into this law that anyone who was 22 years or older when the law was passed, was free to legally go to work. They did not have to stay in yeshiva or kollel simply because they had nowhere else to go. And we put hundreds of millions of shekel into the state budget to provide job training and to help find jobs for any young haredi who wants to enter the job market and sustain their families with dignity.
The result has been a 300% increase in haredim seeking employment. I head the Knesset taskforce to help haredim enter the job market and the projects we have set up throughout the country receive an average of 500 resumes per month from haredim seeking to find work and support their families with dignity.
These figures indicate nothing short of a quiet revolution on a street level for haredim who realize that they can be Talmudic scholars of the highest caliber, fervently committed religiously, and sustain their families with dignity. We have met with CEO’s of major companies and convinced them that it is worth their while to hire haredim. Reports are coming back to us about what wonderful employees the haredim are and, especially in the hi-tech realm, how creative they are in their thinking, no doubt the result of years of Talmudic study. In addition, remarkable stories of unity are emerging as haredi and secular Israel meets for the first time in the workplace. Haredim come to realize that secular Israelis are not as horrific as they had been led to believe and secular Israelis discover that haredim are wonderful people.
The last element of our activity this past year relating to the haredi community is regarding general studies in schools. Soon after the 2013 elections Adina bar Shalom, daughter of Rav Ovadiah Yosef, zt”l, told me that the most important thing we could do is to institute basic math and English into all haredi schools. She explained that without those tools, when they try to get training at a later stage in institutions like her Haredi College of Jerusalem, they cannot catch up and 50% of the boys drop out.
We cut budgets to schools that don’t teach basic general studies but promised full funding to any school which accepts basic general studies – subjects which don’t in any way contradict Torah values or tradition.
Thank G-d, this past Elul, over 50 mainstream haredi schools opened with basic general studies and it is going so well that many more have asked to join this program for next year. I visited some of these schools and remarkable things are happening. Many boys have said that their davening and Torah learning has improved because they have two hours a day of different subjects and because, in general they are happier knowing they are getting skills for a future which is not limited to full time Torah study alone.
Many in the haredi community have taken notice of the fact that positive changes are happening thanks to Yesh Atid’s efforts. During this election campaign we have spent a lot of time walking through shopping malls all over Israel to engage, face to face, with voters. At almost every stop I am approached by haredim who compliment me for the work we have done – to open more options for service, to help them get to work, or to provide their children with basic general studies.
One haredi rabbi visited me in my home and thanked me saying, “You are saving us from ourselves.” (I asked him why he can't say so in public and he responded that he can't because it will ruin his daughters for shidduchim and his sons will be tormented in Talmud Torah or expelled.)
So, yes – Yesh Atid will use the progress we have made in the haredi community as part of our election campaign and we hope to return to the Knesset with full force to continue this progress. At least one haredi party has talked about getting back into power and "turning the clock back" on all the progress we have made in these past two years. That would be catastrophic for the haredi community and makes these elections even more important and meaningful.
With G-d’s help, I won’t stop my efforts until Israel is filled with haredi doctors, lawyers, accountants, hi-tech entrepreneurs and, yes, haredi generals in the army. The haredi community will be far better off when that happens, and all of Israel will be better off - economically and, even more importantly spiritually - when that happens.
As our campaign slogan says: Yesh Atid – It’s a fight for our country!
