The following is via OnlySimchas.com:
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld penned the following open letter to Ramaz students:
Dear Ramaz Students,
Last week, over 830 of you signed a petition to Ramaz dean and spiritual leader Rabbi Haskel Lookstein to protest his decision to give the invocation at the Republican convention. In the petition, you accuse Donald trump of every social ill on the face of the earth: racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, and for good measure, Chillul Hashem. As a result of your petition, Rabbi Lookstein was forced to back out of attending the convention.
My questions to you are: As a Torah organization, if you are truly concerned about Chillul Hashem, how about the Chillul Hashem of publicly humiliating a rabbi – your rabbi – in public? What about the Chillul Hashem of a massive rebuke to someone who could be the next president of the United States?
What about the mitzvah of “v’havtem es hager… You must love the convert”? Don’t you think your actions were a public scorn of Ivanka, the Jewish daughter of the “anti-Semite” Donald Trump?
If you are so concerned about the anti-Semitism of Mr. Trump, will you express the same concern about the Democratic convention, which will feature the virulently anti-Semitic Cornel West and James Zogby, with Mr. Zogby serving on the Resolutions Committee?
Just wondering.
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld
(Source: OnlySimchas.com)
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13 Responses
Thank you
Reb Yoel, right on.
Hpw about straightening out the Queens kashrus?
GreT question anddddd the answer is no their democrats and there religion is democrats the party that is pro not buying isreal pushing her into an agreement thatchers every Jew in danger
I was mortified about Rabbi Looksteins decision to withdraw from giving the invocation at the Republican NAtional Convention. It was very distasteful and horrible. The Republican platform and all who are running in the Republican Party give their unconditional support for the Jewish State of Israel. In contrast the Democratic Platform goes along with calling Israel occupiers of eretz Yisroel, and supporting the arabs. How repugnant. Have the “MAnhattan” eliteist students of Ramaz moved so far to the left. Next thing, we will hear that they support Bernie Sanders, the socialist communist, who would like to make a revolution in this country. First of all I am sad that Rabbi Lookstein chose to capitulate and withdraw. That in itself was a chillul Hashem. Was he afraid of the Ramaz students? That is a sad state of affairs. Maybe he should look for a More Jewish school to affiliTe himself with.
If I wanted to picture the Erev Rav – I take a look at the Liberal Jews….
Anyone who takes an objective, accurate and honest look at Donald Trump would see a person extremely unworthy of any respect. He is a preposterous liar, about himself in particular, an unfaithful husband, a treacherous business man, and, I suspect, not a very good one, given where he started 40 years ago, his 6 bankruptcies, and his present financial condition. One of his self-proclaimed qualifications for the presidency is his alleged successes in business. He should show us certified financial statements of his last 5 years if he seriously wants us to believe that. But, instead, he won’t even release his tax returns, as every other presidential candidate has done for many years. Even the hair on his head is a lie.
I have not seen the petition by Ramaz students to which Rabbi Schonfeld objects, but I know that Rabbi Lookstein wanted to lend his religious prestige to a convention that would nominate one of the most reprehensible persons ever to run for the US presidency, and I cannot understand why the Rabbi Schonfeld would openly object to the students Ramaz acting on their well-founded objections to the Trump candidacy.
Ramaz students are 100% correct and Rabbi Shonfeld is off the mark. Bmakom sheyesh chilul Hashem ein cholkin kavod l’rav.
What in the world does this have to do with “vahavtem es hager”? Does the fact that Ivanka converted mean that one cannot condemn her father for fanning the flames of hatred in this country? Such a proposition is preposterous.
Ramaz is not a school with any Jewish values. Just stand outside the doors for 5 minutes and take a look at the students.
i have a polotical prefeence. Byt rabbis should stay out of politics altogether for all the reasons above.al titvada larshut. HevI zahir barShus. the talmud has cases of friendships to prevent gzeirot when necsassary. But Not to take sides with fickle politicians .
Bdieved he should back out for those reasons. Not because ramazx kids were correct.
My friend you forgot,
“ר’ חנינא סגן הכהנים אומר: הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות, שאלמלא מוראה – איש את רעהו חיים בלעו” (רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים, משנה אבות ג ב).
Well I guess one reaps what one sows.
#9 – Avreimi – you are a judgmental ass. No matter how ‘frum’ you believe you are, your true colors just came out. It’s okay, you can spend the entire Elul making it up to the MO community.