Excerpts from B'B' Lodge Bulletin, January---February, 2012

Bibi Snubs The New York Times

                                                                                                ב"ה                                                        

22 Kislev 5772                                                                                                                                            December 18, 2011 

                                                  

                                                         Missed Opportunity to Inform and Educate    

    

                Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu's senior adviser, Ton Dermer, wrote to the New York Times, to explain why his boss "respectfully decline" to submit an op-ed piece. That's too, bad, as a general proposition, for key news maker missed the opportunity to explain his position to a discriminating and discerning audience, including Washington policy makers. More distressing, is a stream of consciousness thoughtlessness which both undermines the efficacy of the prime minister's position(s), even as it regurgitates discredited bromides, the usual platitudes voiced by incurious persons. It's a classic case of cutting the nose to spite the face. 

                Belittling the generally-accepted notion, the Times is intentionally framed as the much quoted "paper of record," along the official charges that, when it comes to Israel, the op-ed page has failed to adopt the late Senator Moynihan's admonition not to invent their own facts in order to conform to a preconceived opinion. Specifically, it referred to Palestinian President Abbas who, in his General Assembly speech promoting formal recognition of his yet unborn nation by the United Nations, was not taken to task for infuriatingly asserting the incendiary slander that in 1947 "Zionist forces expelled Palestinian Arabs to ensure a decisive Jewish majority in the future State of Israel ... " 

                Of course, as any simpleton, and anti-Semite knows, Resolution 181, the quintessential two-state solution plan, was overwhelmingly endorsed by the world body on November 29, months before modern Israel was proclaimed, with the additional application of martial might, May 14, 1948! There were thirteen nations voting against simultaneous birth of Jewish and Palestinian nations, including my native Greece, which earlier in the decade had seen 87% of its Jews gassed and cremated in Auschwitz. Joining Hellas were, Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen, in the main a group which included some of the most repressive regimes extant.

In recent months, it has been my sacred obligation to join the grassroots effort to have Greece reverse that unfortunate vote, then the only European country to do so. Please write to, Ambassador Vassillis Kaskarelis, Greek Embassy, 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, demanding that such action is both historically required, and as a tangible demonstration of the recent amity forged between Greece and Israel on the economic, diplomatic, and military spheres.

Disagreeing with The NY Times has also been my occasional pastime, but never would I forego responding to their interpreted outrages, nor the mostly enjoyable daily morning routine, prior to joining the minyan, quorum, for worship, going to the computer to access the opinion pieces in http://www.nytimes.com/. Thus, my instruction to Ron Dermer, the aforementioned adviser (how did he become senior with such thin skin?), is to recall the decision not to offer Bibi's view in a column to the still greatest publication in the world, for the loss is too extensive to contemplate! After all, The New Times is not The Five Towns Jewish Times, operating under an editor-publisher, villain par excellence, who cannot fathom the depth of his perfidy in dividing our local Jewish community.

               

                Finally, I am gratified that, while the string of issues on which Rabbi Heshie Billet and I see differently grows, I commend him for having the courage to present them to his Young Israel of Woodmere congregants, as the "Dear Sasha" letter from Natanyahu's office to the New York Times, explaining his declination, and reported erev Shabbat by the Jerusalem Post staff. Noting the strong bipartisan support that Israel enjoys in the United States, the State's prime minister's comments could only have further advanced our America's perennial, justifiable, enthusiasm and esteem. We, keen lovers of Zion, pray that such a strategic blunder not be repeated. Shavua tov, veHag Hanukkah sameach!

                Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                                Asher

                Prof. Asher J. Matathias

               

312 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com

*Asher, Respectfully, your note is not up to your usual standards of excellence in communication; too many subjects in too few paragraphs to do any of them justice. On the main (?) point, as to whether or not Prime Minister Netanyahu should have replied substantively to the NY Times request for an Op Ed piece, sometimes I think it is more courageous to hold your water and wait for a more appropriate time and/or venue. In my opinion, the Times has become terribly slanted against Israel and against the Netanyahu Administration in particular. I do not want to debate the merits of that view, I provide it only to say that the Prime Minister MIGHT HAVE VALID CAUSE to hold his words and wait for a more appropriate time and venue. These days and years have become as dangerous for Israel as the early 1930s were for European Jewry.  Israel's leader holding his own - and not volunteering an Op Ed piece to the NY Times - is certainly understandable to me. David, LAW OFFICES OF D.D.C., Jericho, NY Asher, You are a gentleman and a scholar. I only comment on your writings because I know you will take my comments in stride. Thank you. David 

**Thank you. G.F., Teaneck, NJ

*Whewww! M.D., New York, NY

**Asher, Kol ha kovot. Happy Chanukah to U and the family. Paul and Sue K., Bayside, NY

*This is not good for Israel. The Palestinians have created armies of sympathizers, legions of apologists, and one of the best-crafted public relations and media strategies ever-created. Their propaganda ministry makes the Nazis look like amateurs. Netanyahu must figure that whatever he says will be negated and brutally criticized. He should hire the best public relations people to push Israel's policy positions and interests. He underestimates the power of propaganda. The Israeli attitude was best expressed by a former pilot who bombed the Egyptian planes in 1967. He said, "we don’t talk, we act; ein brera." We are the only ones we can count on." His dismissal of world opinion is not in Israel's best interest and Netanyahu should know this. J.N., Cedarhurst, NY

**Asher, Enough is enough. Ron Dermer is not an ideologue. He is objective enough to understand that it would not make a difference having Bibi's voice in The New York Times. As Zionists, we've tried numerous times to sway the esteemed newspaper, through letters to the editor, story pitches, subscription cancellation threats, and the newspaper remains hostile towards Israel. At this point, writing a letter or op-ed to NY Times is a waste of time. Kadinsky (S.), Garden City, NY

*Hi, Asher. Hope you are well. What is the one thing that The New York Times, Pat Buchannan, and Islamic terrorists have in common? They always have something bad to say about Israel! Keep up the great writing! Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to you and yours! Bro. H.A.M., Norwich, NY

Truth Hurts When It's Not

                                                                                                            ב"ה            

13 Kislev 5772                                                                                                                  December 9, 2011

                                  With America Our Anchor We Are Already Home

                Two disparate newspapers arrived simultaneously, but light years different in content and quality: New York The Jewish Week, a substantive publication which delves into issues of our metropolitan community fairly, balanced, and unafraid, and the recently introduced The South Shore Standard, decidedly of a conservative religio-political bent --- how could it be otherwise, when in the clutches of minority financial interest by the notorious editor-publisher of the hopelessly compromised Five Towns Jewish Times?

                The highlight of the latter publication was the well-deservedly spotlight placed on Lawrence District's School Five's Sixth Annual Literacy Night --- an attempt to have young readers establish lifetime connections to reading --- and the fluffy piece on District 15's veteran educator, now in a newly-created post of Superintendent for Community and Students Affairs, and a friend, Patrick Pizzarelli. (Lawrence HS's Golden Tornadoes won the Nassau County Conference III Championship with a 63-34 victory over the Plainedge Red Devils.)

                However, it was The Jewish Week that gripped our attention with three front-page stories: the too-often troubling approach of religious tribunals in handling child sex abuse allegations; the ill-starred and justly withdrawn campaign, pitched to American Jews, asking them to "Come Home" to Israel; and, the first-ever organized UJA-Federation outreach to welcome the inter-married into our fold. Each topic is entitled to extensive discussion, but this writer will limit comment to the middle topic.

