20 Oct Speak Your Vues

SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

Please note that the author of Speak Your Vues is in no way affiliated with the publisher of this paper. The author of this column is an independent third party contributor. The views and opinions expressed by this author may not reflect the views and opinions of the publishers. If one has any issues with any of the views, please write a letter to the Vues Master.

BIDEN 

Dear Vues Master: 

A friend of mine just sent me this joke and I thought that some of your readers might appreciate it. Joe Biden walks into a bank to cash a check. As he approaches the cashier he says, “Good morning, Ma’am, could you please cash this check for me? Cashier: “It would be my pleasure sir. Could you please show me your ID?” Biden: “Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn’t think there was any need to. I am Joe Biden, the former Vice President of the United States of America !!!!” Cashier: “Yes sir, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of impostors and forgers and requirements of the banking legislation, etc., I must insist on seeing ID. Biden: “Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am.” Cashier: “I am sorry, Mr. Biden, but these are the bank rules and I must follow them.” Biden: “My goodness. I am urging you, please, to cash this check.” Cashier: “Look Mr. Biden , here is an example of what we can do. One day, Tiger Woods came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Tiger Woods he pulled out his putter and made a beautiful shot across the bank into a cup. With that shot we knew him to be Tiger Woods and cashed his check. Another time, Andre Agassi came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racket and made a fabulous shot; the tennis ball landed in my coffee cup. With that shot we cashed his check. So, Mr. Biden, what can you do to prove that it is you, and only you?” Biden stands there thinking, and thinking, and finally says, “Honestly, my mind is a total blank, I have absolutely no idea what to do, I don’t have a clue.” Cashier: “Will that be large or small bills, Mr. Biden? 

JK 

Vues Master’s Note: I actually think this happened! 

HESHY 

Dear Vues Master: Kudos to Heshy Tishler, the only askan to stand up for our rights. Agudah and all our paid politicians etc. all sit on the sidelines as our rights get trampled on. Finally we have someone to stand up for our rights. 

1. S. 

Vues Master’s Note: Is it not embarrassing that all we have is a convicted felon standing up for us? How sad is the situation that all Askonim are hiding beneath a rock!

HESHY AND KORNBLUH 

Dear Vues Master: 

I know that no other paper would put in this letter. But I am trying the Jewish Vues because they put in the truth. Heshy Tishler is a meshugeneh. Jacob Kornbluh is a moiser. Both of them are wrong. 

1. B. 

Vues Master’s Note: Again! How sad it is that we have self hating Jews representing us! My full respect to Heshy for stepping up. But, my respect for other so-called Askonim is down!! 

BUGS 

Dear Vues Master: It has recently come to my attention that grapes, blueberries, lettuce, strawberries, orange juice and tap water in NYC all have bugs. Could you imagine?? 

1. H. 

Vues Master’s Note: I was wondering what took you so long to find out this fact! 

HAKARAS HATOV 

Dear Vues Master: Hakaros hatov requires that you vote for Trump 2020! 

1. G. 

Vues Master’s Note: I say it is self gratification to vote for Trump. You will see less lock down. Less Red zones delineated around our communities. More freedom. Most of all a check and balances against our Mayor and Governor who are power hungry Anti Semitic politicians!! 

WHY THE LOCKDOWN 

Dear Vues Master: I figured it out! I finally understand why our Yeshivas and Schools are in lock down. Why our Battei Medrash are being limited. Why we are being persecuted! When in the month of March before the Government required the Shuls and schools to close we jumped the gun and did lifnim mishuras hadin and closed it ourselves. Now I am not going to discuss if that was the right move or not. I will discuss the fact that we all went along with it like sheep following the leader. There were no protests. There was no outcry. It seemed that everyone was content to go along with it! The Torah teaches us that Iyov suffered all that he did because he was quiet and did not show regret and pain when the decree of Pharoah came out! We all stood by quietly. Hashe is now taking it away again because we did not show anguish! We need to storm the heavens and we need to scream out in pain to get our Shuls and schools open. It is a shaas hashmad. Our political leaders are making laws of sedom. There is no room in our religion for any of this liberalism. We need to scream and show that we are pained. We cannot tolerate this garbage anymore! The liberals care more about environmental policies. As if Hashem can’t run the world by himself He needs AOC to protect the world! Shoimu Shomayim.!! 

