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Rabbi Gil Student And The Art Of Censorship

This is Banned Books Week. Fittingly, Rabbi Gil Student has written another post on Blogs And Lashon Hara. In it, R. Student lays out Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir's views on the halakhot involved, especially those involved if (or ever!) an Orthodox rabbi is criticized. I analyzied Rabbi Meir's position here. Rabbi Meir sent me an e-mail early yesterday expanding and clarifying his views. I responded by asking him for his permission to reprint his e-mail. Rabbi Meir did not respond to that request. Five hours later, R. Student's post appeared. R. Student had been corresponding with R. Meir. It is on that correspondence that R. Student bases his post.

I have previously noted problems with R. Meir's approach. In part, R. Meir posits the following:

If we apply the exact same criteria to a politician, we find that reasonable criticism will generally meet them. Having a bad political leader can result in great damage to the community, and having timely knowledge of the abilities and character of candidates is of benefit because these people typically stand for election at fixed intervals and the information is of practical use to the community. No one has a right to a political office, so if someone gets voted out because of an item revealed in a blog, this is not "undeserved."…

In response to R. Student's post, I left the following comment on R. Student's blog:

[A}s long as rabbis are involved in politics, and as long as they issue bans* w/o interviewing the author first, refuse to meet w/the author and then refuse to talk with questioners or the press – there is NO REASON to give them the benefit of the doubt. Rabbis – like Ovadia Yosef and Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, for example – are politicians and should be treated as such.

R. Student censored that comment, even though it follows R. Meir's guidelines – guidelines R. Student claims to endorse. R. Student has again proved himself to be a base censor, a rabbinic coward who deletes any comment that he is not man enough to answer.

*[This is a reference to the Rabbi Slifkin Book Ban, and to a Moment Magazine article R. Student called "probably the best article I've seen so far on the subject." That article notes:

It was a September morning in 2004, midway between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when Slifkin’s phone rang.…The voice on the other end belonged to a rabbi from the religious enclave of Bnai Brak, and he was calling to deliver an ultimatum.

He informed Slifkin that four prestigious rabbis had opened his “Torah Universe” series and found three of its four books to contain heresy. …The man on the phone informed Slifkin that he had until the end of the day to retract his books. If he didn’t, the charge would be made public and other prominent rabbis would join the campaign against him.…

Within the next few hours, Slifkin received four faxed letters. Their authors represented both the Israeli and American ultra-Orthodox communities: Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel and Rabbi Yitzchok Sheiner were yeshiva leaders in New York, while the others, Rabbi Michael Lefkowitz and Rabbi Elya Weintraub, were among the leaders of the Bnai Brak community. Slifkin spent the rest of that day trying to arrange discussions with each of them, hoping to find out exactly which of his statements had caused such fury. None would agree to discuss the matter with him. Three days later, hours before Kol Nidre, the rabbis’ condemnations were posted on synagogue walls in Slifkin’s neighborhood.

The article later notes that none of the 23 rabbis who signed the ban would speak with the reporter about it.]

UPDATE: Rabbi Student has now banned all comments from me. Why? He claimed my above comment violated this policy:

Important Policy: This blog is intended only for the interchange of ideas for the purpose of Torah study, promoting enlightened public policy and/or the refinement of character. Comments in that spirit are welcome but those that entail denigration of character are not welcome and if they appear will be deleted upon discovery. Since editing is rarely feasible, comments that are deemed inappropriate will be deleted entirely or, if possible, edited.

I pointed out my comment did not violate that policy and I again pointed out that R. Student's real purpose in deleting the comment was his inability to answer the challenge it posed. I further noted that failing to answer challenges is a pattern demonstrated by his teachers, and that R. Student's censorship is a sign of that.

For those of you who do not know, R. Student's teachers are YU's Rabbi Hershal Schachter and Rabbi Mordechai Willig.

Rabbi Schachter is known for making Rabbi Ovadia Yosef-like public remarks that are often hurtful to whole segments of Jews (like his infamous "monkey" remark that so irritated many women) and then refusing to answer public questions about his remarks or to publicly clarify them. He also refuses to speak with reporters.

Rabbi Willig is best known in non-Orthodox circles for his role in covering up the Lanner child abuse affair that rocked the OU several years ago. Rabbi Willig intimidated witnesses against Rabbi Lanner and behaved in a reprehensible manner. When his role was exposed, and after much pressure built, Rabbi Willig apologized for his actions. He then spent the next several years refusing to help abuse victims or to do anything else concrete to atone for his protection of Rabbi Lanner. Like Rabbi Schachter, Rabbi Willig also refuses to speak with the press.

Neither Rabbi Schachter or Rabbi Willig are fit to lead Jews. It is becoming increasingly clear that this applies to their students as well.

Rabbi Goldschmidt Must Be Backed By FJC And Lazar To Enter Russia

Interfax reports on the "reason" behing the banning of Berel Lazar's rabbinic rival, Moscow's Chief Rabbi Pinkhas Goldschmidt, from Russia by the Putin government:

Moscow, September 28, Interfax - The Russian Foreign Ministry is investigating the motives behind a decision to cancel an entry-visa issued to Moscow Choral Synagogue Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, ministry spokesman Mikhail Troyansky told Interfax on Wednesday.

"At the moment, we are investigating the circumstances surrounding the annulment of Rabbi Goldschmidt's visa", Troyansky said.

A Moscow source told Interfax that Russia recently adopted new visa regulations for foreign clergymen.

The new rules allow clergymen from abroad to come to Russia for religious activities only at the invitation of an officially registered centralized religious organization, he said.

The source said that Goldschmidt is reported to have been invited to Russia by a business group.

Sources in Moscow told Interfax that Goldschmidt, who arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport from Israel on September 27, was not allowed to enter Russia and was forced to return to Israel.

Putin only recognizes Chabad and its front group the Federation of Jewish Communities (FJC). That would appear to mean that Rabbi Goldschmidt, Moscow's long-serving Chief Rabbi and a pro-democracy opponent of Putin and Lazar, would only be allowed back into Russia if he is officially invited by Lazar's Chabad-controlled FJC.

Putin is an anti-democratic thug. Lazar and Chabad are his lap dogs. So far, the Jewish media is silent.

UPDATE: Miriam Shaviv has an interesting take on this development here.

New Moment Magazine Article On Rabbi Slifkin

Moment Magazine has published a new article about the Rabbi Nosson Slifkin Book Ban. Perhaps the best quote in the piece comes from Rabbi Ahron Feldman, the 'godol' who first backed Rabbi Slifkin but then sold him out:

None of the rabbis who signed the ban was willing to speak with me, but I reached [rabbi Ahron] Feldman this summer while he was vacationing in Israel. I asked him to explain how the ban’s signers differ from fundamentalist Christians: Both groups believe that Darwinism is heretical and that the world is 6,000 years old. Feldman, who speaks English with strong Yiddish inflections, replied that he was not familiar with Christian ideas but was reasonably sure that they were nothing like Jewish ones. “We rarely can converge with Christians on anything,” he said, “so I doubt we agree with them on this matter.”

Actually, Young Earth Creationism, the idea that the earth was created old with fossils of dinosaurs buried under layers of earth, the idea that Rabbi Feldman and his cronies support, was invented in the mid-1800's by a Christian theologian and apologist named Gosse. It has no source in Jewish tradition. That Rabbi Feldman could be so ignorant about the idea is frightening. When one takes into account the thuggish manner in which the 'gedolim' imposed their ban, and add in their ignorance of both science and history, one is left with a sad and inescapable conclusion. May God protect us.

American Jewish World Service Calls For Expanded US Role In Darfur

American Jewish World Service has launched a call to action on Darfur. The petition, which can be signed here, calls for an expanded US role in ending the genocide. Let's hope it works.

Putin Bars Non-Chabad Chief Rabbi From Russia

Moscow's Chief Rabbi – an opponent of Chabad, Putin's pro-Stalin, anti-democracy movement, and Chabad's self-appointed 'chief rabbi' of Russia Berel Lazar – was barred from returning to Russia after a trip to Israel by Russian border guards. The AP and Ha'aretz report:

The chief rabbi of Moscow's main synagogue said Russian border guards had denied him entry to the country on Tuesday when he returned from a trip to Israel.

Rabbi Pinkhas Goldschmidt, speaking on Ekho Moskvy radio, urged the authorities to review his case and let him return to Russia.

He said the border guards told him that his Russian visa had been annulled, but gave no further explanation. He flew back to Israel after being denied entry.

Goldschmidt, chief rabbi at the Moscow Choral Synagogue, said he hoped the incident was a misunderstanding.

Adolf Shayevich, Russia's chief rabbi, said that his Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations asked the Foreign Ministry for an explanation of what happened to Goldschmidt but had not yet received an answer.

"It was unexpected for all of us, since he never has had any problems," Shayevich told Ekho Moskvy.

It seems clear – Putin bans a political opponent and does a favor for Chabad at the same time. And the Jewish media? If past examples are any indication of the future,  expect near silence. What you do read will probably contain a quote from Lazar supporting Goldschmidt. Lazar may even 'intercede' with the Foreign Ministry. Then, if Goldschmidt is allowed back in, Lazar can claim to have helped. And if not, Lazar did his 'best.' But Chabad's long campaign to crush rabbis not under its direct control will not be reported in any detail. Too many uncomfortable threats come with printing uncomfortable news.

UPDATE: Miriam Shaviv has Ma'ariv's take – which largely agrees with mine – here.

The OU Spins Kosher To New Lows

The OU has announced it is now certifying Maalox as kosher. Why? The OU (incorrectly) notes:

Kosher certification is not required for prescription medications, but it is a requirement for over-the-counter medications – such as Maalox® and Triaminic® – which are not used in life-threatening situations or in cases of serious illness.

Following the OU's incorrect logic, Aspirin, Tylenol, Sudafed, Claratin and dozens of other over the counter medicines also require certification. Further, many OTC drugs were once prescription only. That quickly leads one to realize that prescription drugs used in non-emergency situations or for chronic conditions would also require certification. The OU's statement is false because:

1. Only something with taste has the potential for falling under kosher laws. Products without taste are not a problem.
2. That taste must be good. If the taste is the product so bad that it would not be consumed as food, the product itself is kosher.
3. If the (solid, i.e., a pill) product is swallowed whole and not chewed, the product is kosher. Why? It is not the normal way of eating to swallow food whole. One gets no pleasure or taste from it.
4. Even if the medicine is treife, one consumes less that the required amount to count as eating treife.
5. Usually only one ingredient out of many found in a pill is treife, and that ingredient – a derivative of a derivative – is almost always batel in the pill itself.
6. Gelatin is commonly considered treife, but many significant poskim considered it pareve and kosher, no matter its source. (Indeed, I have personally heard haredi teachers of semicha posit that all gelatin is kosher and pareve even though "we" do not poskin this way.) When consumed as a pill gelatin amounts to less than the required amount to count as eating and is consumed by swallowing not chewing. (See #3 above.) Therefore there is no reason whatsoever to require gelatin capsules to 'kosher.'
7. The purpose of consuming the medicine is not for eating or pleasure.
8. OTC and prescription drugs have scientifically proved healing qualities. Most herbal and homeopathic medicines do not. The laws of kashrut as applied to medicine were made 2000 years ago for herbal medicines that lacked proved track records of healing. Permitting their use is based on a doctor prescribing them. The case for use of OTC medicines is much stronger and should carry far more halakhic weight. That the haredi world does not view them this way should tell you volumes about that world's understanding of science and its reaction to modernity.

