Memories of Cantor Miller
To Irwin Cohen: I’ve been a reader of your “From the Dugout” column for years, and now read your “Wise & Otherwise” column. Your March 7 column struck a chord (no pun intended) since Chazzan Ben Zion Miller, zt”l, was one of my favorite cantors.
Living in Central New Jersey, in close proximity to New York, gave me opportunities to hear this great chazzan and others in concert. One Shabbos my friend and I davened at Beth-El in Boro Park, and listening to the Chazzan was a real pleasure. His davening was truly uplifting.
My fondest memory was going on what was dubbed “A Cantorial Cruise” run by Kosherica. Two of the featured cantors were Ben Zion Miller and Yaakov Motzen. Spending a week together with them and hearing them perform nightly was incredible. One afternoon I was in the “shvitz” when they both walked in. We said hello and then they proceeded to have a contest to see who could sing higher. As they progressed up the scale, I couldn’t stop laughing. I told them that I was leaving before they shattered the glass ceiling!
Art Finkel
Monroe Township, N.J.
Divine Message in
The Blood Moon
Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser in his column “Guard Me So I Don’t sink Into Darkness – A Loving Tribute to the Bibas Mishpacha” (March 14) wrote that, in solidarity with the family – especially the cherubic Bibas children, who were redheads – many people wore orange shirts and yarmulkes. Furthermore, landmarks across various countries were illuminated in an orange glow.
This past Purim, both in North America and South America, we witnessed a total lunar eclipse, known as a blood moon. The moon glowed with a bright orange hue reminiscent of Ariel and Kfir’s hair.
Hashem is conveying to the world that the Bibas family, which has become a symbol for all the hostages, is foremost in His thoughts and that he has a score to settle with Hamas, yimach shemam, for what they did to the Bibas family and the other hostages and victims on Simchat Torah.
A friend of mine pointed out that there is an opinion in the Gemara (Sukka 29) that says that a lunar eclipse is a bad omen for the Jewish people. However, since Purim is a time when “V’nahafoch hu,” everything is turned on its head, b’davka on Purim it is a very good sign for the Jews! May the Purim blood moon serve as a reminder that “Hashem will avenge the blood of His servants and bring retribution upon His foes” (Devarim 32:43), just as He did thousands of years ago on Purim.
Rabbi Mordechai Bulua
Via E-mail
NPR’s Shameful Profile
Of Anti-Zionist Synagogue
Regarding “The Associated Press Vs. Judea & Samaria’s Jews” by Moshe Phillips (March 14):
I witnessed something similar with another mainstream media stalwart. As a long-time member of Chicago Jewry, it strikes me as reprehensible that all of the wonderful faith-based communities Jewish Chicago has to offer, NPR opted to profile “Rabbi” Brant Rosen’s so called “anti-Zionist” synagogue. This is nothing short of an insult to our community and a validation that NPR is no friend of American Jews.
Rosen is a vile turncoat whose anti-Israel posturing led to his “separation” from his pulpit at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in suburban Evanston. His congregation is more of a lunatic asylum than a beit knesset. Routinely, he and his band of misfits desecrate and abuse Jewish tradition to suit their warped and self-hating agenda.
Since I have lived in the Windy City for most of my life, I would be more than happy to direct the NPR team to authentic Jewish congregations, representative of the entire spectrum of contemporary Judaism, from charedi chassidim to sincere Reform Jews, who are more worthy of your media attention. I look forward to hearing from them.
David Blatt
Chicago, Ill
Jewish Self-Sabotage
Usually, when I write to The Jewish Press, it’s a letter disagreeing with a prior letter from a reader. Today I’m writing to express my admiration and respect for Avi Ciment. His column in last week’s edition (March 14) was brilliant, poignant, relevant, and eye-opening. I was kvelling from the acumen he displayed relating to the current problems faced by Jews everywhere and by the State of Israel.
Obviously, I’m incapable of improving on his excellent writing, but I’d like to add my thoughts on this critical subject. The numerous points made by Mr. Ciment were a wake-up call to those Jews who remain steadfast in the continued support of the Democrat Party. Will they heed his sound advice? History and experience tells me they won’t. Why? How on Earth can Jews who support not only the well-being of our beloved Israel, but its survival, vote for the Democrats in both Houses as they do? Democrat “leader” Chuck Schumer exemplifies this bitter conundrum. He’s not a “fan” of PM Netanyahu, ergo he votes against everything that benefits Israel.
