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Jim Acosta’s New Book Only Perpetuates the Obvious

The first question is – why even bother with a man, Jim Acosta, whose overall significance is so small? In fact, he’d already begun fading from the scene.

Until, a few days ago, with fanfare, he came out with a book, Enemy of the People, in which he explains his confrontational style of reporting, mainly as CNN’s chief White House Correspondent, where at press briefings with Sarah Huckabee Sanders or President Trump, Acosta made a name for himself as a hero or villain, depending on your politics.

Of all the reporters in the room, each with his or her own beef, Acosta was the most aggressive, and some would say, obnoxious.

For all the high motives he attributes to himself, the book is Acosta’s way of saying, “I am not a jerk.” C-Span gave him an hour last night, Sunday, to make his case, still smug.

Or, it could be argued, still a jerk.

In a word, he became the face of the media, or more to the point, for Trump and his legions, the pied piper of fake news.

That, like it or not, makes him important…and to the next question, what’s wrong with being aggressive…or “showboating” as Michael Goodwin has it in the New York Post? Nothing wrong at all on being critical. It is what we expect from reporters. Except that it never happened under Obama.

They gave him a free ride, and all that pent-up frustration, they saved for Donald Trump.

For failing so miserably to check and balance Obama, and for serving as his cheerleaders, to

their everlasting shame, they pounced on whoever was next, and again it was Trump.

Nobody asked for this Acosta book, which only perpetuates the obvious, that as never before, finds the news media in the business of blinding the public.

Only a few days ago, PBS, our public broadcasting service, featured “Palestine Music Expo.” This was a program that went all out to portray these people as so entirely peace loving, with no word about the terrorism inflicted upon Israel each and every weekend through riots from Hamas/Gaza aimed at destroying Jewish life and property…this past weekend, included.

To learn that our most valued ally in the region faces a generation of arsonists, this, they’d rather we did not know, and so they don’t tell.

We are on our own to seek and find the truth, about Israel, about America, about anything. Help won’t come from Acosta. Nor from his kind.

We go to J. D. Salinger for what he already knew…that around us are “phonies.” That was the fake news, the fake politics, the fake everything of his day…certainly the fake book writing. It is a wake-up call to realize that once upon a time the Salingers, not the Acostas, wrote the bestsellers.

Self-respecting New York publishers, like Harper, generally stayed clear of opportunistic poorly-written trash.

This, so far as we know, is Acosta’s first book, or first attempt.

Journalism is the kid sister to Literature, and so when a journalist steps up into the world of books, he should have something extraordinary to say.

Otherwise he is trampling on precious territory. Books are forever. Books endure. To incoming practitioners in the trade, we ask, did he suffer for his art? Did he pay his dues? Is he worthy to compete? Did he struggle with no end in sight because some day he might, or might not, ever be rewarded?

If not, he is a phony and a fake, and the measure of our times.

Book writing should be no place for quick buck artists, but alas.

             (INN)

New York-based bestselling American novelist Jack Engelhard writes regularly for Arutz Sheva.

As New Israeli Elections Beckon, Baruch Marzel of the Otzma Yehudit Party Speaks Out

Known as a relentless and tireless champion for the rights of Jews to leave safely in every part of the land of Israel, Baruch Marzel has been a leading voice in the forefront of the Israeli political scene for decades. Photo Credit: YouTube

Known as a relentless and tireless champion for the rights of Jews to leave safely in every part of the land of Israel, Baruch Marzel has been a leading voice in the forefront of the Israeli political scene for decades. Many readers over the age of 50 might remember that Mr. Marzel was the right-hand man of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, ztk’l and an intrepid advocate of the policies of the Kach party. In the last election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Mr. Marzel and his Otzma Yehidit party not to run on their own separate ticket, fearing that they might take votes away from the ruling Likud Party.

The Otzma Yehudit Party, including (L-R): Itamar Ben-Gvir, Michael Ben-Ari, Benzi Gopstein and Baruch Marzel Photo Credit: Avi Mualem

Now that the last elections in Israel (on April 9th) are now recorded in the history books as an anomaly of sorts since the government has to declare a dissolution due to the fact that Likud had failed in forming a coalition. MK Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party had posited himself as the proverbial cog in the machine as he adamantly refused to join a Netanyahu led Likud government and refused to join the coalition.

The planks in the Otzma Yehudit party include for the annexation of all of Judea and Samaria and for complete Israeli rule between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The party is against the suicidal two-state solution and advocates for the cancellation of the Oslo accords, as well as for the legitimate application of Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

Jewish rights activist Baruch Marzel was arrested for protesting, while standing by himself, outside of the small, cordoned off area permitted for protesters against the LGBT parade in Jerusalem in August of 2018. Photo Credit: Yechiel Gurfein/TPS

The party also advocates for increased teaching of Jewish history in all elementary schools to “deepen Jewish identity in students”. The party is against “freezing construction of Jewish settlements, releasing terrorists, or negotiating with the PA”. Moreover, Otzma Yehudit advocates for the deportation of “Arab extremists”. The party advocates for what it calls “Jewish capitalism” as its economic system; they plan on saving “billions of shekels from the reduction of the defense budget following the removal of the enemy”, which would be directed at infrastructure development, reducing bureaucracy and regulations, as well as allocating resources to strengthen “weak populations”. The party also supports aiding the elderly and disabled and is opposed to abortion. Otzma Yehudit supports easing restrictions on the IDF’s rules of engagement and is against price tag attacks.

Baruch Marzel addresses an audience gathered for a 2016 memorial event to recognize the outstanding and exceptional impact that the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, ztk’l had on fostering Jewish identity and changing the way we think about Jewish self-defense. Photo Credit: TPS

Baruch Marzel was kind enough to sit down with the Jewish Voice to explain his plans for the next Knesset and for the future of the Jewish nation in the land of Israel.

JV: Can you tell our readers about the mission of the Otzma Yehudit party and what issues it plans to tackle in the next Knesset, should you and others get re-elected?

BM: Otzma Yehudit is the only party with a plan for all issues and will not compromise on any issues pertaining to Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel), Am Yisrael (People of Israel) or our Holy Torah.

 JV: In every major internet biography about your life, it speaks of your dedication to the ideology of Rabbi Kahane, ztk’l and your years of work as a Knesset assistant in the Kach party. Concerning the burgeoning problem of deadly Arab violence directed at Jews in Israel, do you plan to call for the expulsion of the Arabs from Israel as Rabbi Kahane proposed in his book “They Must Go?”

Many readers over the age of 50 might remember that Mr. Marzel was the right-hand man of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, ztk’l and an intrepid advocate of the policies of the Kach party. Photo Credit: INN

BM: I want to expel the enemies of Israel. I want to expel those who kill Jews or want to kill Jews. If an Arab pledges allegiance to the State of Israel and wants to serve Israel as the Jews are doing, then he can live in Israel. If he raises one hand against a Jew, out he goes.

JV: As to the proposed Mideast peace plan that the Trump administration plans to roll out in the next few months, could you tell me if the Otzma Yehudit party will oppose any peace plan that calls for territorial compromise on the part of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria? What, in general, are your views of long-term peace with the malignant Arab population?