CB 

Vues Master’s Note: Wow this letter sounds like the real truth! NY which is the capital of liberalism is facing bankruptcy and where looting is considered legal and davening in shul is not. Where people gather to protest for BLM which stands for “everything belongs to me” is OK but davening and believing in Religion is dangerous!!

FOOD 

Dear Vues Master: What happened to all the free food! Governor Cuomo locked us down. We need to get free food going again. Remember the lines where we were downgraded to a bunch of shnorers collecting food. Seems like the geulah is close as we are in the darga of ad shetichleh maos min hakis. There will be no more money left. 

GB 

Vues Master’s Note: I think we would rather be free then get free food! 

WHO TRUTH 

Dear Vues Master: The fallacy has been exposed. We’ve known this all along. The head of the WHO in Geneva made an abrupt shift, saying that lockdowns are not helpful in controlling Covid. 

E J. 

Vues Master’s Note: Just wait till the truth comes out about masks!

POLITICS 

Dear Vues Master: According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, cracking down on Chassidic neighborhoods in Brooklyn that he termed “COVID clusters” and imposing new lockdown restrictions on them is just a matter of following Jewish law. Explaining his decision to implement new measures pinpointing specific ZIP codes in the borough, he noted that he is motivated by the principle that, “In Jewish teaching, one of the most precious principles is to save a life.” Cuomo was right about the concept of pikuach nefesh, which obligates Jews to violate laws with but a few exceptions in order to preserve life. That’s a message some have not gotten during the course of the last several months as—whether out of frustration, ignorance or perverse stubbornness—they resisted rules about face masks or bans on gatherings of large numbers of people. The spectacle of Orthodox Jews taking to the streets this week in closely packed crowds, eschewing masks (and in one case, even burning the coverings) to protest Cuomo’s new edicts cannot be defended. Yet it’s equally fair to ask questions that were raised by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in singling out Jews by name as the sole source of COVID scofflaws. It’s also reasonable to ask by what logic, let alone scientific principle, are they making decisions that mandate the closing of religious institutions while allowing other secular activities to go on unhindered? Just as important, why have Cuomo and de Blasio, as well as so many other local and state leaders around the nation, treated religious activities and protests against these restrictions as inherently illegitimate and illegal while turning a blind eye towards the mass protests and violence in the streets that have taken place under the banner of the Black Lives Matter movement? Seen from that perspective, the anger of the haredim who have been resisting COVID restrictions can be understood, if not excused, as a natural reaction to hypocritical policies and a troubling willingness to make the easily identifiable Orthodox Jewish community the scapegoats for the pandemic. It’s entirely fair to note that haredi communities—both in the United States and Israel—have been particularly resistant to COVID rules, especially those that banned synagogue services, in addition to gatherings for weddings and funerals. The explanation for this is variously given as a function of the insular nature of ultra-Orthodox culture, as well as their being disconnected from the flow of information about the disease on the Internet and their inherent distrust of secular authorities. But it’s equally fair to point out that in neither country have the haredim been the sole sources of COVID infractions. It’s also true that neither Cuomo nor de Blasio has much credibility on this issue. The governor has never owned up to his guilt in forcing nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients at the start of the pandemic—a colossal error that led to a massive number of fatalities that still account for the largest single factor in the number of deaths from the coronavirus. The mayor is a hopeless incompetent who is hard to take seriously when he attempts to impose his will on Jewish critics. Part of the problem is that, like so many of their colleagues in positions of authority, Cuomo and de Blasio have been empowered by the pandemic to act in ways that would have been unthinkable in any other circumstance. The spread of the virus is a genuine emergency not unlike a natural disaster or an armed conflict that gives authorities the power to act in the public interest outside of the normal restraints of constitutional government. However, their use of these powers to protect citizens against a common menace—in this case, the spread of the disease—must still be restrained by the same principles that ought to inform all government actions. In order to have legitimacy, they must be rooted in law, and be applied consistently and without prejudice. And the exercise of these powers cannot go on indefinitely. Unfortunately, those elements have often been conspicuous by their absence when it comes to enforcing pandemic restrictions—something that has become much more evident since the first few weeks of the crisis when the country was panicked, and both citizens and the courts were inclined to give authorities the benefit of the doubt. They have, as is usually the case with politicians who become drunk with power, become extremely intolerant of those who push back against them, which have put the Orthodox community in their cross-hairs. Just as important, once state and municipal governments, like those in New York, not only failed to stop the mass demonstrations that arose following George Floyd’s death, but in many cases actually endorsed them, the equation changed. The fact that they would have cracked down hard if they had been linked to their political opponents rather than a key constituency made their hypocrisy undeniable. As those “mostly peaceful” protests continued and violence spread, governments that sent cops to shut down synagogues and churches, close playgrounds or arrest people without masks while doing little or nothing to stop rioters lost whatever credibility they once had. If preventing looting by non-socially distanced criminals is not a government priority but stopping people from praying in a house of worship is, something is profoundly wrong, and it’s no good blaming people—whether they are Orthodox Jews or anyone else—for noticing. Moreover, the willingness of mainstream media outlets to excuse this hypocrisy also contributes to the way support for restrictions is declining. When The New York Times labels haredi protesters in Brooklyn a violent “mob”—a term considered both racist and unacceptable when applied to the riots carried out in the name of the Black Lives Matter movement—we know that the paper’s bias and its long history of questionable coverage of Jewish subjects is behind their decisions. Given the pattern of continued COVID outbreaks around the world, there are legitimate questions to be answered about whether lockdowns are doing what advocates claim. That’s especially true when so many seem oblivious to the enormous damage they have done. The answer to this problem is not continued resistance to common-sense measures like masks and social distancing. But before anyone criticizes those who are protesting the untrammeled use of government power to impose lockdowns, it is past time for politicians to drop the hypocrisy and their scapegoating of Jews or anyone else that thinks the First Amendment hasn’t been repealed. 

