The Federations' Jewish Hero Awards quietly disqualified a left wing nominee from Jewish Voice for Peace. But its top vote getter so far is Leah Rubashkin, convicted felon Sholom Rubashkin's wife and the sister-in-law and aunt of convicted felons Moshe Rubashkin and his son Sholom (jr.). Leah is the daughter-in-law of Aaron Rubashkin, who stole union dues from his immigrant employees. And Leah Rubashkin has never repudiated any of these crimes. Also on the short list is another Chabad follower, Rabbi Manis Friedman, who called for the slaughter of Arab civilians – even babies – and who then walked back that statement by saying he only meant this should be done during a time of war.
Leah Rubashkin
The litany of Rubashkin crimes also includes massive humane slaughter law violations and EPA violations. The humane slaughter violation led to the worst and most publicized scandal in the history of kosher food in America.
A few weeks ago, when I saw Leah Rubashkin had been nominated for this, I decided not to publicize my own nomination.
Why?
Because I thought it would be absolutely perfect if she one or placed in the top 10.
Why?
Because it would demonstrate the venality of these awards and the moral bankruptcy of Federation leadership.
And now I got my wish.
Tablet Magazine noticed Rubashkin's nomination right after the Federations changed the rules of the contest to exclude a left wing nominee:
…Last week, just before Yom Kippur, the organization quietly removed one of the top ten vote-getters, Cecilie Surasky, the deputy director of the provocative Bay Area group Jewish Voice for Peace, from the ranks of eligible competitors. Federation spokesman Joe Berkofsky told JTA that Surasky was deemed ineligible because of her group’s support for the Israel boycott, sanctions and divestment movement (BDS), which Federation has invested heavily in countering. JVP countered that Federation changed its eligibility rules specifically to disqualify Surasky…
As distateful as JVP may be, it is not significantly worse than honoring a man who called for the murder of Arab babies or a woman who has never repudiated the crimes her husband and in laws have committed and indeed continues to contend that the US legal system is antisemitic and that her husband is innocent.
Moment Magazine asked rabbis from each movement in Judaism to answer this simple question: “How Should Jews Treat Their Arab Neighbors?”
Here's what Friedman wrote to Moment Magazine as his answer for publication:
I don’t believe in Western morality, i.e., don’t kill civilians or children, don’t destroy holy sites, don’t fight during holiday seasons, don’t bomb cemeteries, don’t shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral. The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle). The first Israeli prime minister who declares that he will follow the Old Testament will finally bring peace to the Middle East.
His modification of this was to say that he was only referring to a time of war.
And now he's a potential Jewish hero, and the ever cowardly Federations aren't stopping him.
Apparently the Federations believe calling for genocide is kosher as long as the victims aren't Jews.
On the other hand, supporting a boycott of Israel because of its West Bank settlement policy gets you booted out of the Federations' heroes list like lightning.
An old Yiddish proverb says, "the fish stinks from its head."
And that stink is wafting from the Jewish Federations of North America.