Another great letter from Rav Ron Eisenman of Passaic, NJ “An Open Letter to Rabbi Avi Shafran Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America” Dear Rabbi Shafran,* *Abraham (Avi) Shafran is a Haredi rabbi who serves as the Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America. Agudath Israel was established to meet the needs and viewpoint of many Haredi Jews.(Wikipedia) I write to you today in your official capacity as Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America. As you know doubt know better than I, the Agudah has taken the initiative to comment on important issues concerning the Orthodox Jewish community especially when a viewpoint was expressed which they felt was contrary to normative Jewish thought. Often, the Agudah has taken the unique position of commenting on statements and points of view made by Orthodox Rabbis when the Agudah felt that these ‘Orthodox’ positions were worthy of being critiqued. I will quote just two instances: 1) The Agudah strongly condemned Orthodox Rabbi Avi Weiss for his position on women in rabbinical roles: Indeed, you were quoted in October of 2013: “Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public policy for Agudath Israel, took issue with the ordination on the basis that it violated the Jewish principle of modesty, which he said “isn’t a mode of dress. It includes the idea that women are demeaned and not honored when they’re put in the public eye and put on a pedestal.”brooklynrail.org/2013/10/local/orthodox-women-rabbis-maybe Your statement was consistent with a public pronouncement from the rabbinical leadership of the Agudath Israel made in February of 2010 when Agudath Israel announced its opposition to Rabbi Avi Weiss conferring Semicha on Women. Here is the Statement: “Rabbi Avi Weiss has conferred “semikha” upon a woman, has made her an Assistant Rabbi at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale where she carries out certain traditional rabbinical functions, and has now given her the title of “Rabbah” (formerly “Maharat”). He has stated that the change in title is designed to “make it clear that Sara Hurwitz is a full member of our rabbinic staff, a rabbi with the additional quality of a distinct woman’s voice.” These developments represent a radical and dangerous departure from Jewish tradition and the mesoras haTorah, and must be condemned in the strongest terms. (Emphasis by me) Any congregation with a woman in a rabbinical position of any sort cannot be considered Orthodox. Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rabbi Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld Rabbi Yitzchok Feigelstock Rabbi Dovid Feinstein Rabbi Aharon Feldman Rabbi Yosef Harari-Raful Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Levin Rabbi Yaakov Perlow Rabbi Aaron Schechter 2) In July of 2013, the organization which you are the spokesperson for, released the following statement regarding Rabbi Johnathan Sacks who was then Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth: In consultation with rabbinic leadership, Agudath Israel of America issued the following statement: Public remarks attributed in the media to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the outgoing Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth of Britain, as well as his comments in a recent pamphlet he published, are dismaying, deeply misguided, and harmful to both Jewish unity and Jewish integrity. (Emphasis added by me) The rabbi bemoans “the world of inward-turning, segregationist Orthodoxy.” He portrays the multitude of Jews who came together to celebrate the Siyum HaShas nearly a year ago – an event that captured the hearts, minds and souls of countless Jews, and the reverent wonder of much of the non-Jewish world – as representative of such an “extreme.” Rabbi Sacks sees Jews who choose to “embrace Judaism and reject the world” as parts of a phenomenon he calls “worse than dangerous” and “an abdication of the role of Jews and Judaism in the world.” Rabbi Sacks’ sentiments are not only inaccurate but un-Jewish and uncouth. (Emphasis added by me) We call on him to apologize for the derision and condescension that, intentionally or not, were embodied in his recent remarks and writing. [Full statement: vosizneias/135150/2013/07/04/new-york-agudath-israel-calls-on-rabbi-sacks-to-appolgize-for-anti-charedi-remarks/] As can be seen by the above mentioned public statements, the organization which you represent as Director of Public Affairs has never hesitated to express its disapproval of statements made by other Orthodox Rabbis if these statements were deemed, “not only inaccurate but un-Jewish and uncouth”. Ostensibly, when your organization feels that an opinion is offered which is worthy of public rebuke, the Agudath Israel of America has not hesitated in the performance of the mitzvah of Tochacha (rebuke) irrespective of the rabbinical position of the person making the questionable remarks. Therefore I respectfully turn to you for direction and indeed I speak as well for many of my congregants who are equally perplexed and plead with you to respond to the recent statements made by Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum. Rabbi