BM: Otzma Yisrael will go into a coalition to keep the Right as the major party. It will be a technical block and after elections, we will go on our own. We will not sit with anyone in a coalition that speaks about giving away even one inch of Israel.

JV: As new Israeli elections approach, many on the political right have expressed their disappointment with the performance of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in effectively confronting an increased rate of Arab terrorism that has plagued Jewish citizens of Israel. Could you address this point and also provide your opinion of the prime minister’s failings. Would you be kind enough to describe in detail for the readers what your precise plans are for increasing the security of Jews in Judea, Samaria and all over Israel from this lethal plague?

BM: Netanyhu speaks right-wing and his actions are left-wing. “He talks the talk and does not walk the walk.” He demolishes settlements from Judea and Samaria, Not one illegal Arab village is removed. The Supreme Court ordered the removal of Khan al-Ahmar a Bedouin village and Netanyahu did not give orders to remove it. We would have more security in troubled places. Harder jail sentences for terrorists. No perks for them or be able to have university studies while in jail. They will have to realize they are not in the Hilton Hotel, but in prison. We are for the death penalty for those who murder a Jew.

JV: If you should be re-elected to the Knesset, what are your plans for restricting illegal immigration into Israel from such countries as Eritrea or the South Sudan?

BM: Otzma Yehudit leader Michael Ben- Ari was the first one to fight against the Eritrea and S. African people living in Israel. There were daily demonstrations in Tel Aviv. Not only are they not an asset to Israel, they are a danger. Whichever neighborhood they live in becomes a high crime area where people are frightened to walk the streets in the evening. We want them removed from our country and not allowed in.

JV: In terms of addressing the ever-growing number of Israelis who are challenged financially through rising unemployment or underemployment, what is Otzma Yehudit planning to do to jump start the economy? Is Otzma Yehudit involved in helping to feed those in need or providing them with basic necessities?

BM: We have to bring capitalism into this country.. Allow people from abroad to open factories and not impose high taxes and bureaucracy that will have them leave and open in another country. Their factories will bring employment. Lower taxes on businesses that are opened by Israelis. Have competition as in all capitalistic countries. The poor and old have to receive higher stipends from Pituach Luemi (National Insurance). We have to take care of our own especially the poor and old.

JV: Army service has been a controversial subject as of late. Do you feel that Chareidi yeshiva students should be called upon to serve their country as part of the armed forces? If so, could you explain why and could you also provide some exceptions to army service, if you can think of any? Do you think that Torah study takes precedence over army service?

BM: Anyone that does not learn full time should go into the army. Right now our army is too large and I believe that 20,000 men will be exempt.

JV: As you know, Iran has been Israel’s nemesis for quite some time. Do you expect that some kind of conflagration will erupt between Israel and Iran, considering the fact that Iran’s bellicose rhetoric towards Israel has been ratcheted up in view of increased sanctions by the Trump administration?

BM: Iran is not our biggest problem. We do not believe that Iran will start a war. Problem is their shipment of arms to our enemies. Our problem right now is our borders. Syria, Gaza, Lebanon which has to have soldiers guarding and ready to fight back any intrusion.

JV: In terms of addressing diaspora affairs, if re-elected to the Knesset, what kind of plan would you proffer to Jewish communities throughout the world who are being targeted by the alarming escalation of anti-Semitism?

BM: I will repeat Rabbi Meir Kahane’s HY”D words. Learn self-defense, learn to oppose haters in universities, but the bottom line is to come home. All countries that we lived in we loved, considered ours and at the end we had to leave or were killed. Same as now is happening in America when times are bad and Jew-haters come out of the woodwork. Problem is today we have Jews hating Jews. Come home and fight for your own homeland, not one that you believe is yours and in the end you will realize is not. Yes, it may not be easy in Israel, but in the end it will be impossible in the Exiles.

Director of Berlin Jewish Museum Quits after Controversial BDS Tweet

Director Peter Schäfer in front of the Jewish Museum Berlin's Libeskind Building. Photo Credit: Jewish Museum in Berlin

The director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum resigned on Friday after controversially tweeting a link to an article that criticized the German parliament for passing legislation against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Professor Peter Schaefer “today proposed his resignation to the chairman of the board of the foundation and Culture Minister Monika Grutters to avoid further harm to the Jewish Museum Berlin,” a statement quoted by AFP said.

Earlier this week, Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, slammed the museum over an official tweet sent June 6 by the museum encouraging followers to read an article in the left-wing daily newspaper Taz about a petition in which 240 Jewish and Israeli scholars criticized the nonbinding, nonpartisan May 17 measure. The museum posted a link to the story.

“The Jewish Museum Berlin seems to be completely out of control. Under these conditions, one has to wonder whether the term ‘Jewish’ is still appropriate,” wrote Schuster.

The Berlin Jewish Museum later denied that it opposed the Bundestag resolution, saying it merely wanted to call attention to the discussion and “has in no way positioned itself against the resolution of the Bundestag.”

The resolution passed last month calls on the German government to refrain from any support to organizations that are involved in boycott activities against Israel.

According to the resolution “The arguments and methods of the BDS movement are anti-Semitic”. It also states that the actions are a reminiscent of Germany’s Nazi past.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder has welcomed the resignation of Peter Schäfer, director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum.

“We do not need leaders of Jewish institutions who identify with or support the BDS movement,” Ambassador Lauder said. “I have been deeply involved with museum culture throughout my life, both in the Jewish world and beyond, and it pained me deeply to see the Jewish Museum of Berlin step outside of its mandate repeatedly to weigh in on this matter in such a callous way. There is absolutely no place for such politics in museums, especially not those committed to providing a platform for Jewish history and unity in the face of the adversity the community has faced for so long. I welcome Schäfer’s long overdue departure from the scene and hope that the Berlin Jewish Museum, a great institution, will choose a more appropriate leadership.”

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.

(INN)

Ari Emanuel’s Global Entertainment Co. “Endeavor” to Be Taken Public

Global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor is being taken public.

Owner Ari Emanuel says he is going to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EDR,” according to registration documents filed publicly with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The goal for the company is to generate $100 million in the offering. According to the filing, as reported by cnbc.com, the company reported 2018 revenue of $3.6 billion. Net income was $231.3 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018.

“Content is no longer defined solely by the traditional categories on which our businesses were founded,” the company said in its filing. “Television, movies and live events have been joined by others including podcasts, experiences, social media, multiplayer video games and e-sports. Wherever you are in the world and whatever way you define content, Endeavor is likely playing a role.”

CNBC reported that an IPO has been rumored “since Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell merged their talent agency with sports and modelling agency IMG in 2013. Since then, Endeavor has acquired the Ultimate Fighting Championship, professional bull riders, the Frieze Art Fair and marketing agency 160over90. Goldman Sachs will be the IPO’s lead banker along with KKR Capital Markets, the capital markets arm of the investment firm that helped Endeavor purchase UFC for more than $4 billion in 2016, according to the registration documents. J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are also listed.”

The release of Endeavor’s IPO details was, according to Variety, “frustrating to some rival agency leaders, who fear it will be used by the WGA as ammo in the wrangling with ATA. In reality, the date of the disclosure was established some time ago, as Endeavor set in motion with the SEC its long-gestating plan to go public. The company could have postponed the filing until the WGA impasse had been resolved — as noted by competitors worried about the WGA dynamics — although that might have had a domino effect of delaying the rest of the IPO process. Endeavor has not indicated a target date for the public offering.”

