tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191787292024-03-18T13:12:05.485-05:00Emes Ve-EmunahA Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the issues of our time.Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comBlogger6038125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-66629021157640809822024-03-18T11:45:00.011-05:002024-03-18T13:11:33.725-05:00Ignorant Comments that are Gospel to the Left<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpQbgXFx2ZSWEGRyytrH4402j7IjmPjoT0rm_KdrmkrQloWG2EZv0G6Te4zA3P5TuaRIL_job5dfUrBV9-TRDshkNjE-xvVhNHI0nT3920lhpVgWPSZMeHjGQWBXGpgpg4ziXSca4tNOXBm5w20xp6ZFns-W4b0BPE6m-byPhnssslR5Rwu3Ge" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="840" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpQbgXFx2ZSWEGRyytrH4402j7IjmPjoT0rm_KdrmkrQloWG2EZv0G6Te4zA3P5TuaRIL_job5dfUrBV9-TRDshkNjE-xvVhNHI0nT3920lhpVgWPSZMeHjGQWBXGpgpg4ziXSca4tNOXBm5w20xp6ZFns-W4b0BPE6m-byPhnssslR5Rwu3Ge" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman (<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-17/ty-article/.premium/thomas-friedman-the-gaza-war-is-the-real-world-war-ii/0000018e-4d4f-dfb8-adef-dd7f18060000" target="_blank">Ha'aretz</a>) </span></td></tr></tbody></table>I can’t think of a more damaging Jewish ignoramus than New
York Times columnist, Tom Friedman. And I don’t use the word ignoramus lightly.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That he is an ignoramus is plainly evident by his complete lack
of Mitzvah observance. Unless the lack of observance is intentional. Which makes it even worse</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As is the case with senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,
other then Tikun Olam he wouldn’t know an authentic Jewish value if it hit him in the face. </p><p class="MsoNormal">What is so troubling about Friedman is that his open identity as a Jew gives his left leaning opinions on Israel - Jewish gravitas. Thus giving him immunity from being called an antisemite. </p><p class="MsoNormal">His ‘keen perceptions’ of the realities of the
Middle East is, however, done with a jaundiced eye. And taken as gospel by the left leaning media, the left leaning Democratic party. And the current president of the United States.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It is no small wonder therefore, that he is called the Biden whisperer. It also helps to explain why the president and Senate majority leader have been talking about a two state solution as the only viable option for the two peoples to live in peace. Which anybody with a half a brain would realize is a complete absurdity at this point in time. And probably for generations to come as things stand now.</p><p class="MsoNormal">A particularly ugly comment is what he said about Israel’s current leaders: </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>'I would not let this Israeli cabinet be waiters at my
grandson's bar mitzvah,' </blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As if he has a clue about what becoming a Bar Mitzvah really means. My guess is that his grandson’s ‘Bar Mitzvah’ will have little if anything to
do with actually observing Mitzvos - if it is anything like they typical Conservative Jewish Bar Mitzvah party But I digress. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Friedman is about as much of a Jew of Chuck Schumer. Their views should not necessarily be considered valid expressions of Jewish values. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ordinarily, I wouldn’t care what some ignorant Jewish journalist
says about Israel. But Friedman has been given near icon status with respect to his views on Israel. He is seen as a font of
wisdom on the subject. So when he expresses an opinion, it is considered near gospel by the
left. A left that includes the President. As noted in <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-17/ty-article/.premium/thomas-friedman-the-gaza-war-is-the-real-world-war-ii/0000018e-4d4f-dfb8-adef-dd7f18060000" target="_blank">Haaretz</a> - Friedman has been
called the Biden Whisperer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s not that everything he says is wrong. On the contrary. In many ways he
makes some salient points:<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Such as the following:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">(If) Israel was to partner with the Palestinian Authority
"to form two states for two nations, it could solve three of its current
problems: changing the narrative, changing the Gaza options, and cementing a
regional alliance with its Arab allies.</span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That is very true. But it would be suicide if
they were to create a Palestinian state in partnership with the PA. What happened in Gaza will almost certainly happen in the new Palestinian state. They will overrun by Jihadist groups with the same agenda as Hamas. With Iran right beside them leading the charge. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is why Friedman’s constant refrain about a 2 state solution is so stupid. He<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ought to know better – if he
is the ‘expert’ he thinks he is… that the left thinks he is…
that the mainstream media thinks he is... that the President Biden thinks
he is.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Friedman says that Netanyahu is the worst leader in Israel’s
history. Maybe even in all of Jewish history. I know a lot of my friends on the left strongly agree with him. </p><p class="MsoNormal">While I agree that the coalition Netanyahu formed with right wing
extremists was not good for the country, to say he is the worst leader in
Israel’s history casts Israeli voters into being the worst electorate in
Israel’s history. And Israel as the worst country in the developed world. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s not like Netanyahu is a one term prime minister. He is
the longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history. If he is so terrible, how
could that have possibly happened? How could he have possibly become the prime
mister for so long?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The answer is that he was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>elected and re-elected because he did a lot for his country. Changing it
from a socialist economy into a free-market economy. Israel’s economy has boomed as a
result. It is one of he most stable economies in the world. All of which happened
under Netanyahu’s watch. If that’s that's worst, I’ll take it..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course if you are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a leftist you will say that all that is overridden by his arrogance, his egregious conduct of the war, his disagreement with the current administration and by what happened on October 7<sup>th</sup> under his watch. But I would strongly disagree. Israel would not have the strong economy it has today if not for Netanyahu.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately the Friedmans of the world will likely disappear.in a few short generations. While it is a terrible tragedy to see what is happening to the bulk of
American Jewry, with respect to this guy, I say good riddance.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-90680052266289675072024-03-17T12:25:00.014-05:002024-03-18T08:27:24.112-05:00Despising Netanyahu is No Substitute for Common Sense<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMA5UX-veUowFs74cLJ9UaTgD8Hic9azrwPikkdptHJMutj3C2b-VwFI-vS-dPntG7EFJrPCukc9-6myUKIHsuSznrjCKMJX_vy8ihWyyyo0Ey2GPbtqsBHagqLZo57kfrJaInJcsXbJkXa_ygfGKLanVtZrNlLUjbgljhVzbDqSx51SeI8a26" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="2030" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMA5UX-veUowFs74cLJ9UaTgD8Hic9azrwPikkdptHJMutj3C2b-VwFI-vS-dPntG7EFJrPCukc9-6myUKIHsuSznrjCKMJX_vy8ihWyyyo0Ey2GPbtqsBHagqLZo57kfrJaInJcsXbJkXa_ygfGKLanVtZrNlLUjbgljhVzbDqSx51SeI8a26" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Netanyahu and Biden (<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/netanyahu-biden-israel-gaza-documentary-excerpt/" target="_blank">PBS</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I hate to keep harping on this. But it is a subject that depresses
me and it won’t go away. <p></p><p>I don’t ever recall a time when Jews have been so
divided. When the State of Israel was founded
in 1948 until the 6 days war 1967 support for Israel was near universal. Since
then support has been steadily waning. There are many reasons for that which
are beyond the scope of this post. But no event has divided the Jewish people
more than the war against Hamas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the surface Jewish opposition to the war makes eminent sense.
The number of Palestinian civilians being killed, maimed, and starved is
shocking. Under normal circumstances it would be a no brainer to stop the war.
And to allow these people who have been under siege for over 5 months some badly needed relief. How can any human being worthy of the name ‘human’ not feel otherwise? 5
months of carnage is enough! Everyone should be calling for a cease fire now and allow the full and free flow of
humanitarian aid to get through immediately.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is no question that (aside the overt or
closet antisemites) this is the motivation of the vast majority of those that
oppose Israel’s continued prosecution of this war. It is also the reason that the President has changed course
with respect to supporting the war. Although he has not actually said that Israel
should not attack what remains of Hamas in Rafah, he may as well have. Since his ‘red line’ is the over one million Palestinians that would presumably be subjected to massively more deaths, serious injuries, and starvation. This
is also why Chuck Schumer - the highest ranking Jew in the government has expressed similar sentiments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is forgotten in all of this is the existential nature of
this war. Ending the conflict
before finishing off the remnants of Hamas in Rafa will have made the
entire war a complete waste of time - and Palestinian and Jewish lives. Without eliminating Hamas, they will retain full control over Gaza and go full steam ahead with
their plan to exterminate the Jewish people
of Israel. </p><p class="MsoNormal">While screaming Alahu Akbar they will continue to massacre and kidnap Jews .
There is no 2 ways about it. The prime minister knows that. His unity war cabinet knows that. And the vast majority of Israelis know that.</p><p class="MsoNormal">What is Netanyahu supposed to do? Would any sane leader just say, OK. Well stop an existential war because of the increased Palestinian casualties that will result? I think we all know the answer to that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Jews who feel the pain of suffering Palestinians have forgotten
why Israel has no choice but to finish what they started, The President and his men seem to have forgotten that too. What they refuse to recognize is
that Hamas themselves does not feel he pain of their people’s suffering. They rejoice over their martyrs. They desire them. They correctly surmise that world sympathy - including that of the US - will force Israel to cease fire - permanently. They
are succeeding in that goal. This is why they purposely use their own people as human
shields - preferring women and children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I have said many times, good people everywhere do not want
innocent people being killed in war. That includes Israel. It includes Netanyahu. It must not be forgotten that Israel tries mightily under the most impossible of conditions to spare Palestinian lives Hamas on the other hand tries mightily to create as many Palestinian martyrs as possible. Hamas is winning that contest!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And yet no one has said a word about Hamas’s responsibility other most Republicans and a few courageous Democrats (like Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman). They understand this unassailable fact. Which is why they have have continued to give their unequivocal
support to Israel. Without the slightest reservation.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It should also not escape anyone’s attention that - even though Israel has not revealed what they are - they said they have a viable plan to relocate Gaza Palestinians to safe locations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And yet there are Jewish voices - among them the most powerful Jewish
Democrat in congress - suggesting not so subtlety that the US ought to use its leverage on Israel to condition further military aid.. </p><p class="MsoNormal">If Israel is somehow forced into a permanent cease fire, they will lose the
war against the most savage human pieces of garbage since the Nazis of the
Holocaust. They will then proceed to finish what Nazi Germany started</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let us even assume for a moment that Israel has no viable plan to evacuate Palestinians. What are they supposed to do? Just give
up? </p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know. maybe they should. Maybe the 7 million Jews living
in Israel now should just relocate to Miami Beach. There are lot of kosher restaurants there. A great
climate. And best of all - no Hamas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am so sick of blaming Netanyahu for the conduct of the war. It wouldn’t make any difference who the Prime Minister is. It's too bad that so many Jews don't realize that.<o:p> </o:p>Sadly the visceral hatred of Netanyahu by so many Jews has blinded them to from that simple reality. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To say that I am disappointed in what all these well meaning Jews are
saying would be an understatement. How about we all focus on who the real enemy
is and win this war! That is what the Israel people want. That should be what we all want.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-83698318713559755312024-03-15T13:30:00.017-05:002024-03-15T16:15:56.644-05:00Ignorance of Jewish Values<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVamP0O34d09NJ5XRKudw6se7z0cLYG0_NcUPQeWGlED3elu0toVKAxXYS4UixRQjsD_kGx8H9dmW_YQ3_-a9TzKagn1TD9oeWqjsqeGDDfQdK7gTxUNEUMNPpE0XPGtIAtTNCWtiJAm9lFHrAt1jOsysTsF_fEcHad19B5HgrDidFAZEP6Zpv" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="781" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVamP0O34d09NJ5XRKudw6se7z0cLYG0_NcUPQeWGlED3elu0toVKAxXYS4UixRQjsD_kGx8H9dmW_YQ3_-a9TzKagn1TD9oeWqjsqeGDDfQdK7gTxUNEUMNPpE0XPGtIAtTNCWtiJAm9lFHrAt1jOsysTsF_fEcHad19B5HgrDidFAZEP6Zpv" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Shas Party Chairman,, Aryeh Deri (<a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/379918" target="_blank">Arutz Sheva</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Unbelievable! In a shocking development in Israel, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri took to the Knesset podium yesterday and called for
the resignation of President Biden. Although he gives him credit for supporting
Israel, he believes that Biden's advanced age has caused him to go astray with bad
policies for Israel, the US, and even the free world. Which could end in disaster
of global import!<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That of course never happened. Deri would never say anything
like that in public even if he believed it. It would be a Chutzpah of major proportion to suggest that the freely elected leader of major ally resign from office, No
matter how noble were Deri’s intentions. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But this is almost exactly what happened here in reverse from the podium of the Senate
chamber:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/13/schumer-bipartisan-congress-israel-visit" target="_self">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Jewish
lawmaker, levied some of the harshest criticism yet of Israeli Prime
Minister <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/12/biden-netanyahu-clash-us-intelligence-report" target="_self">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> from a top U.S. official, calling on
Israel to hold elections for a new government to deal with the threat of Hamas.</blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbbZBo3htIotHt_rB0PjTTrDMtEURbM5_gboSkXSvRUo5mxXh-3MQFBfI4pUav8GeLi6mf_yRayOAYVGr1IZgxEjrQEuzfLJ0BWIyTjPeNbxITmCEBOoBgmbOt_SAiCFQ5r0XQkRNL_-nYlZKyZHhDbPe4KTFVY-iHNU4ED98QCpERnxKXLfJW" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="3072" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbbZBo3htIotHt_rB0PjTTrDMtEURbM5_gboSkXSvRUo5mxXh-3MQFBfI4pUav8GeLi6mf_yRayOAYVGr1IZgxEjrQEuzfLJ0BWIyTjPeNbxITmCEBOoBgmbOt_SAiCFQ5r0XQkRNL_-nYlZKyZHhDbPe4KTFVY-iHNU4ED98QCpERnxKXLfJW" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/schumer-calls-new-elections-israel-warns-netanyahu-lost/story?id=108117698" target="_blank">ABC</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Calling for the resignation of the freely elected leader of the closest ally the US has in the Middle East is an exercise in politics motived by willful ignorance and the optics of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. What Schumer said was no different than had Deri said the same thing about Biden. And just as condemnable. In fact there was near universal condemnation of Schumer’s remarks
by Republicans. Starting with Minority leader Mitch McConnell
who said the following:<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">“It is grotesque and hypocritical for Americans who
hyperventilate about interference in our own democracy to call for the removal
of a democratically elected leader of Israel,” McConnell said, calling
Schumer’s remarks “unprecedented.” </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How ironic it is that the non Jewish McConnell and his non
Jewish Republican colleagues were disgusted about the lack of support expressed
by a Jewish Democrat who has always been one if Israel’s strongest supporters. And Schumer is not the only Jewish Democrat that has criticized Israel’s conduct in the war. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Surely his open criticism will give cover for other Jewish Democrats to do more of the same. The left might be cheering Schumer on. They might argue that
Schumer is not criticizing Israel. Only Israel’s current leader - adding that the
vast majority of Israelis agree with him abut Netanyahu. But there is a
difference between people criticizing their own leader and outsiders doing
it from the safety of the Senate chamber floor. Especially in the middle of a war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is Schumer so upset about? First it is the high number of ‘innocent civilian’ casualties. Which he blames on Netanyahu's lack of concern for Palestinian death, destruction, and human suffering. And calling Netanyahu’s opposition to a 2 state solution an obstacle to peace. Problem with that
is the vast majority of Israelis are with him on that issue. No sane Israeli - even on the left - believes a 2 state solution will bring peace. They rightly believe it will bring more terror.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Schumer also charges that Netanyahu’s conduct of the war will generate even more terrorism. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Seriously? After October 7<sup>th</sup>? And their promise to do it over and over again? What kind of additional terrorism is he talking
about? Is he not aware of Palestinian cradle to
grave ‘education’ about Israel (read Jews)? Does he not know about the popularity of
books like Mein Kampf or Protocols?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Allow me to speculate a bit about the reasons behind Schumer</o:p>’s<o:p> outburst. It is a. </o:p>combination of the optics in Gaza, his left leaning constituency, and ignorance of Jewish values. While it is true that Netanyahu is wildly
unpopular since the events of October 7<sup>th</sup>, (and for many on Israel’s left, well before that) his prosecution
of the war with Hamas is not at all unpopular. </p><p class="MsoNormal">To the contrary. The vast
majority of Israelis know that Hamas must be eliminated. Even though their own children are fighting and dying in battle trying to do so. Even though there are so many ‘innocent civilian’ casualties. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is oh so easy for a politician 7000 miles away to pontificate about Netanyahu’s
prosecution of the war. He doesn’t have to worry about his throat being slit in his own home by a marauding group of Hamas terrorists. It’s easy for him to say that Netanyahu’s opposition to a Palestinian state bordering Israel is obstacle peace. No sweat off his back!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am 100% convinced that the more Palestinians that are
killed, the better Hamas likes it. Their goal is to turn world opinion against
Israel and they are succeeding. Overjoyed to provide as many ‘martyrs’ as they can toward that goal. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile they are biding their time
until the world forces Israel to stop. They will then regroup; rebuild; and continue to terrorize Israel as a
religious obligation. All with the substantial help from and encouragement of Iran.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A word about left leaning Jewish angst over the carnage in Gaza. No one wants to see innocent people die. Not even people that hate us. But it is no
coincidence that Jews like Schumer seem to be more concerned over Palestinian casualties than they are over Jewish casualties. I believe it has to do with the values of knowledgeable observant Jews versus the values of non observant Jews ignorant of their own Judaism.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Chuck Schumer brags about being a Jew when he doesn’t have the slightest idea what that really means. Either that or he chooses to ignore it. Which is even worse.</p><p class="MsoNormal">He may be ‘proud’ to be a Jew. But being proud of something you have no clue about makes you stupid. He should be embarrassed about his ignorance. Not proud.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The values of knowledgeable observant Jews are biblical. The values of non observant Jews are not. They are mostly liberal humanistic values. I believe there is a correlation between those values and how one sees Israel’s conduct in the war. The one Mitzvah non observant Jews do know about is Tikun Olam. Known to them as social justice. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Which is what they mean when they talk about the injustices they say Israel commits against the Palestinian people. This is why they call concern over the human suffering in Gaza a Jewish value. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Sad to say - other than Tikun Olam - people like Schumer wouldn’t know a Jewish value if it hit them in the face. In their ignorance they believe they are following God’s
will. And if they see Jews being responsible for the suffering underdog. They
are going to say so and call their concern a Jewish value. Regardless of the actual reasons for that suffering.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand the vast majority of observant Jews tend
to reserve their sympathy and caring mostly for fellow Jews that are suffering at the hands of the very ‘underdogs’ they pity so much. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Orthodox Jews have been increasingly supporting
Republicans because their polices tend to be more supportive of Israel and biblical values. Their biblical values also accounts for their greater support for Israel. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To an Orthodox Jew Israel has religious value. To a
secular or heterodox Jew there is little if any religious values to the state.