JST 

Vues Master’s Note: Time for the city council and State Assembly to take away the emergency powers of these power hungry politicians. We have a Government for a reason and you can’t tell me that there is no time to Govern and everything needs to be by executive order. For this I could live in China or Russia!! 

KEEPING GRACE WITH GRACIE 

Dear Vues Master: Keeping Grace with Gracie In an article I authored four years ago, I wrote about Agudah’s neglect to steadfastly guard against our religious liberties: “Ultimately this travesty is being perpetuated by our very own… Currently new bills are being introduced in nearly every state to completely remove the philosophical and religious vaccine exemptions entirely. Regardless of which side of the aisle one stands regarding vaccination, delegating our religious rights to Government should trouble us all. When the Supreme Court ruling in the “Peyote” case threatened our religious liberties in this country, Agudath Israel, fearing the precedent it would set, fought tenaciously for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Yet, vaccinations somehow have become a holy grail which must be enforced at all costs. Instead of predominance given to those who shower us with the most money, we must always Rabbanim The .חטאת לאומים חסד remember have spoken. Ousting an unvaccinated child from school is against halacha. And acquiescing to the whimsical wishes of government bodies who seek to rob us of our religious rights is against common sense as well… Two years ago, I added the following: [I]n a cruel twist of events, on Nov. 21, Yeshiva World News carried the following headline: “SHOCK: New NYS Guidelines Require Yeshiva Elementary Schools to Teach AT LEAST 6 HOURS A DAY of Secular Studies” The article goes on to say that this is not the first time that the government attempted to regulate religious practices, but time and again we have prevailed. One example listed in the article was Bris Milah. Shocking?! Disturbing, perhaps, but hardly shocking. The irony here is almost poetic. Yeshiva World News carried the above article side by side with another article decrying religious exemptions for vaccines. The willing allocating of our religious rights in one area is obviously going to affect other areas as well. They have been quiet when thousands of children have been thrown out of school for claiming a legal religious exemption from vaccination. Not only have they been quiet but instead we have Yeshiva World News and their ilk screaming from the rooftops how religious exemptions should be abolished. This is just a natural progression of the agenda that they have led. No surprises here. The lack of foresight is astonishing… Interestingly, in April 2006, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, Executive Vice President for Government and Public Affairs for Agudath Israel of America, authored a piece regarding MBP (metzizah b’peh) in the Jewish Observer3 . There he cites the argument that he presented to the DoH why MBP should not be under government oversight. Zweibel argued that rights for religious liberties trump medical risks in some cases, and he demonstrated that using religious exemption from vaccines as precedent. One can only wonder how this will end if the very ones entrusted to keep vigilant watch on our communities are the ones undermining it.” These words, culled from a 35-page essay, entitled Religious [Exemption] Persecution” could not have been better stated. We are currently living the effects of those who wantonly and almost purposefully allowed our liberties and yiddeshkeit to fall to the wayside in the everlasting effort to keeping their good graces with Gracie mansion and the governor. During the period in which there was active legislation to remove religious exemptions for vaccines, Agudah, at best, did nothing. But in truth, some of its members left no stone unturned in effort to sabotage our efforts in fighting the legislation. However, instead of recounting the entire sordid affair that took place last year, I will focus the next few paragraphs solely on select events that took place in the past few months. This may seem a bit conspiratorial to some, but to those that are privy to the undeniable facts which took place during the 2019-2020 legislative session, the following is just a logical progression. On June 26, 2020, Mayer Mayerfeld, Daniel Schonbrun, and Elchanan Perr et al. filed a lawsuit against Andrew Cuomo, Letitia James, and Bill de Blasio for enforcing limits on religious gatherings. This lawsuit resulted in an injunction where the arbitrary limits on shuls moved to match that of other venues. In order to claim an injunction, the plaintiff must claim that he is suffering “irreparable harm”. In this case the court ruled that the fear of threatened arrest, persecution, and fines that the plaintiff was claiming was necessary to support the injunction standard. It is quite surprising that this case is largely unknown around the Jewish community. Was it possible that a win for the Jewish community that did not include Agudah is not fit to mention? Maybe there was a deeper reason, that Jews should not be perceived as standing up for religious rights against the government. Lest I be branded as “anti-Aguddist” and have a “patchgivil placed against me, let’s see what did become public knowledge. Before the summer was set to begin, a suit was filed against Governor Cuomo and was blasted all over Jewish media outlets. Agudah filed a lawsuit to allow