It was a headline befitting Der Sturmer Magazine, not the Jewish Press. “50,000 Chareidim March So Only Other Jews Die in War.” True, it was an op-ed by an individual, but nonetheless it was run in what is ostensibly a Torah newspaper.
Reading the tone and seeing the vitriol of this article one would have thought that the next line was “The Rabbis are our misfortune.”
The caption on the photo read, “They flooded downtown Manhattan with the anti-draft for Haredim message: everybody else is welcome to get themselves killed. What was even more astonishing was their honesty regarding the bankruptcy of their entire school of faith and study.”
The problem is that this is a complete falsehood and mischaracterization of what the Asifa was about.
The Asifa made no political message. No one was called an evil-doer. Signs were barred – yes barred. It was simply a public prayer session for the precarious state of affairs for Torah scholarship in Israel and to stand in solidarity with the Torah community in Israel who are in a state of anxiety as to their future.
The gathering was signed by the leading Rabbinic figures in this country as well as in Israel. Chassidic leaders, Ashkenazic leaders and Sephardic leaders all joined together in a cry for Torah study and scholarship.
Never before in the history of orthodox Jewish journalism has such a grievous breach of Rabbinic opinion ever been breached. Never before has the thoughts of so many sages been trampled upon with such hatred. Indeed, even leaders of the religious Zionist movement, whose children and students defend the borders of Israel called upon the Israeli government to stop this assault on the Yeshiva students.
Thankfully, the editors of the Jewish Press realized that the headline and the op-ed should come down. But this is not enough. The unprecedented attack on Torah and its leadership must not be allowed to hide temporarily so that it can rear its ugly head once again in the future. An apology should be issued immediately by the Jewish Press editorial staff. The author should be sent to sensitivity training and learn how to remove his anti-Torah biases and hates.
No one is asking the Jewish Press to change its mind about army service. The issue is Kavod HaTorah, or rather trampling upon it.
Yehudah Neilman – NYC
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46 Responses
Rabbi Avigor Miller ZTZ”L called the Jewish Press a “rag” 40 years ago already. He never was far off of the mark.
The JEwish Press is being true to its historical form of being a “low-klass” anti-Torah rag. When Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky famously answered the question whether it is permissible to bring the JP into a restroom that the real shaila is whether it is permissible to take the JP *out* of the restroom, he was speaking about its low-klass in those days. Ever since it has degenerated even further into a mouthpiece of the “Jewish” anti-Semites.
It is no secret that the Jewish Press is closely aligned with elements in the Dati Leumi camp. It is also no secret that the Israeli Yated Ne’man was less than respectful toward one of the leaders of the Dati Leumi camp. There were calls, on this website, for the Israeli Yated to apologize. These calls were met with a deafening silence. So what do you expect. Don’t wave the banner of Kovod Hatorah when you have no respect for someone who is considered by many to be chashuv and you have no respect for him. It is time for everyone to tone down the rhetoric.
The Jewish Press is zionist. From their perspective, they are right. If you have made the medinah into your avodah zarah, then the hareidim are heretics and unbelievers. We are witnessing a split similar to one 2000 years ago, where some Jews found something they considered to be better than what the old fashioned hareidi rabbanim believed in, and persecuted those who didn’t convert to the new way.
We are ‘blessed’ to have more Jewish/Religious/Charedi media outlets than we ever desired or needed. Each one, without exception has its mission.
The mission includes letters to editor (that we like/agree/can tolerate), editorials (by select writers who agree/bond with/synthesis our hashkafas), newsreports (by our reporters who only interview the people we want to hear from), guest posts (that we can tolerate), photos & pictures (of events that we want to publicize) and even a Rabbinic board (selected only from the Rabbis that are on the same page) and these are called JEWISH/TORAH NEWS.
These media outlets, written or vocal, can be accessed by all. You will never get an unbiased point of view since that is a pure impossibility….
Though not a big fan of the JP, in this case I could not agree more.
Not wanting to address the headlines of the Jewish Press, I want to focus on your dishonesty.
I was listening to the radio yesterday and the rally was repeatedly referred to as an anti Israel rally of the religious against the draft.!!
So dont you come and tell me it was an asifa for tefila you want to daven call for a yom tefilla in all shuls – call for a taanis dibur call for a taanis.
This silly rally has already split the frum community and all those advocating to protest in the USA against Israel is a megga chilul hashem.
Why is it ok for American frum Yeshiva graduates to earn a n honest living but it is “yehoreig val yavor for Isarelis to get the same education as the Americans???
