Rabbi of West Side Synagogue Sued for Allegedly Fixing Election

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04/10/2019

New York - Rabbi of West Side article — Congregation Emunath Israel in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Rabbi Yechezekel Wolff of Congregation Emunath Israel in the Chelsea section of Manhattan is reportedly being sued for allegedly fixing an election last December so he could effectively take control of the historic sanctuary.

Wolff was sued last year by his own congregants, according to an article in the New York Post, “for trying to freeze out elderly members in the winter.”

Reports say that the synagogue’s former Vice-President Ira Glauber and three other members are claiming that Wolff used an unfair and illegal election Dec. 4, 2018 and tilted the scales of justice in order to get rid of board members. The Post story also claims Wolff was once allegedly caught in a recording saying his congregants “should go to hell.”

The people behind the lawsuit want its result disallowed. “They wanted to take over this synagogue and their Rabbi Wolff has been trying to take over the building for the last four or five years,” Glauber told The Post. “They weakened the congregation and then held a rigged vote to take over the synagogue.”

Bruce Kirschner, the congregation’s president and also a co-defendant in both of the lawsuits — reportedly said this to the Post: “The entire board and vast majority of community members support the present leadership of the Congregation and Rabbi Wolff, who work tirelessly on behalf of the Congregation.”

An attorney for Wolff named Christopher Milito is quoted in the same Post article as saying, “This is just round two of Ira Glauber’s vendetta litigation. Is it motivated by sour grapes that Mr. Glauber was not elected to the board of trustees? Almost certainly. Is there any merit to his claim? Certainly not.”

London’s Daily Mail provided additional depth to the story, reporting that the synagogue’s congregants were accusing Wolff because he “allegedly turned the house of worship into a disco…” It add, “The suit alleges that Rabbi Yechezekel Wolff reneged on an agreement whereby he would lease the building housing the synagogue on West 23rd Street in exchange for paying operating expenses and covering repairs. Instead, Wolff ripped out old pews from the 100-year-old building and turned off the heat in the winter time in order to ‘kill off the congregation,’ the lawsuit alleges.”

Congregation Emunath Israel, or “The Chelsea Shul,” was built in the 1850’s as the Third Reformed Presbyterian Church,” its web site relates. “The Emunath Israel Congregation, originally founded in 1865, took over the building in 1920. The Shul installed stained glass windows as a tribute to their Judaism, along with other Jewish symbolism. In its establishment, the Shul primarily serviced the working Jews in the garment industries. Rabbi Leifer, who served as the Rabbi for 42 years from 1958-2000, reminisced about its nickname as the “Yartzeit Synagogue”. Rabbi Leifer shares:” Close to 800 congregants would come to say Yizkor on Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Passover. The line would snake around to 8th avenue with police barricades controlling the crowds. The Shul serviced everyone, with up to 15 different Yizkor sessions per holiday.”

Prosecutors In Nxivm Case Mistakenly Duplicate Child Pornography

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Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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20190408 nxivm clare bronfman youtube photo — Prosecutors in the case against Nxivm and members like Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman press on, but they made an unfortunate error. They accidentally duplicated child pornography. PHOTO CREDIT: YouTube

Prosecutors involved in the Nxivm sex cult investigation messed up big time as they had to admit in court last week about how they replicated child pornography, the New York Post reports. It is always a crime to have child pornography.

After the leader of the cult told a federal judge about a “technical issue” that arose during the discovery process, it became clear that prosecutors accidentally included a bunch of child pornography, something which leader Keith Rainere stands accused of manufacturing.

“There was an issue regarding one of the discovery devices,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said to the court, and then he turned his time over to Assistant United States Attorney Moira Penza.

“We did not know there were child pornography images on the device,” Penza said. It wasn’t clear what device it was. “We reproduced the device,” she said.

“The FBI is working to create a new device,” she said as she tried to downplay the severity of what happened.

Brooklyn federal court Judge Nicholas Garaufis had already nixed a plan proffered by leader Rainiere that reportedly included his being guarded by former agents of the Secret Service.

“Raniere is now trying to convince the judge he deserves to be out based on a nearly two-page explanation of Nxivm’s teachings, complete with a bibliography and YouTube links, the New York Post reported a few months ago.

Raniere’s reported conditions are said to include a $1 million bond secured by three properties and their anonymous owners, home confinement and electronic monitoring.

“Just as Socrates challenged the young people of Athens to question sacrosanct beliefs of the time, and indeed was executed for his disruption of a closed-minded system of government, Nxivm challenges participants to question, rather than blindly accept, the fundamental content of their lives,” one paragraph in the legal document said.

