To the community,
I feel compelled to voice disagreement with the theme of a recent opinion piece from my longtime friend Ezra Friedlander that was published in Hamodia as well as on the web.
Ezra, an effective advocate for our community in the public realm, as well as an advocate for various public officials within our community, posits that political ideology and religious values should play no part in our decisions about who to support for elected office. Instead, the price of a vote should be exactly that; whoever will deliver the most resources.
Ezra greatly underestimates the impact of government policies on our everyday lives. While legalization of toeva marriage may not have a direct impact on the families of our community, it has the potential to have a devastating effect on our mosdos. The bill passed by the NYS Assembly on this issue contains no religious exemption for any of our institutions. There is a real possibility that should it become law, an Orthodox Shul with a catering hall would have to choose between hosting such a ceremony or reception or being sued for violations of that “couple’s” civil rights.
As for what Ezra defines as a most significant issue, tuition, most of our local liberal elected officials stand firmly against government aid to our yeshivas or even against tuition tax credits to help our families. The answer to the tuition crisis lies not in the small amounts of earmark dollars offered to us, but in wholesale policy changes toward non public schools and students. These policy changes are firmly opposed by many of the legislators that are routinely elected locally and ally themselves with the teachers’ unions at our expense.
Ezra says that we are a very small minority in the political world and we should therefore be content with the gifts politicians bestow upon us. In truth, the frum community could and should carry far more electoral weight that we do currently. Borough Park is not unified into one state Senate district to elect a frum representative but is instead carved up into five senate districts, Flatbush is diced into several separate Senate, Assembly, and Council districts. If we look at ourselves as insignificant politically, it is only because we don’t
show up on election day to flex our political muscle.
As for the core issue of mixing religion and politics Ezra is correct that no single issue alone should determine a vote. However, religious beliefs have long been a part of the fabric of American politics. Why is it acceptable for Evangelical or Catholic voters to hold fast to their values in the public sphere while we do not? Furthermore, non-Torahdik Jewish groups frequently quote their Jewish values as justification for liberal policies. Are we going to relinquish the public face of Judaism to them?
Ezra Friedlander raises important issues for debate within the community but unfortunately limits politics to a purely transactional business. We elect politicians not just to give us funding but to act as our representatives. We shouldn’t hide our values to suit them.
Michael Fragin
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
11 Responses
Ezra also wrote that he chalanges any one who disagrees to walk into institutions of the needy who benefit from liberal palacies. By writing that he showed exactly how he was blinded to see less than half the picture.
As I wrote then, even if you ignore religion, there’s no such thing as getting something for nothing. The taxes and crimes, prices of everything and immoral atmosphere is all part of the price…
“The more the power of evil succeeds – the worse-off we are”… (Rav Avigdor Miller ztz”l)
Mr. Fagin,
Nowhere in your piece do you suggest how we find the funds to replace those provided to our Chesed organizations by our local politicians. It is easy to criticize, but where do you suggest we get such money. A Yeshiva in our community with 400 girls needed to close because they didn’t have the money for the rent. Mr. Fagin, do you have the means to help this yeshiva?
We must stop the divisve vitriol and work together as a united community. This letter only compounds our problems and offers no remedy. It must be nice to be able to vent but not offer solutions. We must be pragmatic, and this is what I believe Mr. Friedlander is espousing.
#2, YOU ARE PROVING MR. FAGIN’S POINT. LIBERALS WILL NEVER SUPPORT OUR YESHIVAS. CONSERVATIVES VERY WELL MIGHT. IF OUR YESHIVAS RECEIVED MORE THAN TOKEN SUPPORT, THIS GIRLS’ SCHOOL WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO CLOSE.
FURTHERMORE, IS PARENTS WEREN’T BURDENED WITH SUCH HEAVY TUITION COSTS, THEY MIGHT HAVE MONEY TO HELP SUPPORT OTHER CHESED ORGANIZATIONS – WHICH NEED FAR LESS FUNDS THAN OUR YESHIVAS TO OPERATE.
Well said Michael Fragin, well said!
Yasher Koach for seeing things clearly!