Buy kosher Maalox if you must, but don't do so because of the OU's unnecessary certification. And certainly do not spend more money buying kosher Maalox rather than a generic or competing brand. Use the money you save to help pay your kids tuition.

The Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir Flip Flop

Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir of the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem wrote a column a few weeks ago endorsing public criticism of public figures. This week, Rabbi Meir has 'modified' his message – Rabbis are lagely exempt from such criticism. Why? follow Rabbi Meir's 'logic':

If we apply the exact same criteria to a politician, we find that reasonable criticism will generally meet them. Having a bad political leader can result in great damage to the community, and having timely knowledge of the abilities and character of candidates is of benefit because these people typically stand for election at fixed intervals and the information is of practical use to the community. No one has a right to a political office, so if someone gets voted out because of an item revealed in a blog, this is not "undeserved."…

But why not rabbis?

1. "[Rabbis have a] reputation for upstanding conduct, then giving [rabbis] the benefit of the doubt is not merely a good deed, it is simply good judgment."

2. "[A] person can't exactly phone up the governor and schmooze with him or her over the way to improve their failings. [I do not recall Rabbi Elyashiv taking any calls from the masses over the Rabbi Slifkin Book Ban. The same holds true for Dovid Feinstein and a number of other'gedolim.']"

3. "Compare this to the average spiritual leader. Even if we are convinced that they have made mistakes, revelation doesn't always make the most sense. Many of these people are surprisingly accessible [sic], and so often it is much more practical and ethical to merely confront them with any concerns. And it is worth asking if letting followers know about shortcomings will ultimately be of benefit.

"Due to their great moral authority of these leaders [sic], undermining their status can do immense damage to the community -- perhaps more than the damage resulting from having authority in the hands of an imperfect individual."

In other words, Rabbi Meir should believe that if the governor would take your phone call, publicly noting that he had failed as a leader would be wrong, especially if it would lead the masses to distrust other political leaders and our poitical system as a whole. But he does not believe this. Why?

Having a bad political leader can result in great damage to the community [and a bad rabbi cannot?], and having timely knowledge of the abilities and character of candidates is of benefit because these people typically stand for election at fixed intervals and the information is of practical use to the community. No one has a right to a political office, so if someone gets voted out because of an item revealed in a blog, this is not "undeserved."

Therefore, because rabbis are not democratically elected and are not responisble to their communities, and because they have a self-ordained "right" to retain their office (in perpetuity, no less) no matter how flawed their leadership is, rabbis are above criticism.

Rabbi Meir's point is clear:  If Jews are going to leave Orthodoxy because they learn the truth about our 'gedolim,' or if they will shift Orthodoxy's worldview to the religious Orthodox left, then the truth must be hushed up.

If Haza"l had used Rabbi Meir's standards, much of Nakh would have been censored.

It is also important to note that 'gedolim' are political leaders, their followers often vote in blocks, and that 'gedolim' are regularly and actively involved in the political process. Yet Rabbi Meir ignores these facts in order to shield 'gedolim' from public scrutiny.

Let's face it, people. Orthodox Judaism is anti-democratic, anti-modernity, anti-science and anti-rationalist, and no amount of kiruv-based apologetics and sugar coating can hide that fact. We are Islam but without a theocracy. God forbid we should ever aquire one.

Falash Mura End Hunger Strike

1500 Falash Mura were forced by police to end their 3-day hunger strike protesting the extremely slow rate of aliya to Israel. The Falash Mura were saddened because no Jewish communities contacted them during the strike.

Are You Chabad?

Are you Chabad?

Conservative Rabbi Resigns Post, Becomes Orthodox, Gets Online Semicha

A New Jersey-based Conservative rabbi resigned his pulpit, became Orthodox, took an online semicha program, passed and is now looking for work as an Orthodox rabbi:

… Rabbi Friedman was helpful. He spent time with me and kept insisting, ‘I guarantee you’ll get through this course.’ I didn’t even understand the course material.…

The course was Pirchei Shoshanim, a Lakewood-based distance learning program run by the Shema Yisrael Torah Network. It provides studies culminating in an exam taken in Israel for smiha, rabbinic ordination, issued through the Pirchei Shoshanim Rabbanim.

“I had known about this program for some time. I had a tremendous amount of self-doubt I’d be able to do it…,” Zell said, adding that he thought he would be taking the test in Israel “with a bunch of 20-year-olds.”

In fact the lawyers, doctors, and other professionals in the class, who had come from all over the world, were like him — men in their middle years interested in Jewish learning. The course was based on The Code of Jewish Law and focused on laws of kashrut. The difficult part, Zell said, wasn’t the original text but understanding all the centuries-old commentaries on the laws.…

In November 2004, Zell took his first test toward the Orthodox rabbinate — and scored a 67. He did no better on the second test a few months later, despite studying several hours a day. “The year was a roller coaster,” Zell said. “One day I was convinced I didn’t do it and the next day I’d be okay. I used an old Jewish grandmother trick. I’d say to myself, ‘Okay, spend an hour studying and then you can freak out.’”

By the third test, this past July, Zell had been driving to Monsey, NY, to study with rabbinical experts. His score on the 70-page, seven-and-a-half-hour test was 58.

It turned out that 58 percent on the test was an average grade. Zell had never appreciated the bell curve more. All three tests were part of the one class, and his scores were the minimum he needed for his smiha.…

This JTS graduate had no diffculty with Tanakh, Talmud or Yosef Caro, but he could not understand the arcane bilbul that is the language of most (Ashkenazi) rabbinic literature from 1600 onward. But that's okay. Much of this literature is made up of rabbis arguing over what other rabbis meant to say, the deciphering of a language so obtuse and imprecise that it confuses even those who grow up studying it. Made up of Aramaic, Biblical, Mishnaic and Talmudic Hebrew, Yiddish, arcane abbreviations (each abbreviation can have several conflicting meanings), and an occasional Slavic, Russian or Polish term, all strung together in long, Falkner-like sentences lacking any punctuation, Rabbinic Hebrew is less a language than a code. Semicha today is largely about breaking that code. The actual knowledge that code is meant to convey is decidedly secondary.

The Rabbi Mordechai Eliyhu Flip Flop

Rabbi Modechai Eliyahu has now withdrawn his statements urging soldiers to disobey orders. He also has this to say about his 'prophcey' that Disengagement would not happen:

Eliahu has been criticized by religious Zionist rabbis for promising thousands of his followers, many of whom are former residents of the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria, that disengagement would never happen.

Asked what he had to say to those settlers who suffered material losses, because they believed his promises and did not pack up their belongings or cooperate with the government, Eliahu replied: "From the beginning I always said to the settlers that they need to act according to their level of confidence in God. Someone who is afraid, I said, should evacuate and leave and do what he thinks is right. Someone with more confidence in God should pack but not leave and someone with even more confidence should not even pack."

Eliahu said that those settlers who had confidence in God and did not pack would receive a heavenly reward.

And those who packed but did not leave? Why, they get nothing!?! Their faith was not great enough!?!

What utter bulls*#t! Mordechai Eliyahu was wrong, he damaged many Jews and did so when claiming 'prophecy.' The man is either a fool or a false prophet. Either way, he should be ashamed and should with draw from public life immediately.

Chabad Huricane Relief #6: Efforts "Nonsectarian," Misrepresents President's Statement

In a new press release, Chabad claims President Bush praised its 'nonsectarian' relief efforts in a speech given yesterday. But nothing could be further from the truth. As noted first here, what President Bush actually said is as follows:

"Our nation’s armies of compassion have rallied and have come to the aid of people who are in desperate need of help. Our charities and houses of worship and idealistic people have opened up their homes, wallets and their hearts. It's been an amazing, amazing outpouring of help. And the Jewish community of this country has been on the forefront of the efforts.

"At Tulane University, the director of the Chabad, Rabbi Rivkin, brought teams of students to New Orleans and Southern Mississippi and other communities hit by the storm. He called in folks to help. He didn't say, head away from the storm, he said, let's take it right to the middle of the storm area to help people. They helped rescue stranded people, distributed bottled water, self-heating kosher meals, cleaned up and helped salvage homes, they provided spiritual support for those who lost loved ones and one of the ones rescued put it this way: In the days after Katrina hit, Chabad saved  lives.

"Rabbi Stanton Zamek of the Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helped an African American couple displaced by the storm track down their daughter in Maryland. When Rabbi Zamek called the daughter, he told her, "We have your parents." She screamed out, "Thank you, Jesus!" (Laughter.) He didn't have the heart to tell her she was thanking the wrong rabbi. (Laughter and applause.)

"Jewish organizations have thus far raised $17 million to help the victims of Katrina. (Applause.) Our citizens are answering the call of the Prophet Isaiah: "If you give what you have to the hungry, and fill the needs of those who suffer, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the brightest time of day." People are hearing that call all across the country. And there's more work to be done. I urge you to continue to pay attention to the folks down there by contributing to the Red Cross, or the Salvation Army, or the United Jewish Communities, or B'nai B'rith International, or the American Jewish Committee. (Applause.) "

President Bush does not claim Chabad efforts are "nonsectarian." In fact, he lists them with other sectarian efforts and then urges donations, not to Chabad, but to nonsectarian relief agencies like the Red Cross. Chabad efforts were directed at Jews, skipped over needy non-Jews and do not meet the nonsectarian test. Chabad has committed fraud, and should be prosecuted.

The complete text of Chabad's press release follows:

Rashi Upshlugged

A brilliant, must read refutation of a Rashi in Shabbat has been published by the Forward's language columnist, Philologos. History does matter.

Chabad Hurricane Relief #5

In the midst of a nice article about Chabad 'relief' efforts in Mississippi and Alabama we find the following description of Chabad's activities there from Chabad itself:

Jewish people were the group’s focus but not the only beneficiaries. As the RV made its way down a residential street, the volunteers saw a man peeking through the curtains of his home. They stopped. The elderly man who answered the door had toughed out the storm as best he could, but his two broken legs and his reliance upon crutches had kept him from seeking out aid from relief centers. The Chabad group stocked the pantry with self-heating meals and offered to get him medical help. “When we came across people needing attention, helping them became part of our mission, no matter if they were Jewish or not,” said Dubrowski. Though the man refused medical help, “he was extremely thankful for the food.”