“Why, for example, are we practicing the religion we are? Do we really believe its precepts or is it just easier to not disappoint our parents? Do we have the relationships with our parents or our children that we really want? If not, why not? What can we do to have better relationships with the people we love?”

Britain’s Daily Mail reported in October that rare audio of Raniere telling members of Nxivm about how men need constant sex and will ‘do it with anything’ had come out in the wake of his arrest of federal sex trafficking charges. The audio was featured in the CBC podcast Escaping Nxivm and offers a glimpse into the man who went on to command at least 150 ‘slaves’ in the cult’s sex group DOS.

NXIVM is a multi-level marketing company based in Albany, which offers personal and professional development seminars through its “Executive Success Programs”. The group has been branded a pyramid scheme, an alleged sex-trafficking operation, and an alleged sex cult. A report for the Ross Institute described its seminars as “expensive brainwashing”. It has also been accused of being a recruiting platform for a cult operating within it in which women were forced into sexual slavery and branded.

Earlier last year, NXIVM founder Raniere and associate Allison Mack were arrested and indicted on federal charges related to DOS, including sex trafficking.

Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal, 95, the Last American Rebbe Born in Pre-War Europe

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Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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Jewish Features - Rabbi Yisroel article - pic 1 — Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal, the Skulener Rebbe.

Among the last Chassidic Rebbes born in pre-war Europe, the passing of the Skulener Rebbe at the age of 95 on Monday afternoon draws ever closer the conclusion of a torturous era in the narrative of Jewish history—the dispersion of Chassidic courts from the Eastern European villages, towns and cities where they had shaped Jewish life for centuries. Known for his kindheartedness and prolific composition of Chassidic melodies, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal, of blessed memory, was a beloved fixture of Brooklyn’s Boro Park neighborhood.

Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom was born in 1924 in the village of Sculeni (Skulen in Yiddish) on the border of present-day Moldova and Romania, and moved to the Ukrainian city of Chernowitz shortly before World War Two.

His father, Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal, the first Skulener Rebbe, was a prominent follower of the Shtefanesht Chassidic group, itself a branch of the famed Ruzhiner dynasty, and only became a Rebbe in his own right later in life.

Prior to World War II, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom assisted his father in caring for Jewish orphans. Shortly after the war, they were able to relocate to the city of Bucharest, Romania, managing to take a number of orphans with them.

In Bucharest they expanded their activities, opening an orphanage and encouraging the children to practice Judaism scrupulously. Romania was by then a Soviet-satellite Communist republic, and their work raised the ire of the Communist authorities. Starting in 1949, Rabbi Eliezer Zusia was arrested on several occasions, although each time his release was secured with minimal effort. However, in 1959, the regime arrested both the father and Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom, himself a 35-year-old leader, charging them with treason.

An immense international effort ensued to secure the release of the Rebbe and his son. Instrumental in these efforts were Mr. Harry Goodman, vice president of Agudath Israel; Rabbi Eliezer Silver, President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory. Rabbi Silver traveled numerous times to Washington to intercede on their behalf, but was unsuccessful. However, after a personal telephone call from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he agreed to travel one last time to Washington. A short while later, the Skulener Rebbe and his son— and eventual successor—were released.

The bond between Chabad and Skulen did not end there. When the Skulener Rebbe and his son reached the shores of the United States in 1960, they opted to reside in the neighborhood of Crown Heights, close to the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Rabbi Eliezer Zusia had numerous audiences with the Rebbe and attended farbrengens led by the Rebbe on various occasions.

When he would visit the Chabad synagogue for morning prayers, the Rebbe would insist that Rabbi Eliezer Zusia be called to the Torah in his place. Indeed, in a private audience with the Rebbe in 1974, the Rebbe contended that the Skulener Rebbe had the power to actualize the final redemption. When the Skulener Rebbe resisted, the Rebbe remarked, that he was displaying “uncalled-for humbleness.”

When, due to rising crime rates, the broader Jewish community of Crown Heights started to flee, the Lubavitcher Rebbe strongly encouraged the local Jewish population to stay. In deference to the Rebbe, and even after most of his followers had already moved away, the first Skulener Rebbe stayed put. In his last years in Crown Heights, Chabad students would ensure he had a minyan for prayer.

After settling in the United States, the first Skulener Rebbe continued his work on behalf of Romanian Jewry. He struck a deal with British businessman Henry Jakober—for $2000 a head, the Romanians would grant exit visas for Jews. The Skulener Rebbe needed to raise a significant sum, fast. He asked the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (“The Joint”) for assistance, but they were reluctant to come onboard, fearing that the Romanians would not keep their word. The Skulener Rebbe turned to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, asking him to pull any strings he could. The Rebbe called Rabbi Binyamin Eliyahu Gorodetsky, head of Chabad in Europe and enlisted his help. Rabbi Gorodetsky was able to meet with Moses Leavitt of the Joint, eventually convincing him that they could trust the Romanians to follow through. These efforts of the Skulener Rebbe together with Chabad activists facilitated the rescue of thousands of Jews from Romania. This project was eventually taken over by the Israeli government and resulted in the rescue of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Romania.