                $300,000 were invested by Jerusalem to woo American Jews to settle in Israel, on the grounds that their continued existence in the New World is problematic, where identity with Zion, and Judaism are concerned, lessening our commitment to both, through assimilation and intermarriage. Of course, and ironically, those forces obtain even in the … Jewish homeland! However, I was intrigued by the lead, The Truth Hurts, letter to the editor, by one signed simply Heshie Billet, Woodmere, L.I., but assuming him to be the spiritual leader of our neighborhood Young Israel.

                In his jeremiad, the rabbi takes issue with those objecting to the series of ads --- so overly highlighting the negatives of living in America, instead of affirming the advantages of life in Israel --- identifying too darkly with "the tragic realities of a large segment of secular American Jewry." It is this perceived "truth" that "hurts," regretting, finally, that the Israelis succumbed and yielded to "heavy-handed tactics of some U.S. Jewish leaders."

                Let it be said, for our family, that, in 1956 we arrived to the blessed shores of America, survivors of both the Holocaust, and the ravages of earthquakes in Greece. In time, we gained not only material succor, but learned to live the glory of  committed Judaism --- replete with intense love for Zionism, begun decades ago, while stuffing drachmas into the JNF's (Jewish National Fund) azure tin boxes. Now, Anna and I revel in passing our ennobling Jewish legacy to a fourth generation! An additional note has it that, after WW II, my father Jacob's, z"l, plan was to move his young family to Israel, to join his then single brother Moshe, living in Holon. The agreed-upon signal from the latter, that pre-State conditions made immigration desirable, never came. Instead, it was the United States which opened its golden gates to welcome us.

                Identity with Israel and our faith is genuine, deep, and not subject to guilt-fraught coercive promotions; we even have a sabra (Israel-born) son-in-law, further buttressing our bi-national ties, as do so many of our coreligionists! Quite obviously, this is yet another instance where a respected religious leader has deeply erred, for he has ventured beyond his area of expertise, as did the early David Ben-Gurion. This rabbi, too, can gain the prime minister's insight to be more tolerant of the plethora of legitimate motives that inform decision-making. Then, with less prejudgment and more compassion, we can even be ready to join in making the obscurantist editor of the grossly misnamed 5T Jewish Times a mensch.     

                Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                        Asher

            Prof. Asher J. Matathias 

               

312 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com                   

*This was very interesting. You should write pieces on all three topics in the third paragraph. They're all important issues. Jonathan C., Los Angeles, CA

**Thank you. G.F., Teaneck, NJ

*Asher, Well written, but the advertisements that you're writing about were not directed to American Jews, but Israelis who moved to America. It showed that they would always be Jews, but their children were iffy.

A.Y., Oradell, NJ

***Dear Asher, … You have a most lovely daughter!!! I enjoyed meeting her last night! You know that "Jewish" newspaper is really not with it. I have Chassidic mishpacha --- they are Klausenberg Chassidim. I attend most of their weddings and I keep up with some of them.  One young woman, whom I call often, to see how she's doing, always says to me, when I mention that although I go to shul each Shabbat, I'm not observant-Conservative, and certainly not shomer Shabbat.  They always respond that I'm Jewish just like them and that I'm one of the most Jewish of people they know, because of my "Jewish heart" for Jewish causes, my children's upbringing, etc. And they're Chassidim. … because we're all JEWS! (Even those of us foolish enough to support Israel's destroyers, without mentioning any names.)  Again, to quote the song (I'll just change the name from Brown to Mattathias) "Mr. Mattathias, you have a lovely daughter." Linda J., North Woodmere, NY

*I have always been a proud Jew who strongly identifies with Israel. I believe that I belong in Israel even though I have loyalty to America as well. Many times, I have been at odds with myself over what thing to do is. With both our daughters married to Israelis, the day may come when we will make Aliyah. My family on both sides has been in America for 100 years. Most of my cousin's children are married out and their parents have accepted this fact, albeit with disappointment. We purposely did not send our daughters to sleep away colleges, because we thought that intermarriage would very possibly result. J.N., Cedarhurst, NY

