Rabbi YB [what is he doing teaching at YU? Does anybody want a person with such radical pro Arab viewpoints teaching and guiding their children? I mean, YU is firmly and unabashedly pro Israel?!!] recently penned an open letter signed by 80 Diaspora "rabbis" [most of them either gay, lesbian, transgender, reform or kofrim in most or all 13 ikkarei emuna - but all עוכרי ישראל in this letter defending the most heinous, evil people on earth instead of supporting the holy soldiers who risk life and limb in order to protect Jews worldwide] calling into question Israel’s moral clarity in its war against Hamas. Their attacks on Israel’s sterling humanitarian record calls to mind the Haftara read in synagogues that week. The Haftara from Isaiah 54 describes Israel as a lonely tempest tossed ship cast off without any supporters. There are times when the words of the prophets read more like current events. One would be hard pressed to come up with a better description of Israel’s current pariah status post Oct. 7th. While we have been digesting this hard truth over the course of the last two years, the sickening attack from within levelled by B and his cohorts leaves many of us shocked and speechless. Et tu, Brute? [On March 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BCE, the historic Caesar was attacked by a group of senators, including Brutus, who was Caesar's friend and protégé. Caesar initially resisted his attackers, but when he saw Brutus, he reportedly responded Et tu, Brute - You too Brutus, as he died.]
So much of the world has voraciously consumed Hamas’ propaganda aimed at destroying Israel in the court of public opinion. At the same time as our sons, daughters, and husbands are risking their lives for the redemption of our hostages and the very survival our people, we find that members of our own clergy have chosen to adopt Hamas’ absurd and libelous accusations. Instead of offering comfort to our tempest tossed ship and our weary soldiers they have chosen to count themselves among Israel’s detractors.
In addition, the stunningly simplistic arguments put forth by a cadre of supposed learned communal leaders boggles the mind. The extraordinary lack of sophistication displayed by these pseudo-quasi-in-name-only "rabbis", all seemingly trained in the nuance of understanding the finer points of text and context, displays a remarkable incapacity to process complexity. In their feckless defense, these rabbis draw upon Isaiah’s famous prophecy: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through righteousness.” This misapplication of Isaiah’s words to reference the way we are supposed to treat our enemies is a corruption of the text and moreover a betrayal of fundamental Jewish values.
The timely Haftara of Isaiah 54, mentioned above, offers further insight. The ensuing verse of the Haftarah states “No weapon formed against you shall succeed, and every tongue that contends with you in judgement you shall defeat.” (Isaiah 54:17) The Midrash Tanhuma on this verse concerns itself with the unusual juxtaposition of weapons of war with language. It states “You find that Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, see how the other nations persecute us, do they have nothing else to do but sit and conspire against us?” (Tanhuma Toledot 5) This prescient Midrash foresees an age when words will be used to wage war. One cannot point to any other time in history when the weaponization of language against the Jewish People has been more of an existential threat. Though Rabbi Blau and his supporters may not have intended to join the ranks of Al Jazeera, CNN, The New York Times, The United Nations, The ICC, and their ilk, in essence, that is exactly what they have done.
In their closing remarks, YB and his undersigned "rabbinic" herd sanctimoniously call upon the lessons of Tisha B’Av to bolster their position. How ironic. Is that not the anniversary of the sin of the spies whose legacy of deleterious speech continues to haunt us until this very day? Similarly, Tisha B’Av calls to mind the destruction of the Temple, brought about by another tragic case of divisiveness and lack of unity during a time of national crisis.
B's letter concludes with the following: “This moment demands a different voice—one grounded in our deepest Jewish values and informed by our traumatic history of being victims of persecution.” I beg to differ. The true lesson of our tortured history cries out to us with a clear voice. It is a message that spans our history from the days of the Tanhuma to those of Hitler and Goebbels. Our enemies always attempt to destroy us by means of the double edged sword of libel and warfare. It is incumbent on us to resist both aspects of their double pronged attack.
The Jewish People must cease being history’s perennial victims. We have risen like lions to defend ourselves against the most savage, horrific enemies since the Third Reich. This should be source of pride rather than a source of shame. While it is appropriate and commendable to have compassion on the unfortunate victims of war, it is a grave mistake to take upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to the true perpetrators.
Finally, the voice that we truly need- and that is actually grounded in our deepest Jewish values- is one that reflects a unified dedication to the protection of our people, fortitude in the face of libelous condemnation, and an unwavering faith in the righteousness of our cause.
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Waving the banner of morality, justice, and responsibility - fundamental principles of Torah Judaism - Rabbi YB, former president of the Religious Zionists of America and longtime spiritual advisor at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, recently roused 80 of his left-leaning colleagues in Israel, Europe and the US to chastise those responsible for the humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza and to assail the residents of Judea and Samaria who try to defend themselves against acts of terrorism.