The secular and heterodox Jew believe that purpose of Israel’s creation was as a haven for Holocaust refugees who had nowhere else to go.</p><p class="MsoNormal">That was surely true. But for the
Orthodox Jews it is more about our belief in our God
given rights to that land. We are connected to Israel for
religious reasons much more than we are for pragmatic reasons. (Whether Israel should ever give up land for peace is
a debate within Orthodoxy. But that is currently
a moot point and outside the purview of this post.) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For all of my fellow Jews on the left that might be
applauding Schumer and agreeing with what he said, they should consider how damaging his views are with respect to Israel's existential goals. Because with respect to the conduct of this war it would make little if any difference who would take Netanyahu's place.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-25362107387049233012024-03-14T12:14:00.010-05:002024-03-14T12:24:14.260-05:00A Seismic Shift in Charedi Policy - Will it Happen?<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaajVnlKZZAmJUn3qkcUlVjWYefhBaUNHksVMjDofumk81s0hNBerrPXmL8qjmOOLk-Rv_6PardVv_PbhSlhbm2ZBKd4kiMKmjlkwHRLlSj8LM1N3q7SkT-Qqb3hYWB5RxGXksHQ0XvDNrfxGIU3V6gMaaIWhgLq1CEvGPm-XJrsgB_bQ965p_" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="891" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaajVnlKZZAmJUn3qkcUlVjWYefhBaUNHksVMjDofumk81s0hNBerrPXmL8qjmOOLk-Rv_6PardVv_PbhSlhbm2ZBKd4kiMKmjlkwHRLlSj8LM1N3q7SkT-Qqb3hYWB5RxGXksHQ0XvDNrfxGIU3V6gMaaIWhgLq1CEvGPm-XJrsgB_bQ965p_" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch (<a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2268999/historic-changes-for-the-1st-time-gedolim-agree-to-quotas-targets-for-new-draft-law.html" target="_blank">VIN</a>)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In what seems to be a shocking change of course, Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch - 2 of the most respected
Charedi leaders in Israel have agreed to allow Charedim to be drafted into the IDF. <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2268999/historic-changes-for-the-1st-time-gedolim-agree-to-quotas-targets-for-new-draft-law.html" target="_blank">YWN</a> reports the following:<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>(<span style="color: #20124d;">For) the first time in history and with the approval of the
Gedolim, the Chareidi parties (UTJ and Shas) have agreed in principle to a law
outlining quotas and targets of the number of Chareidim who serve in the IDF, a
measure that was rejected by the Chareidim in the past. Sanctions will be
imposed on yeshivos that don’t meet the recruitment goals.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a monumental change in attitude. Apparently they now
agree to a change in policy that I have long ago suggested. That not all Charedim should be
exempt from serving in the army. I am, however, disappointed at their motives for doing so: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">The (Charedi) MKs told the Roshei Yeshivos their fears that
if the draft law is too extreme, left-wing groups will grab the opportunity to
incite against the government in an attempt to topple it altogether, possibly
creating a crisis that could harm yeshivos and kollelim. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In other words they are not doing it for the altruistic
reason of sharing the burden with the rest of the
country. They are doing it for the pragmatic reason of protecting
their turf. Be that as it may I still think it is something to celebrate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That being said, they do want to limit army service to those that who
choose not to learn full time. That may
not be enough to satisfy the IDF’s needs during a time of war. Nonetheless it is a start and a major shift in their anti army
policy. Which was based on their view that the IDFis little more than a government
social engineering tool to disabuse religious Jews of observance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That argument never held water in my eyes for the most
obvious of reasons. First - the fact that sincere committed religious Jews in
the army never succumbed to such dangers in the relatively rare instances where
they appeared. Second - the fact that
Hesder Yeshiva students whose valor in combat is legendary rarely if ever gave
up their Torah study or Mitzvah observance. Third - the creation of several different
types of Charedi military units (Nachal Charedi) that catered specifically to Charedi
needs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the past Charedi leadership had always doubled down on their view that the IDF
was all about social engineering - and accused the IDF of not fulfilling the promises
they made about Charedi units.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those fears seem to have disappeared. This is good news. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t think the concessions the Charedi world wants to make go far enough. The
choice of learning full time as an exemption should not be made solely by
potential Charedi recruits. It must also include a provision that will not
allow draft dodging – in which some of their youth choose learning full time
specifically to get out of the army. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There needs to be some way of determining who is
sincere and who is just dodging the draft
using this convenient loophole. Quotas may be
a way to at least partially solve that problem.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there is a minimum number of Charedi recruits required in
order to keep the army viable, it will surely mean that some of those who
choose to learn full time won’t be able to. As always, the devil is in the
details. It will be difficult at best to know who is sincere and who isn’t. Hard
as that may be, if there is a will there is a way. I’m sure it can be done in a
more or less equitable way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What those quota numbers will be remains to be seen. My
guess is that there will be a lot of discussion about the size of the quotas.
But people of good will can negotiate and eventually come to a meeting of the minds. On
the other hand this may be the sticking point that will torpedo the entire
thing. I sure hope not.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is another wrinkle to consider. What will the rejectionist
Peleg Yerushalmi faction do about this? They are opposed to the draft law even as they stand now. Where Charedim are required to register for the draft
but not required to serve as long as they are learning full time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Their view is in direct opposition to acceptance of that law
by the 2 most recognized religious leaders
of the Yeshiva world, Rav Aharon Leib Steinman and Rav Chaim Kanievsky (both of
blessed memory). Their view was not accepted by the founder of Peleg, Rav Shmuel
Auerbach. He instead opted for disruptive (sometimes even violent) protests in
the streets of Jerusalem. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the new draft paradigm is implemented, there is no
telling what this faction will do. One thing is certain, It won’t be pretty. It
will probably cause even greater resentment of the Charedi world.
Which is at unprecedented levels now because of the lack of Charedi sacrifice being made by
everyone else.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leaving this faction aside, this is a golden opportunity to
change the way the rest of Israel views the Charedi world. Let us hope that the
Charedi leadership and the IDF don’t blow it by making unreasonable demands of each other.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-1104603804879828352024-03-13T14:11:00.006-05:002024-03-13T17:01:54.905-05:00The Antisemitism of Animal Rights Activists<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg40BrqGMnv07uWqkLalVtc3rbWi4B0RhsQI40X3VwJth2kZ-IsgCkxbE8P_2XJJSzfNUC_TQvMVMkA4KlxJCGvDlZR56Op6TA8hTg6eN4XEwMH7gkSdvMPgGh_S2zGBWwHN7tpEvFl4em8LaPtw0WZRSDsLbt7tWmIPsfxsNvJf88lcGa_0n1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="250" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg40BrqGMnv07uWqkLalVtc3rbWi4B0RhsQI40X3VwJth2kZ-IsgCkxbE8P_2XJJSzfNUC_TQvMVMkA4KlxJCGvDlZR56Op6TA8hTg6eN4XEwMH7gkSdvMPgGh_S2zGBWwHN7tpEvFl4em8LaPtw0WZRSDsLbt7tWmIPsfxsNvJf88lcGa_0n1" width="180" /></a></div>When I was a boy (about 10 or 11 years old) my father
(who was a Shochet in Toledo), took me to the slaughterhouse to watch him do a
Shechita (ritual slaughter). The steer was a bit feisty so the gentile workers told
him ‘Don’t worry, rabbi. We’ll take care if it for you. My father protested saying
that he has it handled. But in the blink of an eye, they placed the steer into
a pen and banged its head with a huge mallet. A process called stunning.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My father then proceeded to slaughter it and then he put it in the Treif pile. When an internal organ
is damaged in any way, that animal can no longer be considered Kosher. Kosher
slaughter does not allow for stunning. Halacha requires that all the animal’s
organs to be undamaged if the Shechita is to be effective – making its meat kosher
for consumption.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The laws governing Kosher slaughter are biblical, discussed
extensively in the Gemarah, and codified in the Shulchan Aruch - our code of
Jewish law. While this is a bit of an oversimplification, it is nonetheless basic
Halacha.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kosher slaughter has been challenged many times in recent years
by animal rights activists like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
They insist that the most humane manner of animal slaughter is when stunning is
done before the kill. The animal is thereby rendered unconscious
and won’t feel the pain of the slaughter.
That has motivated some European countries to outlaw Kosher slaughter
for ‘humane’ reasons. (Or so they say. In my view it is at the core antisemitic.) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which brings me to the following story in the <i><a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/restrictions-kosher-slaughter-violate-jews-charter-rights-lawsuit" target="_blank">National Post</a></i> about
one of the most developed, enlightened, and progressive western democracies on the planet,
Canada: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Jewish organizations are taking the federal government to
court to challenge new rules they fear spell the end of kosher animal
production in Canada. </blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">In a statement of claim filed earlier this week in Federal
Court, the applicants seek to strike down new Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) rules requiring that non-stunned animals be subjected to cognitive tests
to ensure they’re irreversibly unconscious before being processed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Jewish organizations are taking the federal government to
court to challenge new rules they fear spell the end of kosher animal
production in Canada. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">In typical non-kosher abattoirs, cattle are usually rendered
unconscious via a powerful blow to the head from a bolt gun, then are hung up
and have their necks slit, and are drained of blood until dead.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p> </o:p>In kosher slaughter, or shechita, animals are killed by
trained Shochetim who use smooth, razor-sharp knives to sever the animal’s
throat in a single, uninterrupted motion before letting the animal bleed out.
It is commonly believed that the method is painless and at least as humane as
the stunning technique, although Jews believe it is the more humane method
because the animal is rendered almost immediately unconscious. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why does any government legislate a law based on the assertions of animal rights activists? Do they really believe it is more ethical than a procedure
that has been used for millennia by the Jewish people? A procedure widely regarded as one of the most humane ways to kill an animal? The only answer that can explain this law is that
it is based on a view that religious laws are archaic and even dangerous. They ‘know’ that stunning an animal before slaughter is more humane way to kill it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Really? Well here’s an idea then. Let us first stun a death row inmate before
we execute them! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Think about that for a minute. How many people think a
strong blow to the head before an instant death caused by a slit to the throat
is a good idea? I sure don’t. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am so sick of culturally defined ethics. Especially when
those ‘ethics’ are framed by people that see a human being as just another
animal and not entitled to any more rights than a rat. It is people like
this that call the mass
slaughter of chickens for human consumption a ‘Chicken Holocaust’! </p><p class="MsoNormal">That is the kind of thinking that can only
exist in the mind of people that deny the existence of God. As such they see religion as an impediment to
the advancement of progressive ideas. Especially a religion with so many rules and rituals like Judaism. Rules and rituals they believe were developed by ancient man and labeled godly in order to make those rules stick. Ethics based on ancient rituals are therefore considered primitive and inhumane. </p><p class="MsoNormal">They do not want to be confused by the fact that. Kosher slaughter
is recognized as one of the most humane methods of animal slaughter. Since
it is based on a religious ritual it is invalidated and discarded by the
progressive mindset of our day. Which they say is ‘obviously more
ethical’</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a special kind kind of antisemitism. Biased against the ethics and morality of a bible that would
deny them the freedom to imbibe in all
manner of immoral behavior because some nonexistent god said it was immoral. Reasoning that now that we are more enlightened; our values are more progressive and purer that the driven snow. Religion, especially Judaism is the opiate of the masses and the more knowledgeable progressive society in which we live needs to eradicate any vestiges of it. So that we can be freed. to live as we choose. That is what ethics are all about to them. </p><p class="MsoNormal">What about religious freedom? To the contrary. They consider religion a prison from which we should all finally be liberated.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-24250393861619419792024-03-12T12:12:00.003-05:002024-03-12T12:19:11.530-05:00Wisdom Does Not Always Come With Age<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKjulD5GbKP3tdaS3e0F2dgnFUZQ1EmoQATmROg9dKLlpyKHgu8MSPeb2jbuc3z4EyMGmJj9Pfr4ooMAyL-QQVgq3gByOu761j1LkxaK3KgHZRNktXRVgFAJsfInMjHGsS9rvm3yuhxFd7VFg3enIFSAF3ghdGLKZl4BxpO8vPjh8-Kygtrmuw" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="300" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKjulD5GbKP3tdaS3e0F2dgnFUZQ1EmoQATmROg9dKLlpyKHgu8MSPeb2jbuc3z4EyMGmJj9Pfr4ooMAyL-QQVgq3gByOu761j1LkxaK3KgHZRNktXRVgFAJsfInMjHGsS9rvm3yuhxFd7VFg3enIFSAF3ghdGLKZl4BxpO8vPjh8-Kygtrmuw" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image for illustration purposes (<a href="https://cross-currents.com/2024/03/11/20704/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20704" target="_blank">Cross Currents</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Daas Torah is the sine qua non of the Charedi world. But
Daas Torah is not the sole province of that world. Throughout Jewish history
there have always been rabbinic leaders to whom we turned for guidance. It may not
have been called Daas Torah. But that is what it is.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think that the proprietary attitude of the Charedi world
of that term is why there is such a wide chasm between them and the rest of the religious world. They have so strongly believed in their Daas Torah that when a rabbinic leader of another religious segment disagrees with their it, they do not say Elu VeElu. They instead completely reject
it as invalid. This is not the way the rest of the observant community
looks at their Daas Torah. We respect it even when our leaders disagree with it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That attitude is precisely what was expressed by a
comment at <i><a href="https://cross-currents.com/2024/03/11/20704/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=20704" target="_blank">Cross Currents</a></i>. It was in a reply to an open letter from Rav Yitzchak Sheilat Rosh Yeshiva of the Hesder Yeshiva of Ma’aleh Adumim. Translated from the original Hebrew it was republished on CC by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein. </p><p class="MsoNormal">In that letter that Rosh Yeshiva respectfully suggested a modest change in attitude in
the Charedi world with respect to army service. Espeicaily at this time of war
when the need is so great. He peppered his argument with biblical and rabbinic
sources (both ancient and recent) to make his point. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here in part is the not
so respectful – in fact arrogant and insulting (!) reply from someone who is clearly
Charedi:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">
Why don’t you go meet with Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch? Rav
Hirsch speaks a fine English. They aren’t afraid to engage and answer the tough
questions. Instead of serving as a useful idiot for those who seek to conform
chareidim society to their own ideals get the truth from the leaders of the
Torah world. Honestly, what’s stopping you. Rav Sheilat may be a great scholar
but he’s not a man d’omar in this discussion. Societal change will be led by
chareidi leaders, not soapbox lecturers. If you’re passionate enough, you’re
not too old to clean the latrines or work in intelligence, go sign up.</span> </blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rabbi Adlerstein is too much of a gentleman to respond in
kind. Although he did respond to his challenger with the following: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Great idea! But I beat you to it. I did have the private
conversation. Weeks ago.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know what transpired between Rabbi Adlerstein and the
Charedi ‘Gadol’ he spoke to. But my hunch is that this ‘Gadol’ was unmoved by
what Rabbi Adlerstein had to say.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If that is indeed the case that this Gadol rejected any
change in the Charefdi attitude about army service, he is certainly not alone.
The Sephardi Chief Rabbi just <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-sephardic-rabbi-says-ultra-orthodox-will-bolt-country-if-forced-into-army/" target="_blank">expressed</a> a similar attitude in the most hyperbolic
way: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef warned Saturday that
ultra-Orthodox Jews will leave Israel en masse if the government ends
exemptions of mandatory military enlistment enjoyed by the community.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“If they force us to go to the army, we’ll all move abroad,”
Yosef said during a weekly lecture. “We’ll buy a ticket… We’ll go there.” </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there is a better way to alienate the non Charedi public
(both secular and religious) I don’t know what that would possibly be. The lack
of sensitivity to the masses of those serving, dying, or injured is so
disturbing, that I can’t believe anyone that is considered a dispensor of Daas Torah would ever
say such a thing. It’s an affront to every mother that mourns the loss of a son
or daughter fighting in the current existential war. An insult to every parent that can’t sleep because they are filled with worry whether a son or daughter will ever be
coming home. It think it is an affront to every single Jew in the world that is not Charedi. Religious or not. I
wouldn’t even be surprised if there were more than<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a few Charedim that were disturbed at these
comments as well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately this comment continues to show the
intransigence of Charedi leadership on this issue. Even as a disproportionate
number of religious Jews have been killed during this war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First I want to briefly respond to
Rabbi Yosef’s biblical argument that: </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote>The [biblical] tribe of Levi was exempted from the army,” he
noted by way of comparison, referring to the biblical tribe from which the
priesthood was drawn in Temple times. “They didn’t take them; absolutely not.”</blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p>If I recall correctly this exemption does not apply to a Michemes Mitzvah (an existential war). But even if it does, it only applies when there is a Beis HaMikdash. But let us even say that it always applies. Then fine .Let us exempt the Leviim and require every other Jew to serve.</p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">True - Gedolim – from whom Daas Torah emanates - are not a monolithic group from which all decisions
for the entire Jewish world are made. Chasidim have their Chasidic Rebbs to look to. Sephardim have their their Chacham.
And even modern Orthodox Jews (Centrists) have our own.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the term Daas Torah is used almost exclusively by the Lithuanian Yeshiva world whose numbers have exploded exponentially over the last few generations. And it is the
Israeli Gedolim who are considered the most authoritative in that realm. (I believe
the deference for Israeli Gedolim began in the Rav Shach era and continues to this day.) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How does one become a Gadol in the Lithuanian Yeshiva world?
Of course it begins with a lifetime of Torah study and being reconized for it. In most cases they become Rosh Yeshiva and/or a Posek . But I also believe that age has very much to do with that. The older they are the more deference they get from their community. That is why the aforementioned Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel
Hirsch are so widely seen as the new purveyors of Daas Torah</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not believe that being in one's nineties makes someone a Gadol. Even though they might otherwise qualify because of their Torah knowledge. Not when their ‘logic’ is so harmful to the fabric of the Jewish
nation. Not when their logic tends to save their community’s own skin while
others sacrifice theirs. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It cannot be the case that all Charedim must be exempted
for army service. Any Gadol that says that under current conditions has in my view lost
the right to be considered a purveyor of Daas Torah. It cannot be that such a
divisive and even destructive stand is Daas Torah. Not when so many religious Jews are dying on the battle field. It cannot be Daas Torah when Charedi mothers do not have to
worry about a son or daughter coming back alive from battle while the majority of
non Charedi mothers do. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s not that Torah study isn’t as important as they say
it is. It’s just that their intransigent attitude about army service doesn’t
contradict that. I don’t see how anyone can accept that as Daas Torah. In fact I have to believe that in
their heart of hearts neither does the typical mainstream Charedi. Except for people like the abovementioned commentator on <i>Cross Currents</i>. Hopefully he is in
the minority. Probelm is that it wont really matter how the majority feels since no one will chalengre the view of the Daas Torah of newly minted elderly Gedolei Hador.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just telling it like it is.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-1706643875566811032024-03-11T12:46:00.006-05:002024-03-11T12:51:28.686-05:00Why Context Matters<p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgevctFtq0Q_PLfYvIJGtD2XJ2cRpksgo9gn0aU-mtJfqJ4w5SUKCLcNlvHmVNobcPYjy1qNvQh9_Dk_Tg_DCfmf5B9DrvT5n2HmIUtAE1acpyTGVr0ASbs2gYpTMmhpUDgWSsTtutDPhLxDOLtcTgUa_K946XgL9c2OmMQT33LMxYMEBKBSO9A" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2160" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgevctFtq0Q_PLfYvIJGtD2XJ2cRpksgo9gn0aU-mtJfqJ4w5SUKCLcNlvHmVNobcPYjy1qNvQh9_Dk_Tg_DCfmf5B9DrvT5n2HmIUtAE1acpyTGVr0ASbs2gYpTMmhpUDgWSsTtutDPhLxDOLtcTgUa_K946XgL9c2OmMQT33LMxYMEBKBSO9A" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">"The Zone of Interest" director Jonathan Glazer (<a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/03/11/culture/in-oscars-acceptance-speech-zone-of-interest-director-jonathan-glazer-denounces-occupation-and-dehumanization-in-israel-and-gaza" target="_blank">JTA</a>)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>It was unexpected and disappointing. And yet not all that surprising. At last night’s Academy Award ceremony, Jonathan Glazer took home the ‘Best Foreign Film’ Oscar for <i>Zone of Interest</i> - a wonderful film that demonstrated the sheer banality of evil. Which was part and parcel of 1940s Germany. The film depicted the typical ‘care free’ upper middle class lifestyle of a German military family living next to a wall separating them from a Nazi death camp. Upon accepting the Oscar, Glazer, who is Jewish, said the <a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/03/11/culture/in-oscars-acceptance-speech-zone-of-interest-director-jonathan-glazer-denounces-occupation-and-dehumanization-in-israel-and-gaza" target="_blank">following</a>: </p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">“Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.