After the passing of the first Skulener Rebbe in 1982, his son Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal took over the mantle of leadership, becoming the second Skulener Rebbe. He continued in the ways of his father, running the charity Chesed L’Avraham that his father had established for disadvantaged children.

After the passing of the Rebbe’s wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, the Skulener Rebbe paid a shiva call to the Rebbe. The Rebbe remarked on the special bond between Chabad and Skulen.

The Skulener Rebbe was laid to rest on Wednesday with tens of thousands in attendance at his funeral.

(Chabad.org)

Passover: Making it Personal

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Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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Jewish Features - Passover Making article — At Passover Seders each year, we recite the Haggadah’s timeless instructions to regard ourselves as having personally lived through the events of the Exodus

How can we identify with the Jewish slaves today?

“In every generation each individual is bound to regard himself as if he had gone personally forth from Egypt.” – the Passover Haggadah

At Passover Seders each year, we recite the Haggadah’s timeless instructions to regard ourselves as having personally lived through the events of the Exodus. The Seder itself is designed to help us envision our participation in the story. We dip parsley into saltwater to remember the tears we shed in Egypt, and we munch on spicy, bitter horseradish in an attempt to replicate a little of the misery we experienced as slaves.

But how far can saltwater and horseradish really take us? For most of my life, when I pictured ancient Egypt, I thought of the 1956 epic film, The Ten Commandments. The sets were opulent, and I loved Anne Baxter’s gorgeous robes and headdresses as she played Nefertiti, queen of Egypt.

Years later, when I caught the traveling King Tut exhibit, my preconceptions of ancient Egypt were confirmed. The craftsmanship of the artifacts was breathtaking. I knew that ancient Egypt wasn’t good for my ancestors, but it was hard to picture it as something really unpleasant. To the contrary, it seemed fascinating, advanced and beautiful.

That changed recently, after my family and I spent an eye-opening afternoon viewing ancient Egyptian artifacts at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. I don’t think I’ll ever think of ancient Egypt the same way again.

“And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick.” – Exodus 1:13

The first artifact we beheld was a magnificent tomb, transported from Egypt. We were able to see the provisions that had been packed for the tomb’s wealthy occupant: foods, moneys, cosmetics…. and pictures of the hundreds of household slaves who had been massacred, so that their souls could accompany their master on his voyage to the afterlife. Each time a nobleman died, their household of slaves was murdered en masse in this way.

As I peered at the faces painted on those walls thousands of years ago, I tried to imagine that they were each somebody’s son or daughter, somebody’s father or mother. Tears began to well in my eyes.

Next in the exhibit we saw a fascinating array of everyday items: pots for food, scales and weights for measuring transactions. And then we learned of the horrific punishments meted out to merchants and slaves who were thought guilty of shortchanging their masters: gruesome tortures, maimings, public punishments such as beatings, impaling, the gouging out of eyes…. The list went on. The upper-classes were protected, but lower-class people in ancient Egypt were considered fair game for the most terrible treatments imaginable.

My family and I were getting a little discomforted, but we continued on with our visit. We viewed examples of ancient Egyptian dress. While the more prosperous wore long, flowing robes of white, the clothing shrunk the lower you went on the social scale. Lower-class workers and slaves went completely naked, battling the hot Egyptian sun, as well as snakes and scorpions.

Finally, we saw pictures of public fights. I’d always associated gladiatorial displays with ancient Rome, but hundreds of years earlier, in ancient Egypt, slaves were forced to fight wild beasts such as lions, in what was, apparently, a very popular spectacle.

As I wandered out of the Field Museum, completely shaken by the gruesome displays I had seen, I wondered: How can I, who live in comfortable, 21st century America, possibly imagine what it was like to be a slave, the lowest of the low, in a cruel, sadistic society such as ancient Egypt? Afraid that at any moment my work would not be considered enough, that at any moment I or those I loved could be arbitrarily tortured, or beaten or killed?

“And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. [Moses] looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.”–Exodus 2:11-12

The Torah provides us with a remarkable example of how we can overcome the distance between us and our ancient ancestors who were slaves in Egypt: Moses.