Emanuel, the brother of former White House Chief of Staff and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. Their father, Jerusalem-born Dr. Benjamin M. Emanuel, is a pediatrician who was active in the Irgun, a hardline Zionist militant group whose activities in Mandatory Palestine during the 1930s and 1940s led to its listing as a terrorist organization by the British authorities, the Jewish Agency and the 1946 Zionist Congress. Their mother, Marsha Emanuel, was a civil rights activist, and the one-time owner of a Chicago-area rock and roll club.

As a child, Ari was diagnosed as both hyperactive and dyslexic, and his mother spent many hours helping him to learn to read.

Fashion Icon Gloria Vanderbilt Dies at 95; Mother of CNN’s Anderson Cooper

Gloria Vanderbilt, the heiress, fashion innovator, and artist who began her extraordinary life as the “poor little rich girl” of the Great Depression, died on Monday at the age of 95. Photo Credit: YouTube

Gloria Vanderbilt, the heiress, fashion innovator, and artist who began her extraordinary life as the “poor little rich girl” of the Great Depression, survived family tragedy and multiple marriages and reigned during the 1970s and `80s as a designer jeans pioneer, died on Monday at the age of 95, according to an AP report.

Gloria Laura Madeleine Sophie Vanderbilt was born in 1924, a century after her great-great-grandfather started the family fortune, first in steamships, later in railroads. He left around $100 million when he died in 1877 at age 82.

Her father, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, was 43, a gambler and boozer dying of liver disease when he married Gloria Morgan, 19, in 1923. Their daughter was 1 when Vanderbilt died in 1925, having gone through $25 million in 14 years.

Beneficiary of a $5 million trust fund, Vanderbilt became the “poor little rich girl” in 1934 at age 10 as the object of a custody fight between her globe-trotting mother and matriarchal aunt.

Vanderbilt, the great-great-granddaughter of financier Cornelius Vanderbilt and the mother of CNN news show host Anderson Cooper, who announced her death via a first-person obituary that aired on the network Monday morning, according to an AP report.

Cooper confirmed said Vanderbilt died at home with friends and family at her side. She had been suffering from advanced stomach cancer, he noted.

“Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms,” Cooper said in a statement. “She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they’d tell you, she was the youngest person they knew, the coolest, and most modern.”

Her life was chronicled in sensational headlines from her childhood through four marriages and three divorces, according to the AP report. She married for the first time at 17, causing her aunt to disinherit her. Her husbands included Leopold Stokowski, the celebrated conductor, and Sidney Lumet, the award-winning movie and television director. In 1988, she witnessed the suicide of one of her four sons.

Vanderbilt was a talented painter and collagist who also acted on the stage (”The Time of Your Life” on Broadway) and television (”Playhouse 90,” “Studio One,” “Kraft Theater,” “U.S. Steel Hour”). She was a fabric designer who became an early enthusiast for designer denim. The dark-haired, tall and ultra-thin Vanderbilt partnered with Mohan Murjani, who introduced a $1 million advertising campaign in 1978 that turned the Gloria Vanderbilt brand with its signature white swan label into a sensation.

At its peak in 1980, it was generating over $200 million in sales. And decades later, famous-name designer jeans – dressed up or down – remain a woman’s wardrobe staple.

Vanderbilt wrote several books, including the 2004 chronicle of her love life: “It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir,” which drops such names as Errol Flynn, whom she dated as a teenager; Frank Sinatra, for whom she left Stokowski; Marlon Brando and Howard Hughes.

Hedge Fund Mogul to Sell Half of Queens Steinway Factory to Robert De Niro Group

The historic Steinway piano factory in Queens has Robert De Niro in its sights for the future. The owner of Steinway & Sons has agreed to sell close to half of the piano maker’s 11-acre lot for $73 million to a group of investors including De Niro. Photo Credit: Pinterest

The historic Steinway piano factory in Queens has Robert De Niro in its sights for the future. The owner of Steinway & Sons has agreed to sell close to half of the piano maker’s 11-acre lot for $73 million to a group of investors including De Niro. John Paulson, the billionaire hedge-fund mogul, who purchased the factory in 2013 for $512 million, and has been looking to sell it for roughly $1 billion.

As reported by the NY Post, the 75-year-old “Goodfellas” actor and academy award winner is purchasing the Astoria lot together with his son Raphael, his longtime business partner Jane Rosenthal and his longtime friend, Adam Gordon, who leads the film investment company Wildflower. They plan to develop the grounds into a 500,000-square-foot film studio, a pre- and post-production office and a parking area on the Astoria lot.

A representative for the 160-year-old company was quick to dispel any fears that the selloff may indicate a reduction of their own business. “This land is excess property that was not being used for the production of our pianos,” said a Steinway spokesman. “Steinway has built the world’s finest pianos on this site since the early 1870s and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

Paulson made billions before the financial crisis by shorting the housing market. When he purchased the piano company, six years ago, he said he was in “awe of the brand”. He had grown up in a family of piano players, and his sister had wept as a child when their family could not afford to buy a Steinway piano.

“My goal in owning Steinway is to first of all preserve it,” Paulson had said at the time, noting that he had no plans to make any major changes or move production out of its current factories in Astoria or Hamburg, Germany. Despite his appreciation for the company, Paulson would be willing to part with it if he could double his money. Last August, Paulson had reportedly been in talks with a Chinese buyer for the company discussing the price of $1 billion, but no deal has been made as yet.

De Niro’s investor group has plans to devote over $400 million to developing the property. The group will tap Newmark Knight Frank’s Dustin Stolly and Jordan Roeschlaub to raise the necessary $150 million in equity and $275 million in debt.

In January 2018, De Niro was in the Astoria area filming scenes for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming feature film ‘The Irishman,” in which he stars as Frank Sheeran, alleged Jimmy Hoffa killer and labor union leader.

Paulson, Wildflower, Stolly and Roeschlaub did not immediately comment on the deal.

Top Hamptons Chefs Dabble at Gardening for Greener Culinary Delights

Restaurant Chefs in the Hamptons now consider a green thumb a necessity. Several of the top chefs are getting their hands dirty to grow their own vegetables with which to serve in their culinary delights. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Restaurant Chefs in the Hamptons now consider a green thumb a necessity. Several of the top chefs are getting their hands dirty to grow their own vegetables with which to serve in their culinary delights. After all, isn’t that the benefit of being in the country side?

As reported by the NY Post, Drew Hiatt, executive chef at Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton does four to six hours of gardening each morning before working at the restaurant. The one-acre garden, which belongs to the restaurant and is run by Hiatt’s wife, Mary Joy, grows cucumbers, tomatoes, several types of lettuce, sugar snaps, English peas, herbs, rhubarb, string beans, radishes, peppers, gherkins, eggplants, zucchini, summer squash, and berries. Hiatt says that last summer they produced around $30,000 worth of produce. “We didn’t have to buy any tomatoes last summer,” said Hiatt. The vegetables are mostly grown in 60-foot raised beds that are three feet wide. “We can’t cover everything with what we grow, but we use it all. It’s one of the main reasons we stay here,” Hiatt says.