Its a charpe and a busha which is coming to an end as American Jews realize more and more the absurdity of all of this.
nothing new! This serves as an important lesson to all chareidim about all newspapers and magazines entering their homes. Many of the so called chareidi magazines have completely MO hashkafos but are garbed and approved by self appointed chareidi rabbanim. The hashkafos are farkrumt. When you ask yourself: “how was i able to fool myself with the jewish press for so many years” then remember that one day you’ll be asking yourself the same question with some of the chareidi magazines.
Such ignorance.
So I guess anyone who chooses to serve the IDF as a kitchen volunteer, or as a strategist, is also asking that only others die for him…
The Jewish Press had an article last month ago that called Yair Lapids wife an EISHES CHAYIL….
SHE IS MARRIED TO A JEW HATER AND SHE IS CALLED AN EISHES CHAIL.
IT WAS WRITTEN BY PROFESSOR JACKSON(A LEFTIST JEW).
The Jewish Press is a anti-torah newspaper.
I feel that the Jewish Press the same way it made its statement as the headline , the apology should be on next weeks headline as ” We Erred and Apologize”
Thanks to the great Newspaper serving our Community for Decades especially with helping people find Jobs & Apartments. However no-one ever justified this particular matter of an individual which wasn’t sensitive enough. Thanks for the Jewish Press for Removing the Headline right away! We All Make Mistakes and The Jewish Press responded best by removing it.
Bar Sechel: “yehoreig val yavor” refers to the army, nothing else. The issue is conscription – not subsidies to yeshivos, not welfare state, not jobs. The dispute is whether people will be conscripted into the army and be ordered to concentrate their efforts on schechting the goyim. Nothing else.
Israeli and American hareidim frequently make a living outside of the yeshiva world. In Israel many have to do so in a stealthy manner to evade zionist laws intended to prevent non-veterans from gainful employment. Indeed, if the zionists wanted to get more hareidim out of yeshivos and into the official (as opposed to the “informal”) economy, they would abolish conscription.
Any way that you want to spin this. This was an Anti-Israel protest. If you wanted to have an Asifa /Yom tefilah you could have closed 14th or 15th ave. in Boro Park.
The media and radio are abuzz with this, and by the way- most of them are not sympathetic. This was a colossal Chillul Hahsem. The fact that you had Gedolim there doesn’t minimize it. There were Gedolim at the Seudah of Kamtza/Bar Kmatza. Woe what has befallen us!
And isn’t THIS SITE proof positive that the article is accurate?
You have (so-called) chareidim screaming here yomum valayla about Toirah, Toirah, Toirah. Why aren’t they learning some of that very Toirah?
In addition, I seem to remember an asifa where the gedolim said the internet is ASSUR, EXCEPT for work purposes. No mention was made about an exception for commenting on YWN.
Take guys out of these yeshivos and they cannot function the way the R”Y would like. Of course you are shocked. The truth very often is!
zionflag:
The point, as akuperma made very well, is that there is a difference between matching the paper’s hashkafa and crossing all lines of decency.
As goes the cliche, you’re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. Given the odious nature of the Op-ed writer’s “own facts”, it is shameful that the JP did not reject or at least first edit this Op-Ed.
As Rav Elchonon wrote, Zionism is Avoda Zara; religious Zionism is A”Z mixed with, liHavdil, religion.
The Zionist god is, of course, Zionism. The JP is essentially “MO” which, of course, has the same idolatrous G-d of Zionism as do secular Zionists.
So this headline in the JP is not quite shocking but it still quite shameful of the JP and highlights the above Rav Elchonon, as akuperma alluded to.
You can tell a lot about that paper by whom they have writing for them. Such as Harry Maryles or Yakov Horowitz or Eli Fink or some other individuals who feel that because the write a blog they are not considered a legitimate source of opinion.
Makes no difference that they write lies and tom foolery. Makes no difference that there are huge gaps in their logic. They write a blog and have groups of sad little commenters and they think they are the cat’s pajamas.
That is who the Jewish Press is.
Mottel1:
The basic difference between the two cases you mention is that a person does not deserve “kavod haTorah” just because he has the title “Rabbi” before his name.
Not to directly compare, but would you expect anyone to have “kavod haTorah” for a rabbi with acceptable semicha but who, say, works for Jews for J?
EZ:
This was a tremendous Kiddush Hashem, regardless of what the secular media does or doesn’t say.
The Zionists themselves admit they want to change Chareidim into Israelis by drafting them into the IDF. The IDF itself neither needs nor wants chareidim.
Tens of thousands of American Jews listened to the gedolei Torah and davened together to Hashem to save our brethren from forced Zionist shmad.
This was a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. Ashrei ayin raasa eileh!
Lihavdil, this was not a “political rally” as the “D”L” do when they march in the Israel Day Parade. I imagine you think that the Israel Day parade is a tremendous kiddush Hashem (disregarding the hisgarus baUmos, taaruvos, supporting reshaim, etc. that makes that parade a yearly chilul Hashem).
People still read the JP???
They have an old ax to grind with the Chareidim! This is nothing new. They have been spewing this hatred for years.
The only question remaining is, whether the so called “Charedi” “writers” will stick to this nevaila (like Lipman sticks to Lapid) to get a few $$$ or will they finally break off?
#8 boy are you right! these magazine have real hashkofos of the times of the maskilim, AMI magazine actually quoted a maskil (regarding Yiddish language)! the steipler zt”l said that the chareidi newspapers might have kosher news but the editors/journalists sift through the “non-kosher” stuff and they themselves become rotten. I stopped bringing in the magazines (“all” of them…)a long time ago.
Many years ago, someone asked the Gerrer Rabbi, the Lev Simcha, if one is allowed to bring the Jewish press into the bathroom. He replied that the question is really if you’re allowed to take it out….
I see how right he was.
The fact the Satmar was part of this so called ASIFA is clear that this was a show against Israel .I am amazed that NO ONE wants to deal with the cause of BENI TORA forced to join the army.The cause is there is NO ACHDUS among the FRUM JEWS.Had ALL the frum parties join together as ONE PARTY in the name of HASHEM in the last Israeli election ,they would have had AT LEAST 24 to 28 seats in the Kennest.With AT LEAST 24-28 seats in the Knesset ,the part of HASHEM would have had the power to stop any anti religious laws.May Hashem have mercy on us and send Meshiach NOW because we are lost.
There is no doubt JP Op-ed was a foolish article but so is repeating that DL or MO is Avodah Zarah of the state. Such views are not just wrong they contain a lack of respect torah observant jews which puts you in the same category as the writer of the OP-ED. This type of rhetoric whether it is calling Haredim leeches on society or calling Dati Leumi non Jewish is not helpful and only serves to create a Chillul HaShem. In addition it only serves the Hilonims intrests. If all Orthodox were to focus on the similarities and not the differences much more could be achieved both at the ballot box and in the public sector.
Well, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black!
“unprecedented attack on the Torah and its leadership”? Please! It’s ok for YWN to spew hateful factually incorrect vitriol (have any of you read the bill?), but not the JP?
Kol Haposel Bemumo Posel; go look in the mirror.
#25 – There is a difference between writing incorrect vitriol, and being an anti-semite which is what this writer is.
When the NY Post had an article creaming “who didn’t want him dead” with a photo of Menachem Stark, everyone was screaming anti-semitism. This isn’t any difference.
So please, stop the comparison. This is disgusting, and despicable.
FERD.
#19 The Sium Hashas was a Kiddush Hahsem and will long be remembered. This asifa, will be long forgotten by Pesach!
I would like for all the people that demonstrated yesterday, to produce one Yeshiva Bochur that the Zionist forcibly shmad in the last year? In the last ten years? In the last twenty five years? Just produce one Yeshiva bochur who was shmad against his will.
The truth is that any Jew living in Israel is an Israeli and they should be loyal to their country. I think that some kind of national service should be worked out for those who do not want to serve in the army. Everyone should participate. And then grown men can work openly to support their families, instead of the “shtick” that goes on.
Somehow there are always those in our community who want to weasel their way out of legal things. We especially hear about it when they are arrested. Let us all stand up proudly and support Eretz Yisroel. Not just use it.
Call it what you want, deny it all you want, the fact is that both this and the one in Israel were intended to be political statements. Signs or no signs. In fact, Eichler being there was a sign in and of itself.
“The Asifa made no political message.”
Oh, come on!
The author probably had nothing to do with the headline.
Well, they pulled this story.
But was anyone paying attention to this Feb 17 headline, written by “Jewish Press staff” and still on their site:
“Haredi youth have no excuse to dodge the draft, unless they really don’t want to learn Torah”
“you’re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts”
I will not use examples of newspapers or magazines that are skewed, inaccurate and factually challenged. Or writers that were given Jail sentences and still write about their beloved school. Opinion is an opinion, a fact needs a reality based feedback.
Any article written in Charedi papers about Emanuel, Bet Shemesh’s Orot School or fraudulent Mayoral race, Chesed & hasmada in the DL world, Nachal Charedi, etc. has never interviewed a person on the other side of the argument or have placed all the facts on the table. Loved the AMI article on OROT SCHOOL, it didn’t even know its location or who attends the school. Most of the news is fictional, historical rewriting or just plain ‘make fun of the other’.
“zionflag and Yanky55” – you two are finally showing your true colors! When it came a slight to Rav Druckman, shlita, you were enraged! Now when 50,000 Jews, including a number of Gedolim, are grossly insulted you’re dancing and singing to the beat! …and why? Because they are Chareidim! No other reason!
I and others like me, on the other hand, were verbally angered about the slight to Rav Druckman’s Kovod (even though we disagree with his views)! WE Chareidim are able to disagree with our D”L brothers and still love them at the same time.
YOU TWO ARE NOTHING BUT JEW HATERS! DATAN V’AVIRAM OF OUR TIMES!!! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES AND NEED TO DO TESHUVAH! IF NOT YOU SHOULD BE CAST OUT OF YOUR COMMUNITIES!!!!
#21 bp world:
I appreciate your agreement on this. I sometimes feel like I’m the only normal person around anymore.And yes, at the head of it all I meant the AMI. Their hashkafos are so MO dressed in titles of rabbis and self made prophets. I know it says Chochma begoyim taamin and torah bagoyim al taamin. But this magazine doesn’t have neither chochma nor torah. They think they’re open and intelligent when all it is is influence of the street discussions, concerns and general mentality. bechlal for a person to bestow upon himself when he signs his name in an op-ed or editors note the word “rabbi” without any valid hamlatzos is indeed a very MO derech. Hashem Yishmor!
#27 ez:
And with this my friend : I WILL PROVE YOU WRONG!!!!!
My uncle joined the army as a slonim yeshiva boy. Got the go ahead from his rebbe. He was there probably as the first chareidi soldier. Very commited to staying that way. He happened to have been killed in Lebanon. But lemmi tell you, he by then had set up his way of life and wow! and boy! is this proof that the power of the army to destroy yiddishkeit is so so strong. He was frum until he died. His kids are mizrachi but that’s not what he forsaw would come out of him. Covering their hair is barely done. I don’t know about you EZ but to me this is a true proof. And remember, my uncle was very not the rebellious type. He just wasnt the biggest learner and wanted to do something else along the learning. We go to their simchos and cry when we come home. And I talk to my spouse and say; we should make a movie out of this family as a proof for what the zionist agenda can do.
Rosh Chodesh Adar began the plague of the locusts. The sefirot is bina, understanding. what we see here is how imagination built on false ideas creates tremendous damage.
The simple reality is to make a kiddush Hashem, which means that all of us need to understand that our intellect is here to recognize that all there is in the world is the Glory of Hashem. Punching each other to restore or establish who is valuable is all gaiva.
Let us stand to say who is for Hashem, in our hearts. for it is HE who is animating this challenge for the very purpose of us telling Him that we trapped in the illusion of autonomous self-interest cannot prevail one over the other. It is only when we acknowledge He is the only Glory that we have a true basis for our intellect to connect, and that will rectify our hearts and iyh we can join together again and laugh at our immaturity in forgetting Hashem.
zionflag – rereading your comment, #5, I realized my comment was too harsh on you. FOR THAT I PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE! However, I still feel you are showing contradictions by coming out strong against Yated and merely acting as if to say “boys will be boys” in regards to this repulsive comment by this Rasha, Yori Yanover. (Who by the way was fired!)
Why isn’t this the view of YWN?????????????????????????????????????????????????
#38- Would you kindly copy and paste my exact words that expressed outrage about R’Druckman being slighted? I doubt you will be able to…
But even if you cannot, you are right. I should be cast out of my community anyway. I will speak to my Rav and see if he can facilitate this. The emes is, I should be cast out of Klal Yisrael. Have a lovely evening.
“The author probably had nothing to do with the headline.”
Looks like I was wrong. I apologize, and I regret the error.
This Yori Yanover rasha has been attacking the Torah community regularly with impunity nearly every day on his JewishPress website articles. This is very far from the first time.
YWN should keep this up indefinitely to always remind people what trash both the JP and this thus is.
I have to have it explained to me why so many posters exude so much hatred for another jew? I truly have difficulty reading some of the posts. I am not even discussing the recent events in israel and how good yidden have bene portrayed. Is it that the age of most posters is about 16? I just cannot understand the vitriol spewed by some of them.
#40 Yanky55 – It seems that I was mistaken and mixed you up with someone else. THUS, I PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU AS WELL. SORRY. I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE MY PUBLIC OUTBURST.
Gentlemen and Ladies, may I refer you to this mornings headlines at YWN, ‘Religious Persecution in the IDF’.
Do you need more stories?
#44- Apology accepted.