It’s shaped all of our past and present,”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness
and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for
so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or
the ongoing attack on Gaza,” he added. “All the victims of this dehumanization.
How do we resist?”</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After making these comments, some of the audience applauded rather exuberantly. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am not surprised because taken out of context his reaction
was that of a man who sees a people suffering oppression at the hands of
a mighty occupying military force. Same for those applauding. The assumption being that if
Israel were not occupying the West Bank, none of this would be happening. That
the decades long occupation has dehumanized the Palestinians - eventually causing them to delegitimize us and react with violent resistance. </p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s what it seems like on the surface. Not an unreasonable response.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This event was not about antisemitism. Although there are surely
plenty of antisemites that have come out of the woodwork since Israel’s war with Hamas, this was not that.
This is about compassion based on ignorance. The kind of ignorance that motivated UN Secretary General, António
Guterres to express sympathy for the victims of the Hamas massacre and
kidnapping which was followed by his apologetic comment that it didn’t happen in a vacuum.
I don’t think Guterres is an antisemite either. He is probably a caring human
being that tries to explain the ‘why’ of the massacre.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Empathy for human suffering is also the reason why so many
good people are calling for a cease fire. They in fact want what I want. We all want. an end to all the violence and killing on both sides. Looked at in this light, it should be more than
understandable why the death of 30,000 Palestinians upsets a lot of good hearted people.
Even good hearted Jewish people like Glazer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t now what it will take to get these good people to
understand that Guterres is right. What happened on October 7<sup>th</sup> did indeed not happen in a vacuum. There is a reason that Israel was attacked and why they had
to respond. But the vacuum is not what Guterres was referring to</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What all these good people don’t realize is that we Israel is
not ‘occupying’ the West Bank in order to subjugate the Palestinian people. It
does not treat them harshly for no reason. Israel has no choice in executing
hash measures because of it own need for security. Need I remind people about all
the suicide bombings that took place before those ‘harsh’ security measures were
implemented? The ‘harshness’ is mostly about inconveniencing Palestinians at checkpoints because of suspicions that they might be terrorists. (Based on a history of many Palestinians from the West Bank who committed suicide bombings) A wall was erected along the border of the West Bank to make it more difficult for a terrorist from the West Bank to get through.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>These good people believe that a two</o:p> state solution would end all that. and, Had there been 2 states all along, none of this would have happened. What they forget or don’t realize is that
Israel had accpeted a two state solution at their very founding. It was the
Arabs that rejected it. They did not want a Jewish state at all. Then they went to war to eradicate the Jewish state. </p><p class="MsoNormal">After the war for independence ended, the
West Bank remained in Arab hands (Trans-Jordan) and became a refugee camp for
Palestinians that fled Israel during the war for independence. Whether they were
chased out or left out of fear that was exploited Arab nations is beside the point. Had the Arab nations accepted a two state solution then, there would be no refugees today. </p><p class="MsoNormal">During the 19 year period of Jordan’s occupation
of the West Bank, the Arab world did nothing to alleviate their status as
refugees. Using them as pawns to show the world what the existence of Israel
has caused. The Arab nations never gave up on the goal of driving the Jews into
the sea and finally decided to do something about it in 1967. Long story short
Israel did not allow that to happen. and six days after the was broke out,
Israel recaptured the West Bank. Those refugees were now Israel’s problem.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The idea of restoring all of Israel to its ancient glory by
annexing the West Bank was not an unreasonable position for a nation victorious
in war to take. But it eventually became an unachievable goal because of those
refugees and world opposition.. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Refugees were thatwere used as pawns before 67 were still being used after 67. The purpose of which was eventually liberating all of Palestine. The PLO (Palestinian Liberation
Organization was founded on that principle.(Think about what the word ‘liberation’ means’) The
PLO was founded in 1964, 3 years before
Israel had anything to do with the West Bank. It has been responsible
for numerous deadly attacks against Israel before and after 67.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The PLO (now the PA) has never disavowed its goal to free Palestine form
the river to the sea.and has rewarded the families of terrorists who died trying (Pay for slay). While still harboring the belief belief that some day, they
will get it back. </p><p class="MsoNormal">In that vein they continue educate their kindergarten children to
hate us. And to consider killing us when the can.(I’ve seen the video). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where Hamas comes in, They do not take their mission
lightly. Which is why they have built a literal fortress of underground
tunnels from which to attack Israel and hide. They will brook no compromise
on the goal of destroying us. Doubling down on educating their children to kill
us. There is no stopping them. There is no convincing them about the immorality
of their massacre and kidnaping on October 7<sup>th</sup>. They consider it a religious duty to keep
doing it. One can hear declarations of Alahu Akbar (God is great) in videos of that event taken by Hamas. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One cannot
ignore the real source of the conflict. It is not because we don’t
want a state. Its because they don’t. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel does not want to be occupiers. But they have no
choice considering all these facts. That Palestinians are dehumanized may be
true. But not because Israel wants to dehumanize them. But because it is the
consequence of protecting its citizens.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That good people like Glazer might want a two state solution is not a bad
thing in and of itself. But considering the above-mentioned context Israel’s
security would be at serious risk if it came to pass. </p><p class="MsoNormal">As it would if Israel loosened its security measures. As it would if they were to agree it a cease fire. </p><p class="MsoNormal">As much as
good people like Glazer thinks that Israel’s occupation and the attendant dehumanization of Palestinians is the direct blame... that a cease fire would end the hostilities... and a two state soultion would end the hostility on both sides, I don’t think he realizes
that it would be a one way cease fire. Hamas will rebuild and reconstitute
their forces and do it al over again. As they promised they would. Nor does he realize that a two state solution would multiply those odds exponentially.</p><p class="MsoNormal">If only they would agree to sop hating us... to stop teaching their children to hate and kill us, then a two state solution would be possible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I know that there are right wing extremists in Israel that
would never agree to a two state solution – even if it would truly bring peace.
But I also believe that the vast majority of Israelis would agree to it if it
were only possible. Not without Palestinians abandoning their antisemitic curriculum. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Without that, anyone that believes that a two state solution - thinks that way out of ignorance and wishful thinking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t believe it is possible to change the minds of those wishful thinkers. Because I don’t believe they are actually thinking. They are blinded by the daily carnage and don't know the context or refuse to consider it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I just wish that they would..</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-42614962920358092922024-03-10T12:53:00.005-05:002024-03-10T14:55:28.468-05:00Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjNUih3I-wCVrN1RZ2N96arx2MCOnlfCqTEoijxK6iZgu8J2lRZieFBOrUFJfmRC_t2VOipmq7Djd_Nk40gVw1lIY0xrZScU_h0MPRKmPDqHX7LG8pndCCEWmoe9y71J9wspWNyFbdAY2O0tcSCxV4OYNvFT8HR-KM_MNEgDwXoo5jUFgmXR0a" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjNUih3I-wCVrN1RZ2N96arx2MCOnlfCqTEoijxK6iZgu8J2lRZieFBOrUFJfmRC_t2VOipmq7Djd_Nk40gVw1lIY0xrZScU_h0MPRKmPDqHX7LG8pndCCEWmoe9y71J9wspWNyFbdAY2O0tcSCxV4OYNvFT8HR-KM_MNEgDwXoo5jUFgmXR0a" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Ideology of Hesder (<a href="https://traditiononline.org/looking-backwards-the-ideology-of-hesder/" target="_blank">Tradition</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I have to take issue with Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s <a href="https://www.rationalistjudaism.com/p/is-there-a-different-genocide-facing" target="_blank">recent post</a>.
It’s not so much that I disagree with him. On the contrary, I have said many of
the same things he has. My problem is with his taking a positive development and
spinning it negatively. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As noted, <i><a href="https://mishpacha.com/behold-a-people/" target="_blank">Mishpacha Magazine</a></i> featured an article by columnist,
(Rabbi?) Gedalia Guttentag. He is clearly in the Charedi camp and yet took to
task that world for not fully recognizing what the Dati world is doing for the
Jewish people. After describing the ultimate Kiddush HaShem of Yedidiah
Eliyahu, a long time Hesder Yeshiva student, Guttentag made the following
observation: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Yedidiah Eliyahu’s story is just a drop in the ocean of the
spiritual strength that has poured from the dati-leumi public over
the last five months. They have volunteered and died in disproportionate
numbers. At their levayos, the bereaved have repeated the same message
over and over again: that their sons and husbands died fighting to defend Klal
Yisrael.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">These are men like Yedidiah who willingly gave themselves
up al kiddush Hashem. They’re a generation of soldiers who stole time in
Gaza to keep up with daf yomi and daven Shacharis, and fought as they
lived — to bring honor to Hashem’s name.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">This is the great hour of the national-religious world, but,
on the defensive yet again about the draft law which threatens the yeshivos,
the chareidi world in Israel and beyond has been slow to recognize the
unfolding story. We should call it what it is: authentic Jewish heroism, both
physical and spiritual. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is quite the statement coming from a card carrying Charedi
in a magazine that caters specifically to the Charedi world. A prominent Charedi columnist praising the Dati world while criticizing his own world is not something you hear every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My reaction is to give him
tremendous credit for having the courage to call a spade a spade in world
where criticism of Daas Torah is tantamount <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>heresy! I have had my disagreements with
Gedalia in the past. But for this I give him my sincere appreciation. He deserves noting but pure credit. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What, one may ask could Rabbi Slifkin possibly have possibly found wrong with that column? It is the what Gedalia added: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #073763;">Acknowledging that does nothing to alter the fact that the
Torah learned in yeshivos and kollelim is the guarantor of Jewish national
survival. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that “without physical
existence, there’s no spiritual existence.” It’s a materialistic worldview that
we’re taught to see in reverse. Without the Torah, there is no Jewish People. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s not that I disagree with Natan’s criticism. But to water
down an amazing expression of Hakoras HaTov to the Dati world and recognizing the level
sacrifice and Kiddush HaShem they are making - is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not only wrong but counterproductive. To the
best of my knowledge Guttenatag’s comments were most pro Dati comments ever
written by a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>card carrying Charedi
columnist. It should be recognized that way and fully applauded. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I agree with Natan that the original Achdus we experienced
in the immediate aftermath of the October 7<sup>th</sup> massacre is no longer
the same. And for good reason. Mostly over the utter lack of Charedi sacrifice during this war compared with the rest of Israel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But that should not diminish the great change of heart about
the value of the army and the recognition of the sacrifices being made by those who serve in it. Gedalia’s comments and those of other prominent
Charedi journalists testify to that new recognition. It should not be
minimized.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would be remiss, however, if I did not make my own
observation here. Which is that Guttentag’s strong heartfelt words have yet to be uttered by any of the Charedi rabbinic leadership. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, there have been cries about ‘storming the heavens’ asking for
God’s mercy on this war. There has been a lot of prayer and extra Torah study
towards protecting the soldiers. But to the best of my knowledge there has not been a single world of praise from any Charedi leader about the contribution, dedication,, and
inordinate sacrifice being made by the Dati world. The focus has been inward. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s nice to read these unprecedented words of praise
about the Dati world from a Charedi columnist. It is also nice to hear prominent Charedi columnists and politicians changing their tune
about the value of the IDF. But where is the Charedi leadership? Why the silence?</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-1239407973554415622024-03-08T13:23:00.013-06:002024-03-08T16:23:44.514-06:00Germans of WWII and Palestinians of Now<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgic-rv8rowZNw-43NIf8loTyoqjs6r4xkqDI_gpRnWOJ0BHxjeauzgcTgjk3H6MWcQL5x0hPPBzL5NKlPTxw0z_1yDfPAy3VUvExx2Lsafe3clKN0oSGIjOQpdgLkYnU2ZttzSYim9tQzVB38Iq0JVJyoTA2T2IA5Hli83MYZ6ld35ASC45mS3" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1920" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgic-rv8rowZNw-43NIf8loTyoqjs6r4xkqDI_gpRnWOJ0BHxjeauzgcTgjk3H6MWcQL5x0hPPBzL5NKlPTxw0z_1yDfPAy3VUvExx2Lsafe3clKN0oSGIjOQpdgLkYnU2ZttzSYim9tQzVB38Iq0JVJyoTA2T2IA5Hli83MYZ6ld35ASC45mS3" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">WWII era German citizens knew - and did nothing</span></td></tr></tbody></table>What part did the typical German play in the Holocaust? How
many of them were in the army? How many were in the SS? How many were
dirrectly involved in the genocide of 6 million Jews? How many were antisemitic but not participate? How many were just plain apathetic to our fate? And how many tried to
actively save Jews from that fate? <p></p><p>I’m not sure we can know what the exact numbers were. But my guess is that the latter very heroic category was very small. The rest of the German people of that era shares culpability (to one degree or another) for what happened to us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The German attitude of banality towards evil is one of the reasons Hitler was able to
exterminate so many of our people. Evil
triumphs when good men do nothing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would suggest that it wasn’t just apathy. I think they actually bought Hitler’s racial theories about Jews being an inferior race and evil people out to dominate the world. Hitler was surely a hero to the German masses. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Most Germans of that era were not all that unhappy about what was
happening to us. They were not unhappy that their government was doing their dirty
work for them. Not unhappy to occupy Jewish homes from which Nazis extracted us. Not unhappy to receive valuable Jewish possessions looted by their government as they rounded us up and sent us to the ghettos and camps. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">‘The Zone of Interest’
is a movie that illustrated that point. It focused on the family life of a high ranking Nazi officer that
implemented Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Living right next to a death camp at the height of the Nazi mass murder, his family could see the smoke coming from the
crematoria, smell the burning flesh, hear the random gunshots on the other side of the wall separating his family from all that. They knew what was going on but were living quite normal upper middle class lifestyles in a beautiful environment filled with children, relatives, and friends. Right next to where genocide was taking place every day. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The father figure went to work every morning and returned every night for dinner to a loving and happy family. His job was mass murdering
Jews on a daily basis on the other side of the wall. Without any guilt whatsoever. He saw it
as a job - his obligation as a military officer carrying out his duty to his country. </p><p class="MsoNormal">His family was depicted as mildly antisemitic. That Jews were being killed was a phenomenon that didn’t concern them. It had no bearing
on their lives. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If one didn’t know they were living next to a death camp one would see a normal family. But they are
nearly as responsible for the Holocaust as the Nazis that actually perpetrated
it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was probably the attitude of the actual townspeople that lived near the death
camps. They too must have seen the smoke coming out of the crematoria and surely
smelled the burning of human flesh on a daily basis. And yet they went on with
their lives as tough nothing out of the ordinary was happening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Eisenhauer visited one of those death camps immediately
after his troops liberated it, he was aghast at what he saw. He went into those nearby towns and forced the
Germans living there to witness what their country had done. And then forced them all
to bury all the dead bodies strewn all over that camp. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These Germans were not just good people that did nothing. They were evil to the core. True they didn’t personally participate
in the genocide, but it didn’t bother them. And in some cases benefitted from it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How should we
feel about a people that embraces a leader who is openly determined to exterminate us? Many Germans like this were killed as collateral damage by the Allies during the war, should we have sympathy for them? </p><p class="MsoNormal">I sure don’t.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Palestinian indifference to what happened to their Jewish neighbors on
October 7<sup>th</sup> parallels the German indifference to their Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have heard very little if anything from Palestinians about
what Hamas did to us then. Other than cheering every time a Jew gets killed or hurt by
one of the terrorists. Videos
taken by Hamas as they were taking Jewish hostages into Gaza show Palestinians jeering at the hostages as they were being dragged through the streets of Gaza.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t see the difference between the typical German of
WWII and the typical Palestinian of today. They celebrate our misfortune. The greater the
misfortune the more they celebrate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To the best fo my knowledge not a single one of them has
demanded that Hamas release the hostages. All they do is blame Israel for their misfortune
when they must know that had Hamas not attacked us that day. none of thiswould
be happening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If on the other hand they would organize a major demonstration demanding their leaders release the hostages I might feel differently. But they haven’t and they won’t. Not in Gaza, the West Bank or in their protests here. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">30,000 dead human being killed in a war is hardly anything to celebrate. But the truth is that (according to Israeli officials) most of them were
Hamas terrorists and most of rest were the result of being used as human shields. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do have sympathy for those that actually cared about what
happened to us on October 7<sup>th</sup>. But I don’t think too many of them
do. </p><p class="MsoNormal">They are not just good men who do nothing. They are men that celebrate our
downfall. We need not celebrate theirs. But neither should we have any more sympathy for them than we did for the good man of Germany that did nothing in WWII. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yesterday, during his State of the Union address, President
Biden reiterated his deep support of Israel’s war against Hamas. But then he
rebuked Israel for the high number of casualties - speculating that most of them were not members of Hamas. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
then rebuked Israel for not allowing enough humanitarian aid to get
through to Gaza. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I understand his concern. But I’m sure he was equally motivated by the concern that he will lose the progressive left wing vote of his party. They have all been clamoring about the ‘genocide’ going on in Gaza. (There is no
genocide going on in Gaza – even according to the antisemitic UN.) But I have
to wonder if thoughts about just how ’innocent’ they really are - entered his mind? My