The garden is organic, meaning they use only natural methods to repel bug infestation. Bugs are not the only problem though. “Deer just ate half of my English peas last week,” Hiatt says. “We can’t do a lot about it.”

“Having your own garden is a dream” though, says Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef proprietor at Topping Rose House. “Young chefs used to only want to come to the city to learn about technique and different styles. Now they want to be in the country and learn how food grows. It’s very exciting to cook in the country now. It’s the way I grew up in France.”

Chef Joe Realmuto, executive chef and co-owner of the Honest Man restaurant group, similarly overseas a one-acre farm on which vegetables are grown. Realmuto runs the well-known Nick & Toni’s, as well as other East End restaurants including Rowdy Hall, Coche Comedor, Townline BBQ and La Fondita. The garden is adjacent to Nick & Toni’s and the majority of the produce grown is used there, with only the excess being sent to the other four restaurants. While he leaves the gardening work to a local farmer, Realmuto says the garden “was super important to me. It’s something you just don’t have in the city.” He has been working in the Hamptons for 26 years, and says the garden was a big factor in that. He says, the Hamptons is known for its “spectacular” corn and potatoes.

The Chefs from the following restaurants will also be cooking with produce from their own gardens: Blu Mar, Carissa, Carissa’s The Bakery, Estia’s Little Kitchen, Showfish at Gurney’s Star Island, L&W Market and Almond, and Union Cantina.

Extradition Case for WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Set for Early 2020

A British court has set the date for WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to face a US extradition attempt early in 2020. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

A British court has set the date for WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to face a US extradition attempt early in 2020. Last week, the UK’s home secretary Sajid Javid approved an extradition request from the US for the 47-year-old Australian hacker, over his role in revealing classified U.S. government and military information. “I want to see justice done at all times and we’ve got a legitimate extradition request, so I’ve signed it, but the final decision is now with the courts,” Javid said on Thursday.

On Friday, the judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court set the date of the full extradition hearing for Feb. 25, 2020. As reported by the NY Post, the hearing is slated to last about five days and interim hearings are expected in July and again in October.

U.S. officials want to try and prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act, charging him for WikiLeaks’ publishing of a vast number of secret documents that divulged the names of people who provided confidential information to American and coalition forces. US prosecutors allege that he conspired with former US Army private Chelsea Manning to obtain the sensitive material, which comprised of State Department diplomatic cables and documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange faces 18 charges from the US, including conspiracy to hack into government computers. Ben Brandon, a British lawyer representing the American government, told a hearing, that the case “related to one of the largest compromises of confidential information in the history of the United States.”

Assange is now in Belmarsh Prison in London, serving a 50-week sentence for breaking bail in Britain. His legal team is appealing that sentence. He also faces questioning from Swedish prosecutors investigating an allegation of sexual assault.

Assange has reportedly been suffering from poor health in prison and was not well enough to appear at his last hearing in London. He appeared in court via video link. He looked tired and showed possible signs of a hand tremor. Referencing the maximum prison term he could face if he is convicted by the US on all counts, Assange said: “One hundred and seventy-five years of my life is effectively at stake.” He defended his position saying he is “nothing but a publisher.” Assange maintains that he is just a journalist, and should be protected by the free speech rights of the First Amendment. The US decision to use espionage charges would repudiate those rights. Mark Summers, Assange’s lawyer, says the case represents an “outrageous and full-frontal assault on journalistic rights.”

The Hamptons Social Season Gets Swinging

Don Lemon and Chad Leat at Parrish Gala. Credit for all photos: Lieba Nesis

The Hamptons social season begins this weekend as residents and guests start their summer with excited anticipation. There are dozens of new restaurants and shops as well as shows, movies and entertainment to sample. However, the galas and dinners are the essence of this dynamic hotspot so gear up for one of the most exhilarating summers.

Here is my top eleven list of events to attend:

  1. The 23rd Hamptons Annual Heart Ball: June 22nd at 6 PM at the Southampton Arts Center- The night includes live music, a cocktail hour, and a seated dinner with tickets for $600. Each year this fun-filled evening gathers hundreds of luminaries who come to fight the scourge of heart disease with a contagious enthusiasm. Honorees Toby and Larry Milstein will certainly ensure the night is well attended with the glitterati of New York. There is also an afterparty for $125-for more information head to the website at hamptonsheartball.org.
  2. Social Life Polo Match and Cocktail Party: Saturday June 29th and Saturday July 6th from 4 to 7 PM at 900 Lumber Lane in Bridgehampton hosted by Christie Brinkley. Maria and Ken Fishel open up their magnificent estate for one of the most exciting events of the summer. With only 500 tickets available guests are treated to drinks and hors d’oeuvres for the paltry price of $175 to $360. Watching a polo match while fraternizing with your Hampton friends sounds like the ideal evening. For more information go to polohamptons.com.
  3. The Parrish Art Museum Midsummer Party Gala- Parrish Art Museum at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill on Saturday July 13th with cocktails beginning at 6:30 PM. This is one of the premier events of the season as 500 artists, philanthropists, and business leaders join to honor the esteemed Parrish. This year honors Louise and Leonard Riggio as well as Maya Lin. Expect to see luminaries such as Jeff Koons, Don Lemon, Ronald Lauder and other superstars of the art world. Tickets begin at $1,500 per person with young patron tickets available for $500. For more information head to parrishart.org.
  4. 10th Annual Unconditional Love Gala- at Wickapogue and Old Town Road in Southampton-Saturday July 20th at 6:30 PM. Chair Jean Shafiroff invites guests to support the Southampton Animal Foundation with a night under the stars. For the reasonable price of $500 you will be treated to cocktails, dinner and dancing as well as live music by Elan Artists. For more information go to southamptonanimalshelter.com.
  5. 26th Annual Watermill Summer Benefit and Auction-The Water Mill Center at 39 Water Mill Towd Road from 6 PM to 12 AM. Robert Wilson brings illustrious guests from all over the world to view the installations and performances of artists from 25 countries throughout the 8.5 acres. Your jaw will drop as you enter this wonderland full of outrageous masterpieces. This evening allows emerging artists to showcase their wares in front of such luminaries as Robert Downey Jr., Isabella Rossellini and Sharon Stone. Tickets start at $1500 with cocktail tickets available for $500-for more information head to watermillcenter.org.
  6. The Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Summer Party- Wickapogue Road on Saturday August 3, 2019 with cocktails beginning at 6:30 PM. The evening will honor Martin and Jean Shafiroff whose tireless work for the Hospital doesn’t go unnoticed. Cocktails, dinner and dancing to benefit the Jenny and John Paulson Emergency Department can be had for $500 with more information available by contacting [email protected].
  7. Guild Hall Annual Summer Gala-Friday August 9th from 5-11 PM at 158 Main Street in East Hampton with a VIP Museum Preview beginning at 5 PM. This night gathers more than 500 swanky individuals with past attendees including Priyanka Chopra and Alec Baldwin. Expect to enjoy a night of cocktails dinner and live entertainment at an undisclosed private location. An exclusive preview of the “exhibition Ugo Rondinone: Sunny Dinner” will be given with dinner tickets starting at $1,400 and young patron tickets available for $250-for more information head to guildhall.org.
  8. 15th Annual Authors Night to Benefit East Hampton Library-555 Montauk Highway in Amagansett with the authors reception form 5 to 7:30 PM and dinner starting at 8. This happening allows Hamptonites to meet their 160 favorite authors with over 1,000 people attending this gathering. Tickets begin at $100 for the cocktail hour and go up to $2,500 for the dinner party. To purchase tickets email [email protected].
  9. Bow Wow Meow Ball-Saturday August 17th at 124 Daniels Hole Road in Wainscott- Cocktails begin at 6:30 PM and for the reasonable price of $750 you get to support the animal adoption center on its life-saving missions as well as being treated to dinner, dancing and the Peter Duchin Orchestra. The evening honors Isaac Mizrahi-for more information head to arfhamptons.org.
  10. Tenth Annual Apollo in the Hamptons-end of August-held at the home of Ronald Perelman in the East Hampton “Creeks”. This upward of $15,000 event draws entertainment ranging from Chris Martin and Bon Jovi to Jamie Foxx and Christina Augilera with guests such as Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson and Paul McCartney. This is where Katie Holmes met her current beau Jamie Foxx. If you have the funds be sure to attend by contacting Jodi Doherty at 212-531-5330.
  11. The Hampton Classic-240 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton. The finale of the summer and this fantastic one-week premier horse jumping event will be held on Sunday September 1, 2019 where guests such as Mike Bloomberg, Brooke Shields and Martha Stewart will come donning their best hats and attire to enjoy the day’s festivities. Come VIP or don’t come at all and you won’t be disappointed.