Again, this is not considered nonsectarian relief and all monies raised to support it under the pretext of nonsectarian distribution were raised fraudulently.

Chabad Lies Over Its Hazerdous Unlicenced NYC Pre-School Exposed

Remember the Chabad-run pre school closed by NYC health and fire officials for code violations last spring? The code violations that Chabad denied and chalked up to antisemitism? Well, Chabad.org has a news release for you. It reads in part:

Students in Chabad of Staten Island’s yeshiva, Mesivta Menachem, now study in the former preschool classrooms. Minor renovations to get the building up to code for older students were completed over the summer. The thirty yeshiva students are making full use of their more spacious quarters. Now separate lectures and study sessions go on concurrently now without interference and with space for dining on site.

In other words, Chabad lied last spring. No surprise there.

NYC Mayor Gives In To Satmar, Agudah In Apparent Election Deal – Circumcision Deal Clearly Not Kosher

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis meet with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg regarding ritual circumcision, August 11, 2005. (Photo credit: Edward Reed)

The deal between NYC and Satmar is expained by Debra Nussbaum Cohen in tomorrow's NY Jewish Week:

The city of New York last week withdrew its lawsuit against a fervently Orthodox mohel suspected of transmitting herpes to three baby boys — one of whom died — and after nearly a year of investigation turned the matter over to a chasidic rabbinical court in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a move described as unusual by some legal experts.

Since the investigation of Rabbi Yitzchok Fischer began, the case has proven a nexus where ancient religious practice, public health, constitutional law and political influence converge, and it is made even more complicated by the fact that this is an election year. It also appears to be the first time that New York City government has turned over a case involving public health to a religious body for adjudication.

Arthur Eisenberg, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said that the health department’s turning the matter over to the rabbinical court “surprises me.”

He said that while the U.S. Supreme Court has “substantially weakened” constitutional protection conferred on the free exercise of religion, this case seems one in which government’s legal right to intervene seems clear.

“Where there are allegations of serious health problems arising from the practices of a specific mohel, intervention by public health officials is appropriate,” Eisenberg said.

With the agreement struck with the Central Rabbinical Congress, a religious court whose more typical cases deal with marital and business disputes in the Satmar, Pupa, Vishnitz and Skver chasidic communities, the city’s temporary restraint order was lifted against the mohel.

Still, according to a brief statement from the city’s health department, Rabbi Fischer has agreed to not perform metzitzah b’peh — which is oral suctioning of blood off a baby’s penis after a ritual circumcision — while the rabbinical court investigates whether it is prudent or not to allow him to continue the practice.

There has long been dispute among rabbinic authorities in Jewish law over metzitzah b’peh, and discussion of it is detailed in the Talmud. Today only mohels serving the fervently Orthodox community engage in metzitzah b’peh, with others using different methods — a pipette or a sponge — to suction.

That chasidic rabbinical court began its investigation two weeks ago. “It will take as long as needed to get to the bottom of the case,” said Rabbi David Niederman, head of United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, who is coordinating the investigation. He declined to specify what it will involve, though he did say that infectious disease experts are being consulted and that rabbis on the religious court have spoken with Rabbi Fischer.

“I don’t want to go into all the details,” he said. “This is a private affair.”

Rabbi Fischer’s attorney, Mark Kurzmann, would not allow him to speak with a reporter and said, “I’m gratified that the city’s case is over.”

“This is an important religious free-exercise case,” said the attorney, adding he felt the city’s actions “reflect responsible officials coming to grips with the reality that there is credible, factual or scientific basis for the belief that these three cases aren’t anything but tragic coincidences.”

He said he does not know if Rabbi Fischer does metzitzah b’peh at brit milot outside of New York City and declined to ask him.

New York City’s case began last November, after health department officials learned that three babies — twin boys in Brooklyn and another in Staten Island — showed signs of being infected by herpes within days of being ritually circumcised by Rabbi Fischer. One of those twins soon died.

The health department asked Rabbi Fischer to have his blood and saliva tested and initially, court documents say, he did not cooperate. Eventually, however, he did.

As soon as the city moved against Rabbi Fischer, the fervently Orthodox community framed the issue as one of the free exercise of religion and lobbied hard to end health department involvement.

A first major meeting between rabbis and Mayor Michael Bloomberg was held in January. “That meeting and several others got us to the point of getting the city to commit not to regulate the practice of metzitzah b’peh,” said Rabbi David Zwiebel, executive vice president for government and public affairs at Agudath Israel, which represents the interests of the fervently Orthodox community, who was at the meeting.

After months of meetings between rabbis and other fervently Orthodox community representatives, and New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, some 20 rabbis met with Mayor Bloomberg this summer and apparently persuaded him that the case was a matter they, rather than a government agency, should deal with.

“This is a victory in the abstract because whenever you have a serious religious matter, then those are best left to religious communities to handle,” said Rabbi Zwiebel.

“The mayor saw that this is a question of religion vs. a tradition, for example, and thought about it and said ‘you’re right,’ ” said Rabbi Niederman, who attended the recent meeting.

Rabbi Niederman denied that the mayor and agencies under his control turned the case over to the chasidic community during the run-up to a mayoral election rather than alienate a population that votes as a bloc.

“The mayor is going to be re-elected. We all know that. This is not a political issue,” said Rabbi Niederman.

According to Kurzmann, “this is not a case of political power subordinating public health issues. No one cares more about the health of a community’s infants than the community itself.”

Others, however, said that election-year politics appear to be at play. Some observers felt Bloomberg was not willing to risk alienating the Satmar community, known for voting in a bloc.

Legal experts say that this not the only case in which the need to protect public health has conflicted with the Constitution’s clause guaranteeing Americans the right to the free exercise of religion.

There is a federal ban on female genital mutilation, which is a cultural and religious practice in some African communities, because it does irreparable harm to women, said Marc Stern, general counsel to the American Jewish Congress.

There have also been cases of children being inoculated even against their parents’ religious objections, Stern said.

In his view the health risk of metzitzah b’peh has not been proven, said Stern. “There’s substantial question about whether there is or isn’t harm.”

A paper in the medical journal Pediatrics last year studied eight cases of baby boys in Israel who developed herpes after their circumcision, “most probably as a consequence of transmission by the mohel’s saliva,” it states. “Oral metzitzah after ritual circumcision may be hazardous to the neonate” because it “carries a serious risk for transmission” of the herpes simplex virus.”

The City Department of Health is not making public the conclusion of its medical investigation.

In 1998, the health department worked with the Orthodox community to get another mohel to stop using metzitzah b’peh after he was linked to two cases of neonatal herpes, according to a legal brief submitted by Dr. Susan Blank, the health department’s assistant commissioner.

Dr. Edward Reichman, an Orthodox rabbi and associate professor of emergency medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, said that the first ties between the technique and infection were reported in a book published in 1811.

A doctor wrote that a group of infants in Krakow’s Jewish quarter were afflicted with genital ulcers, and that it could be traced to the mohel who had performed metzitzah b’peh on them all. At least one of the babies died.

Through the early 1900s, tuberculosis and syphilis were reported as being transmitted, on occasion, between mohels and babies.

For millennia, oral suction was thought to prevent problems for the newly circumcised infant, not create them. But then modern medical science realized that the reverse can actually be true and since the 1950s most American mohels have used pipettes or sponges.

“Once we found out that it is not helpful and moreover, is dangerous, there is absolutely no reason to continue with it, and it should be forbidden,” said Rabbi Leonard Sharzer, a mohel who consults with the New York Board of Rabbis. “Why some groups persist in doing this thing that is dangerous when it was only instituted in the beginning for medical reasons, I can’t think of any reason why it would be done,” he said.

The centrist Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America put out a statement in March strongly advocating use of a tube for suctioning, though it did not ban direct oral suctioning. The fervently Orthodox maintain that it is a crucial aspect of fulfilling the obligation of brit milah — and apparently persuaded city authorities of its necessity.

The key points:

1. There is a 200 year history of disease transmission through metzitza b'peh.
2. This is a real public health issue and lives are truly at stake.
3. Turning over the matter to a beit din is a clear violation of the separation clause.
4. Satmar (and other haredim) vote in blocks.
5. This is an election year.
6. The CRC cannot be an honest broker. It's key members have already endorsed MBP and opposed using a tube.
7. Agudath Israel again has acted in the best interest of its member rabbis, but against the best interests of the Jewish community at large.

President Bush On Chabad Rescue

When speaking this morning to a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition, President Bush said this about Chabad's hurricane rescue:

"Our nation’s armies of compassion have rallied and have come to the aid of people who are in desperate need of help. Our charities and houses of worship and idealistic people have opened up their homes, wallets and their hearts. It's been an amazing, amazing outpouring of help. And the Jewish community of this country has been on the forefront of the efforts.

At Tulane University, the director of the Chabad, Rabbi Rivkin, brought teams of students to New Orleans and Southern Mississippi and other communities hit by the storm. He called in folks to help. He didn't say, head away from the storm, he said, let's take it right to the middle of the storm area to help people. They helped rescue stranded people, distributed bottled water, self-heating kosher meals, cleaned up and helped salvage homes, they provided spiritual support for those who lost loved ones and one of the ones rescued put it this way in the days after Katrina hit, Chabad saved  lives."

That is the extent of the quote on Chabad.org. But the president continued as follows:

Rabbi Stanton Zamek of the Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helped an African American couple displaced by the storm track down their daughter in Maryland. When Rabbi Zamek called the daughter, he told her, "We have your parents." She screamed out, "Thank you, Jesus!" (Laughter.) He didn't have the heart to tell her she was thanking the wrong rabbi. (Laughter and applause.)

Jewish organizations have thus far raised $17 million to help the victims of Katrina. (Applause.) Our citizens are answering the call of the Prophet Isaiah: "If you give what you have to the hungry, and fill the needs of those who suffer, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like the brightest time of day." People are hearing that call all across the country. And there's more work to be done. I urge you to continue to pay attention to the folks down there by contributing to the Red Cross, or the Salvation Army, or the United Jewish Communities, or B'nai B'rith International, or the American Jewish Committee. (Applause.)

Note that this speech was given before a supportive crowd that Chabad is comfortable in. But when the president spoke before a community-wide Jewish audience, he failed to mention Chabad's supposedly majestic role, although he did praise the work of other Orthodox groups.