guess is that they didn’t.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-49369318184000878362024-03-07T13:05:00.002-06:002024-03-07T15:07:47.371-06:00Fetterman, Netanyahu, Gantz, and the American People<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4yivOtvW_aePVJ63G-cHEm1UjuaUGGYHvbl9qvBBNJ2WX_qRKSkietomOyriMpY9u0XBR9TMKGjVoykSyNps4HSbdzmkI0oOt5R3SPoKFrr9Ux2h5MLubGuXdZN76a8QghiUSifhLsoi7BTxB24863IRoBQ2V-H60xxxhl-TZtn5BaYhMx0Tb" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1320" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4yivOtvW_aePVJ63G-cHEm1UjuaUGGYHvbl9qvBBNJ2WX_qRKSkietomOyriMpY9u0XBR9TMKGjVoykSyNps4HSbdzmkI0oOt5R3SPoKFrr9Ux2h5MLubGuXdZN76a8QghiUSifhLsoi7BTxB24863IRoBQ2V-H60xxxhl-TZtn5BaYhMx0Tb" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pa Democratic Senator John Fetterman</span></td></tr></tbody></table>It’s complicated. If I had to reduce my Centrist ideology (both religious and secular) to a single phrase, that would be it. <p></p><p>The question at hand is how do Americans view Israel and the
Jewish people since the October 7<sup>th</sup> Hamas massacre and the ensuing war
in Gaza. Well… it’s complicated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s important to note that the American people are not a
monolith. Americans are as divided as ever on many important issues. Including
this one.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Until the Gaza war, the vast majority of Americans had
favorable views about Israel and the Jewish people. Increasingly among Republicans and decreasingly among Democrats. But favorable just the same.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But after daily images of
death, destruction, and starvation, resulting from Israel’s defensive actions in
Gaza, the typical American cannot be blamed for being critical of Israel and by
association - the Jewish people that tend to support Israel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But that criticism does not mean they do not support Israel’s goals in this war. A recent poll suggests that they do, even with all the carnage in Gaza they witness every day on TV:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></o:p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p> </o:p>A new <a href="https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/HHP_Jan2024_crosstabs.pdf" target="_blank">Harvard CAPS-Harris poll</a> …found that 80 percent of
respondents said they support Israel over Hamas in the current war.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So in spite of their legitimate concern over the massive number
of Palestinian casualties and sympathy for what surviving Palestinians are
going through, the American people understand the evil that Hamas represents and
supports Israel’s goal to eliminate them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On that score, the President has not withdrawn his support
for Israel’s mission. Despite his calls for Israel to be more careful about
civilian casualties and insistence that Israel open up more corridors for humanitarian
aid, he is still calling for
congress to approve $14.3 billion aid package for Israel’s fight against
Hamas. His ill advised call for 2 state solution at this time did not change his support of Israel’s mission.</p><p class="MsoNormal">And he is not the only Democrat that supports Israel. In fact there is one Democrat whose declared support for Israel is strongest - it would be the former darling of congressional progressives, Pa Senator John Fetterman. His vocal and strident <a href="https://www.jns.org/fetterman-directs-anti-israel-protesters-to-others-were-not-changing/" target="_blank">support</a> for Israel at this juncture rivals that of Republican Nikky Haley: </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Clad in a dark hoodie and shorts and holding a miniature Israeli flag, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) emerges from his office to engage with a small group of anti-Israel protesters. The first thing he does, in <a href="https://twitter.com/safier/status/1764143755408351555">video footage</a> that circulated widely on social media, is direct activists to the offices of colleagues.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“We’re not changing, so there might be more different people that you may want to [be] protesting around,” said the senator, whose speech has been imprecise since a May 2022 stroke. “I’ve been very clear. Very clear.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">On Sunday, Fetterman posted on social media repeatedly about Israel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage. Now, they’re unwilling to provide a list of any surviving hostages,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnFetterman/status/1764351374538502609">wrote</a>. “Hamas is anathema to peace for Gaza. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Demand Hamas to surrender. Demand release every hostage. Demand to seize billions of dollars Hamas stole from Gaza,” he added. “Demand those stolen billions to rebuild Gaza and compensate true victims- Israelis and Palestinians. Demand Hamas eliminated or permanently exiled.”</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">The reaction by these protesters was both predictable and disgusting:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“I’m a Palestinian,” one woman says. Another says to the senator, “That’s an inhumane view.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“I’m a Palestinian. Why can’t you look me in the face?” a woman asks.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“I’m a constituent,” another woman insists.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Pro-genocide is not a view,” a man says as Fetterman walks away, closing the door to his office.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">A woman calls him a coward.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">These protestors make a lot of noise and use the images of Palestinian carnage in Gaza to vilify Israel and the Jewish people. That resonates with some non Palestinian that have chosen to join them in protest. Most of whom are young people that have not done any research on why this is happening. They too see the carnage and blame the ‘the man with the gun’. Without acknowledging that the man with the gun is acting in self defense and that the casualties are the fault of Hamas. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately they are in the minority as are the progressives (deluded Jewish progressives among them) that are calling Israel's defensive war - genocide. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY0GqsPqaIWSl03wLWj27tcVghXFiuh2XX4ly9QEteD3N-lgIxdTRBgKVSTJFYYr3HfGtn8sDAAWC45Up-YryBSm5llzxjqokgwqjJ5tzeg3BOncUElWWyfd6_92i-mQchTIblBIeL3bl7h0k1Ucx2nOWmTsRJcoe-9rxWDve5tU_HwphuGrDp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY0GqsPqaIWSl03wLWj27tcVghXFiuh2XX4ly9QEteD3N-lgIxdTRBgKVSTJFYYr3HfGtn8sDAAWC45Up-YryBSm5llzxjqokgwqjJ5tzeg3BOncUElWWyfd6_92i-mQchTIblBIeL3bl7h0k1Ucx2nOWmTsRJcoe-9rxWDve5tU_HwphuGrDp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Minister Benny Gantz</span></td></tr></tbody></table>There are unfortunately many people both here and in Israel that blame Netanyahu for all the negative PR. Seeing his determination to win the war as little more than a ploy to salvage his political career. And consider his decision to push into Raffah despite US objections - Chutzpah of the highest order. That he is in biting the only hand that feed Israel.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It's time to disabuse people who harbor this notion: It isn't just Netanyahu that wants to take out Hamas in Raffah. It is his chief political rival <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-israel-will-invade-rafah-if-hostages-not-returned-by-ramadan/" target="_blank">Benny Gantz</a> who said the following:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">If hostages held in Gaza are not freed within the next few
weeks, Israel will broaden its offensive in southern Gaza and push into the
city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, war cabinet member Benny Gantz warned on
Sunday.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know — if by
Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere, to
include the Rafah area,” Gantz said. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel has a right to exist. and a right to defend itself
toward that end. They must not allow themselves to be intimated by a small but vocal minority that paints them as virtual Nazis with words like genocide. No matter how much they
try to paint Israel that way, most of the American
people aren’t buying it. </p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-88872994072163979642024-03-06T13:27:00.010-06:002024-03-06T13:48:47.128-06:00Asking a Rabbi for Medical Advice <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIKgmp-Gl-lgyQQiG9N5aL9ZA53ScJ2ovBdYw79z7OkkdEiD4jbrjJIVsdG31cCntuhqoa5KMyRyCA3dZh-KldUqNvjNiJTdfKvNABVWq8brsKBB9oBQw0Vz3k1scxvfsXtdVfSzODBW2mbf6Mlx7bDTq59mUQu_9qzOXLTFs8OFb-r_06LTMR" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIKgmp-Gl-lgyQQiG9N5aL9ZA53ScJ2ovBdYw79z7OkkdEiD4jbrjJIVsdG31cCntuhqoa5KMyRyCA3dZh-KldUqNvjNiJTdfKvNABVWq8brsKBB9oBQw0Vz3k1scxvfsXtdVfSzODBW2mbf6Mlx7bDTq59mUQu_9qzOXLTFs8OFb-r_06LTMR" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, ZTL - a expert in his field</span></td></tr></tbody></table>When facing a medical issue, whose advice should one listen to,
the Rabbi or the doctor? The right answer to anyone with half a brain is the
doctor. Or is it? I don’t think it is
always that simple. </div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.jns.org/when-you-have-a-headache-you-dont-need-to-ask-the-rabbi/" target="_blank">JNS</a> reports about a scholarly study that deals with this question: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">The Torah calls for Jews to listen to religious authorities
and, above almost everything else, to prioritize their health. When the advice
of their rabbis and doctors clash, Haredi Jews navigate the situation in
different ways, but they tend to prioritize the views of their religious
leaders… </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">True, the doctors are the ones with medical knowledge. But prioritizing
their views is not always the right option. </p><p class="MsoNormal">First, no one thinks that simple medical question requires a rabbinic response. As the title of the article says:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">‘When you have a headache, you don’t need to ask’ the rabbi</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, life saving advice should be in the hands of a doctor. No need to ask a rabbi when not taking that advice would lead to death or a deterioration of one’s health. On the other hand elective
surgery is different story. When a number of options are presented to a patient that
would have more or less the same outcome, one of which is preferred by the
doctor - it might be better to consult a rabbi. Halacha does after all have something
to say about medical issues. A doctor’s preference might not be the same as the
Halachic preference.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I recall a case of a friend where the doctor suggested minor surgery to alleviate a sleep apnea problem. It was not a life threatening
situation and the surgery presented minimal risk. My friend was inclined to take his doctor’s advice but
decided to first consult with his rabbi. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After explaining his situation in detail, his rabbi told him
not to get the surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since even the
minimal risk to his health was not worth the gain he would have had by having
the surgery. He listened to his rabbi, turned down the surgery, and chose
another option to deal with his sleep apnea. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I recall another situation where a young freind was advised
by his dentist to undergo a low risk elective procedure (a procedure his
dentist had done effortlessly hundreds of times) that required being placed under
full anesthesia. He died while under anesthesia during the procedure. A rare
occurrence to be sure. But it does happen. Had he asked his rabbi he might have
been told not to do it and still be alive today.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Based on Halacha, I believe most rabbis will almost always advise against
elective procedures even when there is only a minimal risk. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The key of course is knowledge. Any rabbi that dispenses medical
advice without being fully informed is a fraud <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that ought to exposed for the dangerous rabbinic
charlatan that he is. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mental health is another ball game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nature of mental illness is that it is
difficult to treat under the best of conditions. There is no organ failure to
fix or replace. It all about what goes on in the mind. Dealing with mental illness requires therapy,
medication, or both. Psychotherapy is not the same as surgery. It opens up a Pandora’s
box of religious issues to deal with.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s where a rabbi might be the wrong one to consult. I
have heard about rabbis that insist on seeing
only religious mental health professionals. There are of course religious mental health
professionals that are experts in
their fields. But the idea of not seeking the best doctor one can find, opting
instead for a ‘Frum’ doctor of lesser expertise is criminal in my view. Not getting the best available therapy can have disastrous results for the patient. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fear of course is that a doctor who is not a religious Jew might blame a mental disorder on religious observance.
And their kneejerk first advise might be to stop being observant. This is not to say that religious issues can’t be the source
of a mental health issue. But there is a right way to deal with that which should
not automatically mean blaming religion. One has to be careful about doctors that might have an anti religion agenda. But because mental illness is so difficult to
treat, one must first seek the best experts they can find. Not the
Frummest.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-35426676531652127372024-03-05T10:00:00.123-06:002024-03-05T10:00:00.240-06:00Hopeful Signs of Change?<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhugVP_bD8K9kyh34fGbMPX6NnK1rlBzlmPJr5uCySpf71B01cfE33-ay6LiCk3J4RdIlUESUYGEVIHtjSon3p9CjEL85QSV94CP-7bO7tUCi88F18QDG93TA2Xd4VrOFCbxK5zCAerCPt92W8v4KF1k7Ils7wsV_n6Hxqzmp9Zcxrn4wogIMl1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhugVP_bD8K9kyh34fGbMPX6NnK1rlBzlmPJr5uCySpf71B01cfE33-ay6LiCk3J4RdIlUESUYGEVIHtjSon3p9CjEL85QSV94CP-7bO7tUCi88F18QDG93TA2Xd4VrOFCbxK5zCAerCPt92W8v4KF1k7Ils7wsV_n6Hxqzmp9Zcxrn4wogIMl1" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">UTJ leader, MK Yitzhak Goldknopf (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/world/middleeast/israel-haredi-military-service-idf.html?unlocked_article_code=1.aE0.XiiI.JLYRrOfkCS2M&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb" target="_blank">NYT</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>As if on cue, <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2265779/peleg-yerushalmi-shuts-down-bnei-brak-highway-petach-tikva-light-rail-videos-photos.html" target="_blank">this</a> happened:<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Members of the Peleg Yerushalmi took to the streets on
Sunday, protesting over the recent discussions regarding drafting Yeshiva
students into the IDF.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Dozens of protestors, mostly teenaged Bochrim, shut down
Route 4 near the Coca Cola Factory in Bnei Brak. The highway was shut for more
than two hours, and police clashed with the protestors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Additionally, Peleg protestors managed to shut down the
light rail in Petach Tikvah. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wish I could say I’m surprised. But, sadly, I’m not. These protesters are unmoved by the fact that people
their own age are dying so they can keep learning full time in Yeshivas. That is a function of their quasi religious indoctrination that places no value on their country or the people that serve it. And yet this is a way of life in certain Charedi circles in Israel. It isn't the first time this has happened and
it won’t be the last. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The question arises about whether this faction represents the mainstream of the Charedi world - or are they just black hatted hoodlums with too much time on their hands. I don’t think they are either. They are just victims of a intransigent mentor (the late R’ Shmuel Auerbach) who has lead them astray with inauthentic (in my view) religious dogma.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although the divisiveness in the Charedi world over the issue
of the draft is not new, it has taken on new meaning since the war against Hamas began. Differences between Charedi leaders are being now being crystalized by these events.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had a taste of one side of this issue when an elderly highly respected Rosh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak opined about the ‘Chilul HaShem’ of expressing appreciation to the IDF. His point being that the only thing that matters with
respect to succeeding in this war was time spent on Torah
study. Not doing favors for soldiers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That kind of thinking is obviously alive and well in
places like Bnei Brak. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But as noted here recently there is something in the air
that is changing the way mainstream Charedim
are looking at the IDF. It took a shock of monumental proportion to do
that but it’s happening. The <i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/world/middleeast/israel-haredi-military-service-idf.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a></i> reports the following: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">In a neighborhood of Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox Jewish
residents cheered a soldier returning from military service. At a religious
seminary, similarly devout students gathered to hear an officer talk about his
military duties. And at a synagogue attended by some of the most observant Jews
in the country, members devoted a Torah scroll in memory of a soldier slain in
Gaza. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This kind of thing was rare if it happened at all in these communities. Animosity to the army was de rigueur in virtually all Charedi circles.
Perhaps not as stridently expressed that did the Peleg Yerushalmi protestors. But their
antipathy towards the IDF was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pretty
much the same.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But the unity that took place after October 7<sup>th </sup> has not
entirely warn off - as the Times suggests:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Nearly 30 percent of the Haredi public now supports
conscription, 20 points higher than before the war, according to a poll
conducted in December by the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs, a
Jerusalem-based research group. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said their
sense of shared destiny with other Israelis had intensified since the Oct. 7
attacks.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Secular and Charedi Jews realized that they were all in the same precarious
boat. The Charedi world now understands that the IDF is not simply a agent
of social change. It is a vital part of their safety net. Without which
there could easily be another Holocaust.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In some cases Charedim are reconsidering their ‘roles in the nation’s fabric’. That helps explains some of the Charedi enlistments in the early stages of the war. Unfortunately as of yet, there has not been nearly enough of them to assuage the increased resentment against Charedim for not serving. Sparing them the trauma of
war while the rest of the country suffers it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What about the Charedi leadership? Do any of them share this
new awareness and appreciation for the IDF? Will they now rethink their stridently anti
IDF attitude?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well we know how at least the above mentioned elderly Rosh
Yeshiva feels about it. Is he a lone wolf? Unfortunately he is not:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“The way to help is to study Torah,” (Poenvezh Rosh Yeshiva)
Meir Zvi Bergman, one of the most revered rabbis in Israel, said during a rare
audience with journalists from The New York Times. “No one can give up on the
Torah,” he added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">To show how Rabbi Bergman reflected mainstream Haredi
opinion, a Haredi commentator took us to meet boys from a nearby school.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“How are we going to win the war?” the commentator, Bezalel
Stauber, asked. “With guns?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Not with guns,” one boy replied.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“With what, then?” Mr. Stauber asked.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Just with prayer,” another boy shot back.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“So where are we going to get our soldiers from?” Mr.
Stauber said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“If all the soldiers studied Torah, we wouldn’t need an
army,” the boy replied. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Has nothing changed in the upper echelons of the Yeshiva
world? I can’t say for sure but at least one hardline Charedi politician seems to be bucking
that trend: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Yitzhak Goldknopf is a Haredi government minister and the
leader of Israel’s second-largest Haredi political alliance. In his government
office, Mr. Goldknopf sat surrounded by images of the hostages, many of whom
are young women. It was a striking juxtaposition in a society where pictures of
women, even in advertisements, are often omitted for fear of upsetting
ultraconservative sensibilities…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Mr. Goldknopf broke the rules of the Jewish Sabbath for the
first time on Oct. 7, he said, when he was summoned from synagogue for an
urgent cabinet meeting. It was also the first time he had been to Israel’s
military headquarters. As the officials viewed early images of the carnage, Mr.