NJ Dems Nix Gov Murphy’s Plan to Raise Taxes on Millionaires

Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey have said no to Governor Phil Murphy’s desire for higher taxes on millionaires and increased fees on gun owners, corporations, opioid manufacturers and bear hunters. Photo Credit: nj.gov

Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey have said no to Governor Phil Murphy’s desire for higher taxes on millionaires and increased fees on gun owners, corporations, opioid manufacturers and bear hunters.

“The Democrats who control the state Legislature have insisted they won’t support a millionaire’s tax, and their proposed $38.7 billion budget preserves just one of the Democratic governor’s proposed tax increases,” reported NJ Advance Media. “They would raise a single tax — paid by HMOs — while taking money out of the state rainy day fund, cutting spending and tweaking revenue estimates for the coming fiscal year to balance the budget.”

The lawmakers’ plan could get a vote by the full Legislature by Thursday. “The budget also calls for a number of spending cuts and takes money from the governor’s rainy day fund. Specifics on the funding cuts and other financial figures were not available at press time,” Patch.com reported. “Murphy is offering New Jersey residents more money if they agree to his proposed millionaires tax. But no amount of money may prevent what seems inevitable: A government shutdown by the end of the month, when the new fiscal budget year starts.”

The question of higher taxes in the already high-tax Garden State has troubled many, as evidenced by Bloomberg’s headline last year: “New Jersey’s New Budget Aims to Raise Taxes on Almost Everything.”

As Bloomberg noted, “New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed taxing online-room booking, ride-sharing, marijuana, e-cigarettes and Internet transactions along with raising taxes on millionaires and retail sales to fund a record $37.4 billion budget that would boost spending on schools, pensions and mass transit. The proposal, 4.2 percent higher than the current fiscal year’s, relies on a tax for the wealthiest that has yet to be approved and lacks support from key Democrats in the legislature. It also reverses pledges from Murphy’s predecessor, Republican Chris Christie, to lower taxes in a state where living costs are among the nation’s highest.”

Taxes are always a political issue. Murphy has job approval ratings of 42%-32%, according to a poll released this morning by Fairleigh Dickinson University. “While Murphy struggles to be recognized as governor – a third of New Jersey adults can’t name him without being prompted – he remains popular among Democrats with 61%-16% approvals,” reported newjerseyglobe.com. “Murphy is at 39%-28% among Independents and 15%-63% among Republicans. The FDU poll numbers are consistent with a recent Johns Hopkins University survey that says one-third of Americans can’t name their governor and 80% don’t know who represents them in the state legislature.”

Southern NJ Mall Facing ‘Challenging’ Times with Online Competition

The Hamilton Mall, which opened in 1987, “is facing one of the most challenging periods in its history as it deals with online competition and other brick-and-mortar competitors that have sprung up,” reported pressofatlanticcity.com. Photo Credit: Atlantic City

The Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County is not dying.

“Everybody tries to tell me the Hamilton Mall is dying,” said Ren Parikh, the VR Lab owner, in an interview with NJ.com. “I tell them it can’t be dying because I’m here. It can’t live or die without the community.”

Times have, however, proven challenging.

The Hamilton Mall, which opened in 1987, “is facing one of the most challenging periods in its history as it deals with online competition and other brick-and-mortar competitors that have sprung up,” reported pressofatlanticcity.com. “JCPenney, the second of the mall’s three anchor stores, will close July 5. Macy’s, the third anchor store, has no plans to close, but the chain will be closing eight locations this year nationwide.”

The mall had a value of $90.78 million in 2017, but it was reduced to $75 million last year, the news site added. “The mall value was reduced again to $50 million this year. There is another active tax appeal for 2019 for the mall, said William M. Johnson, the township tax assessor.”

The mall is a major shopping destination in Mays Landing, in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey. The two-story enclosed mall is anchored by JCPenney and Macy’s. The former Sears is currently sitting vacant. (Sears and JCPenney were at the Shore Mall (now Harbor Square) prior to 1987).

The mall is adjacent to the Black Horse Pike (U.S. Route 322) and U.S. Route 40, and is close to the Atlantic City Expressway and Atlantic City, making it a high tourist destination for vacationers there. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,028,500 sq ft. It boasts over 140 stores, making it the largest mall in southeastern New Jersey. An Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Buffalo Wild Wings are all located on pad sites on the outskirts of the parking lot. Financial services include an Executive Cash Service Center and various Bank of America ATMs.

The malaise is part of the much-ballyhooed “retail apocalypse” taking place nationwide. Dressbarn recently said it’s shutting down and closing all 650 stores, including 28 in New Jersey. “All Dressbarn stores are open and conducting business as usual, as is Dressbarn’s ecommerce site,” the company said in a recent press release. “Customers can continue to shop at Dressbarn in-store and online and use Dressbarn-branded credit cards for purchases. There are no current changes to Dressbarn’s return, refund, or gift card policies.”

Middlesex County JCC Breaks Ground for First Expansion in 35 Years

The Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Middlesex County’s new Marion and Norman Tanzman Center for Lifelong Living is projected to be completed in the fall of 2020.

The JCC officially broke ground back on May 19, for the expansion. Dorothy Rubinstein, the JCC’s executive director, told the New Jersey Jewish News, “Our JCC has a unique spirit and an unusually cohesive staff, board of directors, volunteers, and people who were young when their families joined the JCC,” noting also that much of the professional staff has been with the JCC for many years. “The children grew up here and remained and now are passionate about ensuring its future.”

