The following was printed in the Jewish Press last week, and written by Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum, who is the Director of the Rabbinical Alliance Of America:
In light of several misconceptions in regard to certain ongoing political campaigns, the following clarification has become necessary: The Rabbinical Alliance of America (Igud Horabbonim) formally declares that it has never, nor will it ever, endorse any political party, office holder, or candidate, regardless of office, political party, religious affiliation, or political platform.
Statements made and publicized by any spokesman or spokesmen of the Rabbinical Alliance of America are limited to ecclesiastical issues and religious rulings. Meetings with political office holders or candidates are exclusively of an introductory or informational nature.
Member rabbis are autonomous and are free to make their own private endorsements. Such private endorsements are not cleared or approved by the Rabbinical Alliance of America or by any of its committees or sub-committees. Thus, the Rabbinical Alliance of America does not campaign for or against any political party, office holder, or candidate.
[In an article titled “The man Behind All The Noise”, in the same edition of the Jewish Press, it states the following: “A longtime activist, Rabbi Levin heads the Mevakshei Hashem synagogue in Flatbush and often represents the Igud Harabbonim and Agudas Harabbonim on social issues.”]
(Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum – Jewish Press 10/20/10)
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12 Responses
Yah, cuz Cuomo is winning…
The Agudah makes the same disclaimers as the above Igud. As non profits they are legally prohibited from making political endorsements. So even though senior Agudah and Iggud rabbonim make endorsements, the organizations follow up with such as the above disclaimers in this article.
MDshweks, the reason is because they want to get along with the editorial staff of the Jewish Press.
The statement by Rabbi Tannenbaum is plain and should not be viewed as opposition to Rabbi Levin. As a religious organization and in full compliance with IRS rules, the Rabbinical Alliance does not ever endorse or oppose any political candidate. Rabbi Levin, however, in his worthy campaign against gay rights, gay marriages, etc., has always had and continues to have the full support of the Rabbinical Alliance. In fact, the Rabbinical Alliance meets every Rosh Chodesh and Rabbi Levin frequently reports on his continuing work, to the organization’s full approval. Rabbi Levin’s political endorsements, plainly, are his own and not that of the Rabbinical Alliance. All of this can easily be confirmed by a simple call to Rabbi Herschel Kurzrock, the Igud’s Av Beis Din, or to Rabbi Tannenbaum himself. Their home phone numbers are listed and easily found.
The Jewish Press is about as relevant to most of us as is Rabbi Levin. Both have a very small following and neither influences elections.
The organizations MUST make those disclaimers or they risk losing their 501(c)(3) status. Tax exempt organizations are not allowed to endorse political candidates.
Is the Jewish Mess still relavent to frum yiddin? Personally I stopped reading it when they claimed there was a sunflower seed from BEFORE b’riyas ha’olam. Apikorsis has no room in my home.
The Jewish Press has a certified circulation of more than 100,00 as opposed to the UNcertified circulation of Hamodia (12,000), Yated (10,000), Der Yid (10,000) and Der Blatt (10,000). The JP may not have any relevance to you, but it sure does to readers all over NYC and across the US. The other papers just mentioned influence Boro Park, Flatbush, Monsey, and Monroe only. Outside those confines, they are irrelevant. Sorry to bust your imaginary soap bubble. Also, my dear co-religionist, what in Rabbi Levin’s statements do you not agree with? Are you for gay rights, gay marriages, gay parades, and aggressive campaigns to promote them?
Yaakov – is that why a NY State major gubernetorial candidate cam to R. Levin’s shul and made him an advisor?
Insider – most of the other papers you mention have a substantially larger circulation than the Jewish Press.
Insider: I doubt the 100,000 figure. How many of those a free subscriptions through a $150 purchase at Glatt Mart or Friedmans? Why does the J Press have so little so little display advertising recently.
Helpful: The candidate came to this rabbi’s small congregation because the rabbi reched out to the candidate and claimed he could help. Keep in mind that the candidate from Buffalo knows very little about us, our community, or rabbonim and our askanim.
i have a ‘gezeira shoveh’ between obama and our charedi posters….both think that they know it all and they are much,much bigger than everyone else…i laughed when i saw the comments about the jewish press and the other “frum’ newspapers.
in fact, the “jated” is a chareidi rag that does not brook any other ideas and is chillingly insular. At least “hamodia” quotes some other news outside of the confines of bnai brak and boro park. as far as ‘der yid’, it is virtually confined to williamsburg and monroe. in actuality, the jewish press has done more over the past fifty years to spread yiddihskeit to all corners of these united states than all the other newspapers combined. like chabad- it keeps on being hammered by other jealous parties but they continue to do their holy work eveyrwhere.
The Jewish Press is good only for classified ads. They are the best source of apratments for rent in Brooklyn.
As to their other content, I stopped reading them in 1996 when are 2 separate rallies (on Jewish and one Arab) in Hebron that took place 8 hours apart, the reported “Bloody riots in Hebron.” I was there at the time and the was NO violence at eother rally.
Also, in an column on Halachah, the once said the it was OK to use hot water on Shabbos if you live on a high floor as you were far enough awau from the source of heat.