Thank Goodness for Gemachs
The November 12 edition of Word Prompt on the word “gemach” is my favorite Word Prompt column you ever published. I have been blessed to be on the lending and borrowing sides of gemachs. I love how the participants described what these actually are and how meaningful they can be.
On a side note, in 1987, long before I heard the word gemach, my mother, Shirley Posner, a”h, donated the flowers from my wedding in Memphis, Tennessee, to the local Jewish Home. The florist kindly transported them there after the wedding so the elderly residents could have some joy from fresh flowers in their midst.
Dawn Goldstein
Far Rockaway, N.Y.
A Dangerous, Divisive Message from the Yeshivish World
It is well known that before the founding of the State of Israel, many great rabbis in the chareidi camp opposed the establishment of a Jewish state. (Other rabbis in that camp supported the endeavor.) However, after the War of Independence of 1948, most of these rabbanim (with the notable exception of the Satmar Rav) accepted the new reality. Rather than continuing their opposition, they chose to work with the nascent state. (In Israel itself, the Brisker Rav, Rav Velvel, effectively sided with Satmar, refusing to interact with the state.)
And so it is with shock that the past few weeks have witnessed a return among certain chareidi rabbis to the anti-Zionism of the pre-state era. The escalation concerns the ongoing draft-dodging by chareidi yeshiva students and, for that matter, non-yeshiva students.
The most recent example concerned words uttered by Rav Yitzchak Yosef, a former Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel. He sharply criticized a fellow rabbi, Rav Tamir Granot, for calling upon the chareidi public to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Rav Yosef went so far as to state that perhaps Rav Granot (whose son Amitai fell in Lebanon) should not be counted for a minyan! However, Rav Yosef is also on record supporting the current Draft Law negotiations that would result in the conscription of some chareidim not studying in yeshiva. Then again, in a 2024 lecture, he stated that no religious Jew should join the army. “They will all become secular,” he said. (This would be news to my numerous religious cousins who served in the IDF and emerged observant.)
Regardless of the contradictions, Rav Yitzchak Yosef clearly has moved far from the stance of his father, the saintly Rav Ovadiah Yosef, who expressed support for saying Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
All this is a prologue to the real tragedy. A few days ago, Rav Aharon Feldman, rosh yeshiva at Ner Israel in Baltimore, sent a salutary letter to Rav Yitzchak Yosef. Rav Feldman thanked Rav Yosef for his admonition to religious Jews regarding army service, stating, without evidence, that “at least half of those who join the army remove from themselves the yoke of Torah and mitzvos” (close translation of the Hebrew text).
Rav Feldman’s anti-Zionism is by now well established, after he wrote as much in an issue of Dialogue several years ago. The tragedy now is that his letter was signed by Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Yerucham Olshin, Rav Dovid Schustal, and Rav Yisrael Neiman, the four roshei yeshiva at Lakewood’s Beth Medrash Govoha (along with Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, rosh yeshiva in South Fallsburg). Lakewood has moved significantly from the traditional chareidi non-Zionist stance toward its anti-Zionism of 1947. This was further underscored at a Lakewood gathering a few months ago, where Rav Malkiel joined Rav Aharon Feldman in excoriating Israel.
Lakewood exerts tremendous influence upon yeshivish Jewry in America. The danger here is that frum Jews who otherwise have been positively disposed towards Israel will rethink their stance. And that is why I feel I must speak out, despite the fact that this puts me in opposition to great talmidei chachamim.
The State of Israel is a remarkable success story. Does it have issues? More than enough to make a psychiatrist wealthy! And criticizing particulars is not necessarily wrong. But to effectively challenge the need for a Jewish state and to question its authenticity is not acceptable. Therefore, without fear, I call upon the Lakewood roshei yeshiva to join in supporting our wonderful Medinat Yisrael.
Avi Goldstein
Far Rockaway, N.Y.
Political Alliance-Building Pays Off
Amidst all the doom and gloom in the news this past week, a ray of hope emerged for New York Jews with the announcement that the State Senate had agreed to pause the All-Electric Building Act pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought by unions and trade groups. The Act would have required all new buildings to run on electricity and not “fossil fuels.” Specifically, gas appliances would have been banned in newly built buildings. This would have proven disastrous for our community, as many of our members rely on gas ovens and stoves for Shabbos and Yom Tov; the bill also would have made new housing costs soar. (The law would not apply to existing buildings.)
Do you think the government cares about our seudos or costs? Of course not! Yet when community advocates cried foul about the strain on the building of affordable housing, the electric grid, and rising construction costs, Governor Kathy Hochul backed down. The Governor claims the Act is being delayed pending an appeal of the court’s ruling. This victory, even if only temporary, demonstrates the need to form alliances with groups who may be on our side of an issue for any number of reasons to fight for our rights and against unjust laws. Each person or organization might have disparate political views, but we want the same outcome. Here, the official reason building trade groups and unions gave for bringing suit was that the fossil fuel ban was preempted by federal law. While a federal court in New York ruled in favor of the electric building mandate, Hochul claims that enforcement is being paused while the case is being appealed. This is an easy way out for big government, which faced criticism from groups across the political spectrum about the green energy bill. As Assemblyman Ari Brown stated, practicality has to come before ideology.
Perhaps Albany will consult the construction industry and other stakeholders next time around. Costs need to be looked into, the practicality of mandates needs to be addressed, and the effect of the rule on people who want to have hot food on Shabbos or Yom Tov (or be able to have a roof over said meals) also needs to be addressed. We seem to have won this time, but the nanny state won’t give up. And now with Mamdani coming into office, government overreach will only get worse. We need to ally with the Democrats’ darlings and emphasize their talking points: Affordable housing, lack of work for union laborers, and lack of feedback from the public should all be reasons why a bill needs to be reconsidered. In turn, our religious practices will be upheld.
We have to find commonality. We have to advocate firmly and zealously. And of course, we must daven.
Chaim Yehuda Meyer
Brooklyn, N.Y.