Also note that Chabad did save lives – Jewish lives. It passed up the opportunity to save non-Jews, opting instead to save its own Torah scrolls, and its relief efforts are geared to Jews. But Chabad raised money to help everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike. This is fraud. It is a federal crime, and it should be prosecuted. It may even be why the president did not recommend donating to Chabad.

Faith-based charities can contribute much to public good during times of national crisis like Katrina. But, if they raise funds to help hurricane victims or the like, their accounting must be transparen and their books must be open. Chabad is not transparent and its books are closed . Enough said.

Hundreds Of Falash Mura Go On Hunger Strike In Addis

Falash Mura pray in Addis Ababa. (BBC)

Hundreds of Falash Mura in Ethiopia have gone on a hunger strike to protest the slow pace of aliya, the BBC reports.

Simon Wiesenthal Dead

Famed Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal has passed away.

Dr. Suess Goes To Lakewood

Dr. Suess goes to Lakewood …

Ukraine Gets Third 'Chief Rabbi' – Chabad Objects

As Ukrainian Jews grapple with the country's new political turmoil, the JTA is also reporting that Chabad is objecting to the naming of the country's third 'chief rabbi':

A majority of Ukrainian rabbis blasted the election of a new chief rabbi as illegitimate.

More than 30 Chabad rabbis affiliated with the Federation of Jewish Communities, the region’s largest Jewish group, issued a statement Sept. 15 saying that the election of another Chabad rabbi, Moshe Reuven Azman of Kiev, to serve as Ukraine’s chief rabbi was “illegitimate” and “insulting to the feelings of every believer.”

A chief rabbi “can be elected only by rabbis working in Jewish communities of that country,” the statement said, referring to the fact that Azman’s election Sept. 11 was endorsed by a group of secular Jewish leaders but not by any rabbinical authorities.

The vast majority of rabbis permanently working in Ukraine these days are Chabad rabbis affiliated with the federation. Unlike other Orthodox rabbis working in Ukraine, Azman, who is Russian-born, is not affiliated with the Chabad-led federation and for years has received support from Vadim Rabinovich, a Ukrainian business magnate and leader of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress who initiated the election for chief rabbi.

The funny thing about all this is the actual, long-serving Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine is Rabbi Yakov Bleich, a New York-born Stoliner hasid who has been living in Kiev for many years. Chabad appointed their own 'chief rabbi' last year and then, after receiving sharp criticism, claimed Rabbi Bleich was still the country's chief rabbi. That truce lasted for several months until the New York Jewish Week referred to Chabad's appointee as "chief rabbi" and ignored Rabbi Bleich. Agudath Israel was silent and Chabad, sensing weakness, immediately went back to referring to their appointee as "chief rabbi." Now Chabad is upset when Ukrainian Jews elect a Chief Rabbi that Chabad – and Agudah – doesn't control. Sad.

30 Years Of Ethiopian Aliya

An event marking 30 years of Ethiopian Jewish aliya is being held tomorrow in Israel. Meanwhile, Falash Mura are on a hunger strike protesting Israeli broken promises and foot-dragging.

The Mosques Israel Destroyed

Ha'aretz reports on the hundreds of mosques Israel destroyed, turned into synagogues, storerooms or cowsheds since 1948. (And no, two wrongs do not make a right.)

Mohel Agrees To Stop Oral-To-Genital-Suction During Circumcision

As you read this keep in mind that the beit din is under the control of Satmar's Central Rabbinical Congress, and no investigation they perform is likely to be fair. Their community has already come out strongly against any ban on metzitza b'peh (oral-to-genital-suction during circumcision) and has equated the practice with a mitzva d'orita (a positive commandment from the Torah), making it mandatory during all circumcisions. This is clearly a political deal orchestrated by NYC's mayor in a crass attempt top buy votes. Further, it appears to be illegal, a violation of church-state separation that will be found unconstitutional if challenged in court. NYC infants are supposed to be protected from public health hazards by the city's Department of Health, not by rabbis with a public vested stake in finding the mohel disease-free. Further, none of these rabbinic "experts" have public health training. None have a secular education. None have a science education. And none are competent – or Constitutionally able – to investigate this case.

The only way this deal could be kosher is if the CRC's beit din is investigating ways of doing metzitza (suction) without using the mouth – for example, through a sterile glass tube or with sterile gauze – and if the result of the beit din is metzitza with a sterile tube or the like becoming an approved method for haredi circumcisions and Rabbi Fischer's only method for doing them.

The Journal News reports:

A Monsey rabbi linked to three infants who contracted herpes has agreed to stop performing oral suction circumcisions in New York City until a religious panel investigates the method, the city announced yesterday.

Yitzchok Fischer has been under a temporary restraining order issued by a New York City court not to perform oral-suction circumcisions in the five boroughs. Rockland health officials have placed a separate ban on the rabbi.

Fischer uses his mouth to suction blood from the wound after he removes the foreskin. The centuries-old ritual, called metzizah bi peh, is used by Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Fischer and the circumcision method came under scrutiny when a Manhattan newborn died of herpes in November, and his twin was diagnosed with the virus. A Staten Island newborn circumcised by Fischer was diagnosed with herpes in November.

The strain of herpes found in the infants is transmitted orally.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had been trying for months in court to stop Fischer from using oral-suction circumcision.

Yesterday, an agency spokeswoman said an agreement had been reached.

"Rabbi Fischer has agreed to stop performing metzizah bi peh in NYC pending an investigation being conducted by the Rabbinical Court of the Central Rabbinical Congress," spokeswoman Sandra Mullin said in a statement.

Fischer's lawyers, Mark J. Kurzmann and his son Hillel M. Kurzmann of Pearl River, said the rabbi agreed to the religious tribunal request.

"Rabbi Fischer has been asked by the rabbinical court to refrain from practicing metzizah bi peh and agreed," Mark Kurzmann said.

Kurzmann said no conclusive medical evidence has been shown that the infants contracted the virus from the rabbi. The rabbi took a herpes test, but the results have not been released by the state or city.

"I remain as convinced as ever that a thorough investigation will confirm that my client was not the source of any of the three unfortunate infections," he said.

The New York state Health Department had rescinded its ban on Fischer and joined New York City's plan for a committee of rabbis and medical personnel to review the oral-suction procedure and come up with guidelines.

Rockland Health Commissioner Joan Facelle was awaiting guidance from the state on how to proceed with the county's ban.

President Bush On 350 Years Of Jewish Life In America

President Bush spoke this week about 350 years of Jewish life in America. He singled out Rabbi Barry Gelman (YU, 1996) for his work aiding Katrina refugees in Houston:

… American Jewish organizations have already raised over $10 million, plus the $50,000 tonight, for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. (Applause.)

About half of the 10,000 Jewish Americans who call New Orleans home found refuge in Houston. Rabbi Barry Gelman. of the United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston, immediately helped organize a task force to aid the evacuees.…

Why no mention of Chabad? Maybe this?

Is President Bush Fit to Lead?

ABC News investigated US preparedness for an Avian Flu pandemic, God forbid. It found that US stockpiles of Tamaflu, the only drug known to work against Avian Flu, are very low and that the US is far down on the first-come-first-call list established by Roche Pharmaceuticals. For example, Australia has 3.5 million doses on hand. The US? 2 million. Australia has a population of 20 million. The US population is 296 million, almost 15 times greater. Experts from both sides of the political aisle predict that, if the pandemic hits the US, God forbid, we will see scenes much worse than New Orleans, deaths in the hundreds of thousands, quarantined cities and terrible suffering. So why is the US so unprepared? Michael Leavitt, our Secretary of Health and Human Services has an answer: He does not know:

"Do we wish we had ordered it sooner and more of it? I suspect one could say yes," admits Leavitt. "Are we moving rapidly to assure that we have it? The answer is also yes."

When asked why the United States did not place its orders for Tamaflu sooner, Leavitt replied, "I can't answer that. I don't know the answer to that."

Even leading Republicans in Congress say the Bush administration has not handled the planning for a possible flu epidemic well.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., says the current Tamaflu stockpile of 2 million could spell disaster.

"That's totally inadequate. Totally inadequate today," says Frist, who is also a physician. "The Tamaflu is what people would go after. It's what you're going to ask for, I'm going to ask for, immediately."…

"You know, I was down in New Orleans in that crowded airport now a couple weeks ago," Frist says. "And this could be not just equal to that, but many multiple times that. Hundreds of people laid out, all dying, because there was no therapy. And a lot of people don't realize for this avian flu virus, there will be very little effective therapy available early on."

Combined with the Bush administration's shaky response to Hurricane Katrina, the inescapable conclusion is President Bush is not fit to lead.

Orthodox Rabbi's Drug Pusher Son Gets Special Treatment

The Baltimore Sun reports:

When a Baltimore judge sentenced Moshe Khaver to five years in prison for nearly killing a boy over a marijuana debt, she said the son of a Park Heights rabbi was no different from violent drug dealers from Cherry Hill.

Yet the 19-year-old is being treated differently.

Khaver has served the first 10 months of his prison sentence not in a state facility but in the city's Central Booking and Intake Center, an often crowded facility that typically houses detainees after they are arrested.

There, Khaver has special privileges, such as occupying one of a dozen solitary cells, and more lenient visitation rules, according to internal records.

His mother brings him kosher meals every day, a prosecutor said.

"That's not the normal course of business," William J. Smith, commissioner of the state Division of Pretrial and Detention Services, said of Khaver's confinement conditions.…

Chabad Hurricane Relief #4

The New York Jewish Week reports:

… Other organizations, mainly Orthodox ones, are focusing their efforts on aiding the roughly 9,500 Jews from New Orleans who have mostly relocated to Houston, Memphis and other area communities, and those who were stuck in New Orleans as the flood waters rose.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement has raised about $250,000 and is providing emergency relocation assistance. The two New Orleans-based Chabad emissaries have distributed some $100,000 in direct cash assistance to evacuated [Jewish] families. Chabad volunteers also rescued about 50 stranded people, most of them Jewish, from New Orleans, according to Rabbi Mendy Sharfstein. In Baton Rouge Lubavitchers are also providing ritual Jewish burial preparation for Jews who lost their lives in the flood.…

Chabad Rabbi Of Tel Aviv Blames Hurricane On Bush, Rice

Larry Cohler-Esses writes in today's NY Jewish Week:

When Israel’s most prominent Sephardic rabbi described Hurricane Katrina as America’s punishment for supporting Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza — and condemned its mainly black victims for failing to study Torah — many Jewish leaders here were appalled.

But in Israel, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s view linking the worst natural disaster in American history to U.S. support for the Gaza withdrawal is not unique among rabbis.

Rabbi Joseph Gerlitzky, the leader of the Lubavitch chasidic sect’s center in central Tel-Aviv, among others, gave a sermon from his pulpit soon after the hurricane voicing the same theme. A popular radio rabbi echoed him. And a noted Jerusalem kabbalist reportedly also made similar comments.…

It was in his weekly sermon last week that Rabbi Yosef, the most prominent of the Israeli rabbis involved, described the hurricane as “God’s retribution.”