camps to open. However, “much to Agudah’s chagrin” the injunctive relief failed. Failing a lawsuit does much more than just losing a local case. It sets precedent that is used in future cases. To file a case that has the potential of losing when Yiddishkeit is at stake, is a big deal. Indeed, this case was used in Cuomo’s defense in Agudah’s second lawsuit. See below Bezras Hashem. Was it really Agudah’s intent to win the case? While this is second-hand, I know of a lawyer that looked through the case and remarked (paraphrased) “Why would Agudah ever file such a suit? A lawsuit with similar arguments lost in other locals, and to argue based on these merits is preposterous.” Before we answer the question, let us carry on. On the second day of chol hamoed sukkos, Governor Cuomo held a conference call with “religious leaders” of the frum community. During the call he threatened, cajoled, and lied to the leaders of what he would do to the community if they didn’t comply. During the call the Governor conceded that the restrictions are based on fear, not on science. Just hours after the call during which Cuomo stated that he would leave shuls at 50% capacity, the Governor signed an executive order closing shuls in some zones and severely limiting shuls in others. Two days later (on 10/8), Agudah filed suit amid much pomp and grandeur (PR campaign). Instead of following the winning argument (Mayerfeld et al.) of unequal enforcement and threats of arrests, persecution, the lack of science (above) and actual rates, Agudah decided to take the more politically correct route. Much of the suit was dedicated to the fact that the plaintiffs were already following COVID protocols and simply not davening in shul would be irreparable harm. Fleeting mention was made of Mayerfeld’s case, but it was not amply conveyed how unequal enforcement applied to this case. In addition, the case made major concessions that we were following all protocols until now. Mention was shallow of the fact that we would follow our constitutionally enshrined right to practice religion, and we would do so no matter what the stakes and by default this executive order created a fear of persecution. It goes without saying that by not following the winning arguments they lost the injunctive relief. Ironically, aside from using the camp lawsuit to defend himself, Governor Cuomo used a 1905 supreme court case in his defense that involved the state forcing vaccines! Furthermore, in her arguments, the judge pointed to the fact that houses of worship were locked down in the early phases of the pandemic (by the rabbis themselves) and that religious practitioners dealt with it. This argument was not even presented by the defense, rather by the judge herself. Matzav reported on the denial by stating the following starting line: “DENIED: As expected…”. Do we file lawsuits expecting to lose them? Avi Schick, Agudah’s lawyer, works for a major law firm that wins huge cases. It is not probable that they lose every case they file. Perhaps these filings were intentionally intended to fail. So, back to the original question before. Would Agudah intentionally betray our people? It depends what betrayal means. In a recent article, Rabbi Avi Shafron, Agudath Israel’s public affairs director, subtly suggests that we vote for gimel chamuros lefty Democrats instead of moral candidates , a position that Rabbi Zwiebel did not deny in a subsequent piece. The justification given was that (paraphrased) “There are issues of great importance to us, like education funding and the affordability of our neighborhoods.” An organization that prides itself with advocacy that receives millions of dollars for our mosdos and intuitions (as well as hundreds of thousands for itself… as in Agudath Israel of America’s Community Services among other initiatives), it would be hard to believe that it would bite the hand that feeds it. This is not a conspiracy theory. This is human nature. Every grant received is based on hundreds or thousands of hours of “advocacy”, and to feel all the years of perceived comradeship for a single win may be hard to justify. Indeed, in galus, lawsuits are a last resort, but a failed lawsuit is even worse. However, were Agudah not to have filed, (and there was plenty of discussion on that as well) it would invoke the ire of the community. To pander to the community, and maintain the façade, a suit was filed but at the same time, care was taken not to besmirch the name of Agudah within the reaches of Albany. Advocacy is undeniably a most noble as well as difficult task, with accusations always hurling no matter what one does. However, advocating for our financial welfare is by its very definition at odds with advocating for klal yisroel’s moral welfare. While the former demands that we get close to politicians most favorable to giving grants (most often liberal democrats), the latter demands us to side with moral candidates and at times going to war with the opposition. At this point in time, it appears more than ever that it is time to secede. To create our own grassroots organization that will truly seek to protect our moral values. To protect Torah education and not just “education funding”. To be able to practice according to Torah principles in our community and not just “affordable housing”. To shake those that seek to sabotage at every juncture, because it would cost them to lose grace with Gracie. And may I suggest, to truly rid ourselves of the grants that only ensnare us more and more. 