Goldknopf recalled, a fellow cabinet minister broke down in tears.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“It changed me a great deal,” Mr. Goldknopf said..</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Now, Mr. Goldknopf is prepared to concede that some Haredim
can join the army — the ones who aren’t likely to make it as Torah scholars.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">“Those who won’t study should go,” he said. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I never would have expected to hear that from MK Goldknopf. Does
this foreshadow an eventual change in policy? I hope so. But I guess we’ll have
to wait and see.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-75853741126261086172024-03-04T10:23:00.008-06:002024-03-04T14:08:02.386-06:00Elitism and Insularity is Not Judaism<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvauNFn8ZRUR576f9235Utemi4MI_N2JipiSUq44tS26y0RVn2Q5Cdpr_BITLRR8PKpRNJ3KUAq9CSO59ynuW9i44T6l0nQZc19P3q3NZETiYB0S1IX9X9BXffOgp-QMZdR91MwJOZpcuDrFQb1XCsGaMKnCWU584GxRe-6Xvjet9IevWrBPEA" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="523" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvauNFn8ZRUR576f9235Utemi4MI_N2JipiSUq44tS26y0RVn2Q5Cdpr_BITLRR8PKpRNJ3KUAq9CSO59ynuW9i44T6l0nQZc19P3q3NZETiYB0S1IX9X9BXffOgp-QMZdR91MwJOZpcuDrFQb1XCsGaMKnCWU584GxRe-6Xvjet9IevWrBPEA" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image for illustration purposes only</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The intensity of my constant focus on the war is getting to
me. I have been talking about little else since it began shortly after Hamas
attacked Israel last October. Although I am surely nowhere near as worried as
the people of Israel who are directly feeling the impact of the war –
especially those with close family members fighting in Gaza - or worse have lost loved ones in battle, I am human. I need
to decompress. So I am going to talk about another problem that plagues the world
of Orthodox Jewry: The madness of post high school seminaries in Israel for girls. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am not here to bad mouth the concept. Taking a year or two
to study in Israel can be a very uplifting experience that will impact one’s
thinking for the rest of their lives. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a column in Mishpacha called ‘Double Take’. (Not available online.) I believe this column presents fictional stories about various and typical problems
facing Charedi families. In last week’s column, there was a story about
a mother of a young 12<sup>th</sup> grader applying to a few
seminaries, with one particular one heavily favored by her. This young lady was
everything one would want in a seminary student. She was a bright religious young
woman with top grades, well adjusted and
having the typical values one would expect to find in that world. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While all of her friends were accepted she was rejected. It
turns out that she had a ‘glitch’ in her trek toward the pristine reputation
she now enjoyed. Upon entering 9<sup>th</sup> grade she found herself not interested in
school and feeling alienated from her new student body. As such her grades
started slipping and sought outside interests that were not in concert with her
community’s values. She was not OTD at all. But she started using technology on
the sly and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after school, started hanging
out with some of her old friends from elementary school her that were perhaps on
their way to going OTD.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Long story short, a compassionate and understanding 12<sup>th</sup> grade teacher who was known to
easily relate to teenagers and their problems was asked to intercede. She succeeded
in straightening this 9<sup>th</sup> grader out… leading her back to the ‘straight
and narrow’ path of the Charedi world. Never losing a beat except for that short
interval. The schools administration and her teachers never aware of any of
that ‘glitch’.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why was she rejected? Apparently that 12<sup>th</sup> grade
teacher was the cause. She was the contact person for seminaries seeking to
evaluate students for admission. She was asked by the seminary head whether
there was anything about this young lady’s past that was even remotely
questionable. She responded by telling her everything. That ‘killed the deal’
for that young student. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My initial impression of her as a hero quickly deteriorated
into an impression of a vilain. How could a woman so kind and helpful to a young
person turn on her so drastically?! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But then I read her side of the story. Which explained that when the seminary head contacted her about that student she argued strongly for her to be accepted. She could not sing her
praises enough, Considering her intelligence, good grades, excellent character, reputation, and pristine values. But when the seminary head kept pressing about ‘anything’
that might give them pause, she was forced to reveal that short rough patch. Lying
about it by saying that nothing happened would have ruined her reputation as a
reliable source of information about seminary applicants from her school.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are always 2 sides to every story. In this case neither
side was the villain. However, both were in fact victims of the malaise of elitism
that permeates the world of seminaries. (Which mirrors the elitism of Charedi Yeshiva
high schools and Beis Yaakovs.) The real villain here is the seminary head who
refused to take a wonderful young woman for fear that she might taint the other
students with her ‘sordid’ past influenced by her old friends. Even though her
contact with them was at most very minimal by now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t condemn that kind of thinking enough. The seminary
head in this story exemplifies a Hashkafa that believes the road to heaven is paved with as much insularity
as possible. Even a hint of possible contact with the outside world is a slippery
slope to hell. She wants only the ‘highest caliber’ girl with absolutely no ‘baggage’
in that regard. In other words clones of the Charedi prototype that eschews the
outside world to the max. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my view, even though she doesn’t realize it now, this young woman will
be far better off by not being subjected to such an insular indoctrination. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is there any wonder why there is a Shidduch crisis in the
Charedi world? When perfection is seen as the only option it includes seeking perfection in a mate. That is the only thing they will accept in a
husband. And such young men can only be found in a ‘Lakewood’ environment. How many perfect
young men are there in Lakewood anyway? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I know a few young women that will only date ‘Lakewood’
boys. Non Lakewood boys aren’t even suggested to them. You could not pay them
enough to date a non ‘Lakewood’ boy. And these young women aren’t getting any younger
as they continue to refuse dating anyone else no matter how religious or learned they
are. Which means that they aren’t dating
as much as they used to and getting older by the minute. In ‘Charedi years’ a 23
year old young woman is considered past her prime.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the fault of a seminary system that works exceedingly
hard to indoctrinate their young students to think in this elitist and insular way. If I could, I’d shut them all down.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-53643006015455102602024-03-03T11:18:00.014-06:002024-03-03T14:12:17.087-06:00Charedim and the Army - Is Compromise Possible?<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5GnGCkAvYHHEAnxL6q5IUj8Zck0Gi4vHz5q2gYZGGpLV2QcrSyY666zymk0u5IrBbHg82ZoCc3fbsGS4h74Je5ddXUoAsw8ssynR6Gn9c3yklFWWCe0a-smN56Xe8wQT32IQ4Mi4yarkVXTLgLnmZbdsDjMspKXayKevtGekYA9_iOyMQCyw_" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5GnGCkAvYHHEAnxL6q5IUj8Zck0Gi4vHz5q2gYZGGpLV2QcrSyY666zymk0u5IrBbHg82ZoCc3fbsGS4h74Je5ddXUoAsw8ssynR6Gn9c3yklFWWCe0a-smN56Xe8wQT32IQ4Mi4yarkVXTLgLnmZbdsDjMspKXayKevtGekYA9_iOyMQCyw_" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Charedim at a recruitment center at the start of the war (<a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/my-call-to-arms-to-haredim/" target="_blank">TOI</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Can an irresistible force overcome an immovable object? That
seems to be pretty much the situation with respect to the Charedi world and army service.
The history of this conflict began in an almost benign and acceptable way to
both sides. <p></p><p>When Israel was founded it needed a citizen/soldier army where everyone is subjected to the draft. Charedim needed to maintain their mission of full time Torah study as an essential component of our existence as a Godly nation. A compromise was reached whereby those who study Torah full time would be exempt. At the time there were about 400 or so exemptions.</p><p>Since then those numbers have exploded. There are now over 100,000 young Charedim exempted from army service. Making it a source of massive discontent
on both sides. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have long ago shared my concerns over the grossly unfair policy of wholesale exemption for this now large community. When army service entails the very real possibility of combat
with implacable mortal enemies, dying in combat becomes a very real possibility. There is
no way to justify one segment being required to take that risk while the other is
not. </p><p class="MsoNormal">As recently noted here this situation has taken on increased urgency since the war in Gaza began. There is a manpower shortage in the army that is being addressed by the extension of the time each solider must
serve. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Israeli public whose sons and daughters are
serving and dying is understandably more upset
than ever about Charedi exemptions. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That (as also noted here recently) has generated unprecedented soul searching
among prominent Charedi commentators and columnists. They are now openly saying that the hard core Charedi resistance to the draft needs to be re-evaluated. They recognize
the injustice of how things stand now. And that the obvious pool of now exempt Charedim would be
able to fill that need..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 75.75pt;">In response to the manpower shortage 2 former top Israeli generals, Benny Gantz (who could very well
be the next prime minister of Israel) and Gadi Eisenkot are now calling for Charedim to drafted. Even Netanyahu (who is beholden the Charedi parties) has publicly suggested
that the paradigm must change. (More about that later.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 75.75pt;">The $64<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>question is what will the Charedi leadership response to this be. Will they continue massive resistance to the draft? Or will they be
willing to finally compromise and allow their community to be subjected to some
form of the draft?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 75.75pt;">My initial inclination is
that they will try and fight it with everything they have. Massive
protests will ensue. The Charedi parties will bolt the ruling coalition and new elections will be called. Recall that they submitted a bill that would equate Torah study with army
service thereby codifying that exemption into the law forever. (The justification for this attitude has been discussed here ad infinitum and is beyond the scope of this post.) They quickly withdrew it because of the massive anti government protests generated by
the government attempt to reform the judiciary.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 75.75pt;">On the other hand, maybe they will
see the wisdom of modifying their position to prevent an even worse scenario that
bringing down the government would usher in. There is little doubt that the proposal by Gantz does will not sit well with the Charedi leadership - to say the least.
On the other hand their continued strong opposition to army service for their young does not sit well with
the majority of Israelis. Including (and perhaps especially) the national religious whose are serving and whose percentage of dying for their country exceeds their percentage of the population While not a drop of Charedi blood is being spilled in combat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 75.75pt;">This situation cannot stand. And maybe that is
what an <a href="https://mishpacha.com/bridging-the-gap-2/" target="_blank">emergency meeting</a> between leaders of ‘warring’ Charedi factions was all about: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">(The war) is driving an issue so
large that it eclipses minor difference over municipal elections. The issue of
draft deferrals for yeshivah students has accompanied Israel since its
inception, and the fate of several governments has hinged on it over the past
few decades… </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">The dramatic change in the army’s perception was reflected
in a recent statement by IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on the need to draft
chareidim. Even Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich, who always trod
carefully on the matter, changed his tune and declared that the current
situation can’t continue... </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">There’s no need to explain the importance and value of
preserving the status of Torah learners to chareidi readers. But it’s harder to
explain that to a mother who sends her son to Gaza and is fed by a hostile
media. Especially in light of the fact that even within the right-wing bloc,
some voices are now demanding a new approach…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">They can't afford to let the matter drop until a creative
solution is found to one of the worst crises the community has ever faced. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In light of this new set of circumstances, and a little bit
of soul searching maybe there is a chance for compromise where both sides will
get some of what they want. Which could help solve the IDF’s manpower shortage.
A solution along the lines I have suggested may be in the offing. A solution that entails exemptions for a substantial number of Charedim while requiring a substantial number to serve. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I believe the Prime Minister suggested a <a href="https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2265135/netanyahu-wades-into-charedi-draft-debate-unveils-plan-to-increase-their-idf-enlistment.html" target="_blank">solution</a> along these
lines: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“a consensual arrangement under which more Charedim will
carry out military service,” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">…Noting the contribution of Charedi, who learn Torah and
volunteer in emergency rescue services at far higher rates than the rest of the
country… </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“One cannot ignore what the public widely sees as the discrepancy
in the division of the burden,” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Anyone who wants absolute agreement won’t get any
agreement,” </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think that’s right. What they will get instead is a new election
in the middle of a war. That is never a good idea. It would detract from
Israel’s existential mission to destroy the Hamas threat. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Will it benefit Netanyahu? Yes. In
the short term it will keep him in office by preventing a government collapse.
But that doesn’t mean his idea is a bad idea. I think it is a good idea to find
a compromise that works even if it does give him an advantage. Israel needs more
able bodied soldiers. The Charedi world wants a substantial number of their
young to continue their uninterrupted Torah studies. </p><p class="MsoNormal">This makes it a win/win for
everyone. Doesn’t it?</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-57735795818573057362024-03-01T11:45:00.002-06:002024-03-01T15:36:47.597-06:00As Things Stand Now<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfqPRkvRUWu4ouMgF4L1b7kFUdeKA0QkpjT0YyB4ZqhEQRIa_xlX0kS8GPe0xF0t4EsmmE3SIQNZ_vVeblK-2DiTHEtH-aGpykegpGXg3B8zn2-9087k40adVP9Hja1lVN0BlCVNsM__QpokCkJk87JKlhLz7RHEg0hNvv53B9O-gGatM8GjjC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfqPRkvRUWu4ouMgF4L1b7kFUdeKA0QkpjT0YyB4ZqhEQRIa_xlX0kS8GPe0xF0t4EsmmE3SIQNZ_vVeblK-2DiTHEtH-aGpykegpGXg3B8zn2-9087k40adVP9Hja1lVN0BlCVNsM__QpokCkJk87JKlhLz7RHEg0hNvv53B9O-gGatM8GjjC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The UN Security Council (<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-blocks-security-council-motion-blaming-israel-for-deadly-gaza-aid-convoy-incident/" target="_blank">TOI</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The images of war are working against us. No matter how much
we try and explain why we are not at fault. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The latest of these images came today. Scenes of
Palestinians bleeding in hospitals from gunshot wounds purportedly at the hands of IDF were
all over the mainstream media this morning. With Palestinian claims that over a hundred Palestinians
were killed by Israeli bullets. It happened early this morning when hungry
Palestinian refugees gathered around a food truck trying to get some food to
feed their families.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To be fair, the media reported both versions of what
happened. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Hamas claimed the casualties were all from the IDF firing indiscriminately
into the crowd. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The IDF said that a group of Palestinians were advancing toward
them and after being told to retreat, they kept going forward. That was seen as
a threat to soldiers security and they were fired upon to disperse them. Panic
ensued and the crowd started fleeing. The casualties were the
result of being trampled.</p><p class="MsoNormal">To its credit, the US <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-blocks-security-council-motion-blaming-israel-for-deadly-gaza-aid-convoy-incident/" target="_blank">blocked</a> a UN Security Council motion that accepted the Hamas version blaming Israel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The images themselves did not corroborate either
version. But images of bleeding and suffering combined with claims by Palestinians and their doctors in Gaza corroborated the Hamas version of events. That makes it difficult to have sympathy for Israel’s
version. Even if their version is the more accurate one.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This has been the problem all along. I do not believe for a
minute that the IDF would indiscriminately fire upon a crowd of starving people
that were just trying to get some food off of a food truck. Jews are not Nazis! I therefore tend to believe the IDF version. But to the casual observer its virtually impossible to not feel sympathy for the months long constant suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. The public will therefore be more inclined to believe the Hamas version.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scenes like
this have permeated the media since the war began. Which can easily explain why Israel is losing
public support. Even from among fair minded Americans that know what happened on
October 7<sup>th</sup> and had expressed tremendous sympathy for Israel - and all of the
Jewish people. But now after over 4 months of daily images of Palestinian suffering their sympathy has moved away from Israel and toward Palestinians.. Making it quite understandable why cease fire is gaining more traction from the American people. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The counter claim by supporters of Israel that they are merely
defending itself against the Hamas determination to do it again and again until
they restore Palestine to its ‘rightful’ Muslim owners - is therefore falling on deaf ears.
A public that keeps seeing all that Palestinian bloodshed and suffering is having its impact. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Making matters even worse is that the families of the hostages
want to see a cease fire too. They want their loved ones back and if a cease
fire is the way to do that, that is what they will demand. And as things stand
now that is what they believe.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now Israel is poised to attack Raffa, which is where Palestinian refuges have gone to escape earlier IDF attacks. There is near
universal concern by the nations of the world - including the US - that this would be a catastrophe of immense proportion. With an unprecedented number of increased casualties and an actual famine.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t see how Israel can be seen in a worse light than it is right
now. The world has forgotten how we got here. And why Israel has no choice but to
finish the job of destroying the capability of Hamas to ever commit Nazilike
atrocities to the Jewish people again. It doesn’t matter how may times we
try to explain it, the images of Palestinian suffering overwhelm those arguments.
Legitimate though they are.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even as it has been critical of the high number of
casualties in Gaza and expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis, the
Biden administration understands what is at stake and still supports Israel’s
goals. For that we should be grateful in
spite of his wrong-headed push for Israel to declare a clear path towards
an eventual Palestinian state.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my view, Israel has no choice but to finish the job. They
cannot allow themselves to be swayed by the terrible optics constantly being
broadcast every day that has influenced public sympathy away from them towards Palestinians. I just hope they can do it quickly and with as few casualties (both Israeli and
Palestinian) as possible. </p><p class="MsoNormal">What about the US demand
that Israel embrace the 2 state solution after the war? They can cross that bridge
when they come to it.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-12036202092997849322024-02-29T11:15:00.005-06:002024-03-01T05:05:00.504-06:00Jews in America<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFABJ4-togdrtnLKmGEwa8XuFL0DFSLXc2NW8GcqnzmMO0qCeDkwwxXyn6Yj5CS3cLxNlSjpVpmSel34wDH7aAgXsiiNTtpK8E_eQZm9Qx2xVkzNxrAK9McOdNxyrEpmrzP31eG93I76sWcNB52vrrNw6CyQe2tpjFZ_0fY1omcIVTUkNGUVjo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="789" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFABJ4-togdrtnLKmGEwa8XuFL0DFSLXc2NW8GcqnzmMO0qCeDkwwxXyn6Yj5CS3cLxNlSjpVpmSel34wDH7aAgXsiiNTtpK8E_eQZm9Qx2xVkzNxrAK9McOdNxyrEpmrzP31eG93I76sWcNB52vrrNw6CyQe2tpjFZ_0fY1omcIVTUkNGUVjo" width="320" /></a></div>Hard to believe that he used to babysit my granddaughter
when he and my son in law were students at YU. And it’s even harder to believe that we used
to have lively conversations with respect to politics and religion at Yeshivas Brisk
where his grandfather, Rav Ahron, was the Rosh HaYeshiva. (If I recall
correctly we agreed on just about everything.) But it’s true. Although I have
not spoken to Meir Yaakov Soloveichik in many years I am proud to say ‘I knew
him when…’<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meir Soloveichik (for some reason he dropped his middle name ‘Yaakov’)
just hit another home run in the area of intellectual discourse with respect to
the place of Jews in America. In a rather lengthy article in the <i><a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2024/04/what-jews-mean-to-america/" target="_blank">National Review,</a></i> he concludes that despite the current increase in antisemitism our place in this magnificent country is unlike our
place in any other country at any other time in Jewish history. In a very significant
and positive way. And once again, I could not agree more.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His discourse is replete with sources and anecdotes about our historical status among the
nations of the world where we were found; how those nations saw us; how they treated
us; and why. Comparing them all to how
our founding fathers saw us and treated us. The contrasts could not be more
stark. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His thesis is rooted in theology which is suggested by the
following: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #4c1130;">“Some people like Jews, and some do not.” With these words
Winston Churchill once divided humanity into two categories. Churchill cited
Benjamin Disraeli as having said that “the Lord deals with the nations as the
nations deal with the Jews.” Churchill concluded, “We must admit that nothing
that has since happened in the history of the world has falsified the truth of
Disraeli’s confident assertion.”</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How true. If one thinks of how the Jews were mistreated by all
the great and once powerful civilizations that populated the globe and are now
extinct while we still live on, Disraeli’s words have surely been vindicated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is in our DNA. Throughout history we have been persecuted by our host country, if not at first
then eventually. That, says Meir, is based on a national theology that saw us as infidels
or deniers of their religious doctrines. Europe which was once guided by
Christian theology was particularly guilty of this in a variety of ways. Some better.
Some worse. But all bad . That resulted in persecution to one degree of
another: </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">(<span style="color: #20124d;">When) Christendom began to emerge, the question of Jewish
endurance became particularly perplexing. The
church understood itself as the new Israel, with the biblical promises to God’s
chosen made manifest in its own success; yet Jews undeniably remained… Augustine
of Hippo put it plainly: “Jews are not admitted into their city (Jerusalem),
and yet Jews there are.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">For Augustine, Jewish endurance was an eternal testament to
the truth of Christianity. As deniers of the gospel, they were to be denied
access to Jerusalem and to political restoration; but, just as Cain in Genesis
was exiled by the Almighty but also protected by Him, Christians were forbidden
to harm Jews so that Jewish powerlessness would eternally testify to the
gospel. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Augustine considered Jews a protected class but clearly not equal to Christians.<span style="color: #20124d;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">As Meir notes, this spiritual protection did not last. Over
the next millennium Jews were massacred and otherwise subjected to a variety of
tortures and blood libels. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s not only because of their role of moneylenders - forced
upon them by denying them entry into other professions. True that bred a terrible resentment. But there was a theological component as well that is an even more potent explanation for our persecution: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">The great early-20th-century Jewish thinker Franz Rosenzweig
described this phenomenon: “Just as every individual must reckon with his
eventual death, the peoples of the world foresee their eventual extinction, be
it however distant in time… But in Jews, Rosenzweig writes, a nation is given a
reminder that there is one people that is not like theirs…” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Jew-hate is rooted in resentment of this undeniable fact of
history… the Jew became a mirror reminding it of its finitude. The result was
rage, what the Jewish columnist Jonathan Rosenblum has called “eternity envy.”</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">The Christian writer Robert Nicholson has correctly
conjectured that the disease of antisemitism “almost always grows from a
resentment of ‘chosenness’… This hatred, he argues, becomes a “grand anti-myth
that turns Jewish chosenness on its head and assigns to the people of Israel
responsibility for all the world’s ills.”</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This of course did not end well for us in the 20<sup>th </sup>century when Hitler came into power.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately violent antisemitism has not gone
away - as October 7<sup>th</sup> has so painfully demonstrated. Which is reflected in this country by way of the recent anti Israel protests. But that sad phenomenon does not reflect the ethos of America whose founding fathers saw us as a blessing that
protects America.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Europe was once guided by religious ideals that were used to
persecute us. They have been replaced by values that
are in may ways anathematic to the religious values that defined them. Christendom has changed its original animus against us into friendship But Europe has abandoned its Christian underpinnings in favor of a Godless humanitarian philosophy that sees any
religion as at best irrelevant if not downright evil.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not so America. Whose founding principles valued religious
principles based on the Hebrew bible:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">On July 4, 1776, a committee comprising John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson was created by the Continental Congress
and charged with developing a seal and symbol of the nascent United States.