“[President] Bush was behind Gush Katif,” he explained, citing one of the Gaza settlements from which Jews were forced out. “He perpetrated the expulsion. Now everyone is mad at him. This is his punishment for what he did to Gush Katif.”

As for the New Orleans residents who were forced to flee their homes or, worse, who were unable to, or who lost their lives, Rabbi Yosef said, “There was a tsunami, and there are terrible natural disasters because there isn’t enough Torah study … “Hundreds of thousands remained homeless. Tens of thousands have been killed. All of this because they have no God.”

Rabbi Gerlitzky, the Tel-Aviv Lubavitch leader, sermonized on the topic from his pulpit on the Sabbath of Sept. 3. He told the World Net Daily Web site soon after, “We don’t have prophets who can tell us exactly what are God’s ways, but when we see something so enormous as Katrina, I would say Bush and [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice need to make an accounting of their actions, because something was done wrong by America in a big way. There are many obvious connections between the storm and the Gaza evacuation, which come right on top of each other. No one has permission to take one inch of the Land of Israel from the Jewish people.”

In an interview with The Jewish Week, Rabbi Gerlitzky stood by his quotes but stressed he spoke to the press as an official of the Rabbinic Congress for Peace, an anti-disengagement group, not as a representative of Lubavitch.…

Israeli rabbis were not alone in their prophetic instinct, of course. A number of Evangelical Christian leaders also linked Katrina’s destruction to U.S. support for the disengagement. And many more linked it to what they decried as New Orleans’ decadence …

At the same time, some Muslim leaders attributed the catastrophe to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born terrorist leader who claims responsibility for scores of bombings in Iraq, made the point in a tape released on an Islamist Web site. And in South Philadelphia on Aug. 31, Black Muslim minister Louis Farrakhan opined that Katrina was divine punishment for the violence the U.S. had inflicted on Iraq.

Among the Jewish groups to condemn the remarks by Rabbi Yosef were the Anti-Defamation League and the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center. But the refusal of some Orthodox groups to criticize Rabbi Yosef’s comments may be linked to his stature.

A former chief rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yosef is, for Sephardic Jews, without peer among living rabbis as an authority on Orthodox religious law.

“A disavowal of a great man’s comments is essentially a disavowal of the man,” said one Orthodox communal official, explaining their dilemma.

But Rabbi Alan Brill, a professor of Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University, said the issue is wider than that. The rhetoric linking world events to biblical prophecy has “become a big part of the Orthodox community,” he said, just as it has for Evangelical Christianity.

During the last 15 years, Rabbi Brill explained, a variety of factors have made biblical prophecy and world events a major theme of Orthodox discourse, especially among religious leaders. The Chabad Lubavitch movement’s messianic worldview, inspired by its late leader, is one key factor, he said; the separate messianism of the Gush Emunim settlers’ movement in Israel is another.

For Orthodox Jews in America, said Brill, this all takes place within the broader culture’s increasing fixation on messianic end time themes centered on Israel. He cited Rev. Tim LaHaye’s best-selling “Left Behind” book series as but one example.

“We’re watching an increasing application of biblical prophecy to world events as part of people’s daily rhetoric,” he said. “That rhetoric has become a strong plurality in both the Orthodox and Christian Evangelical community — not the belief, necessarily; the rhetoric, which is used even if followers don’t exactly believe it. No one will say it’s nonsense anymore.”

Forward: OU's Hurricane Relief Only For Jews

The Forward reports that the joint OU – RCA - YU hurricane relief fund is only helping Jews and that the OU refused to discuss the amount of money raised or its accounting.

Chabad – which claims in the article to be helping anyone who comes to it, Jew or non-Jew alike – had a rescue mission to New Orleans that saved only Jews. After its mission was complete, it saved Torah scrolls from Chabad synagogues – while hundreds of non-Jews still needed to be rescued.

Of all the groups written about in this article, the Reform Movement and the UJC seem to be the only ones that have allocated significant funds to relief, and have helped non-Jews and Jews alike. They also have transparent accounting, something none of the Orthodox groups have.

The Forward reports:

After raising almost $10 million in response to Hurricane Katrina, Jewish organizations are facing the tricky question of how to divide the money among explicitly Jewish causes and general relief efforts.

The Reform movement has led the way among Jewish religious groups, raising more than $1.5 million by the middle of this week. In its first round of allocations, it gave $45,000 to Jewish communities in the affected areas, but much larger grants, totaling $500,000, to nonsectarian relief efforts. In contrast, the Orthodox Union, which set up a fund in conjunction with Yeshiva University and the Rabbinical Council of America, says it is concentrating on providing relief to displaced Orthodox Jews. So far, the Orthodox fund has sent $20,000 to an Orthodox congregation in Memphis that has enrolled evacuated Jewish children at its day school.

The issue of whether to direct funds to Jewish or nonsectarian causes long has stirred debate in Jewish philanthropic circles. Now, however, with thousands of Jews among the hundreds of thousands of people displaced from the Gulf region, the question has taken on new urgency and moral complexity, some communal leaders say.…

The approximately $10 million raised by Jewish groups is part of the $788 million that the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports has been raised by all charities thus far.…

Even for Jewish charities that are giving money to Jewish institutions, there is a recognition that many of the Jews in the hurricane-ravaged area were in the best position to cope with the crisis and its aftermath, given the relative affluence of the Jewish community.

"As a group, our community members were more likely to have insurance, and less likely to live in high-risk, low-lying areas," said Marla Feldman, the director of the Reform movement's Commission on Social Action, which is overseeing the movement's relief work.

The Reform movement has two separate committees considering allocations: one for requests from Reform congregations in the storm-battered areas and one for non-sectarian relief efforts.

One of the movement's largest allocations so far was for $125,000 to a Reform movement project distributing relief supplies for all evacuees in Jackson, Miss.

But in the long run, Feldman said, more of the movement's allocations will likely go to congregations trying to rebuild in New Orleans and the battered Gulf region.

"In other hurricanes we've had congregations with some damage," Feldman said, "but in my personal experience there has not been a crisis of this sort that has impacted the Jewish community so directly."

Before the hurricane, New Orleans had a Jewish population close to 10,000; there were also significant Jewish populations in other areas hit by the storm.

In the early stampede to start fundraising drives, many organizations failed to decide on the question of exactly how the money would be spent. Even now, many issues, including the proportion going to general relief and Jewish causes, have still not been worked out. The board of B'nai Brith is not meeting until September 20 to have its first discussion about how to divide the $425,000 that the organization has raised so far. The president of B'nai Brith, Joel Kaplan, said some of that money will go to restoring Torah scrolls and synagogues, but "the majority will be for general relief efforts."

The issue still hasn't been settled at the United Jewish Communities, the national coalition of local Jewish charitable federations. As of Tuesday the group was believed to have raised more than any other Jewish organization, $5.9 million.

"We have no idea what the proportions will be moving forward," said Barry Swartz, UJC's executive vice president. "We're interested in helping people. That's the principle."

UJC made its first grant on September 9 — $1 million to a multi-faith effort to feed evacuees in the major shelters in Houston. Their second grant was for $50,000 to the Nashville Jewish Federation, which is planning to go to Jackson, Miss., and make individual cash grants to evacuated Jews there.

Swartz said the organization is waiting to see what the needs are before they decide how the donations will be allocated.

The UJC is also planning to give large grants to the New Orleans and Baton Rouge Jewish federations, according to Swartz. The Baton Rouge Jewish community has nearly tripled in size to 2,000, and UJC plans to help it establish some of the social-service agencies — such as vocational and family services — that larger Jewish communities typically have.

On the local level, the Baton Rouge federation has been making its own decisions in confronting the huge relief work in the city. The federation sent rescue operations into New Orleans, and the president of the federation, Erich Sternburg, says, "anyone we came across, we helped." The Baton Rouge federation has raised some of its own funds, but so far the only allocation it has made was to the 4th District Baptist Relief Fund.

The non-sectarian approach of the Baton Rouge federation stood in stark contrast to another group on the ground, ZAKA USA, an Orthodox organization that specializes in recovering Jewish bodies from disaster scenes. The Orthodox group sent a team of three men from New York to New Orleans, who ended up recovering the bodies of two elderly Jews. On Tuesday, after recovering the bodies, ZAKA USA hired a helicopter and took in a team of 10 experts to recover seven Torah scrolls from the Beth Israel Synagogue.

In general, Orthodox organizations have been more eager to look after exclusively Jewish needs.

The executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, said his organization would like to give to general relief, but for now, he said, "as an Orthodox institution our primary responsibility is to our Jewish constituency."

The Orthodox Union has set up a fund with Yeshiva University and the Rabbinical Council of America. The group would not release the amount raised, but they did publicize their first grant of $20,000 to a Memphis Orthodox Day School that has taken in evacuated children from New Orleans.

The Orthodox institution with the widest reach in the Gulf area — the Chabad-Lubavitch movement — has taken a different tack in the weeks since Katrina hit. A head of the Chabad relief efforts said that Lubavitch representatives so far have helped whoever has asked for it. In San Antonio, where there are few Jewish evacuees, the local Chabad house held a carnival for evacuated children, most of whom were not Jewish.

"We've been responding rather than setting out a clear path," said Rabbi Yochanan Riskin, a New Orleans rabbi who is on the Chabad committee coordinating the movement's relief efforts. "There's no question that Chabad is serving the Jewish community. But in this case our donors understand that we will help people in need irrespective of their religion."

Again, it should be noted that helping someone who knocks on your door is nice, but it's not the same as having a comprehensive nonsectarian relief effort.

PETA Critiqued

The National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez ahs written a good critique of the loonier aspects of PETA. Unfortunately, she leaves out any mention of PETA's better projects, especially those related to abused factory-farmed animals.