EP 

Vues Master’s Note: Wow! A new conspiracy theory every week!

REBBES WEARING MASKS 

Dear Vues Master: I felt the Gedolim pictures of wearing masks was a bizoyon Hatorah and as Rav Ahron Kotler ztl would say Ki Dvar Hashem Baza! I wear a mask, and it’s very important, but I don’t put on Gedolei Torah who were not alive during this mageifa,and it’s false advertising. Are you going to dress them up on Purim too? You are also falsely quoting them. The Jewish Vues should apologize for printing it in the first place. It’s a lack of Kovod Hatorah and very disrespectful to; the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Baal Hatanya, Rav Ovadia Yosef, the Chofetz Chaim, the Ben Ish Chai, the Mechaber Shulchan Orech, and to the Gra-the Vilna Goan! 

RMS 

Vues Master’s Note: You have a good point. However, if it saves one Yid it is worth it! We need to do our hishtadlus to combat the virus. “Eis Laasos Lashem…” If the school is teaching them the importance of masks whether you agree or not the children have to what school teaches them so just the opposite it is a kovod for these gedolim to help be mechanech our young children. This is not to say that I agree with this premise but that is neither here nor there the school teaching kids is what the kids should take out of it. It is like some people go to kaporos because the children are taught that way in school and kids should not see parents going against the school. If you don’t like what the school teaches, take your children and switch schools!! 