Teitelbaum who goes by the title of ‘Satmar Rebbe’ (he is presently embroiled in litigation in a secular non-Jewish court with his brother over who is actually the titular head of the congregation) has stated publicly (and his words have been disseminated internationally) the following: “During the funerals, the parents eulogized their sons, but I think it would have been preferable if they had done Teshuva, if they had said viduy with tears, in the nusach that is used on Yom Kippur, to repent for their decision to live and learn Torah in a place of barbaric murderers. Who gave them permission for themselves and for their children to live and to learn Torah in the midst of the lion’s den? To put their lives at risk, and the lives of their families at risk? It is all because of the yetzer hara and the desire for Jews to inhabit the entire State of Israel. It is Zionism for the mehadrin min hamehadrin.” “It is incumbent upon us to say that these parents are guilty. They caused the deaths of their sons and they must do Teshuva for their actions.” (Emphasis added by me) I plead with you to offer direction and guidance with regard to the above quoted words which certainly to my feeble and meager mind can (and should) be interpreted as “… a radical and dangerous departure from Jewish tradition and the mesoras haTorah, and must be condemned in the strongest terms” Please, I am reaching out to you, my esteemed colleague and friend, Rabbi Shafran, as Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America for help. Are his words not “…dismaying, deeply misguided, and harmful to both Jewish unity and Jewish integrity”? Per your organization’s statement with regard to the words of Rabbi Sacks? Perhaps my feeble mind is unable to fathom the difference between the words of Rabbi Sacks and what I feel are the extremely, harmful and insensitive remarks of Rabbi Teitelbaum. And therefore in utter humility, I am begging you as representative of an organization which has never shied away from commenting and criticizing other Orthodox rabbis when the Agudah felt their public comments were, un-Jewish and uncouth to please publicly comment on the words of Rabbi Teitelbaum and clarify for those of who are confused and hurt if the words of Rabbi Teitelbaum are indeed not “harmful to both Jewish unity and Jewish integrity”? If the organization does not comment, can I assume that “Shtikah K’Hoddah”; meaning that the deafening silence which comes forth from your organization and your lack of critique can only lead me to the realization that your organization shares his views? I must confess that if no comment is forthcoming and therefore the assumption is that your organization agrees with his views, this assumption would personally make me and many others feel very alienated from such an organization and that is painful. I personally find the words of Rabbi Teitelbaum (although he is entitled to his opinion as any human being, Jew or non-Jew is) not at all consistent with the Jewish concept of compassion and concern. I am pained by his words and have been questioned the entire day by confused Jews who are shocked by his insensitivity and his lack of compassion at this time of national mourning. I realize that you are not the ‘head’ of the Agudath Israel of America organization; however, I am confident that you can pass on my letter to the proper channels and I am confident that you in your position as Director of Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America are certainly the correct address for this letter. I conclude my humble request for clarification with the following anecdote which I heard from an extremely reliable source regarding the great and revered Gadol, HaRav HaGaon Elazar Menachem Man Schach Zt”l. After Dr. Baruch Goldstein perpetuated the massacre at the Maaras HaMachpeila in February of 1994, followers of Rav Schach asked him how they should react to the incident; after all, there was talk of Arab revenge and if and how and in what way the act should be condemned. His students were listening carefully and were no doubt expecting a fiery and feisty response. Instead, Rav Schach looked at them and with tears streaming down his face simply said, “Right now a widow and four orphans are sitting Shiva. That is all I see right now; an Almonah and four Yesomim. There is a time to comment; however, now is a time to console and show compassion for a widow and her four orphans.” For Rabbi Teitelbaum to publicly hold accountable for the murder of these boys the parents the day after the levaya is (in my humble and feeble mind and to quote your own organization’s words with regard to Rabbi Sacks,) “not only inaccurate but un-Jewish and uncouth”. I respectfully await your reply. Your friend, Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic, NJ PS- to my readers If you do agree with my words please feel free to forward this letter through social media outlets. You can also contact Rabbi Shafran as well at: rabbiavishafran42@gmail ahavasisrael.org/torah/the_short_vort/4001/
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 04:26:31 +0000
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