The center is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020, the NJJN continued. “It will provide an additional 10,000 square feet housing “state-of-the art, safe, accessible, and welcome new program spaces for the growing number of senior adult and baby boomer participants,” said Glinn. These include new areas for social gatherings, a kitchen, an outdoor courtyard, and program rooms.”

For nearly 35 years, the JCC of Middlesex County has served the community, providing cutting edge programs for adults of all ages, children and families and those in need. The JCC serves those in Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, Highland Park, Monroe Township and surrounding communities, as well as the entire Middlesex and now Monmouth County communities. Its membership has grown from 2,000 to 8,200.

The new wing will provide state-of-the-art, safe, accessible and welcoming new program spaces for the growing senior adult and Baby Boomer participants, including social spaces, a new kitchen, an outdoor courtyard and new program rooms.

The project will see existing buildings renovated with new lighting, flooring, walls, ceilings, and enhanced security features. “The JCC’s Bright Beginnings preschool for youngsters 2 to 5, which has a perpetual waiting list of 50-60 children for the 180-student school, will get new classrooms and space for special-needs programming and teacher preparation in the new wing,” reported NJJN.

The Community Campus facility features a state-of-the-art wellness center, a five lane swimming pool with locker rooms and a sauna, a gymnasium, an accredited preschool, a childcare center, meeting rooms and a multipurpose room for performances and lectures. Membership is shared between the JCC and the YMCA.

Norman Tanzman was a New Jersey state assemblyman and state senator in the 1960s and 1970s. “He was a founder of the real estate development and management firm of Jacobson, Goldfarb and Tanzman,” noted centraljersey.com. “The couple founded the Marion and Norman Tanzman Charitable Foundation and they were founding benefactors of the JCC of Middlesex.”

Parshas Beha’aloscha–The Root Of Loshon Hara

Miriam’s critique of Moshe Rabbeinu, presented in Bamidbar 12:1,2, is deemed to be the classic case of loshon hara, speaking ill of another; the story provides a lesson to all of us on how careful we must be in regard to our speech. As Rashi, Bamidbar 12:1 points out, if Miriam, who had no intention to shame her brother, could be so punished for speaking badly about another, how much more careful do we, who may have the desire to shame another, have to be not to speak improperly about another. The challenge still is, though, to find the essential weakness within ourselves that yields this negative behaviour and consequence.

This very same Rashi, if applied in a vacuum without a full understanding of the mechanics that lead to loshon hara, could lead to a conclusion that will not only mis-direct us in regard to loshon hara but also yield aveirot, sins, of a different nature, equally reprehensible. On the surface, it would seem that Miriam’s motivation did not mitigate the impropriety of her behaviour. It would seem that loshon hara is all about the words, not why one is speaking ill of another. There is nothing further from the truth. There are times that one, in fact, is commanded to speak ill of another, such as when this information may be necessary to protect a third party.1 The problem is that there are so many cases when loshon hara is not only permitted but demanded2 that, in almost any situation, a person could develop an argument for why he/she would be permitted to speak ill of another.

The fact is that the story of Miriam does stand for the severity of this behaviour and how we must be careful not to allow our presumed motivation to lessen the concern for the actual speech. Yet the ultimate weakness within ourselves, which leads to loshon hara, lies in the motivations and thought processes that pre-exist the actual speech. To combat loshon hara, the focus cannot be on the actual speech but the process that leads to these words.

Loshon hara, it would seem, does not simply concern the report of certain behaviour but also involves the evaluation that one connects to this behaviour. Actions happen within a certain context and loshon hara does not just consider the action but also the context. For example, if I mention to my friend in shul on Shabbat morning that I just saw Chaim driving in his car, if my friend knows nothing about Chaim, he will understand me to be saying that Chaim is not shomer Shabbat. But if my friend knows Chaim and knows him to be shomer Shabbat, my statement will be understood differently, that I am saying that something must be terribly wrong.

In the first context, we have a case of loshon hara; I am speaking ill of Chaim.3 In the second context, I am not speaking loshon hara but informing a member of the community of a potential need within the community; I am telling my friend that Chaim has done something that signals a problem. This two prong nature to speech is found in the opening two verses in the story. Miriam first states what Moshe actually did4 and then, in stating that God does not only speak to Moshe but also speaks to her and Aharon, presents an evaluation of this behaviour based upon a certain context.

To Miriam, based upon her understanding of the context, Moshe was wrong in acting in this manner and thus, her statement, with its negative perspective, was loshon hara. Miriam was actually judged based upon her incorrect evaluation of the context of Moshe’s behaviour. Rashi, Bamidbar 12:8 explains Miriam’s culpability; simply Miriam should have known better. Based upon her knowledge of Moshe, she should have recognized that Moshe have had a good reason for his behaviour even if Miriam could not understand or even recognize it. Based upon her recognition of Moshe as the servant of Hashem, Miriam should have furthermore recognized that an attack on Moshe of this nature would also involve an implied critique of God Who chose Moshe to be His servant. Miriam’s mistake was in her thought process. She should have recognized that perhaps she really didn’t know what she was talking about.

Herein lies what is often the root of loshon hara. Living demands of us to observe life and to make evaluations upon these observations. It is from these evaluations that we must determine how to act which includes determinations on what to say. Loshon hara is ultimately one of the great caveats that dictates to us that we must be careful within this process. While we must attempt to do as best as we can, we must also recognize our limitations and truly consider the context within which we make any decision. Miriam’s weakness lay in a simple lack of understanding of her situation and a fact that she not only did not consider but also did not even contemplate – that Moshe’s prophecy was qualitatively different not only than hers but than everyone’s. How was she to know?

Rashi informs us that there was actually sufficient information for her to be wary about her conclusion. Perhaps she could not have understood that Moshe’s prophetic abilities were qualitatively greater than hers but she should have at least recognized that Moshe must have had a good reason for his behaviour even if she couldn’t see it. Does everyone deserve the benefit of this doubt? The simple answer is, of course, no – but a recognition of our own human fallibility is always demanded of us. We must always attempt to see the correct context of an action – and recognize the inherent weakness in that process for it demands decisions from those who are fallible – ourselves.

 

Footnotes

1 Perhaps the best way to illustrate the significance of this need to sometimes speak ill of another is by making reference to the issue in Jewish Legal Ethics regarding the application of solicitor-client privilege. There are times when, it would seem, the Halacha would demand of a lawyer to speak up notwithstanding the possible violation of this privilege. See, further, Rabbi Alfred S. Cohen, “On Maintaining a Professional Confidence”, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society 7:93 and Rabbi Michael J. Broyde, “The Practice of Law According to Halacha”, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society 20:5. Our issue is not how this conflict is resolved in the realm of Jewish Legal Ethics but rather, I refer to this issue to point out that the need to sometimes speak what on the surface may be described as loshon hara is so powerful as to raise this issue. We can, often, make a severe mistake in not speaking.

2 Of course, technically, this permitted speech would actually no longer be loshon hara.

3 Again, of course, this statement is still an oversimplification of the case. There could still be other worthwhile reasons for me to express this information to my friend. Similarly, in the following discussion concerning the second context, there could still be many reasons for me to refrain from informing my friend of Chaim’s driving. Determining proper speech often demands intense intellectual investigation.

