It’s Time for Truth About the Times
Agudath Israel’s website, KnowUs.org, mentioned in The Jewish Press front page article (“Agudah Launches PR War Against NY Times To Defend Yeshiva System,” January 6), does a great job in defending the yeshiva system. Its downloadable whitepaper titled “The Truth About New York State Yeshiva System” cites facts and figures that debunk many of the Times‘s lies and distortions about yeshivas and Jews in general.
But this is only the first step. The next step has to be a whitepaper titled “The Truth About The New York Times.” This should be packed with all the misinformation, misrepresentation of facts, and deceptions by the Times that can be conclusively verified. And this whitepaper should have nothing to do with Jews – for good reason. Such a report has a better chance of registering with Times readers who may not necessarily care about lies about Jews. But if they are made to understand that the “news” in general they thought they’ve been reading in the Times may be more fiction than real news, it may reduce the Times‘s readership and subscription base. And this is something the Times would take seriously.
The Agudah’s defense is great. But a defense doesn’t necessarily halt further attacks. There’s a saying, “The best defense is an offense.” What’s to stop an attacker who has nothing to lose? But if the Times‘s bottom line plummets, I have a feeling they’ll think twice before attacking.
Josh Greenberger
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fake History
Thank you for your editorial (“The Middle East Is Percolating,” January 13) regarding the outrageous transfer of an Assyrian artifact to the Palestinians. Not only were there no Palestinians for thousands of years after this item was made but it was found in what then was the Jewish kingdom of Judah around the time of the Assyrian invasion, probably during the reign of King Hezekiah.
This is a perversion of history. Israel is the rightful owner of what was found near Hebron and it is terrible that our government is distorting history.
Harvey (Chaim) Herbert
Via Email
A Perspective on Secular Studies
There has been a sudden uproar over “Modern Orthodoxy,” which is a term that was not used as often in the past and was only periodically covered in the Jewish media.
One view is that “Modern Orthodoxy” is basically what traditional Torah studies have always been. The Torah is a living document in many aspects. First, it is a document applicable to all times in all situations. Its message is eternal. Secondly it, and subsequent Talmudic expositions, are not just theological treatises, but apply to so many areas of human activity. The Torah is a history of biblical times as well as a divinely inspired guide to laws, morality, government, family structure and relationships, commercial activities, medicine, animal rearing, agriculture, science, architecture, etc. These topics are what some today would call “secular studies.” But these areas of study and human activities are embedded in the Torah itself and are part and parcel of its teachings. To arbitrarily exclude these areas of “secular” studies may diminish the influence of the Torah.
Another view is that the Torah is a book of laws, and its teachings form the rock-solid foundation of the Jewish people and their beliefs. There can be no question about this, and no questioning of it.
I think the crux of this issue seems to be a dispute as to whether the study of these topics, dubbed “secular subjects” and found in the Torah, should be treated as a stringency and learned only as they appear in the Torah itself, or taken as a leniency whereby additional information about those topics, which are found in the Torah, can also be elaborated on from other sources.
Max Wisotsky
Highland Park, N.J.
Biden Scandal – The Real Issue
Former disgraced intelligence operative Eric Snowden weighed in on the developing President Biden classified documents scandal.
Say what you will about Snowden, but I believe he is right on point with his response to this unfolding situation. Arguments are being tossed back and forth regarding how the Biden circumstances are not akin to Trump’s. This is really irrelevant.
Snowden correctly asserted that the true nature of the Biden scandal is not the fact that unauthorized classified documents ended up in Biden’s possession and stored under questionable conditions. The true scandal is much more nefarious. Mainstream media, big tech, and the Democratic party teamed up prior to the 2020 election to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story, an egregious and successful attempt at election interference.
Polls have borne out that large swaths of voters would not have voted for Joe Biden had they known about the sordid information stored on the laptop.
Now, once again, although the events surrounding the classified materials discovered at multiple Biden locations took place a week before the current midterm elections, they are first surfacing now, two months after the elections.
A pattern has therefore emerged of collusive efforts by the Democrats, media, big tech, and even the Justice Department to suppress vital information to their illicit gain and advantage.
Such CCP and Kremlin style censorship and suppression of crucial information from the public is the actual issue here. That, my friends, is the more important matter to investigate and remedy, not the improper possession of classified documents by former elected officials.
George Weiss
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Trump Was Great; Biden Is Awful
In the December 30 issue of The Jewish Press, letter writer Betty Atlas shared her opinion about a column I wrote (“The Amazing World of Mimi – The ZOA Dinner and Donald Trump, Dec. 12), recounting how Donald Trump was given the highest-ever award presented to an individual by the ZOA.
First let me say, I am very proud of that column and I am receiving many many accolades on this column every single day. Second, regardless of your feelings about President Trump “breaking bread, etc.,” please take note, unless you are living in a cave, of the horrendous decisions President Biden is enacting from the moment he took office, until the present. He continues to make disastrous executive orders, overturning any and all of President Trump’s policies, regardless of how they are impacting our country negatively, as well as each individual.
Unfortunately, it is people like you who live with their head in the sand, who are oblivious as to how detrimental Biden’s policies are. If in fact you think President Trump made an error in judgment, you might want to stand it up against the enormous, multiple nightmare errors Biden has made! Our country is now the laughing stock of the entire world! Our borders are wide open! Gas and food are skyrocketing! Inflation is out of sight and getting worse every day. He is going off the rails in every single category. He is on a fast road to disaster and taking us all with him, unfortunately! We are in a position of begging Venezuela & Saudi Arabia for oil.
