Haredi Yeshiva Urges Donors And Alumni To Lobby Against Chuck Hagel Appointment

Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen, also known as the Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA), and even better known simply as Chofetz Chaim, claims that when Chuck Hagel – the president's nominee for Secretary of Defense – was a US Senator, he was known for being "notoriously anti-Israel and soft on terrorist organizations."

 

Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen, also known as the Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA), and even better known simply as Chofetz Chaim, is a major haredi non-hasidic yeshiva located in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, New York. It has branches and affilates across the country.Here is it's anti-Chuck Hagel letter:

 

Comments

[LIONROARS]

this is the same yeshiva who had a molester working or it and didnt condemm him
tthis is the same yeshiva that is trying to become relevant and get money from government

[rebitzman]

Well..............I wasn't all that happy with Hagel being the appointment.

In light of this latest development I made need to re-examine that position.

[Garnel Ironheart]

So what's the problem with this?
Hagel's appointment is a joke, Obama's revenge for Bibi campaigning for Romney. Why doesn't the yeshiva have a right to protest it?

[Dovid]

LIONROARS, please provide a source for this. Or are you confusing it with the RCA/Yeshiva University???

It's too bad they've probably been tricked into this Hagel thing. The Chofetz Chaim has a reputation for producing smart, straightforward, relatively worldly mensches. And they don't even all wear black.

[Dovid]

Garnet Ironheart - really, are we to be so narcissistic as to believe that Obama has nothing more important to think about than Bibi Netahyahu when it comes to appointing a Secretary of Defense for the USA?

Certainly Bibi deserves it, but even Obama's greatest detractors don't think he's so childish as to be interested in, or focused on, revenge against Bibi. At least the detractors with a brain, that is.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Is the yeshiva a non-profit?
Political lobbying should lead to having their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status taken away.

[split]

Have sent emails to my senators urging them to vote for Hagel ,...

[LIONROARS]

A Yeshiva student who was trusted by parents to tutor their children pleaded guilty today for sexually molesting two fourth grade students.

Hillel Selznick, 25 of Flushing, admitted to Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter that he inappropriately touched a set of eight-year-old girls—over a year-long period—during private tutoring lessons inside the victim’s homes.

Selznick, who was a student at Rabbinical Seminary of America, pleaded to two counts of course sexual misconduct against a child and will be sentenced on April 17 to six months in jail, 10 years probation, complete a sex offender program and register as sex offender.

[FormerStudnet]

Just to clarify Selznick did not work for the yeshiva in any official capacity. He did attend as a student. As far as the not for profit comment an institution is allowed to remain not for profit and still be involved in political action as long as it meets certain requirements - which Chofetz Chaim did (less then 5% of budget is used for these purposes).
Why would the fact that this yeshiva is endorsing blocking his nomination change anyone's opinion as to whether or not he should be nominated?

[Rocky]

There are all sorts of lobbies in Washington: Big Pharma, the NRA, the AFL/CIO, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, AIPAC etc. So why is the Jewish establishmnent so sensitive to Hagel's use of the term "Jewish lobby"? The reality is that AIPAC is one of the most influential lobbies in Washington and politicians from both parties are afraid to cross it. Combined with other Jewish organizations such as the Anti Defamation League and the Conference of Major Jewish Organizations, Jewish interests are well represented in the corridors of power.

If you read yesterday's comments on the IDF/Haredi issue, you will notice that many of the posters were not very optimistic on Israel's long term survival, given the growing Haredi population. Whether Hagel is confirmed or not, the Haredi have no plans to get real jobs, to do their part in the IDF to defend Israel or to make sure their children get a good education that would help them get jobs in the secular world.

Obama has nominated Hagel because both men share an interest in shrinking the US military. It costs too much and the rich, for the most part, don't want to pay the high taxes that would be necessary to fund it. The middle class and the poor can't afford the burden period.

If you are concerned about American Jewry and the survival of Israel, you need to be concerned about the deteriorating condition of this country's finances. The collapse of the German mark in 1923 was a major marker along the road to the Holocaust. When the USSR and the old ruble collapsed in 1991, Cuba was cast adrift. Abe Foxman may win his lobbying battle only to lose the war down the road.

[ES]

Is the yeshiva a non-profit?
Political lobbying should lead to having their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status taken away.

Apparently this only applies to candidates for an elected office (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)_organization#Political_activity). Though I do wonder if was kosher for the delightful Rabbi Harris to come into our 9th grade class twenty years ago and emphasize that we all had to vote Republican once we turned 18.

[rebeljew]

The opinion on Hagel is shared by Shumer and Koch. In fact, Koch, who stumped for re-electing Obama in Florida, issued an op-"Ed" saying that the Hagel pick was an idication that the administration was not serious about supporting Israel.

That is farther than I would go. However, Hagel and Biden are famous for opining that we should pump money into Iran and drop all sanctions. He also feels that we should support Hizbollah and Hamas. Many think that this is naive and dangerous, based on an idea that religious zealots hate us because we are not nice to them. That is hard to argue with.