"With the the Middle East and Europe unraveling and the United States stepping back from its role as a check against the expansion of evil, rabbis from Coast to Coast [sic] are sensing the need to weigh in on the issues of the day, including choosing a man they feel is most articulate and consistent in expressing the core values they hold dear."
JewishWorldReview.com broke the story today of a group of Orthodox and haredi rabbis who have endorsed Ted Cruz for president.
In part, the JWR report claims these rabbis represent far more people than they actually do:
…For church-state reasons, the rabbis are signing their "open letter" independent of their congregational, educational and social organizations. Collectively, however, they represent a significant constituency from coast to coast; up to 10,000 people.
"Rabbis generally avoid political affiliation or endorsement," said Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt of Dallas, who helped organize the group. "The pursuit of power is often paved with platitudes and false promises, and those committed to furthering Judeo values often feel a genuine discomfort in political environments."
But, he added, today's times are different. "With the the Middle East and Europe unraveling and the United States stepping back from its role as a check against the expansion of evil, rabbis from Coast to Coast are sensing the need to weigh in on the issues of the day, including choosing a man they feel is most articulate and consistent in expressing the core values they hold dear."…
Read it all here.
Looking at the names, which you can see below, I'd consider removing about 5,000 people from the count. (For all you Rabbi Yisroel Belsky fans out there, show Belsky – who did not sign this letter – the letter, have him look at names of the rabbis that start with S, and see if he has any Maximo stories he's willing to tell you.)
As for Rosenblatt, he's the guy behind Rosenblatt's glatt kosher meat.
At any rate, here's the letter. Please click to enlarge: