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You tell ’em Mr. T!
Dan lkaf zchus means to judge according to merit. If there is a pattern of negligence, incompetence or worse in the organization that allowed this terrible thing to happen, then that needs to be addressed and those responsible must be held accountable for not only this travesty but also for others that are still going on. If the Moderator will permit me I can give you a brief outline and links to verify the information.
As bad as it is for a shul to become a church, it is far worse for a shul to have its Aron Kodesh replaced with a phat Buddha idol.
Charlie, I just got this in an email. It’s about one shul in the Bronx that remains empty rather than become a church.
A Man of Principles (from the obituary of Rabbi David B. Hollander )
But an organization that Rabbi Hollander was ideologically opposed to offered the only hope of the synagogue being able to repay the rabbi. Knowing that he would not approve of the sale, the board members solicited, and received, approbations from several rabbinical authorities.
True to form, Rabbi Hollander refused to sanction the transaction.
Board members exited the room misty-eyed, in awe that the rabbi they came to revere made such a sacrifice.
I felt a stab in my heart when I looked at the interior photo of what used to be the shul at 6427 Large St. and saw a fat Phat idol in the spot where an Aron Kodesh containing holy Sifrei Torah used to be. I can only imagine how Rabbi Meles must feel.
Zahavasdad,
Avodah zora is one of the worst sins in our Torah. There is no way a creditor can “force” anyone to violate their religion. Even if there are heterim regarding this sale we need to know how they were arrived at and if they were avoidable. This sale was a terrible chillul Hashem and a slap in the face to the Jewish community of Philadelphia.
What was the case here? The whole story from all sides, not just hearsay.
Let’s look at all the property records on the sale. We know from Bezalel’s posting who was in charge of the sale. Let that person provide all the documentation he has and let’s hear from the rabbonim (if any) who approved the sale as well as those who objected to it. If there were rabbonim on the Vaad Halacha who should have been consulted about the sale but were not, how did it go forward?
There are too many unanswered questions about this sale. Let’s hear those answers and have an independent Chacham determine if there was impropriety.
There are three big problems with this sale.
1) A shul was disgraced by its use as a house of Idol Worship!
2) The sellers aided the Idol Worshippers by providing a beautiful place to practice their Avodah Zara.
3) How can the one who sold it say “Whatever proceeds there are will go to continue [our] mission” ? The proceeds of the sale are tainted by benefitting from Avodah Zara!
I am certain Rabbi Meles did not approve the sale of his shul to Buddhists. So who did?
It doesn’t matter whether anyone ever moves back to Oxford Circle. It was a chashuva shul for over 50 years. It is a terrible indignity that a building that used to house Sifrei Torah now has people prostrating themselves to Buddha where an Aron Kodesh once stood.