Gaza

There seems to some confusion over this website's position on the Gaza Disengagement. To be clear:

1. The Disengagement is not a peace agreement. It is a strategic redrawing of Israel's border.
2. The government has the right to make such decisions, to rely on its military and diplomatic experts and on its intelligence gathering agencies.
3. Rabbis are not experts in the military, diplomatic or intelligence fields.
4. Jewish law allows a government to cede land. The vast majority of major poskim (rabbinic legal experts who decide intricate matters of Jewish law) agree on this.
5. Most military, diplomatic and intelligence experts wanted Israel to dismantle or destroy Gaza's synagogues before the Israeli withdrawal was complete.
6. Rabbis – who again are not experts in these fields – moved to forbid this, eventually appealing to Israel's secular courts to get a ruling to uphold their understanding of Jewish law.
7. Palestinians acted as they have for many years, burning, defacing and destroying those remaining Gaza synagogues.
8. Many have argued that the rabbis intent was political, not religious – Palestinians burning synagogues strengthens the rabbis' political base.
9. Rabbis disingenuously point to the synagogue burnings to prove we have no peace agreement, and to prove wrong the government's decision to disengage. But the Disengagement was not a peace agreement and was never marketed as one.
10. The Palestinians' actions are barbaric and inexcusable.
11. As a direct consequence of the rabbis refusal to allow Israel to dismantle the Gaza synagogues, right wing  Jewish terrorism directed at mosques is now a real possibility. This would be a dangerous development that could easily push Israel into war.
12. Rabbis who encourage sedition (Mordechai Eliyahu, Avraham Kahane Shapira, etc.), those who incite violence against Arabs (Shmuel Eliyahu, etc.) or those who posit that non-Jews do not posses Divine souls and are somehow comparable to cattle (Yitzchak Ginsburgh, etc.) must be held accountable for their words. If their followers commit violent acts, the rabbis who taught them to hate must also be brought before the bar.
13. The inability of many rabbinicly inspired opponents of Disengagement to function within democratic society is a frightening foretaste of what may come to pass if Israel ever becomes a (pre-messiah) religious state, and is a powerful argument for separation of synagogue and state.

More On "Jewish" Hurricane Relief

The Jerusalem Post has a revealing article on Jewish rescue and relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina. As you read the piece, keep the following points in mind:

1. All national Jewish fundraising efforts for Hurricane Katrina except those made by Orthodox groups have been clear in their intent and are transparent in accounting.
2. Orthodox groups primarily raised funds to help Jews only.
3. Chabad raised money on the premise of helping all victims of Katrina, Jewish or not. But as we have clearly shown, Chabad's efforts have been sectarian, geared toward Jews only.
4. In this article, Rabbi Cunin claims Chabad is helping everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike, and plans to raise money through his national telethon to continue fund this (nonexistent) effort.
5. Chabad was not the only Jewish group who tried to rescue Jews. This article notes that the Baton Rouge Jewish Federation funded an effort to save 50 elderly Jews. But the Baton Rouge Federation did not raise money under the pretext of helping everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike. Chabad did.
6. This quote from Rabbi Cunin sums up Chabad's attitude: "The Torah places squarely on our shoulders the responsibility to be there for all God's children. We take that very seriously," he said. "When someone knocks on your door and asks for your help, you don't ask what their faith is. The fact of the matter is, we're all human beings." In other words, If non-Jews come to us and ask for help we will help them, but our proactive efforts, the main thrust of our efforts and our first mission is to help Jews. We always help Jews first. This is not nonsectarian relief. Chabad has committed fraud.

Sam Ser writes:

Intolerable delays. Indelicate missteps. Apathy.

None of these things, for which American authorities are now being heavily criticized, can be found in the American Jewish response to Hurricane Katrina.

Take as an example the experience of Rabbi Barry Gelman of the United Orthodox Synagogues in Houston. When he arrived at the Astrodome shortly after thousands of New Orleans evacuees were bused there, Gelman found chaos and confusion. But not where Jewish victims were concerned.

"I realized that Jews who found themselves in shelters could simply open a phone book and find a synagogue, or a Jewish federation, and get picked up immediately. They didn't have to spend one hour in a place like that. I feel so fortunate to be part of a community that responds like that," he said.

There was no hesitation on the part of the Houston Jewish community, and no procedural hang-up to slow its effort, Gelman said.

"Right after it became clear that the population of New Orleans was not going to get back there anytime soon, our community developed a task force to deal with the evacuees," he explained. "We're providing transportation to those who need it, mental health workers, nurses and doctors, pharmacists, etc. Our day schools and after-school care are open and there is Shabbat hospitality, even preparations for the High Holy Days."

At synagogues and Jewish communal organizations across the country, Jews mobilized immediately to help the Jews of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who found themselves suddenly homeless, jobless and all but hopeless. There were no tales of Jews waiting a week on a bridge for shelter, food, water or clothing – partly because host families were found for them almost overnight.

The response in the early days of the disaster was so involved, in fact, that it was even possible to see it in a negative light, to think that Jews were only interested in helping Jews. One particular incident revealed just that concern.

A few days after the flooding, some 30 Baton Rouge policemen and volunteers headed down to New Orleans armed with guns, bulletproof vests, flat-bottom boats, a doctor, a global positioning system – and a list of the addresses of 50 elderly Jews, supplied by a Baton Rouge businessman and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, whom the men were sent to rescue.

"For some reason, they're putting their energy and resources into saving a small group of Jewish people trapped in [New Orleans] when their own city is teeming with refugees," Adam Bronstone, director of community relations for the New Orleans federation, told The Advocate, a Baton Rouge newspaper. "I can't fathom that; I can't explain it."

While the story was mostly positive, it also highlighted Jewish charity as being directed first and foremost to Jews, who were, after all, only a tiny percentage of those affected by the hurricane.

"It is natural that we take care of our own first," said Harry Silverman, the southeast regional director for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. "It is also a natural thing for somebody in distress to turn first to his own religious institution for help." He noted that churches have also mobilized to help Christians.

"I'm sure, though, that if non-Jews were to turn to Jewish institutions for assistance, they wouldn't be turned away," Silverman said.

The truth is that, on the whole, Jewish relief efforts have not been limited to helping only Jews.

"There's no thought about ethnicity in the Jewish response to this crisis," said Kenneth Bandler, director of communications for the American Jewish Committee. "People are not contributing to the AJC fund with the hope that [the proceeds] are only going toward helping Jews. They know every dollar is going to those who need it."

The United Jewish Communities has also raised several million dollars to help all the victims of the disaster. The staple foods and household supplies that the MAZON food bank in Dallas is providing are going almost entirely to non-Jews. From as far away as New York, Jewish volunteers have gone to New Orleans to help victims of all colors. And the list goes on.

Jewish help is reaching those in need without getting bogged down in the bureaucracy that has slowed the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and others.

"We have chutzpah, and we're putting it to good use now," said Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, of West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch. "People who want to contribute and people from other organizations are calling us and saying, 'You guys get things done.'"

Cunin's California-based organization is dedicating its upcoming 25th annual telethon to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and it is enlisting the help of such Hollywood stars as Jon Voight, Magic Johnson, Martin Sheen, Bob Dylan, Matt LeBlanc, Tony Danza and Whoopi Goldberg to raise money for everyone from the Gulf Coast who needs help. It is part of Chabad's tradition of nonsectarian crisis intervention, Cunin said.

"The Torah places squarely on our shoulders the responsibility to be there for all God's children. We take that very seriously," he said. "When someone knocks on your door and asks for your help, you don't ask what their faith is. The fact of the matter is, we're all human beings."

Chabad Hurricane Relief #3

Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin of Chabad's Jewish Hurricane Relief was just on Fox News. I only caught the last 2/3 of the interview, but two things seemed clear:

1. Rabbi Rivkin did not specify that Chabad's relief and rescue was directed only to Jews.
2. He did not directly claim it was nonsectarian and meant for non-Jews as well.

A quick check of Chabad's Hurricane website finds the following modified page:

We appeal to you to recognize the scope of this disaster and open your heart — and extend a very giving and benevolent hand — to help alleviate the suffering of many thousands of our brothers and sisters. …

Gulf Coast in Crisis

The devastation wrought by the force and fury of Hurricane Katrina, and its brutal aftermath, is too horrific for words. Even the shocking images being shown on TV do not adequately convey the true scope of suffering in the wake of this tragedy; the worst natural disaster in United States history.

The loss of life has only begun to be tallied; the awful toll rising by the hour. Pockets of survivors – barely hanging on for dear life – are still being plucked from jutting rooftops and from the thick of increasingly putrid and toxic flood waters.

Most of those who were lucky enough to evacuate or be rescued have done so with little more than barest of provisions, if not nothing more than the shirts on their backs. The numbers of people who are now displaced — without food, clothing, basic necessities and a place to rest their shock-weary bodies — are staggering. They are homeless, jobless and, a great many of them, penniless and directionless. Within a span of 48 hours, they have seen their lives turned completely upside down — left in shambles. For most of these people, everything they have worked for has been engulfed, submerged, decimated, burned or even looted and pillaged.

Among the victims are singles and families; healthy and infirmed; young and old from literally all walks of life. This calamity has recognized no distinctions. It has cast hundreds of thousands into crisis and despair, and, in many cases, to total dependency upon the goodwill of others.

Jewish Community in Dire Need

Among those victimized and displaced are some 12,000 Jews from the city of New Orleans, as well as Jewish inhabitants from cities and parishes in neighboring Mississippi and Alabama.

This is a time wherein the government alone simply cannot be relied upon to address the pain and very specific needs of our fellow. This is where people of compassion and conscience must step forward and be there for those who are in desperate need of help.

As outlined on this website, Chabad of New Orleans – in conjunction with Chabad centers across the United States – is coordinating massive relief efforts on numerous fronts. We are helping victims with just about whatever their needs may be, but above all, we are doing so in a manner that preserves dignity, instills hope and engenders a spirit of perseverance.

The outpouring of support we have received thus-far has been most encouraging, but not nearly enough to address a crisis of this magnitude. Our efforts urgently require immediate, major and broad-based support from throughout the global Jewish community.

None of us should ever have to encounter such heartbreak and despair in our lives; however, it is imperative to know that when something like this does strike, we are indeed there for each other — caring, feeling and helping in a very real way.

In other words, the relief and rescue Chabad provides is sectarian and it always was intended to be so. But, even so, as pointed out first here, Chabad raised money for almost two weeks claiming to be doing so for nonsectarian relief. This was a coordinated effort to deceive the public, an effort directly run out of Chabad's world headquarters in Brooklyn under the direction of its head of operations Rabbi Yehudah Krinsky. And that speaks volumes about Chabad's honesty and its trustworthiness.

The Halakhic Value Of Transparency

How important is transparency in fundraising? Is there a halakhic position on the issue? Yes there is. Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir of the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem writes:

… Transparency in remuneration is appropriate for all leading executives, but it is absolutely critical in non-profit organizations. If an administrator is getting a mid-six-figure salary, donors should be aware of this. Likewise, if fund-raisers are getting a percentage, this must be made crystal clear to all donors. Otherwise they are being materially misled as to the use of their donations. In my experience there are major problems with giving fund-raisers a percentage if it is more than a minor fraction (around 20%), but it is not important for me to dictate policy. What is important is that donors have full knowledge of any such percentage relationship, so they know how much of their money is going to finance fund-raising…

Kashrut Alert

According to an e-mail just received from Rabbi Yudel Shain:

The Mezonos Maiven wholesale bakery in Brooklyn under the "OK" & Hisachdus was caught by a group of frum yidden operating on Shabbos Parshas Shoiftim (Sept. 10th) at 6:30 PM.