We all know his story: Seeking to destroy the Jewish people once and for all, Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned at birth. The Torah explains, however, that the Jewish midwives defied Pharaoh, and secretly saved and hid the Jewish babies. One of these very midwives, Yocheved, gave birth to a baby son during this terrible time. She kept his birth a secret, placed him in a basket of reeds, and set him afloat in the Nile rather than let him be killed by Egyptian soldiers. Pharaoh’s daughter Batya found the basket, rescued the baby inside, named him Moses, and raised him as her own son.

Moses thus grew up in the confines of the palace, enjoying all the comforts and opulence of life in the highest caste of Egyptian society. (Think of those King Tut treasures!)

Yet, the Torah teaches, Yocheved was fortuitously hired as the wet-nurse for baby Moses. Throughout his early years, Moses’ own mother was thus able to teach him, whispering to him the truth that he was a Jew.

The message profoundly shaped Moses. Years later, when this strapping young man, the adopted grandson of the Pharaoh, looked at the lowly Hebrew slaves, he saw them not as vermin, but as his “brothers.”

(Aish.com)

Passover Question Round-Up

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Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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Jewish Features - Passover Question article — Chametz is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen).

WHAT DOES OU-P MEAN?

The OU-P symbol means that the OU has certified a product bearing that label as Kosher for Passover. To receive such a certification, an extremely high level of supervision is required including hashgacha temidit (constant supervision), and proper kashering of equipment. Every ingredient used in an OU-P product is scrutinized to make sure that it is 100% chametz and kitnityot free. View a list of OU certified kitniyot products. Companies may print either an OU-P symbol or accompany their existing OU symbol with the words Kosher for Passover on their Passover products.

I PURCHASED AN OU-P PRODUCT WHICH SAYS “MAY CONTAIN WHEAT” OR “PROCESSED IN A FACILITY THAT PRODUCES WHEAT.” HOW CAN THAT POSSIBLY BE KOSHER FOR PASSOVER?

It is common for companies to print disclaimers that a product may contain traces of milk (as well as wheat, peanuts, etc.), even though the label identifies the product as parve or chametz-free. This appears contradictory, but in fact companies provide this information about traces for people with allergies, who often react to parts per million. Trace ingredients may be air-born particles from a different part of the plant, or residue that is left on equipment even after a thorough wash and kashering. Halachically, trace ingredients at infinitesimal levels have no significance, and are most certainly batel beshishim (nullified in sixty parts). A product bearing an OU-P symbol is halachically kosher for Passover, irrespective of trace-ingredient declarations.

DOES BOTTLED WATER NEED TO BE KOSHER FOR PASSOVER? HOW ABOUT SELTZER?

All bottled water and unflavored seltzer are acceptable for Passover, even bottles without kosher certification.

DO MY TOILETRIES NEED TO BE KOSHER FOR PASSOVER?

It is generally accepted that items that are not fit for canine consumption (eino roi l’achilat kelev) do not need special Passover certification. However, with regard to lipstick, mouthwash and toothpaste, there are varied opinions among rabbinic authorities. We recommend seeking guidance from your local Orthodox rabbi.

MY FAVORITE HAND CREAM IS ONE THAT CONTAINS OATMEAL, IS THIS ACCEPTABLE FOR PASSOVER?

Again, if the cream is not fit for canine consumption, the ingredients do not make a difference.

COSTCO IS HAVING A SALE ON FROZEN SALMON. IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?

Due to the frequent application of glazes to raw fish, it should be purchased only with reliable kosher certification. However, Kirkland Frozen Wild Salmon is acceptable after washing it off, while the Kirkland Atlantic (farm-raised) Salmon is acceptable as is for Passover when it bears the OU symbol.

WHAT TYPE OF MEAT CAN I USE ON PASSOVER?

Meat and poultry in their raw state are inherently chametz-free year-round, and should not require any additional extra supervision for Passover. However, contemporary production methods could invalidate the Passover status of any butchered raw meat. Please consult our directories for a listing of approved Passover meats.

ARE BABY FORMULAS A PROBLEM ON PASSOVER?

Most infant formulas contain soy products. Restrictions against kitniyot on Passover don’t apply to infants. However, you must take care to keep bottles, nipples and formula away from the general kitchen area. Any mixing or washing should be done elsewhere, such as in the bathroom sink.

WHAT ABOUT BABY FOOD? ARE THE PLAIN FRUITS OR VEGGIES LIKE PEAS (KITNIYOT) A PROBLEM?

The restriction of kitniyot does not apply to children or the infirm when there is a need. However, most prepared baby food can be problematic as it may utilize chametz preservatives and ingredients. Even 100% vegetable and fruit baby food may be produced on chametz equipment.

CAN I FEED MY INFANT RICE CEREAL? AFTER ALL IT IS ONLY KITNIYOT.

