Monumental Op-Ed: We Are One

The following is a monumental Opinion Editorial that was published in this weeks Yated Neeman by its editor Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz about Achdus and Unity.

Two weeks ago, 4,200 Chabad shluchim gathered in New York to celebrate their accomplishments and dedication. This week, no one is celebrating. But they are more united than ever before. After the atrocities in India, all of us are more united.

Today, the shluchim sit in their outposts around the world and mourn the loss of a couple who gave their lives al kiddush Hashem. All disputes between brothers are brushed aside as Jews everywhere join in mourning the senseless slaughter of beloved, exemplary Jews.

Lubavitch, Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok, Bobov and Volover chassidim, along with Mexican and Indian Jews, and unaffiliated Israeli Jews. Jews of all stripes are mourning as one.

Op-Ed: Light Versus Darkness

The story is much simpler than people tend to think. Two of the Jews murdered in Mumbai are a Chabad-Lubavitch couple, Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. He’s from Brooklyn, while she’s from Afula. They lived in Thailand and later in India for five years. They were there on a mission on behalf of Chabad; on behalf of Judaism.

Just like any other good Chabadniks, they chose to dedicate themselves to other Jews, most of them Israelis traveling in Mumbai.

A Poem – Save Us

I sit here and humbly write my words
My heart hurts
It bleeds for them
My tears are falling
I can’t stop them.

I see the news
I see the faces
Of beautiful people
Precious souls
That have been taken
From us.

Why we keep asking
Do bad things happen
To good people?

Op-Ed: To the Crown Heights Community

Sholom U’vracha

Years ago the Girl Scouts of America were looking for Girl Scout leaders. They put out an advertisement of a Martian coming to earth and saying to a little girl scout “take me to your leader.” The little Girl Scout girl replies “we don’t have a leader”. The problem in Crown Heights might be that, we have too much leadership. We have two Bais Dins, two Vaad Hakahols, two sets of Netzigim, two patrols, not to mention the meshichisten and non meshichisten, and a slew of many wonderful Mosdos that do amazing Chesed. The one thing we lack in the community is a Kehila.

I once asked Rabbi Osdoba why Williamsburg is able to accomplish things that are out of reach for us in Crown Heights. He answered, in Williamsburg, there is a Kehila. The Kehila made shuls, schools and mikvas. In Crown Heights we have shuls, schools and mikvas. Now we want to build a Kehila. It’s not easy to work backwards. While there are wonderful mosdos in Crown Heights, many people feel they don’t belong anywhere. If a Martian told me “take me to your leader” I wouldn’t know where to turn.

Op-Ed: In Response to R. Shea Hecht’s Editorial

I read Rabbi Hecht’s opinion piece this morning and I want to state that I wholeheartedly concur with everything he said. As a resident of Crown Heights, I look forward to the crush of guests and the warmth of Tishrei. There is an excitement in the air that can not be replicated at other times of the year. Each year the number of guests in Crown Heights continues to multiply and multiply.

I have seen highly organized programs, with dedicated madrichim, and serious learning. I have had wonderful guests who continued to stay in touch even several years later.

Op-Ed: In Response to Tragedy, Lifting Up the Dusty Carpet

Within the last few weeks, there have been three unfortunate incidents. Two had fatal outcomes. One, miraculously, did not. These episodes, their causes, and the ensuing response (or lack thereof), have prompted me to write this.

On Thursday, the 6th of Av, a daughter of a Crown Heights family died in her sleep. She overdosed on heroin. On Friday, the 7th of Av, a young man from a frum family in Baltimore was killed in a car accident. Both he and the driver were drunk. On Shabbos, the 23rd of Tammuz, a young man crashed into a bungalow colony and, thank G-d, escaped with minor injuries. He was drunk. The two boys were 16; the girl in her 20s.

Each of these incidents could have, and should have, been avoided. But they weren’t. Sadly, incidents like these will happen again, and again, and again. Unless we do something about it.

Op-Ed: An Open Letter to Parents and Educators

Dear Parents and Educators, sheyichye

In the course of each week I meet people to discuss different issues.

Just last week, a young man sat at the other side of my desk and asked me for advice. He is involved in activities that are not good for his emotional, physical and spiritual health and he was looking for a way out.

In the course of our discussion, we went through each negative behavior and how it began; it all boiled down to that the boy got involved in this detrimental conduct because of a lack of self esteem.

NY Times Op-Ed: The Shame of Postville, Iowa

Anyone who has doubts that this country is abusing and terrorizing undocumented immigrant workers should read an essay by Erik Camayd-Freixas, a professor and Spanish-language court interpreter who witnessed the aftermath of a huge immigration workplace raid at a meatpacking plant in Iowa.

The essay chillingly describes what Dr. Camayd-Freixas saw and heard as he translated for some of the nearly 400 undocumented workers who were seized by federal agents at the Agriprocessors kosher plant in Postville in May.

Op-Ed: Shluchim in Support of Rubashkins

Dear Editor,

As the media (including many Jewish outlets) continue to report as fact, many baseless rumors and every negative allegation they can find regarding the Agriprocessors plant in Iowa, we feel compelled to bring to light some qualities of the Rubashkin family which the media fails to report.