Consult with your local rabbi regarding any possible kashrut concerns or questions regarding kaylim. Check with the OK to determine the veracity of the report. (Realize there are ways for a kosher bakery to operate on Shabbat, and Mezonos Maven may have arranged this with the OK. Your local rabbi should be able to determine if this arrangement had been made.)

Chabad Rescue (Chabad Hurricane Relief #2)

So far, Chabad claims that its sponsored rescue teams have saved 37 Jews trapped in New Orleans, about the same number of people Sean Penn saved in one day. So, what else has Chabad been doing? This:

… On Wednesday, it was Chabad’s turn to be touched when James O’connell, an intrepid and dedicated volunteer from Metro New York Search and Rescue, working closely with Chabad’s rescue mission, braved danger to salvage five Torah Scrolls from the Chabad center in New Orleans. “James was heroic in his daring,” says Sharfstein. When an additional two Torahs from the Chabad synagogue in Metairie were saved yesterday, rescue workers held an impromptu, small celebration.…

In other words, while non-Jews still needed rescue, while there were human lives to be saved, Chabad recovered Torahs from its flooded synagogues. This seems to be a violation of halakha (Jewish Law), which would mandate the saving of human life before recovery of Torah scrolls. This is also another indication that Chabad's rescue efforts are sectarian, and that Chabad's advertising of their efforts as nonsectarian amounts to fraud.

Eliot Spitzer, are you listening?

JewWatch.com Owner Caught In Hurricane Relief Fraud

From the New York Times:

Jay Nixon, the Missouri attorney general, sued to shut one of the more bizarre fund-raising efforts yesterday. A state circuit court granted a temporary restraining order against Internet Donations Inc., the entity behind a dozen Web sites erected over the last several days purporting to collect donations for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Also named in the Missouri suit, which seeks monetary penalties from the defendants, is the apparent operator of the donation sites, Frank Weltner, a St. Louis resident and radio talk show personality who operates a Web site called JewWatch.com.

That site - which indexes Adolf Hitler's writings, transcripts of anti-Semitic radio broadcasts and other materials, according to the Anti-Defamation League - attracted headlines last year when it appeared at or near the top of Google search results for the query "Jew." It remains the No. 2 search result today.

Most of Mr. Weltner's Katrina-related Web sites - which include KatrinaFamilies.com, Katrina-Donations.com, and NewOrleansCharities.com - appear to have been registered using DomainsByProxy.com, which masks the identity of a domain registrant.

However, Mr. Weltner's name appeared on public documents obtained through the Web site of the Missouri secretary of state yesterday. Those indicated that Mr. Weltner had incorporated Internet Donations as a nonprofit entity last Friday.

The various Web sites, which use similar imagery and slight variations on the same crude design, all point back to InternetDonations.org. There, visitors interested in donating to the Red Cross, Salvation Army or other relief organizations are told that "we can collect it for you in an easy one-stop location."

It is unclear whether any of the sites successfully drew funds from any donors, or if Mr. Weltner, who did not respond to e-mail messages and could not be reached by phone, had channeled any proceeds to the better-known charities named on his site. But the restraining order issued yesterday enjoins Mr. Weltner and Internet Donations Inc. from, among other things, charitable fund-raising in Missouri, and "concealing, suppressing or omitting" the fact that donations collected were intended "for white victims only."

"It's the lowest of the low when someone solicits funds" this way, Mr. Nixon said in an interview before announcing the lawsuit. "We don't want one more penny from well-meaning donors going through this hater."

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: Why Katrina? Blacks Have No God

Miriam Shaviv reports:

“There was a tsunami and there are terrible natural disasters, because there isn’t enough Torah study… black people reside there (in New Orleans). Blacks will study the Torah? (God said) let’s bring a tsunami and drown them.”

“Hundreds of thousands remained homeless. Tens of thousands have been killed. All of this because they have no God.”

Orthodox Judaism is broken, perhaps beyond repair. May God save us.

New Orleans Jews

Here is an explanation of the New Orleans Jewish community from a (former) Federation employee who recently moved to New Haven. It talks about the different neighborhoods, where Jews lived, and how different neighborhoods were damaged by the storm. He's very close to Chabad and has some nice things to say about Rabbi Nemes.

JTA: Chabad Rescues 32 Jews From New Orleans

The JTA reports:

Chabad teams rescue New Orleans Jews

Chabad-sponsored rescue teams have pulled 32 Jews from their New Orleans homes over the past several days, a spokesman for the organization said.

Hundreds more Jews still may be trapped in water-inundated houses or otherwise missing in the Gulf region, Zalman Shmotkin told JTA. Working on foot and boat, the rescue squads — comprised largely of New York-based medics — have encountered some elderly Jews who are reluctant to leave their homes, in addition to one woman who did not wish to evacuate and leave her pets behind to fend for themselves.

The teams were able to convince some victims to evacuate their homes; others stayed put. The Hurricane Relief section of Chabad’s Web site asks anyone who believes they know of people still missing or trapped to provide details through the site, www.chabad.org.

The Chabad teams on the ground will then look into the reports.

The good news is clear. The bad news is that rescuing Jews is not nonsectarian. If Chabad would advertise its hurricane fund as what it really is – a fund to help Jews – I would not have any problem with it. But Chabad is using deceptive advertising to make its fund appear to be nonsectarian, and by doing so siphoning off money from actual nonsectarian efforts like those of the Red Cross and Salvation Army. There is a place for specific Jewish relief targeted to help Jews. People understand that and will give money, goods and time to the effort. There is no need to lie for this cause.

Why Early Hurricane Relief Failed

The mayor of New Orleans speaks about why the first efforts to handle the disaster failed. Again, it seems clear that the governor of Louisiana – a former public school teacher – was not up to the task.

Chabad's 'Chief Rabbi' Gets Medal From Russia In Apparent Quid Pro Quo

Chabad's 'chief rabbi' of Russia, Berel Lazar has been given a medal by Russia in an apparent quid pro quo for Chabad's notorious medal awarded in Auschwitz to Vladimir Putin :

MOSCOW, Russia – Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar was awarded with the 'Peter the Great' First Class Order. The diploma attached to the Order explains that the Chief Rabbi was honored with this award "considering his activities in advancing inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations, and his great contribution to the spiritual rebirth of Russia’s Jewish community and to strengthening Russian state".

The Order was established by the Academy of Security, Defense, Law and Order. It is the highest civic reward in the Russian Federation, which is granted on the basis of unselfish deeds, valor, courage and heroism that is displayed while fulfilling a military, official or civic duty. …

What could that "valor, courage and heroism that is displayed while fulfilling a military, official or civic duty" be? This?

Also of note: According to The Weekly Standard, this is the first year since Andrei Sakharov's death in 1989 that a memorial concert has not been held in Moscow. Sakharov, perhaps the leading dissident in the Soviet Union, is one of the Russians most responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. His KGB file has just been published in English. Putin, a former senior KGB leader who regards the fall of the Soviet union as a tragedy of epic proportions,  is still a great admirer of Josef Stalin.

Chabad Hurricane Relief – Eliot Spitzer, Are You Listening?

Note the alleged "nonsectarian" nature of Chabad's hurricane relief campaign. Eliot Spitzer, are you listening?

Chabad Telethon to Aid Hurricane Relief Efforts

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin, Director
of West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch, announced today that Chabad will urge donors
during its upcoming "Celebration 25" Telethon to add to their usual
contributions in order to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.  The
California-based organization has joined as a full partner in a broad relief
program undertaken by Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana, and is providing vital
financial, material, and logistical aid to those in need.

"It's impossible to see the images of destruction and loss coming from the
Gulf Coast and not be moved to action," said Rabbi Cunin.  "Our hearts go out
to the hundreds of thousands who are suffering from this disaster, and we will
continue to do everything we can to help the survivors.  On September 25, we
will ask our generous Telethon donors to contribute an extra amount during
this emergency that they can earmark for hurricane relief.  Chabad has a long,
proud tradition of nonsectarian crisis intervention, and now is the time for
all of us to step forward," said Rabbi Cunin.

"West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch has assumed a critical role in our
life-saving hurricane relief efforts," said Rabbi Zelig Rivkin, Director of
Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana.  "They are providing immediate assistance that
allows us to react quickly to the crisis, and have partnered with us in every
way during this difficult time.  We are grateful that the Chabad Telethon will
urge donors to add to their usual contributions to support our efforts."

"This is a time of great need for all of us along the Gulf Coast," added
Rabbi Rivkin.  "Our network of emergency centers in the disaster area is
working around the clock to assist survivors of this terrible storm.  We hope
that Telethon viewers -- in addition to supporting Chabad's ongoing, vital
programs that rely on their donations -- will use this opportunity to extend a
helping hand for our relief efforts."

Chabad's Telethon is an annual fundraising event that supports the largest
network of educational and nonsectarian social services under Jewish auspices
in America.  Over the last 25 years, the Telethon has hosted appearances by
such leading entertainment industry figures as Jon Voight, Magic Johnson,
Martin Sheen, Bob Dylan, Matt LeBlanc, Tony Danza, Whoopi Goldberg, Drea de
Matteo, and Jerry Weintraub.  The special Chabad "Celebration 25" Telethon
will broadcast live from Hollywood on September 25th, from 3 pm to Midnight,
PDT.  It will also be simulcast around the globe via the Internet at
http://www.tolife.com.

More than a dozen Chabad centers across the Gulf Coast and the South have
been converted into emergency relief stations to provide shelter, food,
clothing and accommodations to displaced families.  Chabad of Louisiana has
been involved in evacuation efforts, and has provided counseling, referrals to
other agencies, and networking for those in search of loved ones.  The
organization is also helping place children in Chabad schools -- with tuition
waived -- and is finding temporary housing for many families.  Additionally,
they are using their network of community and business contacts to find new
employment for displaced persons.

"West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch will stand with our Gulf Coast
representatives in the days and months ahead as we work to help the hurricane
survivors rebuild their lives," said Rabbi Cunin.  "Our centers here on the
West Coast will open their doors to refugees with relatives in the area -- in
fact, the first groups have already arrived.  We will reach out in every way
possible to offer a new beginning for those affected by this tragedy."

"The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, taught us the
special power contained within each good deed," added Rabbi Cunin, "And after
this devastating storm, we will need as many good deeds as possible."

Apology

I've been in e-mail contact with Sue Fishkoff, author of The Rebbe's Army. She is very upset at how she has been categorized on this blog. A summary of her concerns follows:

1. I did not get rich off of Chabad. I am not now nor have I ever been rich.

2. My book advance was primarily used to cover expenses occurred in writing the book and to offset lost income while involved in its writing.

