25 Jun Speak Your Vues
CORRECTION!
Dear Editor:
Thanks for printing my recent letter (see below) on p.63 of your current issue.
There was a problem however, with the title given to it in the paper, which was “JUDAISM AND TORAH DO NOT GO TOGETHER”, which does not make sense and doesn’t fit the letter. I believe you meant to entitle it “JUDAISM AND TOEIVAH DO NOT GO TOGETHER”, but that it somehow got mixed up and changed. Perhaps you might want to run the letter again in the next issue. this time with a fitting title, to clarify things.
Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Brooklyn Old Timer
I was taken aback to read a column by former Assemblyman Dov Hikind in last week’s issue (June 12-June 18 ) of your paper (p.39), in which he says that he joins with Jewish practitioners of anti-Torah immoral behavior to stand against the ban they ran into when they wanted to march in a Washington DC toeivah parade with a Jewish Toeivah Pride flag (R”L) recently.
It is not our place to advocate for toeivah practitioners who want to engage in forbidden conduct while identifying as Jewish, which is a contradiction in terms, or an oxymoron, as the Torah stands strongly against such behavior. It is analogous to a theoretical case of some Jews calling themselves the Hebrew Porkers (R”L) wanting to participate in a bacon and cheeseburger cooking and eating contest while wearing stars of David, who were told that they may not do so. Should we advocate for them? Resoundingly not! They are going where they do not belong, in a way that is improper, and making a Chillul Hashem.
The march organizers did them and Jews at large a favor with their ban, by sending the (correct) message that Judaism and Toeivah do not go together.
Now that the assemblyman has retired from political office, he should, on the contrary, feel even more free to stand for traditional Torah values, and not bound by false and fickle political correctness, or the liberal flavor of the day.
Hoping that we will not see such errors again.
Sincerely yours,
Brooklyn Old Timer
Editor’s Note: Thanks for alerting us.
UPDATE YOUR IMMUNIZATIONS
Dear Editor:
If apple made a car would it have windows?
Curious in Flatbush
Editor’s Note: No way, because it would crash every minute and you would need to restart it constantly
ANTI-SEMITISM
Dear Editor:
This week, I wanted to write about Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent comments about migration camps at our southern border. She said that America is running concentration camps! When a lot of people listen to AOC, they think that whatever she is saying is the craziest thing that she said, but then you hear her next speech and it gets more loony. These comments are not only ludicrous but appalling. Democrats seem to have a trend of constantly comparing anything to do with Trump to an aspect of Nazi Germany. Calling an immigration camp which provides food, clothing, education and assistance in other things, a death camp, is just factually wrong. AOC tried to defend herself by claiming that there was a difference between death camps and concentration camps. I find it interesting to see that Democrats don’t call out such comments that are offensive to Jews. Jews suffered through concentration camps which were also death camps. Concentration camps had crematorians and gas chambers. While migration camps have assistance in all aspects. There have been stories of the people who run the migration camps that they use a lot of their own belongings and money to support children in these camps. This is not a concentration camp, this is a camp where there is human compassion. This is a camp where illegal immigrants go until their own situations are sorted out. AOC doesn’t believe in the word ‘illegal’ because she believes that no human is illegal. First of all, everyone agrees that no person is illegal, but isn’t the definition of illegal mean that an act is forbidden by law. Saying the words ‘illegal immigrants’ is just saying that we have millions of people that are breaking not only our law, but our sovereignty. Many of the Holocaust Museum organizations have condemned these loony comments. If Trump or a Republican said the same thing, can you imagine the outrage that there would be!? However, this happened to Republicans when Republican Representative Steve King said an Anti Semitic comment a few months ago. Not only did Democrats condemn his act immediately, but Republicans did too. Not only did Republicans do so, they suspended him from all congressional committees. Republicans have always condemned Anti Semitism, but Democrats only condemn Anti Semitism when it works in their favor. Why don’t Democrats call out AOC’s Anti Semitic comment?! Why aren’t Democrat Party leaders calling out AOC? Where are the “Moderate Democrats” condemning this crazy progressive? Why do we have the incompetent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who brushes off her comments by saying, that she hasn’t heard the exact comments from AOC and that she is just representing her district. Why are people being complacent about this? This is an issue that all of us should be concerned about. It is crazy to see that this is the normal way of today’s Democrats. President Truman who recognized Israel as a country was a Democrat, can you imagine the disgust that he would have with today’s Democrats!? Let’s all unite to condemn Anti Semitism and to condemn a political party that only says things for the sake of it working out in their favor politically!!!
Sincerely,
Donny Simcha Guttman
Editor’s Note: A leopard does not change its spots. A democrat is a democrat.
LOWER THE MUSIC
Dear Editor:
While earplugs would go a long way to reduce the volume of the band, Rachel R. would still not be able to engage in conversation with the person sitting next to her, because the earplugs would prevent her from hearing that person, too.
Chavi H.