RECHNITZ LETTER 

Dear Vues Master: I was originally hesitant to write this letter however I decided that I can’t watch what’s currently taking place in religious neighborhoods and remain silent. If for no other reason at all, I’ll be able to say ”Yadai loi shufach es hadam hazeh”. The Coronavirus is child’s play when compared to the potential devastation that is silently growing and metastasizing by the day. This new catastrophe cannot be cured by Remdesivir or any other legend drug. Furthermore the antidote would not be social distancing as from what I understand from 70+ years ago, there was no social distancing or masks in the gas chambers! It is irrelevant that President Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem and helped Jews in other ways, We Yidden are putting ourselves in a bigger Makom Sakana every day. I doubt that there is even one Goy who saw or read about our current vile behavior and did not instantly forge an innate hatred for the Jews. They’re not evil, it’s called natural. Just remind yourself about some of your inner thoughts while watching the fatalities during the BLM “peaceful protests”. The Goyim don’t necessarily have to care how many Jewish mortalities there will be in a specific shul, they are rightfully viewing this as a case where the Jews are being selfish, uncaring and above the law, which is causing an uptick in cases which will ultimately reach their own neighborhoods. “The Jews simply don’t care that we’re being killed”. This is and will remain direct causation of unadulterated anti-Semitism. To stir up anti-Semitism takes a lot less than this. We’re breaking records now. This behavior has never occurred by Jews in America. We always knew our place. Pre World War 2, a lot of people could have escaped but never imagined in their wildest dreams what awaited them. Today, due to numerous reasons the world is on edge. People lost their jobs, people can’t pay for rent or food, people got or are scared of getting the coronavirus or perhaps they lost a loved one. People are extremely upset about inequalities across the spectrum. More people are taking phsychotropic drugs today than ever before. The world situation is fluid from day to day and one little spark can C’V cause the unimaginable. It also doesnt help that the Democratic Party as we knew it, no longer exists, as it’s been taken over by politicians who are trying to outdo each other in how “progressive” they can be. The root cause of our problem, the reason we feel so infallible is undoubtedly that we forgot WE ARE IN GOLUS! This is not our Country. We are merely guests in America, where after more than a thousand years, we finally have the zechus to live in a Country without tight Jewish ghettos. Unfortunately, Ltza’arenu harav, we have living amongst us a Behaima she’anenu tehora who is creating anarchy and chaos, which is being streamlined by the national media outlets. It shows indisputable proof that this self appointed, power hungry, inciter and demagogue Heshy Tischler who falsely claims that he represents us, is organizing demonstrations where we are to scream personal obscenities at the governmental authorities. “Dirty animals, Nazi’s, and Kapo’s” are just a few examples of this clown’s overall limited vernacular. If this seems like I’m taking this personally, it’s because I am. He’s putting my family and your families at risk, and he knows it. But that’s not reason enough for him to surrender his candidacy in a race where his support won’t even hit double digits. What changed our mindset so suddenly? How did we collectively all forget that we’re being closely watched? Who is prepared to give a Din V’cheshbon on this colossal CHILLUL HASHEM? Did we learn this new behavior from the BLM movement? Is that who guides us today? Who are we, to decide which form of congregating is safe and which is not. The Medrash says: If you’re told that there’s Torah by the goyim, don’t believe it. But if you’re told there is wisdom by the Goyim, you can believe it. We are in the midst of a never before seen coronavirus and naturally everyone is going to look to point fingers and place blame at the people who caused this. Half the Country thought it was President Trump. The other half believed it was the fault of China. This was finally the first calamity in history where the Jews were not being blamed. But not to worry. Some of our own people fixed that real quick. I am not an alarmist, but dare I say the immediate and long term consequences that are floating in my mind. But technically this is all somewhat irrelevant. Because if with some magical wand we could theoretically prove to ourselves that our children and communities would be safe in schools, then the reality differs from the perception, and the latter rules. Even if we are 100% right and are acting with logical reasoning, or we believe we can manage to not be seen without a mask, or we are convinced we’re being persecuted and singled out, or we realize that our children are not getting the best chinuch possible, unfortunately right and wrong are not at play here. We still cannot make up our own laws, and we are obligated per all the Rabbonim that I’ve heard opine to date, to follow the guidance of the health specialists. I have great faith in our Rabbonim that they will figure out an eitzah regarding the chinuch issues, and we’ll know it’s being done with Daas Torah. We must never forget that we are a nation of D’racheha darkei noam. Yes, we live in a Democracy. And yes, we have a right to free speech, but Tischler’s hateful rants are not considered “speech”. We can always agree to disagree and there are judicial and political mediums that we can exhaust. We all have an obligation to be mishtatef in finding a resolution, but calling the Mayor’s wife a despicable name is dead wrong, defamatory and probably dangerous. This is not who we are. This is the antithesis of who we are! “A shining light (and sirens) unto the nations”. I personally watched a video of Dr. Mitchell Katz (whom I’ve personally met several times) attempting to speak and help our communities in a much needed way only to be met with overdramatized false personal attacks on his character, to the point that he had to cancel the press briefing for fear of his physical safety. Forget the fact that he is revered and pursued throughout the Country and has established a reputation as being an apolitical figure who only takes into consideration what is best for the population’s health and well being, reasoning which should be beyond sufficient, but how are we so oblivious to the fact that these are the same people who make the regulations regarding Metzitzah, Shechita, foreign esrogim, the definition of death and when can they pull the plug, school curriculum, school funding, vaccinations and the list goes on and on? But let me be clear. Heshy Tischler is not just a Zealot. HE IS A RODEF, yet it is us who will suffer the collateral damage! There is no Mesirah on a Rodef. There is the view among many leaders that we should not bring up Heshy Tischler’s name because it will just give him the fame and publicity he seeks. This thought process is completely skewed. It would be useful in a scenario where someone is slowly building a following for the wrong reasons. You don’t give him the time of day, but here we are dealing with a completely different situation. Tischler is not under the radar. He and his vicious acts are known, recorded and in their face. WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW: In my humble opinion, Our representative organizations need to immediately relay to the City and State Government that we are completely unaffiliated with him. He in no way represents us. To the contrary, we make a point of not accepting him into our circles. The only thing we have in common with him is that he wears a Yarmulke. Wearing a Yarmulke makes you religious just as standing in a garage makes you a car. Every organization needs to put out a letter strongly recommending that they don’t vote for him in any election, seeking any position. Representatives need to get interviewed by all mediums of media and be very clear that this prior felon is an impostor and may just have minimal support from other people who don’t have day jobs. As most of his “followers” are children, we need to speak to their parents or Grand Rabbis to prohibit them from getting near him, or any of his events. We need to announce and make clear that anyone who supports him is considered a co-conspirator (Co-Rodef) and will be shunned by all of our communities. Note: if you’re bored and want to check out his event, I recommend watching 20 minutes of a Holocaust documentary and then decide. He should not be touched, hurt or threatened. He should just be ignored. People make mistakes. All these restrictions can be lifted if he commits to put an end to any and all events, meetings, conversations, correspondences, that are in any way related to the coronavirus or any anti-government actions AND he sends a personal apology to any victims of his misplaced wrath. While there might be a little extra work initially, in a relatively short period, we won’t have to act, react or defend ourselves to other people. They will then just view him as a very vocal vagrant with a few other friends who are just looking for attention. Chasin kadosh b’rov tuv’cha nahel adasecha. 