There is possible chametz in most baby rice cereals, so the OU can’t recommend them for Passover use. However, there is no problem owning rice and making your own cereal from non-enriched rice or domestic rice over Passover. As with all kitniyot, separate pots should be used.

I AM A STARBUCKS ADDICT. CAN I PATRONIZE THEM ON PASSOVER?

Unfortunately, we cannot recommend this.

CAN I BUY LACTAID ON PASSOVER?

Lactaid tablet production is likely to involve chametz. This renders chewable Lactaid tablets problematic.However, Lactaid milk is permissible if purchased before Passover since any chametz contained within Lactaid milk would be nullified (batel) before Passover.

IS PLAIN MILK ACCEPTABLE FOR PASSOVER CONSUMPTION? I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT NOT BUYING IT DURING CHOL HAMOED.

Milk contains added vitamins that contain a slight chametz risk. Therefore, it is best to purchase milk before Passover at which time chametz will be nullified.

IS SOY/ALMOND MILK ACCEPTABLE FOR PASSOVER?

Soy and almond milk can be problematic and are not recommended for Passover. In the situation that it might be needed by the young or infirm, please refer to page 92 for a list of acceptable soy and almond milks.

FIDO IS A VERY FINICKY PUPPY. MAY I SERVE HIM HIS FAVORITE GOURMET PUPPY CHOW?

Since it is forbidden to own or benefit from chametz during Passover, food that contains chametz may not be fed to pets. However, it is permitted to give pets food that contains kitniyot.

I HEARD THAT GROUND SPICES NEED SPECIAL PASSOVER CERTIFICATION. WHY IS THIS?

Ground spices need special Passover supervision as they are commonly processed on equipment that contains chametz. Additionally, they may be adulterated with kitniyot or chametz.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH EGG MATZAH?

According to the Shulchan Aruch, dough made from flour mixed with fruit juices or eggs will not become chametz no matter how long it stands, provided no water is added. However, Ashkenazic custom is that egg matzot may only be used by the elderly and the infirm. Furthermore, all the precautions associated with ordinary Passover matzot apply to egg matzot. The egg matza must be baked thin, in specially-heated ovens for less than eighteen minutes and must be carefully guarded from becoming chametz during production.

WHEN AND WHERE CAN WE BUY CHAMETZ AFTER PASSOVER? IS THERE A PROBLEM IF A SUPERMARKET IS JEWISH-OWNED?

Stores and distributors that are Jewish-owned must cease the purchase and sale of chametz products on Passover. Those who do not do so, and also do not have a valid mechirat chametz (sale of chametz), render their products as forbidden. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l wrote that it is permissible to purchase chametz from a supermarket at the point in time when there is a 50-percent possibility that the supermarket purchased the chametz after Passover. Since chametz she’avar alav haPesach (leavened products that were left over Passover) is a rabbinic injunction, one can rely on a principle known as safek derabbanan lekula.

However, the real question is when can one legitimately say there is a 50-percent chance that the chametz on the supermarket shelf was purchased by the store after the conclusion of Passover? It is difficult to give a precise cut-off date. Communal rabbis generally tell their congregants when they feel comfortable purchasing chametz, and our impression is that Lag B’Omer, twenty-five days after the conclusion of Passover, is a safe time.

Parshas Metzora: Reflections on a Road Not Taken

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Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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Parsha - Parshas Metzora Reflections article — We experienced what Robert Frost has described in his poem, The Road Not Taken, which begins with that famous line, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…” Like the poet, we saw a choice before us and, for any number of reasons, either chose or were guided by circumstances to pursue one path and not the other.

Most of us have experienced a phase earlier in our lives, perhaps in high school, during which we dreamed of some specific career. It sounded glamorous to us, interesting, rewarding in many ways, and consistent with the value system in which we were raised. Then life intervened, we “grew up” and made different choices.

We experienced what Robert Frost has described in his poem, The Road Not Taken, which begins with that famous line, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…” Like the poet, we saw a choice before us and, for any number of reasons, either chose or were guided by circumstances to pursue one path and not the other.

The dream I had during my own adolescence was to become a journalist. The yeshiva high school that I attended had published a prize-winning newspaper, and the editors and contributors to it were enrolled in a special elective course entitled “Twentieth Century Journalism.” Our teacher was a marvelous pedagogue named Mr. Joe Brown.

I loved his class and rose to become copy editor of the newspaper. A great deal of what I learned about writing I learned from Joe Brown. Besides all that he taught us about the art of writing and its technicalities, he also emphasized the ethics of journalism.

I can no longer remember many of the specifics of those long discussions we had about ethics and how it applied to the career of journalism. But I do remember how he insisted that a journalist had ethical obligations and that they included discovering truth, reporting it faithfully, and avoiding malice and negativity. “There is so much good to write about,” he would say. “Why spread schmutz?”