Perhaps my only opinion that diverges somewhat from Mr. Ciment’s brilliant piece is about Bernie Sanders, who was described by Mr. Ciment as being Jewish. Perhaps Sanders was circumcised and perhaps he became a bar mitzvah, but his entire life afterwards has been one of consciously not displaying the slightest iota of Judaism. Senator Sanders is one or a combination of the following: socialist, communist, Bolshevik, and Marxist. His first marriage’s honeymoon was in the Soviet Union. Some pundits in Washington say he never came home. What angers me is when our dishonest and untruthful media equates criticism of Sanders with antisemitism. The respect the media once had, now severely diminished, might improve if their charges of antisemitism were correctly aimed at a disturbing number of Democrats in both Houses, including Bernie Sanders.
And to that question of why Jewish support of such people, in spite of a plethora of ongoing and steady bile and slander hurled at Jewish students and Israel, still exists, I’m not qualified to answer; during my college years, I only had one four-credit course in psychology. The answer needs to be made by qualified, licensed psychologists and psychiatrists. These Jews’ explanations of their voting habits as “social justice” concerns or “That’s the way Mama, Papa, Bubba, and Zeida voted” have become rather tedious. If they don’t wake up and realize how much they’re hurting our beloved Eretz Yisrael and our beloved USA, we can only speculate to what extent they will damage both countries. My late mother would often say there was nothing worse than a Jewish antisemite. As a child, I didn’t fully understand, but I certainly do now.
Myron Hecker
Via E-mail
Why Should a Jew Want to Be Jewish?
The March 14 issue of The Jewish Press has two articles relating to two aspects of problems plaguing Jews today. Avi Ciment, in his essay “When Politics Is Right Vs. Wrong, It’s Time To Speak Up,” deals with the political antisemitic, anti-Israel environment and how it affects, and even defines, Jews as individuals. The other article, “Fighting Antisemitism Is Important, But We’re Missing The Bigger Picture,” is by a college student, Alex Mison, and deals with the future of Jews which should not be defined solely by antisemitism.
I would like to interject another thought into this discussion. This is based on the question a wise friend of mine once asked his rabbi: Why should a Jew want to be Jewish? On the surface this may seem like a strange question because Jews are Jewish by birth. However, as we see so often these days, that is not always enough to continue the chain. There also has to be positive involvement to ensure a future, not just a reliance on the past.
In the yeshiva world, frumkeit and learning are ongoing activities which are central to the Jewish soul. Even in the less frum world, cultural and familial ties can often keep individuals strongly connected to the Jewish and Israeli community.
However, what is at stake here is the fate of those Jews who have little connection to Israel or traditional Judaism. There has to be a concerted effort to bring these individuals into the fold, to include them in our affairs, not exclude them as being outsiders.
I myself am not a Chabadnik, but recognize that they do extraordinary work in trying to bring these souls closer to Yiddishkeit. This should really be a top priority of the greater Jewish community, not just Chabad – to instill a desire of unaffiliated or loosely affiliated individuals to want to be a part of the unique Jewish history, heritage, and culture. Being Jewish has to be shown to be a positive force and not a burden, as an expansion of horizons and not a restriction of opportunities, as a broad amalgam of intellectual thinkers making continued contributions to much of the world’s religious and ethical foundations, and not just the domain of an intimate group of learned Torah scholars and rabbis. In essence, to be Jewish is to be part of a wide world of remarkable people and exceptional opportunities.
Promoting the fringe individual to become part of this exciting Jewish future would go far in making them want to embrace the adventure.
Max Wisotsky
Highland Park, N.J.
Awaiting the Complete
Joy of Adar
The front-page article “The Partial Joy of Purim – What Is Still Missing?” by Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander (March 14) says it all about Purim and how Adar is a month of joy.
It is a time to shop for and give food gifts to all of our friends and family. The stores are filled with the best of the best. Purim itself, of course, features the many wonderful costumes and is a day of eating and dancing and joy.
As noted in the terrific article, complete won’t come until the hostages are set free and Israel is safe. There is much antisemitism now, as there was in the days of Purim. And like then, we must stand up against oppression.
Raquel Hanon
Via E-mail