SYR 

Vues Master’s Note: It is a shame you did write this letter! You offer criticism but offer no alternative. Since when are you a posek calling him a Rodef. By your own definition you seem to be a Rodef yourself! Come to NYC and be locked down in an apartment with two bedrooms with 11 children and then be busy pontificating! Writing letters won’t help! Do actions! We realize you give a ton of tzedaka but that does not make you into a posek. Please continue doing what you do best which does not include writing letters!!! 

ENABLING ANTI SEMITISM 

Dear Vues Master: I was standing on my own porch on Avenue L when a car passed by and the guy screamed at me and put on a mask. Where do you think this is coming from? Tough Love by an Italian Nazi Mussolini reincarnated. Oh I forgot our beloved Mayor Nazi DeBlasio ain’t innocent either. 

CBS 

Vues Master’s Note: Bingo! That is exactly what they wanted to deflect attention from their shortcomings i.e. nursing homes and blame it on the Jews. Interesting no mention has been made that the Jews were the biggest donors of plasma. 

APPRECIATION 

Dear Vues Master: Hi, My name is S K, and I love your magazine. However, there is one problem: I live out of town. As in, St. Louis. The only I get to read the Jewish Vues is when I go in to visit family in NY. Until recently. You see I’ve discovered that I can get the Jewish Vues emailed to me every week, which I’m very excited about! Thank you so much for creating an email system. Also, I have a suggestion for the question of the week: What is your favourite store to shop in? Thanks so much, and you should continue your magazine for many more years! 

Thanks again, S K 

Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for the positive feedback!