I can remember how nearly a quarter of a century ago when I began to write about child abuse in the yeshivas, summer camps, and most tragically in the home, I sat down with YB at his offices in Washington Heights for a lengthy interview. We had a confluence of thinking, as we both shared an uncompromising commitment to helping vulnerable children who had fallen victim of the perils of child sexual abuse, at the hands of strangers and sometimes family members. I saw a man who cared deeply about truth, justice, and the sanctity of Jewish life. Where has that gone?
Crafting a letter whose veiled purpose is to strike at what he considers the Israeli "far-right” under the guise of caring about “starvation” in the Gazan population of terrorists and militants hiding behind civilians and children, is nothing short of a shonda. Invoking Torah principles of kindness, chesed, and morality to advance one’s oppositionary political position, especially at a time when the eyes of the world are closely watching for any signs of disunity or weakness within the Jewish community, is a beguiling form of sophistry.
But it’s far worse than that. It etches a sinful posture into the collective conscience of the community, because its sole outcome is to stir disharmony and dissent - the perfect recipe for thwarting and stymying war goals that are sine qua non for the survival of the Jewish state.
I am an Orthodox Jew and very proud of my heritage. I take umbrage at B and his co-signers flaunting the term “Modern Orthodoxy” as if they represent it, to show that even those in the religious community are inimical to Netanyahu’s program of humanitarian aid in Gaza and his stance regarding the Jews of Judea and Samaria who must constantly defend themselves against harmful, lethal acts of terror by their Arab neighbors.
Do I want to sit side-by-side on the stage of political persuasions with those who cravenly hide behind the banner of Modern Orthodoxy to stab the Jewish state in the heart?
For me, it feels like a ton of bricks has fallen on my head in the past days. I had deeply respected RB for championing the cause of child sex abuse victims - of speaking out at a time when the echoes of silence among his rabbinic colleagues were all but unavoidable. I ask myself: “How can this same man play the role of Brutus?” I ask myself: “How can he promote a letter that undermines those who sacrifice their lives day-after-day to ensure that Israel is safe from terrorists and mass murderers?” In the call for “moral clarity,” all the letter signers have - with one stroke of a pen - accused the Jewish state of moral confusion, misguided beliefs and actions, and most significantly of contravening Torah values.
I’m afraid a brief look at geopolitics damningly points to motive behind this letter:
The same day that the so-called "Rabbi's letter" was released to the press, Norway’s soccer federation announced they “cannot remain indifferent” to “humanitarian suffering” in Gaza and will donate any profits from the October World Cup qualifying game against Israel to aid humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Not surprisingly, one of the key signatories to the "Rabbis' letter" is the chief rabbi of Norway.
Perhaps in joining Bs chorus of condemnation of Israel’s war against terrorism, the chief rabbi of Norway has made it a bit easier for Jews living in this Scandinavian country to endure asperities from their neighbors, in a country so hostile to Israel that it would be willing to use the proceeds from a major competitive sports event between Israel and Norway to support those who launched the worst day of bloodshed against the Jewish community since the Holocaust.
Another cosignatory was the chief rabbi of Denmark. In a country whose prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has unleashed criticism against Netanyahu’s actions and policies and is exploring potential sanctions against "settlers" as well as broader economic penalties in areas of research and development. Is it not surprising that its chief rabbi would be jockeying for a more favorable posture toward its Jewish residents?
Poland’s chief rabbi most likely signed on to the letter in the wake of his country’s public criticism of Israel from both the foreign minister and prime minister. For example, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who is known for his critical stance toward Israel, declared, despite proofs to the contrary, “no one has the right to make children starve.”
So, by getting on board, the rabbis of the communities that are vulnerable to the vicissitudes of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, embraced this “call for moral clarity” - a stratagem or trick to gain support for what is a nasty political agenda that attempts to undermine the existential survival of the Jewish state.
This signature drive has capitalized on the need for propitious conditions towards Jews in those regions where their minority status has placed them at risk of condemnation by their neighbors at a time when antisemitism worldwide has reached a crescendo.
I expected more from RB. He and I were champions of victims. But now I see that he has parted ways with the sound morality he once espoused with deep conviction and loyalty. He must know that Israel's army is the most moral in the world, that a cursory look at its civilian/combatant fatality ratio, its warnings and evacuations of Gazan civilians from battle areas and its feeding Gazans (despite the barbaric events of October 7th) would expose the truth. Must I say to RB: “Et tu, Brute?”
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Amy Neustein, Ph.D. (sociologist) is the author/editor of 16 academic books. Her most recent book, From Madness to Mutiny: Why Mothers are Running from the Family Courts - and What Can be Done about It, 2nd edition will be published in September by Oxford University Press. Her sequel to Tempest in the Temple: Jewish Communities and Child-Sex Scandals (Brandeis University Press, 2009) will be published by Oxford University Press (forthcoming) under the title Moral Schisms: Sexual Abuse in Orthodoxy in US, Israel, Australia, and England