Much later in life, I became fascinated with the writing of John McPhee, a non-fiction writer who was able to interest his readers in the most obscure topics by writing about them in great detail, objectively but with measured enthusiasm. I remember, for example, a book he wrote about oranges and orange juice. Not a topic, one would think, to engage a reader’s attention for 300-plus pages. But he was able to do so descriptively, accurately, besmirching no one, with neutrality and verve.

I never pursued a career in journalism, although writing remains one of my great interests and I do a lot of it. But I frequently wonder if, had I chosen the path of a journalist, I would have been able to live up to the ethics of the profession as they were espoused by old Joe Brown. Would I be able to resist the temptation of exposing scandal after scandal, consciously ignoring the whole story, and slipping into exaggeration, distortion, and sometimes blatant untruth?

It is at this time of year, when we read this week’s Torah portion, that I especially become preoccupied with these thoughts. This week’s parsha is Metzora (Leviticus 14:1-15:33). On the surface, it deals with the laws of purity and ritual uncleanliness, and especially the purification rites prescribed for the metzora, usually understood as the leper, as he recovered from his symptoms. But our rabbis have traditionally seen in these passages as a deeper message, one much more relevant to our troubled times.

The Talmud (Arachin 15b) discusses the root cause of the condition from which the metzora suffers. They identify that cause as the sin of verbal abuse. The very word metzora is defined as a contraction of the Hebrew words “motzi shem ra”, “he who spreads the bad name.” That is, he who speaks, or writes, malicious gossip, or harms others through their use of language.

There is a passage in the book of Proverbs, which delineates the sins of the metzora eloquently, and which employs a vocabulary of stunning contemporary relevance:

“There are six things which the Lord hates, and seven which are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that breathes out lies, and one that sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:15-19)

It seems quite clear to me that these are the sins which characterize our time in history, and it is downright frightening that these are the very things which God hates and which are an abomination to Him.

What makes our age so distinct is that everyone is today a journalist, not just someone who works for a newspaper. The electronic media have allowed everyone access to the entire world. Every e-mail, every blog, every variety of social media can be used by anyone, with no qualification, no credential, no official position, and worst of all no accountability, to say anything he or she wishes about anyone.

Reputations can be ruined in an instant, and the victim has no recourse to due process or to any semblance of self-defense. Truth is no longer an honored value, and decency is mocked. All the humane values of discretion, compassion, moderation, tolerance, and honesty have been utterly discredited. The very phrase “ethics of journalism” evokes a cynical smile at best and more likely results in outright derision.

Our rabbis have also written extensively about the possible cures for this despicable tendency. They struggle to reverse our proclivity to defame and malign other human beings. Their suggestions, practical seem tame and impotent in the face of force of the evil we now confront.

For example, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch writes that the Torah’s prescription that the metzoraspend time in seclusion is designed to compel him to engage in introspection, reform his antisocial tendencies, and return to society constructively. Alas, introspective contemplation is not only out of style nowadays, but history has provided us with more than one example, Hitler being the most notorious, of individuals who have used times of solitude to hatch even more diabolical schemes.

How necessary nowadays are courses such as the one Joe Brown gave to a small group of teenagers many years ago, which instilled an appreciation for the power of the pen, and these days for the power of the blog, and which prompted reflection upon the ethical use of the tools of language.

How important it would be to study those writers, secular and religious—and John McPhee is just my own personal example—who can write effectively about all sorts of topics, with nary a negative word about another human being, without ever breaching any ethical code.

We must recoup the traditional values which underlie the denigration of the metzora. We must attend to passages such as the one from Proverbs quoted above. Then we can at least begin to diminish the verbal bullying which infects the social media. Then we can at least temper the malevolent phenomena which have come to characterize our age of electronic communication.

#SayNoToAntiSemitism: Ten Thousand Int’l Youth to Join March of the Living in Call to End Anti-Semitism

By

Sholom Schreirber

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04/10/2019

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Arts & Culture - #SayNotoAntisemitism article — Students tour Auschwitz ahead of the March of the Living, an annual tribute to all victims of the Holocaust, an event regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in Jewish and human history.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to Head Delegation of US Ambassadors and White House Representatives Joining 31st International March of the Living, Which is Set to Highlight the Launch of Youth-Led Anti-Semitism Campaign and Commemoration of Greek Holocaust Victims

On Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Hashoah), Thursday, May 2, more than 10,000 Jewish and non-Jewish youth from around the world will participate in the 31st annual International March of the Living to pay tribute to all victims of the Holocaust and call for an end to anti-Semitism. This year, for the first time, the event’s main ceremony will honor Greek Jewry, which was almost completely annihilated by the Nazis and their collaborators, and will include a performance by singer Yehuda Poliker, the son of Holocaust survivors from Salonika, Greece, who recently marked 30 years since the debut of his album “Ash and Dust.”