4 There is a disagreement amongst the commentators about what Moshe exactly did. Rashi presents the more dominant view, in line with the Talmud, that Moshe separated from Tziporah, his wife. Others, such as the Bchor Shor and Ibn Kaspi, applying a more literal reading of the verse, state that Moshe took a second, Cushite, wife.

5 See, interestingly, Ibn Ezra, Bamidbar 12:2.

Parshas Beha’alotcha–“Candle of God is the Soul of Man”

Candle lighting symbolizes the teaching process; the single act can have massive consequences; and we can affect a much wider circle than we think. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

I no longer remember which Israeli artist colony I was visiting. Perhaps Jaffa. But I will never forget the crude, almost primitive paintings, which were on exhibit. They were all very different in color, style, and size. They varied from somber dark browns and grays to tropical oranges, reds, and yellows. Some were very realistic, some impressionistic, some totally abstract. One was a large mural. But in the corner, there were postcard-sized miniatures. In every painting, a candle predominated.

The artist was obsessed with the image of the candle. A tall, slim candle, wax dripping down its side, the wick erect, the flame flickering. Somehow, each candle evoked the picture of a person.

I made a note of the artist’s name, hoping that one day I would be able to afford one his works, and would then find him, but I lost the scrap of paper with his name and address long ago.

The memory of the candles bedecking his workroom walls has remained with me. As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by candles and by their human-like quality. In my early teens, I was taught to meditate in front of a burning candle, and to associate my meditation with the biblical phrase, “A candle of God is the soul of man”.

“What are some ways that human beings resemble candles?” This question was assigned to me by the old rabbi who was my first spiritual guide. In my early adolescence I was part of a group of six or seven peers who met with this rabbi once a month in a dark and, you guessed it, candlelit room.

It was our task to gaze at a burning candle and imagine the affinities between candles and men. At the end of the month, we were to report on our findings.

I never returned at the end of that month. Without that closure, it is no wonder that I still reflect, fifty years later, on the resemblances between people and candles.

This week’s Torah portion speaks of the candles that Aaron lit in the ancient Tabernacle. The Bible speaks not of the “lighting of” the candles, but of the “raising up” of the candles. The commentaries eagerly point out that it is not sufficient to kindle the candle; one must see to it that the flame will continue to burn on its own.

The candle thus becomes a metaphor for the process of teaching: parent to child, or master to disciple. It is never sufficient to merely touch the child with the flame of knowledge. Rather, one must “raise up” the flame so that it will grow and will nurture the student for a long time. The task of the teacher is to ensure that the flame will continue to burn on its own, that knowledge will be a lifetime process.

There is another traditional Jewish saying which inspires me: “A little bit of light can dispel much darkness”. The little candle teaches us how much good a single person, or even a single act, can accomplish. It is not necessary for one to try to ignite powerful floodlights. If all that one can do is light a match, that paltry act can achieve unforeseen illumination.

Finally, there is a Talmudic dictum, “A candle for one is a candle for a hundred”. There are certain things in life, an item of food for example, which can only meet the needs of one person. There are other things, certain tools for example, which can only meet the needs of one person at a time. But one candle can benefit the single individual who needs illumination, and it can shed equal illumination for many others in the room. A candle for one is a candle for a hundred.

And so it is in the human realm. There are things that we can do which will benefit not only a single particular other but an entire group, an entire community, an entire world. If we teach, for example, lessons that are useful practically and that are spiritually uplifting, those lessons are not limited to who hears them. Rather, they can benefit many unseen others. Intellectual accomplishments and religious achievements are candles not just for one, but for hundreds.

I have listed but three of the infinite number of ways in which the soul of man is the candle of God. Candle lighting symbolizes the teaching process; the single act can have massive consequences; and we can affect a much wider circle than we think.

The opening verses in this week’s Torah portion render the candle image so central to the Tabernacle and Temple service, because the Torah wishes us to think about the candle, to meditate on it, and to discover for ourselves the manifold analogies which lie embedded in the candle image.

“Behold the candle,” the Torah exclaims. It is one of the oldest, and certainly one of the simplest, human tools. But it can be a metaphor for the power and the potential of the human soul, which is no less than the candle of God.

(Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is the Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Orthodox Union)

Psak Halacha on Cremation

Pictured above is Rav Avraham Zvi Kamai ztz"l the last Rav of Mir (left) and the Rav of Kaminitz, Rabbi Dovid Bronstein (right). As the Nazis shoved the Jews of Mir toward the freshly dug pit to be used as a grave, Rav Avraham Tzvi Kamai — may the Lord avenge his death — walked fearlessly toward his death

As the Nazis shoved the Jews of Mir toward the freshly dug pit to be used as a grave, the Rabbi of Mir, Rav Avraham Tzvi Kamai — may the Lord avenge his death — walked fearlessly toward his death. According to an eyewitness account, he had but one request of his German butchers: he asked that they not shoot him at the edge of the pit, but rather let him climb down to the bottom where they could shoot him. Why? Despite the obvious fear of impending death, this eighty-two-year-old Rav and Rosh Yeshiva had but one thing on his mind: not to transgress the religious prohibition of leaving unburied any body part or fluid, in this case the blood and tissue, outside the pit. A Jew must be buried whole. The elderly rabbi’s presence of mind in the face of the massacre, his care to ensure that none of his blood go unburied, emphasizes to us the revered stature of the human body. Even in death, the body is the kli hamachzik, the container of the Soul, which must be treated with respect.

The antithesis of Rav Kamai’s attitude is the way the accursed Nazis treated the bodies of their victims. They numbered them, used their hair to make socks for submarine crewmen, and finally, in the cruelest act of all, cremated them. Cremation, in the eyes of the Nazis, was the ultimate degradation of the Jewish untermensch. To them it was a manifestation of the German word: “farnichten,” literally: to make nothing, to dissolve, to obliterate, the ultimate disposal of the Jewish trash. A cremation can be seen on the Internet. It is horrifying to watch as a body that was once a living person is melted in a loud and violent process that takes approximately two hours.

I was asked by colleagues in the Igud HaRabbonim/Rabbinical Alliance of America to explain publicly the concern over a practice which has spread in our day: cremation after death instead of burial in a Jewish cemetery. The problem is great, and rabbis need to rise and protest. For whatever reason, a dark cloud of madness has enveloped the Western world, warping logic and sensitivity. It is not enough that many people in this generation poison their bodies with chemicals and drugs that shorten their lives. Now members of this generation have found a way to desecrate their bodies even after death. Someone who has received a gift from on high — a body created in the divine image — discards it after his death like something valueless cast off to the garbage. This demonstrates profound ingratitude and unadulterated chutzpah.

The Chelkat Yaakov, Rabbi Mordechai Yaakov Breish (1896-1976), was a Rav and Av Beit Din in Zurich, Switzerland. In his Responsa (Translation here: Rabbi Yaakov Spivak) he writes:

“In the last hundred years a plague has broken out among our people as well, to cremate their dead. The Orthodox Rabbinate in Germany has organized to combat them. They have sent inquiries on this subject to the rabbis and great Torah scholars of the East. All expressed their opinion with one voice, agreeing on the seriousness of the transgression of these individuals who have sinned with their very souls, and that their actions represent a rejection of the Resurrection of the Dead and Reward and Punishment. They further stated that it is forbidden to be involved in the sinners’ interment, due to the transgressors’ actions which run contrary to Jewish Law, tradition and Jewish Feeling.”

