28 May Speak Your Vues

DEVASTATING MEASLES CASE

Dear Editor:

The last day of Yom Tov should have been a wonderful ending to a beautiful Pesach in Israel. Instead, it turned into a nightmare no parent should have to experience.

Yehudah Yosef, at the time 11.5 months, had been feverish and coughing for a few days. On Shabbos morning, he woke up with a scorching fever; pimples encased his tongue, and he had difficulty breathing. We rushed him to the hospital, where doctors suspected meningitis, fearing the worst. At the time, Yehuda was lethargic and completely unresponsive. The spinal tap came back clear, and a urine and blood test confirmed a diagnosis of measles. He was scheduled to have been vaccinated the week after Pesach, and must have been exposed to a contagious individual weeks prior…
Yehudah Yosef was treated at Sharei Zedek hospital in Jerusalem. The man who saved his life is Prof. Dr. Yechiel Schlessinger, head of pediatrics and an infectious disease doctor by training, and we owe him tremendous gratitude.   
“This innocent baby suffered unbelievable pain through no fault of his own. Take pictures, show the world what measles can do to a innocent child.” 
This was the edict of Prof. Dr. Schlessinger. Attached are pictures of Yehudah Yosef before the measles struck, and how he looked during his stay at the hospital.
Yehuda Yosef’s case was very complicated with infections in his lungs and ears. He was on Oxygen, steroids, antibiotics, and IV fluids. We feared possible long-term consequences of the complications, such as hearing loss. B’chasdei Hashem, and thanks to the incredible staff at Sharei Zedek, he was released after 10 days of hospitalization. He is still on antibiotics for lingering infections.
Endless tears were shed and tefillos said for this beautiful little boy whose life hung in the balance. We are certain that Hakodosh Baruch Hu restored his health in the merit of the many who davened and stormed the heavens for his complete refuah.
Measles is an illness which had been eradicated for decades. It is incredibly contagious, and can be fatal–especially for young children. 
Please, please, get your children & grandchildren vaccinated! Check your own immunity with a blood titer test. 
Do not let your innocent children and grandchildren suffer the fate that Yehudah Yosef and his family had to endure.
With thanks to all our friends and families and most of all, to the Ribono Shel Olam,
The Cassell and Engelberg Families

Editor’s Note:  This letter had pictures of the child which were quite graphic. We hope no child goes through what this child did.  Refuah Sheleima.

 

 

 

PIRKEI AVOS GUIDES US

Dear Editor:

As we study Pirkei Avos this time of year, a question came to my mind. Why if it says in the text Chapter Two and Three that we should be “wary of government officials” are our yiddim so involved in political aspects, as well as being so close to elected officials? In Pirkei Avos it states clearly that government officials only look out for themselves and we should stay clear of them. Why do we do the complete opposite, and also go into this line of work too? I hope some of your wise rabbis who write for this paper can give me an answer to this question.

Thank you for letting me address this issue.

Baffled in Midwood

Editors Note: We find in the Gemara that some tanaim were allowed to dress and have a hair style that was similar to the eino Yehudim. This was because they were close to the Government. There are people who have their tafkid to be close or in Government and they are doing what is right. Overall, the regular person should not have such aspirations. 

 

 

TEFILLIN K’HALACHA PROGRAM

Dear Editor:

The following dates are where the Tefillin can be adjusted and put on properly free of charge.

June 2, Hanacha K’halacha Tefillin Program, Bais Medrash of Harborview, Lawrence

June 14, Hanacha K’halacha Tefillin Program, Yeshiva of South Shore

June 16, Hanacha K’halacha Tefillin Program, Ahavas Israel, Passaic

Thank you

Avrohom B. Schachter

 

Editors Note:  Keep up the good work helping Yidden be mekayem the mitzvah of tefillin properly.