In response to the torrent of anti-Semitic events and growing trend of hate crimes against Jews around the world over the last two year, the March of the Living will host the first-ever ‘Emerging Leadership Conference’ in Krakow ahead of the march for hundreds of youth from around the world who have been impacted by anti-Semitism. During the conference, 20 youth representatives – Jewish and non-Jewish – will sign an official declaration to launch the campaign, a rallying and defiant call to other youth to commemorate the Holocaust and help put an end to anti-Semitism before history repeats itself. The youth leaders will then heavily promote the campaign via social media platforms under the hashtag #SayNoToAntisemitism.

“Unfortunately, anti-Semitism has been rearing its ugly head quite a bit lately. To make things worse, studies have shown that about half of US and European youth have never even heard of Auschwitz before, which stands as a symbol of the destructive power of anti-Semitism,” said Dr. Shmuel Rosenman, Founder and Co-Chairman of the March of the Living. “One of the March of the Living’s longstanding goals is to combat anti-Semitism by promoting Holocaust education. We are here to say in a clear voice: ‘Never again.’ We march to remind the world of the horrors that occurred during the Holocaust and to lead a global movement to combat anti-Semitism in all its forms.”

A special delegation of US Ambassadors and White House representatives headed by the US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and including US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, US Ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher, and Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Elan Carr, will join the thousands of young international participants and dozens of Holocaust survivors on the 3-kilometer march from Auschwitz to Birkenau. To honor Greek Jewry, Greece will also send a distinguished delegation to the march, headed by His All-Holiness Bartholomew I Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, the leader of tens of millions of Orthodox Christians around the world, and the Speaker of the Greek Parliament, Mr. Nikos Voutsis.

Other high-profile participants will include Prime Minister of Romania and President of Council of EU Viorica Dăncilă, Holocaust survivor and Former Israeli Chief Rabbi Israel Lau, who has accompanied every march since 1988, Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog, who will be leading the Jewish Agency delegation behind a far-reaching international campaign against anti-Semitism, and the New England Revolution, an American professional soccer club proudly supporting the #SayNoToAntisemitism campaign.

The International March of the Living is an immersive Holocaust education experience – the largest of its kind – that brings tens of thousands of individuals to Poland every year to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred. Since its inception in 1988, more than 300,000 participants from 52 countries have marched down the same 3-kilometer path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Memorial Day as a tribute to all victims of the Holocaust. Over the last 30 years, high-profile participants have included Israeli Prime Ministers, Presidents, Members of Knesset, Chiefs of Staff, and Ministers, as well as Presidents, Ministers of Education, intellectuals, and educators from around the world.

Prior to the march on Holocaust Memorial Day, the participating youth delegations – comprised of both Jews and non-Jews – will visit ghettos, monuments and death camps to learn about life in Europe prior to World War II, the Holocaust and the suffering of its tens of millions of victims. Following the march, more than 6,000 participants will continue on to Israel for a week of study that will culminate in Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.

The International March of the Living (motl.org) is an immersive Holocaust education experience that brings individuals from around the world to Poland to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred. Since its inception in 1988, more than 260,000 alumni from 52 countries have marched down the same 3-kilometer path leading from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) as a tribute to all victims of the Holocaust.

Edited by: JV Staff

Rabbi of West Side Synagogue Sued for Allegedly Fixing Election

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04/09/2019

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Rabbi Yechezekel Wolff of Congregation Emunath Israel in the Chelsea section of Manhattan is reportedly being sued for allegedly fixing an election last December so he could effectively take control of the historic sanctuary.

By Pat Savage

Wolff was sued last year by his own congregants, according to an article in the New York Post, “for trying to freeze out elderly members in the winter.”

Reports say that the synagogue’s former Vice-President Ira Glauber and three other members are claiming that Wolff used an unfair and illegal election Dec. 4, 2018 and tilted the scales of justice in order to get rid of board members. The Post story also claims Wolff was once allegedly caught in a recording saying his congregants “should go to hell.”

The people behind the lawsuit want its result disallowed. “They wanted to take over this synagogue and their Rabbi Wolff has been trying to take over the building for the last four or five years,” Glauber told The Post. “They weakened the congregation and then held a rigged vote to take over the synagogue.”

Bruce Kirschner, the congregation’s president and also a co-defendant in both of the lawsuits — reportedly said this to the Post: “The entire board and vast majority of community members support the present leadership of the Congregation and Rabbi Wolff, who work tirelessly on behalf of the Congregation.”

