Op-Ed: The People’s President

As an observant Jew I do not study scripture, but rather I try to live by it, using the word of G-d as a script for life. In that sense I am a slave. This week’s biblical portion tells the story of my people prior to our redemption from Egypt.

Today, I witnessed the freedom of a people embodied in the ascension of one man to the single most powerful position on earth. The new leader of the free world is the son of people the world has been cruel to. A man who long ago would have been judged by the color of his skin has been elected to deliver on the promise of his character. It is a great day for America, and for all Americans, whether or not they voted for President Obama.

Op-Ed: Rejecting Bail Denies Equal Protection

American Jews, beware. If you run afoul of the Justice Department, your chances for bail are slim to none. That’s the new legal concept created by the office of U.S. Attorney Matt Dummermuth in northern Iowa. The policy singles out Jews as a special category to be denied bail due to Israel’s “Law of Return.”

The Israeli law provides citizenship to any Jew immigrating to the country. It’s much like the asylum clause in U.S. immigration law, designed to offer refuge to Jews fleeing oppressive regimes. It’s never been used to give haven to American criminals. The United States and Israel have an active extradition treaty. Routinely, accused criminals are sent from one country to another.

Op-Ed: Protestors Awake the Jew Inside

This past Monday night I joined 1100 other Denverites at a solidarity rally for Israel at the Hebrew Education Alliance synagogue. The feeling of common purpose in the room was tangible as rabbis, cantors, community members from every affiliation joined hands in support for Israel. The purpose of the rally was two fold. Firstly it showed Israel that they have friends thousands of miles away here in Colorado who support the war in Gaza, and secondly it helped participants to understand how critical it is for Israel to take military action to defend herself against an ongoing terrorist threat.

Editorial: Alan Dershowitz: The CNN strategy

As Israel persists in its military efforts — by ground, air and sea — to protect its citizens from deadly Hamas rockets, and as protests against Israel increase around the world, the success of the abominable Hamas double war crime strategy becomes evident. The strategy is as simple as it is cynical: Provoke Israel by playing Russian roulette with its children, firing rockets at kindergartens, playgrounds and hospitals; hide behind its own civilians when firing at Israeli civilians; refuse to build bunkers for its own civilians; have TV cameras ready to transmit every image of dead Palestinians, especially children; exaggerate the number of civilians killed by including as “children” Hamas fighters who are 16 or 17 years old and as “women,” female terrorists.

Op-Ed: Magisterial Bigotry

Jews have been the target of injustice for centuries. From judges on the bench to the chancellors who might appoint them, our people have enough historical experience to know when it is time to defend ourselves.

Magistrates preside over cases dealing with minor offenses, and over preliminary hearings that deal with more consequential ones. But a statement made by Magistrate Jon Stuart Scoles on Nov. 20, concerning the bail of an orthodox Jew, was a major offense to every American Jew. It must evoke a harsh response from the Jewish community. In his ruling, the Judge cited Israel’s Law of Return as grounds for not permitting a Jewish defendant to be released on bond, even though he had already surrendered his passport.

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.”