You reference “true colors” with regard to Trump, but yet are you blinded to Biden’s “true colors.” Many years ago Robert Gates said Mr. Biden has managed to be wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue of the last four decades. If you want to delve into Donald Trump’s history before he became president I strongly believe you would be able to fill volumes on Joe Biden in that respect. President Trump was a successful businessman, who wanted to clean up the swamp in Washington and kept every promise he made. He brokered the Abraham Accords and brought many Arab countries into this peace agreement, which no previous president was able to accomplish He succeeded in re-locating the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Be honest with yourself, which apparently you are not, and give him credit for the good he accomplished during his presidency. If anyone should be ashamed of your unintelligent comments, that impact negatively on the morale of our country, look at yourself in the mirror before you spew any more fiction tales. You might also want to read the letter right next to yours in the same issue of The Jewish Press entitled “Don’t throw Trump under the bus.” I will say it is primarily because of people like you that our once beautiful country is in shambles right now!! I can only wish that at least one of the illegal immigrants coming into our country can find lodgings right next door to where you reside.
Miriam B (Amazing Mimi)
Via email
Self-Destructive Madness
Bradley Martin’s article (“The New Congress Is Finally Sworn In,” Jan.13) contained a fascinating, albeit highly distressing evaluation of the Jewish vote for the Senate seat in Georgia won by Raphael Warnock. Fascinating in that Warnock is on record on numerous occasions denigrating Israel in the worst terms possible. His disdain and condemnation of Israel would, in a normal setting, disqualify him in the eyes of Jewish voters, but we’re living in seemingly abnormal times.
As Mr. Martin noted, the Jewish vote in Georgia was split along party lines, translating to Warnock, the Democrat, getting approximately 85 to 90 percent and Walker, the Republican, 10 to 15 percent. Martin pointed out that 170 rabbis and cantors had signed a letter, circulated by the Jewish Democratic Council of America, that held Warnock up as a true and loyal supporter of Israel. They quoted Warnock on one occasion stating his support for the Jewish state.
When will these delusions end? To begin with, the JDC of America is a well-documented enemy of Israel, finding fault in everything the nation says and does. And if a Republican in the White House turns out to be the best friend Israel has ever had in the Oval Office, one Donald Trump, the vitriol increases. Ditto if a member of Likud becomes prime minister in Israel, one such as Bibi Netanyahu. Denigrating Netanyahu is a daily event for this group. Nationalism, tight security and retribution against those who harm Israel’s Jews are all anathema to the Jewish Democratic Council of America. They see those policies as examples of fascism.
But these people aren’t the problem, merely the symptom. The problem, as it’s been for many years, is the liberal Jewish mindset, the inability to leave the Democratic left and vote for Republicans, any Republicans. Herschel Walker wasn’t the most articulate of office-seekers, but his heart was in the right place regarding Israel and our United States. Noting the numbers above regarding party affiliation and further noting Warnock’s narrow victory translates to the Jewish vote giving him the win.
Perhaps I should be more diplomatic, but a few words come to mind: self-destructive madness. How can a Jew in Georgia, or anywhere, happily and blithely cast a vote for a candidate that has spoken, on numerous occasions, of his negative feelings for Israel? Of course, when things heat up and “handlers” point out the potential fallout and Jewish money out there, an insincere and quite meaningless reversal comes forth. With a straight face, he holds himself out as one of Israel’s best friends and supporters. And the Jewish sheep stand in line to vote for him.
This sickness isn’t limited to Georgia. The virus exists in 50 states. Ms. Hochul proved the same in New York, where Jewish businesses suffer from unpunished thieves that would have faced justice had Mr. Zeldin won the gubernatorial race. But that couldn’t happen; Hochul is a Democrat, so naturally, the overwhelming Jewish vote went to her. If these examples aren’t self-destructive madness, tell me what is.
More examples? How about Joe Biden, advised by those on the left who despise Israel, getting the great majority of the Jewish vote? Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital meant nothing, nor did his recognition of the Golan Heights being an annexed part of Israel, nor the incredible, ground-breaking Abraham Accords. No, those things were meaningless to the blind sheep who now have a president ambivalent at best toward Israel, and highly antagonistic at worst. Oh, but Biden says he’s a friend so that’s surely enough for the overwhelming Jewish vote. As our British friends would say, I’ll just retire to bedlam.
Myron Hecker
Via Email
Retaliatory Measures Address Major Problem
The front-page article (“Netanyahu Government Breaks Sharply with Predecessor in Dealing with PA,” Jan.13) says that Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a series of retaliatory measures against the Palestinian Authority. These included sanctions against Palestinian officials, the withholding of Palestinian funds collected by Israel, and a stoppage of illegal building in Area C of Judea and Samaria.
This will help rein in a big problem. After these measures were implemented, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, on returning from his trip to Europe, had to wait on line at the Allenby Bridge after Israel stripped him of his VIP pass.
Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich announced that the country will divert a hearty sum of $40 million to Israeli victims of terror and their families. All this money would have otherwise been in the hands of terrorists had it been returned to the Palestinians.
Raquel Hanon
Via Email