Editor’s Note: A wedding is not meant for schmoozing. It is meant for dancing and being mesameach Chosson and Kallah
TRUMP’S REELECTION CAMPAIGN
Dear Editor:
News reports that President Donald Trump was officially starting his 2020 campaign were revelatory. It hadn’t been clear that he was finished with his 2016 campaign yet, but I suppose that is a technicality since he really never does anything, except campaign.
It might help him to take some time off to study history and current events in order to spare himself the effort of inventing new facts. Invented facts are convenient in their way, but they are apt to be a liability in the process of predicting whether policies will produce the desired outcome. For example, if you decide 2+2=7 your carpentry projects might disappoint you.
Stephen Hawkes
Editor’s Note: It is not as simple as you make it out to be. I believe the Country is headed in the right direction and as budgets go we know that Congress and the Senate are never good at Math they always spend more than they earn.
BOTTLE DEPOSIT IS GOOD
Dear Editor:
I can remember when soda bottles and cans didn’t have a return deposit. Roadsides were covered with unsightly cans and bottles. Now rarely do you see them along the road.
I think a similar solution could be used with plastic. Charge a tax that will cover the cost of disposing and recycling plastic.
Plastic is too ingrained in our society to tell people that they can’t have plastic combs, razors, etc. I know bags are the main concern, but we have many other plastic disposables. We need an economic incentive to deal with the problem.
I believe that manufactures should pay the tax. I know they’ll pass the cost on, but some will find cheaper ways to get products to consumers without using plastic in order to outsell or offer lower prices than their competitors.
At the least, a tax would raise money that could be earmarked to start cleaning up the environment. We can start small and build on bags first. But that includes that bag of frozen peas, corn — whatever plastic bag it is.
And last but not least, that doesn’t mean disposing of plastic in a different country. It means recycling it.
Lynda Jo Sheehan
Editor’s Note: Why charge the tax? Just pay those homeless who scrounge around our garbage cans and they will keep the streets clean.
CREDIT CARDS
Dear Editor:
Has there been a recent financial crisis that the media isn’t reporting? Why is it that every day there is another fundraiser being passed around Whatsapp and every one of them with their own cheshbon why their campaign is unique, unprecedented, historic etc.? A few years ago, the shidduch crisis was all the rage with too many single girls to match up with the single boys. Now there is a GoFundMe crisis – too many fundraisers to match up to all the dollars!
How were yeshivos built before GoFundMe existed?
I appreciate the importance of giving tzeddaka but is it yashrus for every organization to send their members to nag their friends and family to guilt them into giving another $18 to some mosdos they probably never even heard of.
I have my own schools I want to support and my own organizations I enjoy helping out. But making every fundraiser a do-or-die countdown for double or triple donations makes it much them more difficult to turn down and leaves less to go around.
Besides for not being yashrus the method is also unsustainable. If everyone turns their campaign into an emergency the will stop working, the whole idea will be overdone and real emergencies will lose out. I feel bad for any mosdos that loses out on some gvir’s offer of doubling their donations just because they came late to the game and can’t raise the right amount.
Can we all just take it down a few notches and not turn every minor ordeal into an EMERGENCY campaign? For sake of my mind and my wallet. Thank you.
Calling for moderation
Editors Note: What about Chinese Auctions?
LIVING OUT OF TOWN
Dear Editor:
What would it take for you to pack up your family and move out of town to Norfolk, Rochester or any of the other out of town locations that regularly advertise extolling the virtues of leaving the NY/NJ metro area and reinventing your life in a community with a considerably smaller frum tzibbur but much lower costs, congestion and slower lifestyle? Some towns are even offering modest dollar grants and stipends to attract new residents. I’ve always wondered what would be the determining factor for most long-term NY area residents to travel to the ends of the earth (metaphorically). It’s a totally different decision thaN Aliyah but still potentially as disruptive and ultimately rewarding.
Editor’s Note: I guess it depends on one’s parnassah or where one’s family is. We invite readers to write in their answers.
SIYUM HASHAS
Dear Flatbush Neighbors,
As the upcoming Siyum Hashas is scheduled for January 1st, does anybody know what the plans are if it snows etc?
Shuey H
Editor’s Note: According to AOC and Ilhan Omar, Jews control the weather and are responsible for the immigrants being in concentration camps.
SIYUM HASHAS
Dear Editor:
Can anyone explain the objective of having speeches in Yiddish at the siyum hashas for Daf Yomi in America? If it is meant to be a unifying event to inspire and celebrate, how can they purposefully exclude such a large portion of the invitees and attendees? Isn’t that giving them a message that those who do not understand Yiddish are not welcome and don’t count? I assume nearly all of the attendees who do speak Yiddish also understand English very well.
Yoram J
Editor’s Note: Could it be because the founder of Daf Yomi spoke in Yiddish?
UNHEALTHY
Dear Editor:
Does processing foods make them unhealthy? Or do processed foods just happen to contain a lot of sugar?
Reb Yidel Schwartz
Editors Note: Regardless of the answer to your questions, we know that processed foods are unhealthy as of today. Science changes its mind every few years or so. Just follow the discussions about saturated and unsaturated fat.