 

 

TRANSPARENCY NEEDED ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Dear Editor:

This week I wanted to focus on a very important issue that many just take a glance over. This issue is indoctrination in our schools. Indoctrination can be in many forms. One of those forms is political bias on college campuses. Most liberal arts professors are Democrats. There have been many cases where conservative students have had their opinion censored and under threat. There is another type of indoctrination that we, as Jewish people, should really be very concerned about. This type of indoctrination is that in many schools there is no transparency on the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One of the schools that practices this type of indoctrination is a school in Massachusetts called, Newton South High School. The history curriculum in Newton by the topic of the Middle East, is very troublesome. Some public records that are accessible will show you that, Newton uses propaganda maps that are made by the Palestinian Authority. These maps show that throughout the years, Israel’s territories are expanding at a troublesome rate. However, what this map doesn’t mention are the multiple conflicts and wars that led up to this. Instead of focusing on facts, they make it seem as if Israel is full of dangerous, imperialistic goals. A few years ago, MSNBC used these map when they were reporting about the conflict. A day later, MSNBC apologized for using those maps because they were propaganda maps!! Nowadays, it takes a lot of guts for the media, especially a left-leaning outlet to apologize, but MSNBC apologized right over here. Newton High School refuses to stop their misguided curriculum. A lot of the information about their curriculum is not public information because they don’t want this to get out. If you did want to access some of the information, you would have to pay a $4000 fine. This is very unprofessional and unjust. All schools, especially public schools that are paid by taxpayers, should have their curriculum free to the public to access. A lot of the information known about the curriculum is through parents throughout the years seeing a lot of it. If you think that’s bad, just wait for this next thing. Part of their curriculum is to study the Hamas Charter. The school wanted to include this in their curriculum because they wanted the students to have “critical, open minded” thinking. At first, this sounds nice, but then you hear that they whitewashed the Charter. One of the most glaring things that they take out when studying it, is Article 7 of the Hamas Charter. Article 7 discusses that Muslims should devote themselves to become a martyr should kill Jews!! There is nothing wrong to teach kids about being open-minded, but when you portray a terrorist organization as some kind of peaceful, democratically elected people, then you have a problem. This is not necessarily an anti-Israel or anti-Semitic issue, it is an issue about educational transparency. This past week, Rambam Mesivta traveled hundreds of miles to Newton High School to protest this atrocity. I was personally in attendance and I saw for myself the smugness that the leaders of the school have. A lot of the students were against Rambam Mesivta, but ultimately some actually supported Rambam’s call for educational transparency. This was an important experience, not just because it was interesting to be at a protest, but that it is vital to combat indoctrination in our country. This is a national, and local issue that we all face. We must in whatever way do something to combat educational indoctrination. We must combat indoctrination whether it is political or spiritual! We all have a voice and it is about time to make it heard!!!
Sincerely, 
Donny Simcha Guttman

Editors Note:  We could not agree with you more.

 

RALLY

Dear Editor:

By all accounts the show up rate to the Ilhan Omar Rally was pathetic. I, and likely many more people would have attended ….. had we known about it!!!

Where was this rally advertised? How far in advance?  Not on radio, not in newspapers, no TV, no flyers, no street lamp postings… and on a Monday afternoon?

This is obviously a result of poor planning, or no planning. The organizers cheated people of an opportunity to vent their anger.

Mendi J 

Editors Note: I am not sure what you are referring to. We never heard about a rally at all. Maybe it never took place.

 

DON’T KNOCK THE MAYOR

Dear Editor:

I personally don’t think it’s fair to label Bill de Blasio as one of the worst mayors of NYC. Under NYC’s one-party political system, how can one expect any better? On the contrary, he may be one of the best.

Reb Yidel Schwartz

Editors note: Some people are of the opinion that the mayor is so bad, even a cockroach could do a better job than he.

 

BONFIRES

Dear Editor:

What is it with this Lag Ba’omer bonfire thing that has spread in recent years? What is with people who didn’t do it in the past suddenly doing it? When did it become a mitzvah? I have never seen it mentioned in Gemara, Shulchan Aruch, or Mishnah Berurah. And there are issues, halachic and otherwise, with the new practices too.