We serve as Jewish leaders in our respective communities and are first hand witnesses of the kindness and selfless concern that the Rubashkin family, led by the Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, show for thousands of communities, families and individuals around the world. We live in areas with a miniscule kosher clientele, where Kosher meat and poultry is difficult to find. Knowing the importance of the Mitzvah of Kashrut, and appreciating its fundamental place in Jewish life, as emphasized by our mentor the Lubavitcher Rebbe zy”a, the Rubashkin Family always goes out of its way to ensure that the Jewish families in our outlying and far-flung communities receive quality service and fresh products that we so greatly need.

NY Daily News Op-Ed: ‘Tribal’ tension in Crown Heights keeps neighborhood from moving beyond hate

Nearly 17 years after riots tore Crown Heights apart, the recent beating of a black college student by Jewish assailants has exposed rising tensions between blacks and Jews in my neighborhood.

Cops and city officials have quietly gone on high alert, worried that another riot could be in the works.

The troubles began on April 14, when Andrew Charles, a 20-year-old sophomore at Kingsborough Community College, says he and a friend encountered a pair of young Jewish men while walking down Albany Ave. about 6 p.m.

“One was on bike, one was on foot. They were staring at us, staring us down,” Charles told me. “We stared back. They approached us and asked if we had a problem.”

Editorial: Chabad Influence

A few months back I attended the inauguration ceremonies for Arnold Eisen, the new chancellor of the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary. In a symposium preceding the main event, a distinguished panel of scholars discussed the future of the movement and American Judaism. Someone mentioned “Chabad,“ and the roomful of rabbis and professors broke out into knowing titters. Dr. Alan Cooper, the JTS provost, rode the titters into a wave of laughter when he repeated the old line: “Chabad is the religion closest to Judaism.”

KINUS: Editorial – In the Courtyard of the Rebbe

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz likes to tell about the time he had seven projects on his table, and felt he needed to drop some of them. He wanted the Rebbe’s advice on how to prioritize, as he couldn’t possibly work on them all.

Op-Ed: A Plea for Shidduchim

Dear Brother, Sister, Parent, and Shadchan,

It seems these days, that finding a Shidduch is a lot harder than it was in the past. There are lots of young boys and girls out there that are getting older, and are still single. Parents are making calls, Shadchanim are making calls, but it just doesn’t seem to move. Aside from time it takes to make the calls and reach references, it takes lots of effort to properly evaluate prospectives and get 2 names in the same plate. When someone makes a call to a reference, they hear something they don’t like and the suggestion is closed. It is my firm belief that people don’t know how to evaluate other people properly and might mention some “major” aspect of a single that really only represents 5% of their total character and personality, but since that is all what the other side hears, they give it heavy consideration in their decision. How many good matches were prevented from going forward for this simple and foolish reason? Shidduchim should be investigated with the accuracy of a crime lab! We should not take some mindless-by-the-way remark someone said about another and consider as evidence good enough for a court. I plead and beg from whoever is involved in the shidduch making process to please take this heart. A brilliant cut diamond has 58 facets, how many does a person have?

Continued in the Extended Article.

Editorial: Three Million Dollars, a failed cause / The battle for the Jewish soul

The stranger on the other end of the line, asking a bizarre question ‘do you believe that the Rebbe is Moshiach’ succeeded in arousing my curiosity level to an extent that phased a full scale conversation. As it turned out it was a Jews for “J” sales person who identified himself with an ultra-orthodox-sounding name. After confirming that he himself was a Jew, I allowed this vulnerable sounding man to apply his professional techniques of luring people into discussion serve as a ground for my interests, namingly, to initiate a discussion in which I can explain to him the falsity of his approach. As I had come to expect, he rattled off plenty of verses. Ironically, I didn’t even have to know the verses to convince him that he was spewing ridiculous, self imposed interpretations.

New York Times op-ed praises Hezbollah

A New York Times op-ed praises Hezbollah for fighting under Islamic laws re: advance notice, discrimiantion in selecting targets, and proportionality. How obtuse can the New York Times editorial board be when choosing to run an op-ed that actually praises Hezbollah for its principled fighting tactics?

In a piece comparing Hezbollah and Al Qaeda, Bernard Haykel, a professor of Islamic Studies at New York University, points out the serious “selling points” of Hezbollah (such as successfully sending rockets into Israel), among them:

”… Hezbollah’s statements focus on the politics of resistance to occupation and invoke shared Islamic principles about the right to self-defense. Sheik Nasrallah is extremely careful to hew closely to the dictates of Islamic law in his military attacks. These include such principles as advance notice, discrimination in selecting targets and proportionality.”

Editorial: The Rebbe Unplugged

It has been about an hour of driving from northern Israel, when our Israeli driver pulls the mini-bus to the side of the road. The picture of the Rebbe hanging from the rearview mirror sways as he steps outside and proceeds to take a stretch, smoke a cigarette, and check his cell phone.

After five minutes, he gets back in the car and we continue our journey to southern Israel.

Another hour of driving has passed and we are in the middle of nowhere. Our driver pulls over once again.

When I inquire as to the frequent and casual roadside stops, I am given an unexpected answer.

To ensure safety, the Rebbe once advised drivers to stop every hour when driving long distances. By stopping every hour, our driver is testimony that the Rebbe’s insight made the whole world a student, and left no detail of life unaltered.