An attorney for Wolff named Christopher Milito is quoted in the same Post article as saying, “This is just round two of Ira Glauber’s vendetta litigation. Is it motivated by sour grapes that Mr. Glauber was not elected to the board of trustees? Almost certainly. Is there any merit to his claim? Certainly not.”

London’s Daily Mail provided additional depth to the story, reporting that the synagogue’s congregants were accusing Wolff because he “allegedly turned the house of worship into a disco…” It add, “The suit alleges that Rabbi Yechezekel Wolff reneged on an agreement whereby he would lease the building housing the synagogue on West 23rd Street in exchange for paying operating expenses and covering repairs. Instead, Wolff ripped out old pews from the 100-year-old building and turned off the heat in the winter time in order to ‘kill off the congregation,’ the lawsuit alleges.”

Congregation Emunath Israel, or “The Chelsea Shul,” was built in the 1850’s as the Third Reformed Presbyterian Church,” its web site relates. “The Emunath Israel Congregation, originally founded in 1865, took over the building in 1920. The Shul installed stained glass windows as a tribute to their Judaism, along with other Jewish symbolism. In its establishment, the Shul primarily serviced the working Jews in the garment industries. Rabbi Leifer, who served as the Rabbi for 42 years from 1958-2000, reminisced about its nickname as the “Yartzeit Synagogue”. Rabbi Leifer shares:” Close to 800 congregants would come to say Yizkor on Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Passover. The line would snake around to 8th avenue with police barricades controlling the crowds. The Shul serviced everyone, with up to 15 different Yizkor sessions per holiday.”

NGO Seeks to Sway Israeli Elections by Busing in Bedouins

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04/09/2019

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Israel - NGO Seeks article — Zazim, financed by the New Israel Fund, wants to bus Bedouin to the polls. (Flash90/Hadas Parush)

An Israeli human rights group asked Israel’s State Comptroller to investigate an NGO which plans to bus in Bedouin voters residing in illegal settlements in the Negev to sway the Israeli election.

By: Sheri Oz

Israeli human rights organization, Betzalmo, petitioned the State Comptroller of Israel yesterday requesting an immediate investigation into illegal activities on the part of non-governmental organization Zazim.

Zazim has been running a campaign to collect funds and recruit volunteers to transport Bedouin residents residing in illegal villages in the Negev to polling stations for the April 9 elections. The Bedouin are legal voters and residents of Israel.

Zazim was founded with funds from the New Israel Fund, which together with associated organizations, provides 60 percent of the NGO’s annual budget. The New Israel Fund has developed a reputation for funding controversial groups in Israel. It is registered in the United States.

In his petition to State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, Betzalmo CEO Shai Glick argues that a foreign organization is interfering in Israeli elections, something that is forbidden by Israeli law.

On its website, Zazim says it works toward social and political change without partisanship. However, in an email sent by Zazim to recruit volunteers and donations for its transport project, it states that its aim is to bring 50,000 Bedouin to the polling stations and build an obstructive block in the Knesset against ‘incitement to racism’ and to work against those unwilling to cooperate with the Arab political parties.

Another Israeli nonprofit, Im Tirtzu, requested that Israel’s Central Elections Committee intervene last week. Its request was denied on April 4, because only parties with representatives in the Knesset or participating in the elections have standing before the committee.

Zazim Deputy Director Maayan Dak told Israeli paper Makor Rishon that Zazim does not operate outside the law.

Following Betzlamo’s petition to the State Comptroller, Zazim submitted a statement to World Israel News, in which it said: “Just when the Likud has spent a million shekels on Facebook [ads] this past week, the prime minister attacks a civilian initiative that cost 75,000 NIS [New Israeli Shekels] of small donations. This is part of his ongoing attack against the Arab minority and attempts to silence their voice and deny them access to their basic democratic right to vote.”

New Israel Fund spokesman Idan Gadot told World Israel News that “all Israelis have the obligation to encourage voting in elections, Jews and Arabs alike. We are proud that Zazim has taken this important step to allow each citizen to participate in the election.”

In addition to Betzalmo’s petition to the State Comptroller, the Likud Party submitted a petition on Sunday evening to the Central Elections Committee arguing that Zazim is “unlawfully intervening in elections in favor of the Blue and White Party, run by Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid.” (World Israel News)

Prosecutors In Sex Cult Case Mistakenly Duplicate Child Pornography

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04/09/2019

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Prosecutors involved in the Nxivm sex cult investigation messed up big time as they had to admit in court last week about how they replicated child pornography, the New York Post reports. It is always a crime to have child pornography.

By: Emma Daniels