There is freedom of religion, but people should know that there is no obligation to adopt such new practices, even if they see big ads and posters promoting them.

Remember what the Chasam Sofer said about chadash.

Sincerely,

Old Fashioned Thinking Yid

Editors Note:  I believe this minhag has spread like wildfire and people just have a burning desire for these things. Since Kabbalah is something that is mystical, it therefore becomes part of our yearning for instant Judaism where we can take a shortcut and feel good about ourselves. One should not make fun of a good minhag, but it would be far more beneficial for people to learn extra Torah in the Z’chus of Rabie Shimon.

 

 

UNDERSTANDING THE VOTES

Dear Editor:

Here are the numbers
Donald J. Trump Republican 62,980,160
Hillary R. Clinton Democratic 65,845,063
Hillary won the popular vote by 2.865m votes

Now In the words of none other than Nancy Pelosi
In New York and California if a republican ran against a glass of water with a D on it, the water would win.
So let’s remove those two states from the mix and see the picture

California gave Hillary a lead of 4.27m votes (greater than her entire win lead)

New York gave Hillary a lead of 1.736m votes

Together those two states, where according to the number one democrat in office today are a clear “gimme” for the democrats which gave Hillary a lead of over 6 million votes.

Put in other words, if you remove those two states where there is really no contest, she loses to Donald Trump by 3.142m votes

Or again in other words, excepting those two non-contests, she loses to the Donald by a larger number than she won when including those non-contest areas.

A calculating Jew

Editor’s Note: What is your point? As of today, those states have not ben removed, so their votes count.

 

 

CHASSIDISH BROCHA

Dear Editor:

Chasidim often give each other a brocha that they should grow in Torah and Chasidus (among other things.) Litvaks don’t give a brocha to grow in Litvishkeit.

What is Chasidus and why such a brocha? If he grows into a Brisker is that a loss to Chasidishkeit?

A Brisker

Editors Note: Chassidus is brought down in the mishna in Avos albeit I doubt that is what the bracha is meant. If it is meant that way, then it probably would include any sect that reaches to the level of zehirus and prishus.

 

 

 

WEARING A TALLIS

Dear Editor:

Does anybody know the reason why most of the world only put on a tallis after marriage and not by bar Mitzvah, where most other mitzvos begin? This is the only mitzvah I know of which suddenly becomes activated after marriage. What has marriage got to do with it?

Moshe K

Editor’s Note: It is not a halacha and it is not followed by most of the world. Yekkes historically wear the tallet gadol from the time of bar mitzvah, or even from chinuch age, which the Chofetz Chaim believed was correct age. This is purely a minhag, one without sufficient grounding, based on the different rayas I’ve seen (such as the idea that a tallis is equated with ohr hamakif which indicates simcha, and an individual unmarried has no simcha and therefore isn’t on the madrega of wearing a tallis. Or based on the pesukim of ki yikach  marriage and gedilim taaseh  tzitzis. If anyone has a sufficient reason other than minhag brecht a din (sic), please share it.

 

 

 

RABBI KANIEVSKY

Dear Editor:

Who is Reb Shlomo Kanievsky? Is he being groomed to be the next Gadol Hador? How come we haven’t much about Rav Shlomo Kanievsky until now? There seems to be a push to get his name out. Where is that coming from? He is being advertised all over.

Yankel G

Editors Note: I am sure he is a tremendous gaon and tzadik., However, you are hearing of him because there is a need to fundraise, and it has become fashionable in these times to use gedolim as marketing props. If his last name would be Katz or Goldberg and not Kanievsky, they wouldn’t be using his name. We live in the age of “Gadol Hador” “Sar Hatorah” “Poseik Hador”. Our generation has a nearly pathological need for these figures so we can worship them and give up any individual responsibility for ourselves. There is no need to do anything when you can have the Gadol Hador decide everything for you.