These Founders suggested an image of Moses and Pharaoh at the splitting of the
sea, along with a motto: “Rebellion to tyrants, obedience to God.” The suggestion,
ultimately not adopted, reflected not these men’s devout religiosity but their
deep understanding of American culture and the place of the Hebrew Bible within
it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">The scriptural connection lies at the heart of the American
vision… </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit;">Democracy rests on the sense that, as first stated in Genesis,
“both man and woman [are] equally made in God’s image.” Only a notion of rights
derived from the Creator was believed to be sustainable — which is why John
Adams, looking with horror across the ocean at the godless revolution fought in
France, predicted the tyranny that would result…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit;">America looked to the Jewish story as an indication of divine
blessing, and therefore as a source of inspiration for the sort of country
America was called to be.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: inherit;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is, however, a competing influence that has abandoned that wisdom. That is where the current anti Israel protests reside. It is no coincidence that 3 presidents of major universities had
tepid responses to the rise of antisemtism on their campuses. Their values are not the values upon which this country was founded.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The country is divided between those who still place high value
on religious principles and those that do not. Those who value religious principles
are currently the ones who are most supportive of Israel and – as demonstrated
at the hearing by those 3 college presidents. Those who value their Christian principles are the ones that were the most condemning of their responses.</p><p class="MsoNormal">There is so much more to Meri Soloveichik’s article. There
is no way I can do it justice in this short (but longer than usual) post. Please take the time to read it. I
challenge anyone to that does to make any argument against it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Which philosophy will win the day in this country? I don’t know. But America beware. As Disraeli said <span style="color: #4c1130;">“the Lord deals with the nations as the nations deal with the Jews.” </span></p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-7387287093827906202024-02-28T09:48:00.011-06:002024-02-28T12:27:52.805-06:00Jared Kushner's Well Deserved Honor<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXZ4LDqQKI1KKbdvSQvfUSbWLf7-ABAuQw2zDOqDx5xCEFO-4q8P1LxtD-q_GihF6dzCbB6OU8Jaz0jIwYhkXnCOoyBdY26j_EMS9tkBLR3PFbS7_oNCWUIAgl69jTaj5TCqQ1cB_Ak3GdkdQ9QohBqRIRLniArHgjmi29Ou-le1WRtjaAeD2r" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXZ4LDqQKI1KKbdvSQvfUSbWLf7-ABAuQw2zDOqDx5xCEFO-4q8P1LxtD-q_GihF6dzCbB6OU8Jaz0jIwYhkXnCOoyBdY26j_EMS9tkBLR3PFbS7_oNCWUIAgl69jTaj5TCqQ1cB_Ak3GdkdQ9QohBqRIRLniArHgjmi29Ou-le1WRtjaAeD2r" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">NOT...Jared Kushner (<a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Barbie-Fairytale-Ken-Groom-Doll-In-Wedding-Tuxedo-with-Pink-Bowtie/168579921" target="_blank">Walmart</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>When a former member of the Obama administration honors a
former top member of the Trump administration… that gets my attention. Is that
even possible? <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not only is it possible, it’s <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/2024-02-27/ty-article/adl-to-honor-jared-kushner-for-israel-work-calling-it-pivotal-for-hostage-negotiations/0000018d-eb93-d401-a3dd-eb9b059a0000" target="_blank">happening</a>: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">The Anti-Defamation League will deliver an award to Jared
Kushner for his diplomatic work related to Israel at its annual conference next
month in New York City.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Kushner, the son-in-law of former president Donald Trump —
the presumptive Republican nominee for president — served as a senior adviser
in Trump's White House where he was charged with solving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">The ADL is honoring Kushner for his "vital and deeply
impactful work on the <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-08-18/ty-article/.premium/israels-dirty-war-the-abraham-accords-dark-side-and-why-the-saudis-want-to-join/0000018a-03ad-dfb4-a5cf-efbfcab80000">Abraham
Accords</a>," which normalized relations between Israel and several Middle
Eastern countries including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">He also championed the decision to move the American embassy
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">A spokesperson for the ADL said that Kushner's previous
diplomatic work was "pivotal for hostage release and an end to the
conflict post October 7th terrorist attack."</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s pretty good for a guy who has the intelligence of a ‘Ken
doll’. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Except that he doesn’t. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had to laugh a little bit when I saw this story because of the
constant mocking Kushner gets from the left. While I have to admit that he does kind
of look like a ‘Ken doll’ he is clearly a lot more intelligent and capable than that look implies. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But dollars to donuts, I can almost guarantee that his
detractors will come out of the woodwork and insist that this award proves
nothing. That the ‘achievements’ he is being honored for are undeserved.
That credit - if any - is due to others. That Kushner was at best a front man that used his nefarious connection to Arab
despots to facilitate a deal he does not have the intelligence to
originate or execute.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In making their assessment of Kushner’s intelligence they have
said it was ‘daddy’s money’ that got him
into Harvard. They will cite anecdotal evidence
from former classmates that his academic performance was mediocre at best. (Not that they didn’t have any bias against him because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.. Nooooo! They insist he is as dumb as a doorknob. They just
know it!)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is obvious to Kushner’s detractors (who are mostly on the left)
that whatever he is given credit for he either did not earn - and/or his accomplishments are at most
overrated if not entirely meaningless.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have heard it all before. And I’m sure I will hear it
again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But anyone with an unjaundiced eye will see what the ADL
sees: a realistic picture of Kushner’s considerable accomplishments. He was not just a
figurehead with connections. He is a man of unprecedented achievements in the
Middle East. Which bore fruit with respect to hostages being released through
the efforts of Qatar, an Arab nation that has maintained a relationship Israel since 2009. A relationship bolstered by the Abraham accords. And continues to bear fruit with Qatar continuing to mediate between Hamas and Israel - trying to work out a deal
for the rest of the hostages.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The ADL knows this. That’s why they are honoring
him. Considering how left wing
the ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenbaltt is, that says a lot. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I believe that despite their
antipathy for the rich, Kushner’s mostly left wing detractors should take note; admit their bias; and finally give him the recognition he deserves instead of
doubling down about how dumb, dishonest, and inept he is.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just sayin’</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-4230927941131609542024-02-27T11:56:00.016-06:002024-02-28T04:51:01.112-06:00The Growing Divide Among Religious Jews<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt9o1GM0YW3IXpfsk2JaUxEzct4nTeriQrDi03gg4htmeRZ26ZYjjeAGhmZ6sJVc-_9QyoIRKBGkFYjshiIU7vuZhFrYpPXl4pLAcGT_SOC7Yv1Yx8_k4ccSaqmtNwjYgFsltbEq6gGQ5P_CxXoTrU7LUEqz0j-oDAGLOiEVv4O5HTY5NYN5E8" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt9o1GM0YW3IXpfsk2JaUxEzct4nTeriQrDi03gg4htmeRZ26ZYjjeAGhmZ6sJVc-_9QyoIRKBGkFYjshiIU7vuZhFrYpPXl4pLAcGT_SOC7Yv1Yx8_k4ccSaqmtNwjYgFsltbEq6gGQ5P_CxXoTrU7LUEqz0j-oDAGLOiEVv4O5HTY5NYN5E8" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Massive Charedi anti draft protest in 2014 (<a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/ultra-orthodox-jews-stage-mass-protest-against-israeli-draft-law/1862512.html" target="_blank">VOA</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>A few weeks ago, one of the Charedi magazines had a story
about the genuine concern many Charedi leaders have for welfare of soldiers
serving uin the IDFat this time of war. If I recall correctly one particularly
caring Charedi Rosh Yeshiva said that even though the Charedi world davening
for the safety of the soldiers it is not doing enough. He said what we must do is ‘storm the heavens’!<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although I’m sure his words came straight from the heart, I
was disappointed. Not that storming the heavens is a bad idea. Sincere heartfelt prayer is always a
good idea in times of trouble. But storming the heavens alone does not entail
any risk to ones life and limb. Which is what IDF soldiers are doing and this
Rosh Yeshiva’s students are not doing. Had he instead urged his students to
close their Gemarahs and march straight to the recruitment offices, I would had
an enormous amount of respect and admiration for the courage to suggest his students violate the long held Charedi policy that rejects army service for religious reasons. But he didn’t do that. And although his concerns are real and deep, he missed the mark.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A religious parent contacted me today with his own heartfelt
feelings about this issue. He has a child serving on the Gaza front. He
apprised me about the growing divide in Israel. Not between secular and religious Jews. But among religious Jews themselves. A divide that seems to be reaching a boiling point. </p><p class="MsoNormal">While it was nice to see unity at the outset of the war with the Charedi world now praising rather than cursing the IDF, that unity has quickly deteriorated into resentment by the families of those who serve and the Charedi world that - with minuscule exceptions - does not.</p><p class="MsoNormal">There is little that distresses me about the religious world more than that. What unites us
(Mitzvah observance) should be far greater than what divides us. But when one segment
of religious Jewry is asked to put their lives on the line while another segment
is exempt it becomes entirely understandable why this is happening. That one side lets other people do the
fighting and dying while the other side gets to live their lives without fear of dying in battle is an increasing bone of contention. </p><p class="MsoNormal">That should not be surprising since the parents of one side can barely sleep at night worrying whether their sons or daughters will ever be coming home - while the other gets to live their lives with minimal
if any interruption. other than reciting a few extra prayers at the end of their 3 daily prayer services. While they might feel genuine concern for the welfare of soldiers – as did the abovementioned Rosh Yeshiva - the parents of those serving cannot help
but feel resentment that their children are risking their live while the
Charedi parents don’t even have to think about it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The resentment is as much for the Charedi reasons for not serving as it does for the fact that they don’t serve. That they claim a
religious exemption is insulting to their own religious sons riskingtheir lives serving. Why do Charedim warrant a religious exemption when so many other non Charedi religious Jews do not? Chardalim (Religious Zionists whose Mitzvah observance is as strict as Charedim) serve. Why should Charedim be exempt? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What about the Charedi argument that the army is just a social engineering experiment designed to disabuse their youth from observance? That was often cited as an equal if not primary reason to reject the army. Charedi leaders had
commonly said that army service is forbidden for precisely that reason. When
presented with the opportunity to serve in units that provide a Charedi environment their response was that it was all talk and in
reality it was far from the truth. That Charedi recruits were still subjected to questionable Halachic situations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, how do they explain the Hesder programs that have been
anound sinec practically the begining of the state? I doubt that those religiously
motivated young soldiers sacrificed any of their religious principles. And that
was well before the IDF decided to accommodate Charedi recruits with special
Charedi units.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although the Charedi world no longer besmirches the IDF that
way since the war began, I doubt that have changed the view that the army
causing immense spiritual damage to religious soldiers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And yet, If I understand correctly the percentage of IDF casualties
of religious soldiers is much higher than their percentage of the population. I have
also been told that a lot officers on the front lines are religious, Kipa wearing
Jews.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Charedi leadership nonetheless clings to the idea that the
army is just a government conspiracy to indoctrinate Jews out of their Judaism. Although
they haven’t been saying so lately for obvious reasons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What about the real need for Torah study? Yes, there is a
need. I would never suggest that Torah study is not important. Of course it is.
During this time of war we dare not abandon it. But the idea of exempting
all Charedim for that purpose strikes me as counter religious. It is easy to
say how important Torah study is to the war effort when none of their youth is dying for their
country. It is just not right for
Charedim to believe that others should be dying for their country while they have no worries
about their young dying for their country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The idea of refusing to serve in the army in a time of
existential war was recently characterized by Rabbi Aharon Rakeffet as
counter to Halacha. Regardless of what their religious claim for exemption
reason might be. Yes there can be legitimate exemptions. But in no way should
there be the blanket exemption that exists now for all Charedim.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There has been some movement in that direction among some prominent Charedi personalities . Jonathan Rosenblum has hinted at it. And recently Rabbi
Yitzchok Adlerstein has as well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The paradigm must change. The hard core rejectionists who
refused to allow their students to even register ought to themselves be rejected. As things stand
now it should be obvious to even the most diehard Charedi leader that the IDF
is more than just an experiment in social engineering. They must realize what
the great R’ Chaim Shmulevitz realized that the both Yeshiva students and the
IDF are vital to Israel’s survival. And to take it a step further and once and
for all discard their paradigm of wholesale exemptions.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The army needs soldiers. Without Charedi participation there is a shortage. Which means an even greater
burden on those that are serving - and in all too many cases dying.</p><p class="MsoNormal">If you are going to live in a country surrounded by mortal
enemies, it requires everyone do their part and share the burden equally. That
is not the case now. Even Charedim that are truly in awe of soldiers risking
their lives for Klal Yisroel, that is not the same as actually doing it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the Charedi world doesn’t change their paradigm
it might be changed for them. As noted in the <i><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-eisenkot-present-plan-to-expand-draft-to-haredim-arabs-majority-must-serve/" target="_blank">Times of Israel:</a></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Declaring that “all segments of society” must serve their
country, National Unity ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot on Monday
presented an outline for the enlistment of Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews into
the Israeli army… </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Declaring that “all segments of society” must serve their
country, National Unity ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot on Monday
presented an outline for the enlistment of Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews into
the Israeli army.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Addressing reporters in the Knesset, the two former IDF
chiefs of staff conditioned their support for the government’s wartime push to
extend IDF troops’ terms of service on its acceptance of their plan, which
seeks to gradually increase the number of Israelis drafted over the course of
the next decade.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“All the people of Israel, all parts of society should take
part in the right to serve our country. The challenges are enormous, and you
cannot look those who are serving in the eyes and tell them that things will go
on as they have,” Gantz declared.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-19906302264205112382024-02-26T11:00:00.007-06:002024-02-26T12:23:54.545-06:00Never Again is Now!<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcGn0hrTsZCU4lqUspd5rCv7lK2kKhyvcnYejqGzstGLc4P36TYybZwnfNWdwhULLhKZnJVqFV0JtV5xDtEwtr9jdGh6ogQnUU3Ei9atbmUyKI_48KmY06QyWyMbfndP0ad_R_lTzr9msGEQbQuDZD0i13HODOAYQld6MbCozOHrlUAdu2kW-h" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcGn0hrTsZCU4lqUspd5rCv7lK2kKhyvcnYejqGzstGLc4P36TYybZwnfNWdwhULLhKZnJVqFV0JtV5xDtEwtr9jdGh6ogQnUU3Ei9atbmUyKI_48KmY06QyWyMbfndP0ad_R_lTzr9msGEQbQuDZD0i13HODOAYQld6MbCozOHrlUAdu2kW-h" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Anti Netanyahu protestors in Tel Aviv last Motzoi Shabbos (<a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-788848" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>After almost 5 months there are still over 100 hostages –
among them women and children - being held by the Jew hating savage terrorist group, Hamas. Who knows how much additional barbarism
has been committed against them. What we
do know based on testimony from freed hostages is that is that they have raped
female hostages in front of their husbands and children. Probably multiple
times.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know how they will ever get over that kind of trauma
if and hopefully when they are released.
And to a lesser but very significant extent the same thing must be true
for the hostage families. I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like for
close family members to think about this day after day for nearly 5 months. </p><p class="MsoNormal">So I totally understand why they are demanding that the hostages take precedence over
the war. I understand the anger they feel as they see their prime minister seeming to place
the war ahead of the hostages. If I were
in their shoes I would be enraged at him for not doing everything he can to get their family members released from the virtual hell they are experiencing
now - for what must seem like an eternity
to them. From their perspective ‘Netanyahu doing everything he can’ includes giving Hamas everything they want - if that’s what it takes to get their
family members back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This brings back memories of Gilad Shalit, the young IDF soldier captured by Hamas several years
ago. His family felt the same way the families of the current hostages feel now. Netanyahu felt their pain and made ‘a deal with the devil’ releasing
1500 Palestinians prisoners in exchange for Shalit’s release. At the time I
thought it was the right thing to do. Shalit’s life was in imminent danger. The
release of 1500 Palestinian prisoners was only a potential danger. So for me getting
a Jew free from capitivity that might have ended with his death was the right
thing to do.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However one of those released Palestinians was Yahya Sinwar
who now leads Hamas. It was under his authority that the massacre on October 7<sup>th </sup>took place,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that Israel cannot
make that kind of deal again. Which is why Netanyahu called Hamas’s recent
conditions for the release of the hostages delusional. Rightly so.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There has been some progress lately on that front. During an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation yesterday the
prime minister declared that if Hamas comes up with a more reasonable demand,
he will make a deal with them. Israeli negotiators were authorized by Netanyahu to actually negotiate terms of a hostage deal. They made some progress and hopefully a deal can be reached. The ball - said Netanyahu - is in their court. There will be a pause if the fighting (estimated
to be about six weeks). And then he said Israel will finish the job.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If I am a family member of one of the hostages that news would
give me a modicum of hope and I would not do anything to rock that boat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But as reported in the <i><a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-788848" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a></i> that is not what happened
last Motzoei Shabbos in Tel Aviv: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters during a
protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the current
Israeli government, in Tel Aviv, on February 24, 2024.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The mask is off. These protests are no longer about the hostages. That’s just an excuse for continuing the
anti Netanyahu protests that consumed the left half of the country before October
7<sup>th</sup>. The unity that we saw immediately following the October massacre is gone. Back to business as usual. These protestors are using the hostage crisis as an excuse to bash the most hated man (by the left, mostly) in the history of the Jewish state, Benjamin Netanyahu. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Had this been only about the hostage crisis alone, surely they should have
given the current negotiations time to run its course. But they could not
resist protesting the man they dispise using the hostage crisis as an excuse. These
are surely the very same people that were protesting Netanyahu before October 7<sup>th</sup>.