I’m so glad someone finally spoke up against Ezra Friedlander’s piece, which was full of complete and total baloney.
The issue is not what the Liberal politicians believe or how they live. It’s what their political platform stands for, and what they will do to society in your name! And this statement: “the result of their efforts may lead to a candidate’s or elected official’s decision to write off the Orthodox community completely. They may just decide that we’re simply not worth the aggravation” means that no one should ever stand for anything but go along with whatever the politician they want to “butter up” and flatter stands for and wants.
His contention that Orthodox Jewry is but a speck on the map of New York voters and therefore… eh, New Square is a much smaller spec but Bill Clinton called seeking votes. Jews don’t have to make up the 48% that each side always receives; that 2-4% swing is all that’s important. That power is truly disproportional and that’s why Hashem made it that way – so we Jews could advocate our agenda.
And his comments about “Tell me we’re willing to give up a Group Home to make a point” is also fallacious. We’re not interested in making “points”; for us it’s a choice of lifestyle and affecting humanity.
I think, rather than misquoting the Sanzer Rov, he should instead reflect upon the early German maskilim,”Be a German in the street and a Jew in your home.” That seems to more accurately depict the end he is promoting. We know the outcome.
How about this idea: The Tora and Hashem have demands of us, of society and of this world! Our responsibility here is to stand up for and represent what Hashem wants! Not what every seeker of honor and glory wants… I’m so happy that every busybody has now become a spokesman for da’as Tora…
Pinchas5, why don’t you go to a cathedral or an idol-worshiping temple and ask for money, if money is the only thing that matters?
Thank You Michael for an important counterpart to Friedlander’s article.
As to the question who will provide funds allocated by toeivah loving politicians that people like him have been flattering, רחמנא ליצלן, the answer is, היפלא מה’ דבר and רווח והצלה יעמוד ליהודים ממקום אחר.
And, let us be honest, not every grant is that important anyway. Just become someone hires Friedlander to advocate for them (making him a נוגע בדבר), doesn’t mean that their cause is necessarily utterly vital to the future of Klal Yisroel.
mdd –
Attacking me or any other member of our community will not help our community. What is your solution? Unfortunately, our community is facing grave financial challenges and you only post a condescending remark(very helpful!).Our organizations need money to function,so yes money certainly matters. Where do you suggest we get it. Will you take charge or just kvetch? You are certainly not the person that this community can go to for answers.
Either lead, or get out of the way and let others lead!
Very on target. Anyway you cut it, liberals are NOT on the same page as frum Jews. There is NO issue that is in agreement with liberals and frum Jews. We have to stop being blinded by the pennies -yes pennies- these politicians give us in exchange for our votes. They are trying to “buy” votes from us. When will we learn our lesson.
Regarding social issues, we are clearly not in agreement. In regard to tuition also the liberals are against us. Regarding tax, not for us. Religious rights, not for us. Can someone please tell me where we are in agreement?
People don’t seem to understand, the liberals take $1.00 from us and give us $.01 in return (if we are lucky!). Yes we get a few million dollars for our chesed organizations, but what about the HIGH taxes? How about cut taxes and don’t fund our organizations? I guarantee the amount of money people save can support these organizations plus!
On a side note, the average household in America makes around $50,000. The average household (not individual) by the frum Jews makes a lot more. Remember we are not considered poor or even middle class in the whole picture. We are upper class. The liberal agenda against the “wealthy” are not only for millionaires, they are also for people in the upper class. So everyone get with the program, don’t be so uninformed and learn on your own about the political world. You will see that what the “askanim” and “political activists” from our community tell us is not always for our good.
Pinchas5, The Torah is not for sale! We are to do the right thing and HaShem will provide!
Tuition relief is definitely of highest importance to us more than any other government help our communities gets simply because it affects the most people way more than Chesed organizations which are important but are limited in who benefits from their services.
If all orthodox Jews got together united and made it clear to the politicians that this is the one most important issue facing our community we’d get it.
But then again “If all orthodox Jews got together united………….” we’d have Moshiach on his way!!!!