In Defense Of Holocaust Museums
It is very sad to read the letter from Stephen Hirsch (Feb. 4) which contends that the continuation of antisemitism in the U.S. means that Holocaust education has failed and should be curtailed in favor of encouraging Orthodox Jews to remember the victims in special memorial prayers.
If Mr. Hirsch has ever visited a Holocaust Museum in Israel or the United States, I am sure he felt its emotional impact. If so, he should understand that most other visitors will have a similar response and be inspired to actively oppose antisemitism instead of remaining indifferent bystanders.
Perhaps Mr. Hirsch fails to understand that only a small fraction of the American public has been inside a Holocaust museum or taken advantage of virtual tour opportunities now available. In any event, there are no Holocaust museums or education programs in Arab and Moslem countries or most European countries to counter the centuries of hate-mongering and misinformation against Jews. Meanwhile antisemites have new tools like the internet and new movements such as BDS and BLM to spread lies and distortions against Jews to uninformed Americans. Under these circumstances, it is surely unfair to complain that Holocaust education is a failure and should be curtailed after only a relatively few years of operation.
Antisemitism has haunted the Jewish people from ancient times to the present and the Holocaust has to be viewed as the worst genocide and atrocity in human history. We need Holocaust museums and education programs to know what happened and how it happened so we may take all necessary measures to avoid another such catastrophe to ourselves and to other people. The Six Million murdered Jews and all those who were able to survive call to us: “Never Forget” and “Never Again.” Keep building Holocaust museums and expanding Holocaust education. We need them as Jews and we need them for the rest of the world.
Lawrence B. Dvores
Livingston, NJ
Amalek Is Still Here
I am writing on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Adar Aleph, to which the adage of “increasing in happiness when Adar begins” applies. In truth, however, in this leap year Purim will not arrive for six more weeks, and what our people will be experiencing in this time will be the longer dread of Amalek, even as Adar has begun.
Antisemitism has been intensifying in America. I am wary of the world’s coddling of Iran, and I believe that it is nothing less than the forces of Amalek that are behind the campaigns to brand Israel as an “apartheid state.”
I am resigned that we shall have to accept antisemitism as being only “endemic” as it appears that the Covid “pandemic” may decline to that level. “From our mouths to the ears of the Ribbono Shel Olam” is my fervent Purim prayer for the decrease on both counts.
Ed Yitshaq Levenson
Oaxaca, Mexico
Warning Signals
In 1936, three years prior to World War II in Europe, Nazi Germany hosted the World Olympics. Adolf Hitler wanted to show the world how wonderful his new Nazi regime was becoming. Similarly, the Chinese Communist Party is looking to demonstrate the greatness of China. While Hitler temporarily relaxed some of the burdens he imposed on the Jews, Xi Jinping continues its genocidal policies in Xinjian, in western China, against Uyghur Muslims. However, Xi Jinping did bring out some Uyghurs at an Olympic event as if to show they are just fine and in good condition.
In August 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, Stalin and Hitler made a 10-year non-aggression pact. Both sides benefited by taking territory from other countries; both took part of Poland and Russia (the Soviet Union) took Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Just recently, Russia and China made a similar agreement. Similarly, we should not be surprised to see a Russian takeover of Ukraine and an invasion of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and a Chinese attempt to take Taiwan. Then, we could see a Chinese takeover of South Korea and Japan.
As seen in Nazi Germany and fascist Japan, world domination is a powerful force. Hopefully, powerful economic sanctions by NATO and other democracies will diminish the strength of the two nations bent on world domination. It should be done as soon as possible in order to prevent the next phase, which is devastating war.
I would also point out the joint Russian-Chinese cooperation may also include a military component. The debacle of our military withdrawal from Afghanistan may increase the chances of Russian-Chinese military action. To meet that threat, both the United States’ military and the militaries of our allies should be strengthened to meet that potential danger. Unfortunately, President Biden’s new budget, after adjusting for inflation, provides fewer funds for the military than the past year. That should change.
Charles Winfield
Princeton, NJ
Kotel Partition Is Pointless
In addition to the halachic reasons not to create a partition at the Kotel for Reform and Conservative Jews, as correctly noted by the Jewish Press editorial, “Egalitarianism At The Kotel Will Undermine Perceptions Of Our Legitimacy” (Jan. 21), it would also seem somewhat pointless. Of the Diaspora Jews Israel is attempting to attract, 90 percent, in the U.S. are not Orthodox. Reform Jews, for example, attend synagogue a couple of times a year or never. Why would Jews who have little regard for Torah values today be interested in flying across the globe to a site that represents the pinnacle of Torah observance in the past?
Furthermore, for liberal Jewish leadership to inform Israel that they feel left out and slighted by the religious status quo in Israel takes some nerve. Bad enough that Reform and Conservative Jews do not take the Torah very seriously; they want Israel to also distance itself from Torah law? Some of the worst enemies of the Jewish people throughout history have made similar demands of the Jews.
If Israel goes through with its partitioning plan, it’s more likely to alienate a segment of the Jewish population than attract many new supporters or visitors.