Not only is using the hostages to bash Netanyahu at a time of war shameful, it is an impediment to the goal of finishing Hamas off! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sadly some of the released hostages participated
in this protest. One of whom was hit by the spray of those water cannons. I’m truly sorry
she had to experience that. I’m sure her motives for being there were mostly about
releasing the hostages. </p><p class="MsoNormal">At the same time, while I sympathize what they must have gone through I nevertheless have to wonder whether the released hostages that participated in this protest participated in the pre war protests. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I strongly suspect that the
motivation behind this protest (and perhaps some of the earlier ones) was just a carryover from then. Using the hostages as a cover to enable them to protest the prime minister at a time of war. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If that is the case (and I suspect that it is) it is just plain wrong. </p><p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand even if this was truly just about Netanyahu putting the hostages first over winning the war, it is nevertheless imperative not to lose sight of that
very important goal. And surely not to undermine it with protests like this that will not do anything to get the hostages back. They may as well be protesting Hamas!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Israel wants to prevent this from ever happening
again. I agree with that goal. In my view,
whether you love him or abhor him, Netanyahu’s determination to destroy Hamas’s
ability to ever do that again is the only way of ever getting close to that
goal. I don’t want to ever again see another Jew suffer like the hostages or
their families. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Never again is now!</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-14099313317013637382024-02-25T11:45:00.003-06:002024-02-25T15:40:17.015-06:00Unilateral Recognition of a Palestinian State<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie2oqu_qVeTaP6YCIKv1nCUWCWrV0Sx_yf-urC5paKZyhplOSLhS6JCWgV0HgERB3DukVCk0ByG9VoLKEDP7uO57nSIkrsUm2fbqJq7fsM6J8egOUWJ8xT9fcJpMOQeDYXEgFQ9-BKkPXgptLlUvOIRdpdukRWGzhmXo0phZzbkhjeLHHopuc_" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2160" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie2oqu_qVeTaP6YCIKv1nCUWCWrV0Sx_yf-urC5paKZyhplOSLhS6JCWgV0HgERB3DukVCk0ByG9VoLKEDP7uO57nSIkrsUm2fbqJq7fsM6J8egOUWJ8xT9fcJpMOQeDYXEgFQ9-BKkPXgptLlUvOIRdpdukRWGzhmXo0phZzbkhjeLHHopuc_" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image for illustration purposes only (<a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/02/23/politics/will-the-us-recognize-a-state-of-palestine-the-biden-netanyahu-gap-deepens-over-plans-for-gazas-future" target="_blank">JTA</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>There was a <a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/02/23/politics/will-the-us-recognize-a-state-of-palestine-the-biden-netanyahu-gap-deepens-over-plans-for-gazas-future" target="_blank">rumor</a> floating around among various media
outlets that the Biden administration is actually considering unilaterally recognizing
a Palestinians state. That rumor has
been put to rest. Most recently by US ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, who categorically denied
it.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I never gave that rumor much credence. But there is a reason
that such rumors get started. The Biden administration has
doubled down on the pre Trump era decades old policy that the only solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is to give Palestinians their own state. The so-called two state solution.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The renewed emphasis on that policy is directly related to
Israel’s war with Hamas. Mostly generated by the over 30,000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza (according to Hamas). Those casualties have spiked huge anti Israel protests (many of which are blatantly antisemitic) calling for a cease fire. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Those protest are mostly attended by Palestinians and
young people. The former of which have been indoctrinated to hate Israel (i.e. the Jews) and the latter of which are clueless about the history of the Jewish
people, the Holocaust, surviving Jewish refugees, the modern state of Israel and the Zionism that created it. Idealistic young American college students know nothing of those subjects. Instead they are fed a steady diet of progressive ideology from radical left professors. In those circles Israel is painted as a
colonialist Apartheid regime which has occupied the indigenous Palestinian
population with extreme brutality for over 75 years. Zionism is a dirty word synonymous with another dirty word, colonialism. That is all they hear.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Biden is eager to get their vote. And he is eager to retain the Muslim vote he got in the last election. Which he is in danger of losing because of his continued support for Israel in its war with Hamas. 30,000 dead relatives does not sit well with Palestinian population centers like Dearborn, Michigan (represented by congresswoman Rashida Tlaib).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biden won Michigan narrowly in the last election. He is in danger of losing it now. The Muslim vote put him over the top then. They have threated to withhold their vote from him this time. Biden is trying to win back their vote by tilting back in their direction - showing
that he actually agrees with their goal of creating a Palestinian state.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It is this renewed emphasis that I believe generated rumors of US unilateral
recognition of a Palestinian state.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In any case the people of Israel through their elected representatives
in the Knesset have overwhelmingly rejected unilateral recognition by any country. By a 99 to 9 vote majority</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is easy to explain that lopsided vote in light of what
happened on October 7th and polls that show wide spread support of it by the vast
majority of the Palestinian. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What American officials are actually saying is - what they want to see at the end of the war. A path that would lead to a
Palestinian state that would at the same time guarantee Israel’s security.
Doing whatever it takes to ensure that guarantee.</p><p class="MsoNormal">That sounds great on paper. As I have said many times - in
theory I would be completely on board with that for reasons are beyond the scope of this post. But in practice it is an impossibility.
The idea of guaranteeing Israel’s security is a lot easier said than done. In my view it is a near impossiblity as things stand now - in a climate of cradle to grave indoctrination of extreme Jew hatred. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is why the Netanyahu government has proposed their own vision for a post war Gaza: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Self governance by
Palestinian moderates who will be more interested in helping their people than
in killing Jews. They do exists but, based on the above mentioned poll are a very small minority. Israel will provide its own security by surrounding the perimeter with its military, controlling all access to Gaza including humanitarian aid to assure that weapons aren't being smuggled in, and creating security checkpoints to
assure that Palestinians exiting Gaza aren’t terrorists.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t see a better solution in he short term. In the long
term – with the help of moderate Arab governments that actually recognize the potential
for their own security in making peace with Israel. A goal that has been
hampered by the likes of Hamas and other Jihadist groups that brook no
compromise when it comes ot eradicating Israel and the Jewish people. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The only way there can be a Palestinian state is if the
educational paradigm of extreme Jewish hatred can be eliminated from every
aspect of the Arab culture and replaced with an education that teaches tolerance and respect for their Jewish neighbors. That may take<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a generation or two. But if that is done,
then eventually we can have the kind of Palestinian state that people of good will want to
see now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That the Biden administration keeps talking about it now is
in my view counterproductive to that goal. Because there is no way Israel can
afford to trust that a guarantee of security will be enforceable no matter what kind of apparatus is put in place. </p><p class="MsoNormal">For now Israel must do what is in its own best interests
as determined by indisputable facts on the ground.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-18524017055932951502024-02-23T11:01:00.004-06:002024-02-23T11:03:43.926-06:00Jewish Democrats for Trump?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf-io1q-yukdLIrBmFFwh8LxbLZogIMB3zOj0umPyGHFVnBNpRSFIWgphBg-3kXZ6HA6PPd8nPKygkroAjxssg_AysItH3rS2Pg3l1pi8E45XzeaSdavuuKfax0vBJto8D05LPknu_3hCIgGJ2xDfzLT1Zy8cCM2T_VqWxriVhOS0iKmtV6YzT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1320" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf-io1q-yukdLIrBmFFwh8LxbLZogIMB3zOj0umPyGHFVnBNpRSFIWgphBg-3kXZ6HA6PPd8nPKygkroAjxssg_AysItH3rS2Pg3l1pi8E45XzeaSdavuuKfax0vBJto8D05LPknu_3hCIgGJ2xDfzLT1Zy8cCM2T_VqWxriVhOS0iKmtV6YzT" width="320" /></a></div>Shocking! That was my reaction when I read this <a href="https://www.jns.org/poll-majority-of-ny-jewish-voters-intend-to-vote-for-trump/" target="_blank">JNS</a> story
(carried in several media outlets):<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">A poll of registered New York voters suggests that a
majority of Jews in the state intend to vote for former President Donald Trump
in the presidential election in November.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">New York Jews now favor Trump over U.S. President Joe Biden
53% to 44%, according to the Siena College <a href="https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SNY0224-Crosstabs.pdf">poll</a>,
released on Tuesday. Jews in the state said that they intend to continue to
back Democrats over Republicans 54% to 39% in congressional elections. </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s is no surprise that the majority of Orthodox Jews will
be voting for Trump for reasons I have stated many times. Not the least of
which was his unprecedented support for Israel. And his Conservative picks for the Supreme
Court that tends to view the religious rights guaranteed
by the constitution more favorably than did past liberal courts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But if one considers that 90% of the Jewish population is not
Orthodox and tends to favor the far more liberal perspective found in the
Democratic party and where all Jewish legislators can be found, it is shocking that a majority of them will be voting for a
man that is characterized by that party as the greatest danger to democracy in US
history!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That non Orthodox Jews tend to be Democrats still seems to be the case in down ballot candidates. as noted in the poll. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Can<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>someone explain this
to me? How can any decent human being prefer someone like Trump - let
alone the subset of secular Jews whose disdain for the man has been expressed
more times than I can count? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I guess a 2<sup>nd</sup> term for Biden scares them more than
does the resurrection of a election denier and one of the most unethical
presidents in modern history.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First I don’t know how much stock one should put in a poll
whose cited 4.2% margin of error is disputed by Mark Mellman, a Democratic
operative. Not sure what he bases that on but that is what he says. Another
thing is that polls are not always predictive of the actual outcome in the
voting booth. But still, most of the time they are pretty ballpark. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After thinking about it for a few minutes, I have come up
with what I think are a few reasons for this turn of events. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I believe they are afraid of Biden’s mental
state which at age 80 has already shown signs of decline. That has been indicated by a variety of memory lapses and mistaken identities describing people
or places he<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was taking about. As was
the case when he said the president of Mexico when he meant the president of
Egypt. Ironically tis happened at a press conference he called for the purpose
of denouncing what an investigator said in a report about his mental state
after exonerating him of any wrong doing. And then there is the way he walks. His
gait is that of an elderly man well past his prime. That is not the image of what the leader of the free world should look like</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One might counter that Trump isn’t much younger. At age 77 he
is only 3 years younger than Biden. And Trump too has had similar lapses. As when
he attacked Nancy Pelosi and kept calling her said Nikky Haley. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But Trump’s gait is not that of an old man. And he seems to
be much more in command of the moment than Biden is when he speaks. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Integrity and honesty should be the first thing one considers
when making decisions about who to vote for. With polices coming in a very
close second. Clearly Biden wins hands down over Trump in the former. But
Biden’s policy in one very important area, the economy, is not a very favorable
one to voters who shop for groceries every week.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Groceries are experiencing the highest and fastest growing
inflation rate in decades. To the average middle class consumer (including Democrats), inflation has not only NOT cooled, it has
heated up with what seem like no prospect of cooling any time soon. Prices in
the grocery store keep going up every week. I do the shopping for my family and
I can attest to that. All on Biden’s watch.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And if you drive a car, you are feeling the pinch there too.
Auto insurance has skyrocketed! </p><p class="MsoNormal">These are kitchen table issues that hits the middle class the hardest. The state of the economy as experienced by the
average citizen works in favor of Trump. Under his watch, there was practically
no inflation and the economy was humming - until COVID. While Biden inherited COVID and the subsequent
inflation it caused, he has had 3 years to do something about it and so far – Nada. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Will a renewed Trump presidency make things
any better? Who knows? But we know what a Biden presidency is doing. And it
seems like the typical Jewish voter cares more about their pocket book than they
do about the integrity of who they are voting for.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Best i can do to explain this anomaly.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-4330313104781384202024-02-22T10:34:00.009-06:002024-02-22T16:55:26.099-06:00The (Jewish) Fools on the Hill<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfWhnt7Ow9f52Q9Zjt-wR-ds1oXA-imlWIRT14TRAImcYuOo2EOFttJXFX3Ef5qvOOUmDTS8mi_LOeSTI9YP-rJBUrztU-U28txWs7oeHp9GtBrldXL_dNeAp0ZC2AOe0oG02wcHoqbqnxRrjg-YoUshSyeWFVRCohyZx39hUYJrISh6nxNwwY" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfWhnt7Ow9f52Q9Zjt-wR-ds1oXA-imlWIRT14TRAImcYuOo2EOFttJXFX3Ef5qvOOUmDTS8mi_LOeSTI9YP-rJBUrztU-U28txWs7oeHp9GtBrldXL_dNeAp0ZC2AOe0oG02wcHoqbqnxRrjg-YoUshSyeWFVRCohyZx39hUYJrISh6nxNwwY" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left; text-wrap: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">The 'deeply Jewish' NY State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Stories like this make my blood boil. The headline in a <a href="https://www.jns.org/rooted-in-their-deepest-jewish-values-five-nyc-state-officials-accuse-israel-of-mass-destruction/" target="_blank">JNS</a>
article reads as follows:<p></p><p><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Rooted in their ‘deepest Jewish values,’ five NYC, state
officials accuse Israel of ‘mass destruction’</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As one gets deeper into the article we find out some more
about how these Jewish state officials feel about the events taking place in Gaza since October.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“We feel deep anguish over the insurmountable loss of life
in the region—notably the tens of thousands of civilians,” they wrote. “Judaism
teaches that all people are created in the image of God and all people are
infinitely valuable.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">In their letter, the five New York city and state lawmakers
accused Israel of “the mass destruction of Gaza and the killing of civilians
who are trapped in a war zone with no possibility to flee to safety.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">“Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in shocking numbers
by indiscriminate, large-scale bombing, and the rest live in a state of
constant fear, hunger and vulnerability to disease,” they stated. “The war
there has also led to increased persecution against Palestinians living in the
West Bank and violence from some Israeli settlers who are using the Gaza war to
hasten the evictions of Palestinians from their land to expand settlements that
are illegal under international law.” </span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t even know where to begin. But let me start with
this. These five Jewish legislators wouldn’t know a deep Jewish value if it
hit them in the face. Their knowledge of Jewish values is about as
deep as piece of paper. They have taken one very widely known value and have
misapplied it. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Yes Judaism teaches that all people are created in the image of
God. I have made reference to that value countless times. But when speaking about
a people who would rather see us dead while supporting any effort to reach that
end makes their ignorance and stupidity abundantly clear. The vast majority of Palestinians
cheered the savage butchery of their chosen leaders, Hamas. Their Godly image has therefore been severely compromised. It is not in the image
of God to support Nazi like behavior against innocent Jews. </p><p class="MsoNormal">And even though
these un-Godly people may not deserve be killed for their evil thoughts (which they
believe are Godly thoughts!) that doesn’t mean Israel should stop its existential war against the Palestinian’s chosen leader, Hamas. Israel is currently involved in protecting their 7 million Jews against another attack like that. </p><p class="MsoNormal">That is a Jewish
value. Letting up on that goal is the opposite of a Jewish value. And that doesn’t
even address the fact that a goodly portion of those civilian casualties were
actually Hamas terrorists, some of whom could have easily participated in the slaughter, beheading, burning, rape, torture and kidnapping of our people on that day. Nor do they
say a word about the UN (whose views they are parroting) participation in those events via members of UNRWA.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">Their claim of i</span><span style="color: #20124d;">ndiscriminate large-scale bombing </span><span style="color: #20124d;">is absolutely false. It is the height of ignorance to suggest that - which is surely based on the rhetoric used by Israel</span>’<span style="color: #20124d;">s enemies bolstered by the media. </span><span style="color: #20124d;">Israel</span>’s<span style="color: #20124d;"> targets are based on the best intelligence they have about where the enemy is hiding.</span><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: #20124d;">And they have done everything they can to prevent Palestinian casualties, while Hamas does everything it can to increase them!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">The sympathy they expressed for Israel is almost a throwaway. As if to distinguish themselves from the antisemitic protestors who never mention it. But their demands with respect to Palestinians are identical.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The accusation that the war has also led to increased
persecution against Palestinians living in the West Bank is another exercise in pure
ignorance. They’ve got it backwards. Palestinians on the West Bank also supported the Hamas attack. They have increased their own violent hostility against Israleis.to show their solidarity with Hamas. Just today <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-palestinian-gunmen-west-bank-shooting-gaza-death-toll-today/" target="_blank">CBS</a> reported the following:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Three Palestinian gunmen opened fire early Thursday morning
near a busy checkpoint in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, killing one Israeli
and wounding at least eight others, according to Israeli police. The police
said two attackers were killed at the scene and the third was later found and
arrested.</span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Israel has no
choice but to protect their people by using force. That these legislators see Israel
as aggressors persecuting West Bank Palestinians instead of defending Israelis shows a
complete blindness to the realities of what is going on there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This does not mean that there hasn’t been some violence on
the part of some of the settlers. I’m sure there has been. And to the
extent that it has, Israel ought to put a quick stop to it with harsh measures
for those few convicted of doing so. Harassing's people that already hate you is
like poking a hornet’s nest and then wondering why there are hornets all over the place trying
to sting you. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those inclined to defend settlers will say that incidents
like this are rare and do not reflect the behavior of most Jews living beyond
the ‘green line’ - and that the media tends to blow these incidents up way out of proportion. </p><p class="MsoNormal">This is probably correct. But all it takes is a few. And as recently noted here there are more than a few as indicated by what happened in Huwara. That is
all the media needs to make it look like all settlers are vigilantes looking for revenge or harass
Palestinians until they pick up and leave. Those few tat are like that should be punished
to the fullest extent of the law. But I digress.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These five Jewish legislators are not only ignorant, but
they are stupid. Unfortunately their views are symptomatic of most American
Jewry who know little about Judaism other than a few convenient phrases cherry-picked
of Jewish literature. To say their values reflect the deepest values of Judaism when they have no clue about what those values actually would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. I wonder
how many of them are intermarried? </p><p class="MsoNormal">How many of their children even care that
they were born Jewish? How many of them keep Shabbos - one of the most important
Mitzvos of the Torah? You cannot claim to have deep Jewish values if you don’t
honor one of the most important Mitzvos in the Torah. You cannot claim to have
deep Jewish values if those you cite are not all that different from the humanistic
values of the general culture.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> A</o:p>nd yet these ignorant, stupid Jews are not alone. They can
be found at pro Palestinian rallies all over the world. Especially on college
campuses. There too their infinite stupidity reins sublime. They too claim to be acting
in accordance with the ‘deepest Jewish values’.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While all of this sickens me it also depresses me. Ignorant Jews who claim to have deep Jewish values are victims of rabbis
whose heterodoxy has abandoned teaching anything in the Torah that isn’t connected
with Tikun Olam. That is the kind of ignorance that leads to supporting a cease
fire. Which
in essence increasing the odds of genocide against our own people. </p><p class="MsoNormal">How ignorant and stupid
can you get!</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-60287869287648152972024-02-21T10:33:00.008-06:002024-02-21T12:15:48.649-06:00'Hell No! We Won't Go!'<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsAJJafi0L_TwSbhhMunwkUquKc-rkKA1GSVPZT6lC_wamLHH_mw9u9AGQRGckcrGaBtIMltykLWMjAAcHvsP-U4Ufp53yyPd8qMWh6CcRM8V9A5IYB_ZLovi29dl80W61t_HQ_eosGmEX5HKgLbf-7ZxVmJZ0sHOWIB-J6IAr-FcDi1iLIEJD" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="238" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsAJJafi0L_TwSbhhMunwkUquKc-rkKA1GSVPZT6lC_wamLHH_mw9u9AGQRGckcrGaBtIMltykLWMjAAcHvsP-U4Ufp53yyPd8qMWh6CcRM8V9A5IYB_ZLovi29dl80W61t_HQ_eosGmEX5HKgLbf-7ZxVmJZ0sHOWIB-J6IAr-FcDi1iLIEJD" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Anti Vietnam war protest in 1967 (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/20/newsid_3153000/3153144.stm" target="_blank">BBC</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Anyone that knows anything about me, knows how upsetting it
is to me that all Charedim in Israel are exempted from army service. <p></p><p>Not that I
don’t believe that there should be some exemptions. There should. What I am opposed to is the wholesale exemption of every single Jew that identifies as Charedi.