3. I have not yet received royalties from book sales because not enough books have been sold to pay off my advance.

4. Contractually, I cannot comment on the amount of my advance or other financial matters related to the book.

5. I do not know how many books have been sold to date.

6. I speak about my book to a wide variety of Jewish groups including Reform, Conservative and Chabad congregations, JCCs and Federation gatherings.

First, I want to apologize to Sue Fishkoff for the hurt my words caused her. I believe her representation of events surrounding her book is sincere.

Second, I want to note the following. I contacted Schocken Books and its parent Random House to try to ascertain sales figures for The Rebbe's Army. Random House referred me to Schocken. Schocken refused to give sales figures or to categorize sales volume in any way. I asked Schocken if this policy applied to all works it publishes, or if it was a policy specific to The Rebbe's Army. Schocken refused to answer. I waited a few days and asked again. Again, Schocken refused to answer.

I have been told book club and volume sales are often excluded from standard royalty agreements, or are paid at a much lower rate than bookstore and Amazon.com sales. Volume sales tend to reward the publisher much more than the author.

I still believe that Chabad had a pre-publication volume deal with Schocken and that Schocken editors shaped the book to reflect that deal, but I no longer believe that Sue Fishkoff knowingly slanted her work to reflect that.

Again, I apologize to Sue Fishkoff for the hurt my words have caused.

Mohel Seeks To Have Oral Suction Ban Lifted

Rabbi Yitzchok Fischer, the mohel (ritual circumciser) involved in the New York controversy over metzitza b'peh (oral to genital suction during circumcision) wants to be free to practice MBP in Rockland county.

As you read this, remember that all governments involved are forbidden by law from discussing anything about Rabbi Fischer's health – including his herpes test. Also note that the test referred to appears to be Rabbi Fischer's original test, performed by his friend and doctor under uncontrolled circumstances. Rabbi Fischer has consistently refused to cooperate with city and county authorities or to submit to a controlled test for herpes. Again, the state, county and city are not allowed to discuss Rabbi Fischer's refusal because of Federal privacy law. If the case is brought to a trial, those records may become public. Rabbi Fischer could also allow NYC and Rockland county to release the details of the test. Rabbi Fischer has refused to do so.

The JournalNews reports:

… Fischer underwent a herpes test, but the city has not released the results or commented on the type of test given to the rabbi. The state Health Department received the results through a subpoena, but also will not comment on them.

Fischer's lawyer, Mark J. Kurzmann of Pearl River, said yesterday that "there has been no conclusive medical evidence that the infants contracted the virus from the rabbi."

Kurzmann said the rabbi performed oral-suction circumcisions on two of the three infants, both of whom had rashes beforehand and had visited a doctor. Oral-suction circumcisions were done on the twins. Oral suction was not done on the third baby, Kurzmann said.

"If there was a definitive conclusion that my client infected any child, he would be the first one to stop," Kurzmann said. "And Jewish law would mandate he stop."

Kurzmann recently asked Rockland Health Commissioner Dr. Joan Facelle to lift the ban, which she ordered in February. Kurzmann based his request on the state Health Department's decision.

Facelle said recently she remained concerned about the potential health risks the procedure imposes. She said her department has not received any reports of herpes in infants.

She will respond to Kurzmann by the end of this month, hoping to receive guidance from the state.

"This procedure poses a real potential health risk and doesn't follow infection control standards," she said.

Facelle said neither the state nor the city has informed her if tests on the rabbi showed he had herpes and any link to the children.

"In the absence of science, we are dealing with one particular individual, not the practice," she said. "I don't know if we can sustain the order. I am hoping for some guidance from the state."…

Mayor Bars Ethiopian Jewish Children From Schools

Ha'aretz reports:

Six-year-old Adiso Dasa, who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia three years ago, did not start school on Thursday. Rather than beginning first grade, he stayed home because of an order given by Or Yehuda Mayor Yitzhak Bokovza barring 50 children of Ethiopian immigrant families from registering in local schools.

The families all immigrated within the past three years, and until a few months ago they lived in absorption centers around the country, where they were given a governmental grant to purchase an apartment. Many of the families chose to move to Or Yehuda, where they believed they could integrate into Israeli society, find jobs and make a decent living. But sometimes dreams are dashed.

In Or Yehuda, it appears, the immigrants received a cold welcome. Mayor Bokovza is angry at state authorities, which, he said, do not allow "controlled absorption of immigrants" and allow large numbers of immigrants to end up in the same city, creating "ghettos." Some 1.5 percent of Or Yehuda residents are Ethiopian, according to Bokovza. "If this situation continues, in two years they will be 4 percent," he said.

Because of his actions, the State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss called on Bokovza to allow the students into the city's education system immediately. Bokovza will come Sunday to a meeting of the Knesset State Control Committee, where he said he would hand down an
"indictment" against the State of Israel for its conduct regarding immigrant absorption.

Adiso has lived for three years with his family in an absorption center in the Jerusalem area Two months ago his family moved to Or Yehuda. Over the summer, his parents went to the municipality's education department to register him for class. "They told us the mayor has not yet decided what to do. They didn't tell us where to go. Now my brother is sitting at home,doing nothing. He is very disappointed by the entire situation," said Rahel, Adiso's older sister, on Friday.

Ethiopian Immigrants Association chair Adiso Masala had some words for Bokovza: "If citizens of Israel want to move from one community to another, they can do so freely; we're a democracy. I discovered that this man has no desire to absorb immigrant families. I now call on the government ministries to forbid mayors from denying immigrants the right to be absorbed in their cities, because that would be a dangerous precedent," he said.

Masala also blasted Education Minister Limor Livnat: "I heard her say Thursday that the school year opened with no hitches. Dozens of Ethiopian students who aren't in school is not a hitch?" he asked.

One person has stepped in to propose a solution Ramat Hasharon Mayor Yitzhak Rochberger, who has already informed the Education Ministry that he has agreed to take dozens of Ethiopian pupils from Or Yehuda into his city's education system and will even offer busing services to the children. "It is not right that someone who doesn't send his kids to school risks being shown an arrest warrant, but a mayor is exempt from this. Because of his refusal 50 kids are on the street. I think Bokovza should be presented with 50 arrest warrants, one for each child who was left outside the school gates," Rochberger said.

Bokovza is convinced that he is only saying out loud what many other local authority heads only think, but prefer not to say so as not to be accused of "racist behavior." "When someone is ready to fight, he gets called racist. I am fighting the State of Israel, not Ethiopians. I'm actually protecting them. The State of Israel is sending them randomly to all sorts of places, and causing them to concentrate in certain places. The process could continue, and it should be stopped. Like in a healing process, sometimes you have to cut into the flesh. The sight of dozens of kids who aren't in school is also distressing for me to witness. Today I will go to the State Control Committee and accuse the government ministries of abandoning certain populations and segregating strong populations from weaker ones," he said.

Compare the above to this: Chabad Schools Ban Ethiopian Jews.

What Does God Want Us To Learn From Katrina?

What does G-d want us to learn from Hurricane Katrina? This …

Chabad's "Jewish Hurricane Relief" Fund

Chabad is now publicizing it's so-called "Jewish" hurricane relief fund. E-mails (Download jewish_hurricane_relief_3.pdf) have been sent out through lists, including the list of HonestReporting.com (UPDATE 9-4-05: and the Jerusalem Post). But, other than to provide assistance to a few refugees, Chabad is not equipped to do relief. The e-mails and Chabad's website do not specify where the donated funds will go. In contrast, the Reform Movement has a website that 1) allows refugees to find each other, 2) pairs up refugees with existing aid and, 3) raises money that is distributed to established relief agencies like the Red Cross. Plus, they have full transparency. Chabad does not. Some may recall that Chabad raised tens of thousands of dollars for Tzunami relief and, as far as I know, has yet to provide an accounting of how (or if) those funds were properly disbursed. If Chabad will not provide trasparency it should be shunned. More importantly, it should be investigated by law enforcement.

UPDATE: The OU has a fund – jointly set up with the RCA and YU – to aid families and communities devasted by Hurricane Katrina. The OU does not file a Form 990 with the IRS and has no publicly available transparent accounting system. It does not promise to give money to the Red Cross or other disaster relief organizations, and the fund appears to be in place to primarily (exclusively?) help Jews. It's website promises that all monies raised will be disbursed to help families and communities and nothing will be used for adminstration or fundraising expenses.

If you want to direct your aid exclusively to Jews, by all means, do so. But if you want to help the hundreds of thousands of non-Jews damaged by Hurricane Katrina – as Jewish Law demands – give to the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities as well.

As for the OU, if it does not make its accounting of these monies transparent, it too should be investigated by law enforcement.

Chabad Rabbi Steals From Food Bank – Chabad Does Nothing To Stop Theft – Steals From City's Poor

The San Diego Union Tribune reports:

Two charity operators who collected hundreds of tons of donations from the San Diego Food Bank were charged yesterday with multiple counts of grand theft and forgery. They are accused of stealing food and other groceries meant for the poor.

The San Diego City Attorney's Office filed criminal complaints against Zeev Buchler and Jose Alanis, two subjects of a report this year in The San Diego Union-Tribune  that examined widespread mismanagement and theft at the county's largest hunger-fighting organization.

Prosecutors expect to seek jail time for Alanis and Buchler, both of whom owned or had family members who owned retail stores selling the same types of products they withdrew from the food bank.…

According to the complaints, Buchler and Alanis defrauded the food bank and donors by taking products that were supposed to help the neediest families in San Diego County.

Investigators spent much of this year reviewing records and interviewing food-bank employees, swap-meet vendors and other witnesses, Davis said in an interview.

Buchler withdrew food and other products from the food bank for more than 10 years under the authority of Chabad of San Diego, a well-known Jewish organization based in Scripps Ranch.

Buchler was charged with 32 counts of grand theft and petty theft and one count of forgery. In the last six months of 2004 alone, he collected nearly 55 tons of food-bank donations.

During the time Buchler collected groceries from the food bank, he ran a retail store on El Cajon Boulevard, was fired from an insurance agency for embezzlement and was repeatedly sued by creditors. He also declared personal bankruptcy in the 1990s.

Rabbi Josef Fradkin said yesterday that Chabad of San Diego had "absolutely no knowledge of (Buchler's) alleged activities." However, records obtained by the newspaper showed that Chabad officials knew about the withdrawals and did little to stop them beyond telling the food bank that they were not responsible for debts Buchler owed the food bank.

Davis said Buchler recently sold his house in University City and left San Diego. She expected a bench warrant to be issued for his arrest as soon as today.

"We're definitely actively looking for him," she said.…

Something to keep in mind as one prepares to write a check for Chabad hurricane relief.