**WELL DONE ASHER --- SHERMAN R., Valley Stream, NY

*Try the Jewish Star, it's much better.
Editor/Publisher The Lid Contributor to: American Thinker,  Big Government,Big Hollywood, Big Journalism, Big Peace, and NewsReal Blog

In a message dated 12/10/2011 6:45:11 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, AsherJmat@aol.com writes:   

**

Breaking News Alert

Dec. 2, 2011 Netanyahu pulls ad campaign for Israeli expats in US

NEW YORK (JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is canceling an ad campaign aimed at luring Israeli expatriates home that some American Jews have found offensive.  >> Full story Look for additional updates at JTA.org.

                                                              

 

Return to Sanity Will Make 5T Jewish Times Inconsequential

                                                                                                                                 ב"ה 

9 Kislev 5772                                                                                           December 5, 2011

                  Objecting to the Five Towns Jewish Times is a Singular Honor

    

It is with utmost disappointment, but not surprised, that I learn of that the editor of the misnamed Five Towns Jewish Times --- noted for discriminating against fellow Jews who are Sephardic, Conservative, Reform, or Reconstructionist, by intentionally pursuing "a business model" aimed to gratuitously divide through being silent and indifferent of their achievements --- has intruded in what should be a non-controversy: the appearance of a Catholic priest, a Righteous Among the Nations, and upon the invitation of Rabbi Hershel Billet, at the populous Young Israel of Woodmere, to discuss a little-known Holocaust story. (It is not by accident that this newspaper is not permitted to enter our household.)

            Instead of applauding the initiative --- Father Patrick Desbois is a remarkable for working to uncover the gravesites of Jews brutally murdered by the Einsatzgrupen --- there has been calumny heaped from anonymous rabbinic quarters, shrilly maintaining that no contact with adherents from other faiths is ever sanctioned, even, if, as Rabbi Billet stated, the prelate's remarks were after worship, with the Ark closed, and without mention of the guest's savior. Parenthetically, and doubly sadly, such attitudes obtain in some Orthodox circles, even issuing versions of fatwas discouraging entry to non-Orthodox Jewish sanctuaries, referring to such structures with the intended demeaning term "church!"  

            Let it be said that I have had my differences with Rabbi Billet --- the monopolistic and mismanaged 5T Va'ad, Jewish fundamentalism, immoderate treatment of our President, advocating a right-wing agenda, maximalist approach to settlements in the West Bank --- but we disagree agreeably, an approach from which the hypocritical 5TJT editor, ostensibly favoring Jewish unity, and nameless rabbis, can profitably learn, for the benefit of our community, and the glory of G-d!

Further, let us honor by emulating the example by inclusion of Orthodox Rabbi Arthur Schneier, spiritual leader-extraordinaire of Manhattan's Park East Synagogue, and founder of the inter-ethnic, inter-religious, Appeal of Conscience Foundation for the promotion of tolerance and understanding. Sadly, our vaunted Five Towns have a long way to traverse to realize this goal; the clownish antics of the 5T Jewish Times, professionally offensive, postpones the day of our own deliverance from real and imagined demons, even as the messianic age continues to elude us!

One can hope, and before the next Day of Atonement, that introspection, and concern for fellow Jews, and mankind, will inspire constructive labor on behalf of Benevolence, Love, and Harmony; meanwhile, let us unite to marginalize the toxic effects of the Five Towns Jewish Times, utterly rejecting the poisonous Kool Aid administered by its editor-publisher.

            Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                          Asher

            Prof. Asher J. Matathias            

            312 Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

            516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com

For ad hominem reporting and commentary ad nauseam, see:

http://www.yated.com/content.asp?contentid=504

http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/12353-a-priest-in-the-sanctuary

http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/12439-rabbinic-decisions-selective-scrutiny#addcomments http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/12521-letters-to-the-editor

*Your email and its reference to Rabbi Schneier could not have come at a more opportune time. I read it while standing next to the Rabbi in Vienna

Austria at a reception hosted by President Fisher and in the presence of 

leaders of Catholic, Russian Orthodox, and Jewish faiths. The Rabbi is 

appreciative of your remarks. Sincerely, Benny (Cantor R.), New York, NY

**Bravo, Asher! Best, Maxine D., New York, NY

*That's a great character witness --- Maxine D. --- what a joke! By the way it's you and your friends, and your Obama way of doing things that have brought society to the brink of destruction. Look inward buddy at your terrible sins. The Jewish Star … made for you. L.G., 5TJT, Lawrence, NY

**Well said, Asher. M.M., Lawrence, NY

*Kudos on your introspective and timely comments. P.S., Lawrence, NY

**Thank you., G.F., Teaneck, NJ**100% to you, Asher!!! S.R., Valley Stream, NY

*Give all bigots Hell! P.K., Baldwin, NY

 

*Asher, I love you. Let the idiots wallow in their sinat chinam. I, for one, have not gotten over R' Hesh's attitude with Gourmet Glatt. I do, however, find that he was innocent this time and even to be lauded. Ed (R' G.), Hewlett, NY

**Hi, Asher. Hope you are well. Fellow Jews or not, their intolerance is the same as that of terrorists.Thank G-d they at least do not launch suicide bombers.

Their positions and statements are the kinds of hate-filled incitements that probably led to an Orthodox Jewish murderer killing a true peace-maker, Prime Minister Rabin. Yasher K'oach on your continued efforts to shine light on this ungodly hatred, hypocritically promoted by self-proclaimed religious authorities.

H.A.M. (a proudly Reform Jew), Norwich, NY

*Hear, hear. For 3,000 years Jews have been the best informed section of the populace, the most literate, the best writers and thinkers. Now, after three millennia, we are reduced to the likes of the Five Towns Fish Wrap. More of an excuse to wrap around advertising than a real journalistic endeavor, it veers between long winded pieces written as if the author was paid by the word, to right wing apologists looking for any outlet they can find, to articles cut and pasted from other sources. C.M., North Woodmere, NY

**Well said. Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos, Museum Director
Kehila Kedosha Janina,

280 Broome Street, NYC, NY 10002

*Amen, to that! I will never understand this factionalism, not toward fellow Jews, and those who attempt to be peacemakers in the world. When has exclusivity and insularity ever brought peace, love, or achdut --- all values stressed in Jewish teachings and cited as reflective of the example HaShem is setting for us? They should be both embarrassed and ashamed by their dogmatism. Where is the ahavat chinam, the love which is causeless, that love said to cause the Beit HaMikdash to be rebuilt? Instead, we have more sinat chinam, causeless hatred which is said to the cause of churban, the destruction of the Holy Temple. Didn't HaShem care when the Egyptians were drowning simply because they, too, were works of His hands? Didn't He send Yona to save the people of Nineveh, and they were not a G-d-fearing people? How dare we tolerate such divisive approach to learning how to get along with each other in a world that HaShem gave us to occupy together? And, finally, isn't it a worthwhile challenge to retain and practice our belief system in spite of the many pulls in other directions? How did we get this way? I know a young man who is a strongly identified Jew, albeit, perhaps, not an observant one by the standards set by the 5T Jewish Times. He and his wife bought a house in Woodmere, hoping to raise their two beautiful boys. He is so unhappy there; his neighbors are so very insular, and he wants to move to a community like East Rockaway where he can feel more accepted. To me, that is a crime. What about the mitzvah of kiruv, bringing people together, rather than alienating them? We can do better, and we must do better! Oh Asher, it is you who bring light to all of us ---speak your mind, recognize wrongdoing, and continues to use your light to enlighten your students and followers! I applaud you for your efforts! Keep up the good work! Love to Anna, Marcia H.E., Lawrence, NY