Wholesale because the law says that as long as one
studies Torah full time, they are exempt. The educational paradigm of
the Charedi world in Israel is that every single Charedi is indoctrinated to study Torah full
time for as long as possible. In Yeshivas until marriage and in
Kollel until well after marriage and many children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reason this situation upsets me so is that the rest of
the country’s youth are required to serve and in many cases are placed in harm’s
way. They risk their lives and all too often give up their lives in order to
protect their fellow citizens. Including the non serving Charedim. Aside from the Charedi world there is not a
mother in Israel who doesn’t worry whether her conscripted son or daughter will
come back alive or without permanent injury from combat. </p><p class="MsoNormal">At no time since
Israel’s founding has this situation been more applicable that now - during the prolonged
war with Hamas. Making matters worse is Hamas barbarism. A barbarism enhanced with shouts of ‘God is Great’ in Arabic in the belief that being barbaric to Jews is a ‘Mitzvah’. A
Mitzvah they are probably all too happy to inflict on captured IDF soldiers. (I
don’t think I need to explain where I got that idea from.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Charedim are adamant that their youth be exempted as a
matter of government policy. Even as the war rages on and soldiers are dying in battle they have a bill ready
to present to the Knesset that would equate Torah study to army service. It has been tabled for now. But Charedi politicians have pledged to resubmit it after the war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the meantime there is a <a href="https://www.rationalistjudaism.com/p/the-growing-divide" target="_blank">shortage of manpower</a> in the IDF.
Reservists have been called up to serve in unprecedented numbers and for longer periods of time. That has prompted the following - as
reported by <a href="https://vinnews.com/2024/02/20/israels-ag-threatens-to-draft-all-charedim-in-weeks-if-no-agreement-reached/" target="_blank">VIN</a>: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">In a shocking threat, Israel’s Attorney General has
threatened to draft all military-age Charedim–including full-time yeshiva
students… </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;">She announced that if by the end of next month, the
government does not extend the draft exemption for yeshiva students, and
declare its intent to enact a new draft law, all conscription obligations would
immediately apply to all yeshiva students, even those who are ‘Torasam
Umanusam’ (full-time yeshiva students). It was also announced that yeshiva
funding would be cut off.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The reaction of the Charedi world was predictable: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">According to Kan 11 News, AG Gali Baharav-Miara announced
the devastating threat, which would be catastrophic for the Charedi community,
and greatly diminish the amount of Torah being learned, at a time when z’chusim
are badly needed for Klal Yisrael... </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t believe the AG’s threat will ever come to fruition.
Netanyahu’s government coalition would melt faster than an ice cube in a
volcano. He will surely find a way to extend their exemption and retain his iron grip on power. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-c2yO2lERX7EG0H05Lrja-G61XCmd9zSOsAs-o7St8lF9P4wf8b3qua5VkC6Pl4nJT4tYX5M5gvB-kiGjuQJEEeufgim2bzxF2Yy7qJT7IEv3GPmFVAm18AEyArTRUNc4zg1R38lOXRspbkroCfO6Spu9SYSLuvgVA8WUJKYjJo9O-2gQvbl7" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-c2yO2lERX7EG0H05Lrja-G61XCmd9zSOsAs-o7St8lF9P4wf8b3qua5VkC6Pl4nJT4tYX5M5gvB-kiGjuQJEEeufgim2bzxF2Yy7qJT7IEv3GPmFVAm18AEyArTRUNc4zg1R38lOXRspbkroCfO6Spu9SYSLuvgVA8WUJKYjJo9O-2gQvbl7" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Charedi anti draft protest (<a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-786938" target="_blank">Jerusalem Post</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>But it isn’t just about Netanyahu. It’s about
what would happen of Israel would actually try to implement drafting all Charedim into the IDF. The protests that would ensue would make anti Vietnam era war protests look like a walk in the park.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At a time of war, that level of massive Charedi protest
could easily harm the war effort. Something Israel does not need. Making
matters worse would be the certain counter protests by secular and Dati Israelis who
have served - and are serving. Many of whom have been killed or seriously and
permanently injured. Those protests will almost certainly become violent. Generated from both sides. I can’t begin to imagine what that kind of damage that violence
will do to Israel. All to the glee of Hamas and all other enemies of the
Jewish people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This cannot be allowed to happen. As unfair as it it, radical changes at a time of war will be counter productive to the war effort and safety of the Jewish people - despite the noble intent of the AG. But if it does, the fault
will lie almost entirely on the reprehensible anti army policies of the Charedi community. Despite their lofty rhetoric about the Zechusim (merits) Torah study would provide at a time of war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is not to say that Torah study should end and that the
Zechusim Torah study provides aren’t real. Of course they are real. And needed now more than
ever. But it cannot be the case that every single Charedi youth should
be doing that. Yes, those students that are the ‘cream of the crop’ of Torah study who have the potential to be future Torah scholars and rabbinic leaders should be exempt. And there are a lot of those. </p><p class="MsoNormal">But in my view, that is not the majority of the Charedi world. Most of
whom will be fine Bnei Torah but staying in the Beis Hamedrash during a time of war when their manpower is needed is a bad idea. Klal Yisroel will
be better served by their participation in the army. And that doesn’t even
speak to Charedim that simply use their mediocre Torah study as an excuse to get
out of army service. Nor does it speak to those that just take
up space in the Beis Hamedrash and spend more time schmoozing with their equally
lazy friends than they do studying Torah. And there are plenty of those, too. </p><p class="MsoNormal">None of above should be exempt. But they all are. And are thereby spared spilling any of
their blood. And their mothers are spared grieving over it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So I part company with Charedi leadership. Yes to Torah
study. But no to using Torah study to exempt them all. Which is the situation the AG wants to change. If she would somehow get her way (and she should albeit with exceptions along the lines I suggested) there will be a second (internal) war between Charedi protesters
and secular/dati protestors that could easily shed its own blood. </p><p class="MsoNormal">If that
should God forbid happen, I would be siding with the counter-proesters. They would be the
ones on the right side of this issue, Not the Charedim. Charedi blood is
not redder than the blood of the rest of the country </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t stress enough the injustice of one segment being
required to risk their lives protecting those who refuse to do so. I cannot
stress enough the injustice of mothers of one segment of Israel being subjected to the realistic possibility of grieving over a child lost or permanently
injured in combat - while the mothers of another segment don’t have to worry
about it. </p><p class="MsoNormal">No matter how much Charedi mothers Daven for the safety of the soldiers… No
matter how much their sons spend extra time learning for the Zechus of the
soldiers... No matter how legitimately they empathize with those grieving mothers…
it is not the same as it would be if it were happening to them. And that is a
true injustice. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nuff said!</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-32396585427760948972024-02-20T10:35:00.003-06:002024-02-20T10:52:04.907-06:00Hostages, War, Truman, and Netanyahu<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidxJf6N4XmVcIeHFtYh57y_G6ax1Q70H6QviEXNpm068uZUBnGbAjlgzaRoZX17wrDuOa4t029A_pj9bUFcLIzQVdc3flJaQQDlF14zNmvUtlabgGgQdvlQyALNCfUyUEFz1rAPgam6rZE8S4JRIxmpzu72QrlXdJv45KcJ2LD0KF-buPlb6Do" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="2048" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidxJf6N4XmVcIeHFtYh57y_G6ax1Q70H6QviEXNpm068uZUBnGbAjlgzaRoZX17wrDuOa4t029A_pj9bUFcLIzQVdc3flJaQQDlF14zNmvUtlabgGgQdvlQyALNCfUyUEFz1rAPgam6rZE8S4JRIxmpzu72QrlXdJv45KcJ2LD0KF-buPlb6Do" width="320" /></a></div>The impossible choices facing Israel since October 7<sup>th</sup>
have not changed. Should Israel prioritize hostages or war?<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The answer is the same as in any other dichotomy. It depends
who you ask. If you ask a mother about her son being held by Hamas she would
obviously say that getting her son back comes above all else.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This morning I saw a brief <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/idf-releases-footage-of-bibas-family-amid-gaza-conflict/" target="_blank">interview</a> with one such family
member who said in pleading tones that Israel should give Hamas whatever it
wants. On the one hand I completely understand her pain and position. If it
were, God forbid, my son - what wouldn’t I do to get him back safely?! If
Hamas said that the only way I could get him back was if
Israel abandoned all of Palestine or else he would be killed I would find it impossible to say no - which would in effect be signing
his death warrant.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But if you have no close relatives in captivity, then obviously no one would ever suggest going that far.
Rightly so. How far Israel should go to retrieve the hostages is a question Israel is
struggling with. But in a recent poll one thing was made clear. A <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-would-choose-to-destroy-hamas-over-releasing-hostages-poll-finds" target="_blank">plurality</a> (40%) of Israelis prioritize winning the
war over the getting the hostages back (32%). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That too is understandable considering the stakes. What
Hamas wants in exchange for the hostages is a total cease fire and a complete
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. They might as well be asking Israel to hand over
their country to them. If Israel does that now, all the casualties of war for Israel will have been in vain. Hamas will
reconstitute their forces and rebuild their terrorist infrastructure
in very short order. With the unlimited help of - and resources from - Iran. And find
ways to repeat October 7<sup>th</sup> over and over again until their ultimate goal
is reached. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those whose blind hatred of Netanyahu see his determination to continue this
war until victory is achieved as self serving... might want to see what his political
rival and war cabinet member, Benny Gantz has said about that. Which is that the only way there will be a cease fire of
any length is if Hamas releases all the hostages. That is tantamount to saying
that Hamas’s demands are delusional. Which is the way Netanyahu put it. Hate him if you will. But you cannot fault him for pursuing Israel’s stated goal of destroying Hamas. Even though President Biden has back-pedaled from his original full throated support for the war </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biden has taken his eye off the
ball. What was originally his full support has
slowly morphed into compassion for Palestinian suffering because of the war. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Biden knew that Hamas throws their citizens directly into the crosshairs of Israel’s military on purpose. Which by default means that Israel would be killing a lot of innocent civilians. But he
also knew Israel was fighting for its life and has no choice but to deal with
Hamas’s deadly tactic. He even stood by his support after losing the Arab vote in the next election. He will
not likely be getting any of that back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But now, with the prospect of Israel’s imminent attack against Hamas
in their last refuge, Rafah, Biden has changed course and urging Israel not to do it without a clear plan to minimize Palestinian casualties. Which is a practical impossibility considering the crowded conditions; huge numbers of Palestinians having sough refuge there; and the Hamas tactic of deliberately using them as cannon fodder. And now Biden is even talking about supporting some sort of cease fire resolution at the UN! </p><p class="MsoNormal">Biden’s sympathy for Israel has been replaced by sympathy
for Palestinians and moral outrage at Israel’s conduct of the war - even though Israel has not yet succeeded in the goal Biden
originally supported.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Netanyahu and Gantz understand what’s at stake. And despite Biden’s warnings, they both know the US will not abandon Israel. Even if Israel defies Biden and
attacks Hamas in Rafah. Israel has no choice but to
finish the job if they want to prevent anything like October 7<sup>th</sup> from
happening again. Any sovereign nation must first think of its own people before thinking
of how their enemies will fare.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0orDVdoW9ImTP1YNcSnSFVx7poHgXYShxXwgRlbKEKsK_Jv353PppyISm4RwZdsJJxhViuGAk-hz9getJjjf0veEbMxiJ3lrZZHQbcbJk6wcIqFp-5pW11vA5DNP46Y3PpnTVqnnw1ixbjsDkO8TeZE1vBxM6OTT23pfe3je28lzVcE-pEQEB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="244" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0orDVdoW9ImTP1YNcSnSFVx7poHgXYShxXwgRlbKEKsK_Jv353PppyISm4RwZdsJJxhViuGAk-hz9getJjjf0veEbMxiJ3lrZZHQbcbJk6wcIqFp-5pW11vA5DNP46Y3PpnTVqnnw1ixbjsDkO8TeZE1vBxM6OTT23pfe3je28lzVcE-pEQEB" width="283" /></a></div>If you think about it, Biden’s moral outrage is selective considering how the US dealt with its own existential
threat from Japan near the end of World War II. Like Hamas, Japan declared nothing will stop
them from achieving victory over the US. That’s when President
Harry Truman decided to mass murder well over 100,000 innocent non combatant Japanese civilians by
dropping atom bombs over two of cities in which they lived. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Truman knew he would be killing an unprecedented number innocent people with a single bomb. But for Truman it was a justifiable move
since it would save even more American lives that would have otherwise been
killed by Japan in a prolonged war. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel is in the same position now as the US was back then. If it was
moral for Truman to kill that many Japanese people in order to save American lives, is it not just
as moral for Israel to do the same to Palestinians? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I defy anyone to explain the difference. And even if you could, Israel
is not doing anything remotely close to what the US did to Japan. Israel isn’t
dropping any of its nuclear weapons in Gaza. Nor are they purposely bombing any of
them. As noted by anyone remotely aware if how Israel conducts their wars, They go to great lengths not to hurt
anyone. Those that do get hurt and die is not because Israel intentionally targets them the way Truman targeted innocent Japanese. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please do not confuse morality with the rules of war that were made after Truman dropped the bomb. I get that we now have rules of war that did not exist then. But I’m not Talking about
rules. I’m talking about comparing the moral justification of what the US did
to its mortal enemy Japan on purpose versus the moral justification of Israel
doing unintended collateral damage to its mortal enemy Hamas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You cannot say that an intentional mass murderer like Truman
for the purpose of saving has country was morally justified while the unintentional
deaths caused by Netanyahu’s determination to save his country is not moral. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Can’t have it both ways.</p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178729.post-64467416650356673512024-02-19T11:31:00.004-06:002024-02-19T11:34:45.055-06:00Can Antisemitism Save American Jewry?<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjith--MSc__nlfCMja36zTszhVj77fyDe39lrbN1jAsrgIkfex8Og5BNKfS-GTU3Kk46jt0hSA65Cyw5YiI_jR_5zj77TXGWFyAOI9-07p_BF27u8NzBHFUlqUy8-95GzBh3u-pupIEoJ350ZrH-r_4Ha4Ai612BJcWMlcvDYbmJwQl5RZjp-q" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjith--MSc__nlfCMja36zTszhVj77fyDe39lrbN1jAsrgIkfex8Og5BNKfS-GTU3Kk46jt0hSA65Cyw5YiI_jR_5zj77TXGWFyAOI9-07p_BF27u8NzBHFUlqUy8-95GzBh3u-pupIEoJ350ZrH-r_4Ha4Ai612BJcWMlcvDYbmJwQl5RZjp-q" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Is this where American Jewish Youth is going? (<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/this-jew-stands-with-gaza-messages-of-peace-and-pockets-of-unrest-at-london-protest-12984619" target="_blank">Sky</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Dr. Steven Windmueller, has <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/368156/ten-trends-that-are-reshaping-american-judaism/" target="_blank">identified</a> some trends that are reshaping American Judaism (Dr. Windmueller is the Emeritus Professor of
Jewish Communal Studies at HUC-JIR, Los Angeles.)<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>The following is </o:p>Windmueller’s first observation:</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Our cultural and ethnic diversity, our competing political interests and distinctive views concerning Israel, as well as our diverse religious practices will each contribute to forging multiple, individualized and competing expressions of <a href="https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-rise-of-privatized-judaism-what-it-is-and-what-it-means/">American Judaism</a>. We will become a community of communities.</span></blockquote><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">American Judaism is evolving and breaking up into smaller groups as he notes. But a better description of American Judaism is that - except among observant (Orthodox) Jews - it’s disappearing. The vast majority of American Jewry is not observant. Once the realm of Halacha is pierced,
there is no limit to the divergence that can take place between Jews. On the other hand observant Jewry is better able to retain a significant degree of cohesiveness. </p><p class="MsoNormal">True, there are significant cultural differences among Orthodox Jews too. Ashkenazim versus Sephardim, Chasidim versus Misnagdim. Charedim versus Modern Orthodox… and even among those there are subdivisions. But at the end of the day observance is the common denominator .</p><p class="MsoNormal">Also, true is the
political divide between left and right among observant Jews, too. But there
is a limit to how far those divisions go. How we view Israel for example differs markedly form how most non observant Jews view Israel. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Even though there are some stark differences even among observant
Jews on that score, Israel is nevertheless an integral part of our belief system. Non observant Jews have no such limitations. Israel is at best once seen as a haven for Holocaust survivors and their offspring. But is ow seen as simply a place where Jews and Arabs live, with no particular Jewish theological significance. Without that, it is ot that difficult to understand why many non observant young Jews can be found at pro Palestinian protests.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Non observant young people are far more influenced
by the general culture in which we live. That can surely result in a very wide chasm between observant and non observant young Jews. Young people are generally immersed in social media. This is true in both observant and non observant cultures. But in far less numbers as one goes up the scale of observance. And even the observant youth among that - sadly - are addicted to it - in most cases they stay observant and retain their religious values. which is not the case with non observant youth. The generational imprint on the latter will indeed be significant and
transformative as Windmueller notes. What that transformation will look like will hardly resemble
anything to do with Judaism.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another area where the
difference between observant and non observant Jewry is in the following:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Serving non-binary Jews, Jews of color, and “unchurched”
individuals will be among the new constituencies we will see entering our
institutions. This heightened awareness of diversity and inclusion is
contributing to the reshaping of Jewish communal and institutional life.
Correspondingly, distinctive generational differences regarding identity and affiliation
will also contribute to the redefining American Judaism. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This can only happen in a ‘Judaism’ whose religious
structure is subject to change by virtue of the societal change. When Halacha is considered malleable and adaptable to fit the times anything goes. Observant Judaism countenances no such value and cannot be redefined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">While<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we have an obligation to treat all human beings
with the dignity of being created in the image of God, that does not mean granting equal status to all forms of human behavior and identity. Identifying as non binary is not a Jewish value. Unless one is androgynous (born with both male and female genitalia) - not being able to see oneself as either male or female is is a mental disorder. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most telling about where non observant Judaism is going is Windmueller’s following comment:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">...we note the continued downsizing among smaller and some
intermediate organizations/synagogues. Mergers and closures are a much more
common phenomenon, and such trends are expected to continue. Questions have
arisen concerning the significant number of liberal religious seminaries and
denominational institutions that serve an increasingly shrinking membership
base.</span></blockquote>This is not the case with observant Judaism which – due to
our high birth rate- is growing exponentially
with every generation. And along with that are our <span style="color: #20124d;">denominational institutions that include Shuls, Yeshvas, and religious day schools and high schools</span>.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the end of the day, Windmueller’s observations are thought provoking. But they do not apply anywhere near as much to observant Jewry as they do to non observant Jewry. This is not to gloat or sound triumphant. But Windmueller basically corroborates what I have been saying about the demise of American Jewry. Whether he realizes it or not.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What he suggests as remedies are at best a temporary measures
that will become irrelevant as the mood of society changes. Not so observant
Jewry. Even though we too are influenced by the culture in which we live our observance of Halacha limits the degree of that influence enough to
still be considered a singular culture. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And finally there’s this: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">The impact of antisemitism is both real and challenging.
Personal as well as institutional security now becomes paramount. Congregants
and community activists are expressing concerns about their safety in public
Jewish spaces.</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Indeed. The one thing we all have in common is the rise in antisemitism.
Ironically this is the one thing that can unite all of us. But it is not the
thing that should unite us. If we would all embrace our observant heritage - that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would be the greatest uniting factor of all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ironically to that end he offers the following: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #20124d;">Associated with this current acceleration in hate has been
an increased interest on the part of parents to move their youngsters to safer
educational options. </span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where places like Yeshiva University, HTC, and Touro
come in. If there’s a silver lining in
all this antisemitism it is that fact that there has been a significant
increase in enrollment at these institutions. Which means an increased chance
that more young people will be exposed to observant Judaism. And that’s a good thing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just some of my quick thoughts on the subject.</p><p></p>Harry Maryleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936405163453714823noreply@blogger.com