The Chelkat Yaakov goes on to say that cremation makes it impossible for one to receive a proper burial, which is in violation of the Mitzvat Asay (positive Torah Commandment) of

burial. Chelkat Yaakov – Beit (Yoreh Da’eh) p.352

The Rabbinical leader of pre-war Europe, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky, in his monumental work Achiezer, writes in the name of the Beit Yitzchak:

“One who properly buries his dead shows his belief in the Resurrection of the Dead. One who cremates the dead is as if he demonstrates his rejection of the idea of Resurrection of the Dead.” Responsa Beit Yitzchak, Yoreh Da’eh 2, Siman 155, as quoted by Achiezer 72:4

The Achiezer himself states that it is an “obvious fact” (davar pashut) that cremation is forbidden because it makes the mitzvah of burial (kavor tikbrenu) — a Torah Law — impossible. He quotes the Rambam, Chapter 15, Hilchot Sanhedrin, and Chapter 12 Hilchot Avel, Halacha 1. Achiezer 72:4

The bottom line on those who deliberately, and with full knowledge of the illegality of their actions, transgress Jewish Law in matters like this, is stated by the Shulchan Aruch:

“Those who leave the established paths of the community, and they are those who have thrown off the responsibility of the commandments and demonstrate through their actions that they should not be considered part of the Jewish community…rather they act with their own whims like the other nations… all these people were never mourned.” Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 345:5.

Modern Day Authorities

In his Responsa of Modern Judaism Rabbi Sholom Klass, ztz”l, states:

“Burning was considered a disgrace (Sanhedrin 82b). Cremating is considered a curse and our Geonim of the past have prohibited the burial of the ashes of such a person in a Jewish cemetery if it was done upon the deceased’s instructions. His ashes do not bear any holiness and are considered common dust.” (Rabbi Klass goes on to say that the above does not apply to someone who was accidently burned, nor does it apply to those who were murdered and burned by the Nazis. Their ashes are considered holy (Gesher HaChaim 16:9).

Rabbi Maurice Lamm in The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning (p.56) states:

The Torah absolutely and unqualifiedly insists on the natural decomposition of the remains. The wood of the casket, the cloth of the shrouds, the unembalmed body decomposes in nature’s own steady way. No artificiality, no slowing or hurrying of this process is permitted. The world goes on in its own pace. Those who die must follow the law of nature and the world.

Cremation is never permitted. Even if the deceased willed cremation, his wishes must be ignored in order to observe the will of our Father in Heaven. Biblical law takes precedence over the instructions of the deceased.

The Gesher HaChaim (Translation: Rabbi Yaakov Spivak) states in 16:9:

In regard to the dead who were cremated by the will of the now deceased: The Rabbis and other Torah Giants of the previous generation agreed that the ashes of such a person were not to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. Someone who, during his lifetime, did not wish to fulfill the commandment of burial, and therefore eliminated himself from its ultimate fortunate future, has denied the destiny of resurrection, and has had the holy image removed from himself. There is no holiness in his ashes, and his burial is denied the destiny of resurrection.

There are other reasons that border on the Kabbalistic, but this work has confined itself to some of the Halachic issues.

(The author, Rabbi Yaakov Spivak, is a Presidium Member RAA/IGUD & Rosh Kollel Ayshel Avraham Rabbinical Seminary)

Presidium:

Rabbi Hanania Elbaz, Brooklyn NY

Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht, Norwalk, CT

Rabbi Yaakov Klass, Brooklyn, NY

Rabbi Yaakov Spivak, Monsey, NY

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, Staten Island, NY

Beth Din

Rabbi Herschel Kurzrock, Brooklyn, NY

Chief Judge Rabbinical Court

Rabbi Dov Aaron Brisman, Philadelphia, PA

Assistant Chief Judge Rabbinical Court

Rabbi Chaim Komendant; Passaic, NJ

Administrative Judge Rabbinical Court

Executive Vice-President Rabbi Shamaryahu Shulman, Lakewood, NJ

Honorary President & Sr. Judge Rabbinical Court

Rabbi Moshe Schmerler, Woodmere, NY Director

Lodz, Poland Hosts its First Ever Jewish Festival

Rabbi David Szychowski gives the Lodz community a lecture on Jewish topics. Credit for all photos: Natalia Sora

‘Judaism has witnessed a revival in Poland and we are happy to celebrate it,’ said Shavei Israel Founder and Chairman Michael Freund

The Polish city of Lodz hosted its first-ever Jewish celebratory event, The Festival of Tranquility, over the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. The festival, organized by the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland, in collaboration with Shavei Israel emissary to Lodz Rabbi David Szychowski, was a singular event connecting art and spirituality. The festival featured films, Torah study, workshops in calligraphy and cooking, a concert, and more.

Rabbi Michael Shudrich (center) at the unveiling ceremony of Maurycy Gutentag

“In order to listen to yourself and reflect on the reality around us, you need time and space,” said Szychowski. “The residents of Lodz joined us to take pause, open up to one another, and learn about the contemporary life of the Polish Jewish community.”

The Festival of Tranquility began Saturday, June 8, with a night of Torah study in honor of Shavuot, when Jews traditionally gather to study. The following day featured a tour of Lodz and its historical landmarks. On Tuesday, the Jewish Community Center commemorated the life of Maurycy Gutentag, the chief of the First Department of the Fire Brigade, and unveiled his tombstone in a ceremony led by Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich.

Rabbi David Szychowski gives a press conference during the festival

On September 8, 1939, German forces entered Lodz and immediately began targeting and terrorizing Jews, who constituted 34 percent, or 223,000 people, of the city’s pre-war population of 665,000. In early 1940, the Nazis forced more than 164,000 Jews to live within the confines of the Lodz Ghetto, which was surrounded by barbed-wire and a fence and had no running water or electricity. It was the second-largest ghetto, after that of Warsaw, established by the Germans during the Holocaust. Residents of the ghetto came primarily from Lodz and surrounding areas but also from further afield, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Luxembourg.

In January 1942, the Germans began deporting Jews from the Lodz Ghetto to Nazi concentration camps. The Nazis and SS stormtroopers liquidated the ghetto between August 9-28, 1944, in the process deporting more than 60,000 residents, mostly Jews, to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps. By the war’s end, only about 900 of the Jews of the Lodz Ghetto had survived.

The Lodz community takes a tour of the area’s historical landmarks

“Despite the fact that thousands of young Poles have parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents who had to hide their Jewish identity for decades, Judaism has witnessed a revival in Poland since the downfall of Communism and we are happy that we can celebrate it,” said Shavei Israel Founder and Chairman Michael Freund.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, Poland was home to more than 3 million Jews. Today, there are approximately 4,000 Jews officially registered as living in Poland, but according to experts there are tens of thousands of people throughout the country whose forbears chose to hide their Jewish identity due to the persecution they suffered under Nazism and Communism. In recent years, a growing number of such people, popularly known as the “Hidden Jews of Poland,” have begun to explore their connections to Judaism and the Jewish people – and many have returned to Judaism.