Josh Greenberger
Brooklyn, NY
What The Kotel Compromise Really Means
The editorial in The Jewish Press (Jan. 21) was spot-on with its admonition to continue the status quo vis a vis Jewish worship at the Kotel.
The issue isn’t one of inclusion within the parameters of Judaism, but rather one of desecrating one of Judaism’s holiest sites by allowing other religions to have recognition and “rights” at the site of the future rebuilding of the Third Temple. It’s sad enough that we permit Moslems to control and limit Jewish prayer at our holiest site, Har Bayit. Now the “Jewish” government of the Jewish state wants to elevate Reform “Judaism” on a par with Judaism.
Reform Judaism self-identifies as a denomination of authentic Judaism. Its claim as a legitimate branch of Judaism represents a fraud. Judaism’s segments (Orthodox, “Moderdox,” Chasidic, Sephardic, Yeshivish, etc.) all adhere to the foundation principle of Torah from Sinai. The Mishnah, Gemara, Talmud, Midrash and Responsa all rest on this pillar of faith. Reform Judaism does not recognize the Bible as the written word of G-d. Without this precondition, all of their rituals are just that, rituals, but not the fulfillment of mitzvot commanded by G-d. Even when a Reform Jew lights a candle on Friday night, it is not a mitzvah unless she does so because G-d commands her to, not because it is a feel-good component of Jewish culture.
“Reform Judaism” is a misnomer. Its adherents are mostly, but not all, Jews (born of Jewish mothers) who practice “Geigerism.” (“Rabbi” Abraham Geiger was the founder of Reform Judaism.) American-born reform “Rabbi” Michael Harvey explains: “Reform Jews observe Jewish laws…differently, based on our movement’s understandings of the texts…as well as an understanding of ‘informed choice.'” In the early 1800s, Reform “Judaism” introduced many changes in observance, not just mixed seating. Circumcision was regarded as barbaric and was discarded. The centrality of belief in the return to Eretz Yisrael and the faith in the Divine ingathering of the Jews were renounced and displaced with Germany as the new Zion. The laws of kashrut and family purity were abandoned. Shabbat was switched to Sunday, complete with organ music.
There can be no more compelling reason to practice Judaism than the fact that we are commanded by the Creator to do so. Any other reason would be to practice tribalism as suggested by a group of practitioners in Cincinnati or Park Avenue.
But the danger is much more ominous. Sadly, the millions of Jews worldwide who are not yet observant will look at the Jewish State’s acceptance of Reform “rights” to Jewish Holy Sites as inferring that Reform practices are kosher. This is a generation where tens of thousands of Jews are choosing cremation over burial, are tattooing their bodies, and eating treif because they were raised that way. “Reform Judaism” allows these practices. Reform recognition of patrilineal descent has created a situation where many “reform” Jews cannot halachically marry into the Jewish nation. Torah Judaism must remain a light not only to the nations but also to the uninformed Jewish people who are not yet even aware of our chosenness and our obligations to Hashem and to engaging in acts of tikkun olam.
Today’s world has been turned upside down, especially here in America with the one-party communist takeover of the news media, hi tech and social media, television, movies, academia, public schools, the military, the FBI and the State Department. We are propagandized to believe in same-sex marriage, transgender normalcy, voting without identification, and borderless countries. The progressive agenda has waged a war against religion, traditional family, capitalism, and freedom of thought – a war against ideas that are consistent with Torah values. The Kotel compromise will bolster the political and social clout of the Reform Movement. How so? The Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) boasts the following on its website: “Association of Reform Zionists of America – Equality. Democracy. Pluralism. Israel…we are in the position to lead a powerful progressive block, and we will continue to work in the name of our Reform values: pluralism, equality, and freedom. More specifically, ARZA “… address [es] issues of gender equality, civil marriage, conversion…and much more. These are our values and this is our Homeland.”
By saying pluralism and equality, there is no doubt that they are against Jewish chosenness, Jewish political control of Israel’s government, Jewish military control of Israel’s armed forces, the unique status of women and men in Judaism, and the focus of the nuclear family as the bedrock foundation of society. So far as democracy is concerned, Judaism isn’t Thomas Jefferson. The Knesset can’t vote on whether pork should be reclassified as kosher. How long will it take before municipal transit operates on Shabbat and kosher food will no longer be a “given” in Israel’s hotels? The Kotel Compromise isn’t only about mixed prayer – it’s about the first stage of the Jewish government’s presiding over the public abandonment of the mitzvot.
David Ferster
Via email
Selective Investigation
One year later, after spending millions of taxpayers dollars, you have to ask if Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Congressional commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol Hill protest was worth it. Pelosi never supported a similar commission to investigate other attacks on public buildings, police stations, private businesses, arson, physical assault on law enforcement officials and billions of dollars in destruction around the nation lead by Antifa and other extremist groups on the left. Why no commission to investigate how over one million illegal immigrants crossed our boarder in 2021? What about establishing a commission to find ways to deal with our $30 trillion and growing national debt? Political extremists on both the right and left who violate basic civil liberties that most Americans cherish always need to be held accountable for their actions.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, NY
