Posted to General on

Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, Shliach in Long Island, with the note Barack Obama left in the Western Wall.

An Israeli newspaper's disclosure of the note Sen. Barack Obama left at Jerusalem's Western Wall this week is the equivalent of reading someone's diary — a gross violation of privacy — several Long Island rabbis said Friday.

Rabbis Criticize Disclosure of Obama’s Prayer

Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, Shliach in Long Island, with the note Barack Obama left in the Western Wall.

An Israeli newspaper’s disclosure of the note Sen. Barack Obama left at Jerusalem’s Western Wall this week is the equivalent of reading someone’s diary — a gross violation of privacy — several Long Island rabbis said Friday.

“I think it’s a terrible, terrible act,” said Rabbi Steven Moss of the B’nai Israel Reform Temple in Oakdale. “Those notes are private messages between the person writing the note and God.”

Moss described someone reading Obama’s Wailing Wall note was bad enough. But for a newspaper to publish it was like “obtaining a diary and publishing it,” he said.

Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Long Island in Commack, agreed.

“It’s an infringement on his privacy,” Teldon said. “Someone wants to have a private conversation with God and it’s invaded.”

Obama asked God to guide him and guard his family in the note left at Judaism’s holiest site.

Maariv, the Israeli newspaper, ran a photograph of the note on its front page Friday. It said the note was removed from the wall by a Jewish seminary student immediately after Obama left.

“I think it’s a sad fact that it was revealed,” said Rabbi Perry Raphael Rank, of Midway Jewish Center in Syosset. “It’s like peering into someone’s soul.”

This image, released by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, is attributed to Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama. The newspaper says Obama wrote and left the note in the stones of the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, during a visit July 25. (AP Photo)

Related Articles

12 Comments

  • Obama Craze

    So if its wrong for us to read .. how come Rabbi Teldon is making sure we all see it?

    If it was Presdient Bush .. would anyone have felt the urge to print it?

    Why are the Jewish People so attracted to Obama?

  • actually.....

    Ma’ariv issued a response Sunday, saying that “Obama’s note was published in Ma’ariv and other international publications following Obama’s authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem.

  • Uuuuh?

    Thank You Rabbi Teldon… You have an amazing perception of the obvious…

  • The obvious

    A politicians action is fair game. What ever he does is open for scrutiny.
    If he place a note in the Kotel anyone can take his note. I belive the same was done when the pope was at the Kosel.
    Politicians know someone is going to read so they have the “perfect” request written down.

  • anomyuns

    to obama craze!! we jews are not attracted to obama at all i dont know what made you write that or think that!!

  • the whole purpose of the note was PR

    i can’t believe how everyone seriously thinks Obama was writing a private note! the whole purpose of his trip was to win votes – what a better way to show that he has a pure soul than to insert such a note in the Kotel. if an innocent bystander had not retrieved the note – Obama’s PR specialists would have put on Yarmulkas, flown to Eretz Yisroel and gone to the wall themselves to retrieve it!

  • why didn-t he sign his name?

    the note it on formal stationary. it opens like a letter but is not signed. is that becuz he figures G-d knows the truth and so Obama will only go so far with his charade. if the letter was really what was in his heart – he would have signed it.

  • ano-NYMOUS

    TO Anomyuns:
    firstly learn how to spell the word anonymous.
    secondly im really taken aback by your profound statement. it was so incredibly intelligent that i am so proud of you for sharing your stupidity with the world.

    what was done is outrageous, its a complete invasion of privacy and whoever took it and published it should be ashamed of themselves.
    as to u ‘anomyuns’ speak for yourself..you got no clue what your on about…

  • ANTI OBAMA

    THE WHOLE NOTE THING WAS STAGED BY OBAMA. HE PAID SOMEONE TO REMOVE IT AND TO READ IT AND TO PRINT IT. IT’S ALL FOR THE JEWISH VOTE. AND ANY YID THAT VOTES FOR HIM HAS GOT TO BE NUTS

  • Pentax

    TO ANTI OBAMA:
    Can you in any possible way bring any sort of backing or proof for this theory of yours?
    TO anomyuns (Great spelling):

    Oh right I forgot, in your community
    people aren’t allowed to have their own
    opinions. So if one Jew says something that is what everyone thinks, well your being prejudice against yourself.
    TO everyone:

    He probably did think someone would take it, so what? WHO CARES.

    Plus what do you have to be afraid of, Obama said he wants to completely disarm Iran and get out of Iraq. He also wants the world to go to war against radical Islam.