A Spectacle of Spending
Kudos to Rabbi Yehuda L. Oppenheimer for his excellent, eloquent, and critically important essay, “Don’t Get Comfortable in Egypt: Vayechi, Affluence, and the Quiet Spiritual Cost of ‘Keeping Up’” (Jan. 2). Everything he wrote was spot-on – if only frum communities in this country would heed his advice.
The issue is more about middos than about money, and I believe that rabbis, educators, and community leaders need to speak out on this issue within their communities. People should stop spending beyond their means just to “measure up” and certainly not look down on others who make simpler, more modest affairs. This should start at the elementary school level with bar and bat mitzvahs. The current out-of-control spending and the peer pressure that goes along with it fly in the face of Jewish values and set young people up to join this materialistic rat race instead of focusing on things that really matter.
Rochel D.
Long Island, N.Y.
Pulling the Mask Off “Pro-Palestinians”
I am always impressed by Jonathan Braun’s clarity reflected in his articles. His piece in the January 2nd issue (“What ‘Pro-Palestinian’ Really Means”) was no exception.
He is so on point with the overarching assertion that those who are allegedly pro-Palestinian are in fact anti-Israel and antisemitic. Those who keep insisting that a two-state solution is the prerequisite for peace in the Middle East are either completely clueless or acquiesce to the destruction of Israel.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that proponents of the so-called two-state solution are naive, so that leaves perhaps their not-so-latent desire for Israel and the Jews to just disappear between “the river and the sea.” Hamas and other jihadi Islamist groups openly call for Israel to be razed to the ground and Jews to be killed, so why the push for a two-state solution when clearly there is only one party that would like nothing more than two states living side by side? The barbaric attack of 10/7 and the clear intention to precipitate more such attacks over and over again should in no way be rewarded with the formation of a hostile state beside Israel.
Tangentially, the new Islamist mayor of New York City also effectively calls for Israel to cease existing, as well as for the unlawful arrest of Israel’s prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu. Love Bibi or hate him, this is outrageous and just another symptom of anti-Zionist and antisemitic sentiment proliferating like a cancer. Coupled with the dangerous, blood-libelous rantings of Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and others, there is an overall antipathy that has developed toward Jews and Israel.
These continuous attacks must be taken seriously, and we need to take appropriate measures to protect ourselves, be that via the courts or various forms of self-defense. We should not slumber while these perils mount. May Hashem watch over Klal Yisrael and bring Moshiach speedily in our times.
George Weiss
Brooklyn, N.Y.
So Many Books to Vet
I read Avi Ciment’s article “What Do Modern Orthodox Jews Stand For?” (Dec. 12) and wanted to comment on something he said. Mr. Ciment said that he wanted to give his booklet Miracles of Shabbos for free to several different schools and was turned down. He stated that the rabbis were somewhat indifferent to the subject. He then wrote, in an incredulous manner, “Who would turn down a free booklet, written for teenagers who doubt the importance of keeping Shabbos?” There are several issues to keep in mind with regard to that statement.
The first issue is that when a book is offered to a school, there are steps to be taken before it can be accepted. Undoubtedly, there’s a committee or several people who have to read the book, review it together, and decide if the subject matter should be included in the school’s curriculum. Yes, it is important to teach about how to keep Shabbos, but the book has to go through proper channels before being accepted by the school or schools.
The second issue is that publishing companies, authors, and private individuals are always sending or giving books and other media to schools for free. The schools don’t have the time to review all the books and other material that are received on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Every author and publisher thinks that their own books have special, unique, and important messages to impart and should be included in the schools’ programs. Just because, to quote Mr. Ciment, “Chabad, bless them, have distributed thousands of my books worldwide,” doesn’t mean that every school wants to include his book in their curriculum.
Harold Rose
Via E-mail
In Every Generation…
Perhaps no nation more than the Jews proves that history repeats itself – with relentless oppression from our enemies in each generation compounded by self-hating Jews who join the other side. From early in our history with Dasan and Aviram who outed Moshe as the killer of the Egyptian oppressor to Bernie Sanders in our generation who aligns himself with the likes of Linda Sarsour and Mayor Mamdani, we see the story continue. Let’s pray for better people and better times.
Perry Ciment
Miami Beach, Fla.