On Saturday evening, YWN published an article from the Jerusalem Post which reported that the Chasidic newspaper, Der Zeitung, had altered an iconic photo released by the White House last week. The photograph showing President Barack Obama and staffers in the White House Situation Room carefully watching the raid in progress by US forces in Pakistan on the bin Laden compound last Sunday was published far and wide.
Der Zeitung, however, had chosen to alter the photo – excising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and another female staffer from the picture. There are now empty spaces where Clinton had been sitting and where the female staffer had stood.
As published by YWN earlier today, the articles spread from the Jerusalem Post to the NY Post, to a being a lead story on Fox News, TIME, Washington Post, Yahoo News, NY Daily News, CNN, Huffington Post and dozens and dozens of other news outlets.
In response to the firestorm created, the newspaper has released the following statement:
The White House released a picture showing the President following “live” the events in the apprehension of Osama Bin Laden, last week Sunday. Also present in the Situation Room were various high-ranking government and military officials. Our photo editor realized the significance of this historic moment, and published the picture, but in his haste he did not read the “fine print” that accompanied the picture, forbidding any changes. We should not have published the altered picture, and we have conveyed our regrets and apologies to the White House and to the State Department.
The allegations that religious Jews denigrate women or do not respect women in public office, is a malicious slander and libel. The current Secretary of State, the Honorable Hillary R. Clinton, was a Senator representing New York State with great distinction 8 years. She won overwhelming majorities in the Orthodox Jewish communities in her initial campaign in ’00, and when she was re-elected in ’06, because the religious community appreciated her unique capabilities and compassion to all communities. The Jewish religion does not allow for discrimination based on gender, race, etc.
We respect all government officials. We even have special prayers for the welfare of our Government and the government leaders, and there is no mention of gender in such prayers.
All Government employees are sworn into office, promising adherence to the Constitution, and our Constitution attests to our greatness as a nation that is a light beacon to the entire world. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. (See below.) That has precedence even to our cherished freedom of the press! In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women, which in no way relegates them to a lower status. Publishing a newspaper is a big responsibility, and our policies are guided by a Rabbinical Board. Because of laws of modesty, we are not allowed to publish pictures of women, and we regret if this gives an impression of disparaging to women, which is certainly never our intention. We apologize if this was seen as offensive.
We are proud Americans of the Jewish faith, and there is no conflict in that, and we will with the help of the Almighty continue as law-abiding citizens, in this great country of our’s, until the ultimate redemption.
Inquiring minds would like to know if any of the Shuls in the communities that this newspaper caters to, has ever said the appropriate prayer that they claim they have. Do any of their Sidurim have the Tefilla printed in them?
(AskMoses.com has the following info on this prayer:) The “prayer for the welfare of the government” is found in some Siddurim after the Torah reading. In synagogues where it is recited, it is recited on Shabbat and festivals after the Torah reading, before the Torah is put back in the ark.
In the 14th century, Rabbi Dovid Abudraham first included this prayer in the Siddur, writing that it is the “custom to bless the King, and to pray to G-d that He may give him victory.1”
The idea of praying for the government has its source in the Bible:2 “Seek the welfare of the country where I have sent you into exile; pray to the L-rd for it, for your welfare depends on its welfare.” In the fifth century BCE, after the first expulsion from Jerusalem, the Jewish people found themselves unable to govern themselves, so they implored G-d to guide their foreign rulers. The prayer itself is actually a composite of selections from Psalms 145:13 and 144:10, Isaiah 43:16, Jeremiah 29:7, and Isaiah 59:20.
The Mishnah, too, enjoins us to pray for the government. In Pirkei Avot,3 it states: “Rabbi Chanina deputy of the Kohanim said ‘Pray for the welfare of the government. If it were not for the fear of the government, each man would eat his neighbor alive!’”
Rabbeinu Yonah explains that praying for the peace of the government is a means to a greater end. According to Rabbeinu Yonah, one should pray on behalf of the entire world, and be pained at the pain of others, which is the way of the righteous. One should pray not just for one’s own needs, but rather should pray on behalf of every person, that they too should have peace. And when there is peace in the government, everyone else lives in peace.
As for the expression “each man would eat his neighbor alive,” Rav Ovadia Bartenura explains that just as larger fish in the sea eat smaller fish, if it weren’t for the fear of the government, greater men would “swallow” up smaller men. In other words, without law and order, people would take great advantage of each other—or worse.
[CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE HEBREW & ENGLISH PRAYER]
Here is a translation of the prayer for the welfare of the government:
He Who grants salvation to kings and dominion to rulers, Whose kingdom is a kingdom spanning all eternities; Who releases David, His servant, from the evil sword; Who places a road in the sea and a path in the mighty waters – may He bless the President, the Vice President, and all the constituted officers of government of this land.
The King Who reigns over kings, in His mercy may He sustain them and protect them; from every trouble, woe and injury, may He rescue them; and put into their heart and into the heart of all their counselors compassion to do good with us and with all Israel, our brethern. In their days and in ours, may Judah be saved and may Israel dwell securely, and may the Redeemer come to Zion. So may it be His will.
Now let us respond: Amen. (Cong.- Amen.)
(Eli Gefen – YWN)
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23 Responses
U.S. Government photos, such as the one in question (i.e non-classified), are by law in the public domain. Thus anyone can legally alter it however they wish, notwithstanding the disclaimer the White House attached which has no legal application.
While I have my own issues with the exclusion of women from the media I must say I have the utmost respect for Der Zeitung in explaining themselves. They admitted they made a mistake by altering the photo in terms of government policy and they publicized their identity as American Jews proud of their country. I hope that in the realm of national pride other Orthodox Jews follow suit not to be overshadowed by the less religious half.
All Frum Americans should have the welfare of the United States in mind during Tefilos such as “Sim Shalom” or “Shalom Rav.” There is no Halacha that requires a public recitation of “Hanosein Teshua La’Melachim.”
If such an insignificant piece of news hit the headlines I guess we can take that as a sign that nothing major is going on in America right now.
Inquiring minds would like to know the point of the inquires’ inquiry.
Are you looking to poke fun of the paper? It certainly looks like it.
Do you like it when others look for opportunities to criticise you publicly?
In regards to the white house disclaimer, there are many other websites that have “photoshopped” the picture for their political means, without issue. So what gives?
Please…
Here is a list of sites that also modified the image in question:
Removed almost everyone except the Secy of State:
http://202.58.40.60/elements/img/article/638×359/skynews_608360.jpg (Skynews – Australia)
Removed the Vice President:
http://www.katu.com/news/national/121158569.html
Removed the Director for Counterterrorism:
http://images.watoday.com.au/2011/05/03/2340024/729-obama-room-420×0.jpg
Removed everyone except the Director of Counterterrorism:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/05/05/article-1383959-0BE77AA700000578-835_306x423.jpg
Added comments to the image:
http://www.shortarmguy.com/binladentoons1.jpg
In each case, the reason for cropping the picture is related to editorial decision making. While you (and I) may not agree with the editorial policies of the newspaper in question, it is easily defended.
Give it a couple of days and many more modified versions of this image will appear.
ive spoken with chassidic viewpoints that say that male communities need to be sterilized of influence but it is foolish you cant have both parties of being informed and relevant and doing diolugue and then to marginalize and to obfuscate and to hide like a little boy IT IS VERY IMMATURE and denigrates chassidism IN short a complete chillul hashem and of toras habaal shem tov
“If such an insignificant piece of news hit the headlines I guess we can take that as a sign that nothing major is going on in America right now.”
Nothing major that the MSM wants you to know.
Has Der Zeitung printed the correct photo to show how sorry they really are?
I doubt they say a tefilah for the US Government
to #6 dullradiance,
None of the cropping was as bad, from a journalistic point of view, as what Der Zeitung did. Maybe the last one you listed, but that’s satire, so it’s in a different boat.
“Because of laws of modesty, we are not allowed to publish pictures of women”
Someone please tell me where in Halacha it says we are not ALLOWED to publish pictures of women. People seriously need to learn some halacha and not get caught up in all these precautions which they assume to be halacha, its just not right!
12, they have standards so leave them alone! give them credit they deserve.
I dont know what the issue is anyway because the picture was a LIE! They were not watching it live. Ponetta told that to the press but only the brits had the guts to print it!
FIRESTORM?????
I follow a good many goyish news sites, and they find this “controversy” to either be lacking in newsworthiness (i.e. they don’t cover it) or more of a human interest story (as in “what are these old fashioned people doing now?). It seems the only controversy involves secular Jews, who really aren’t that important (and all bigots anyways, so who cares).
Newsie 123
This is what the statement says…
“In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women”
How can you change it to fit your own agenda and put it in quotes as if you are merely quoting their statement?
No. 14 writes, in part: “It seems the only controversy involves secular Jews, who really aren’t that important (and all bigots anyways, so who cares).”
Did you really mean to say that all secular Jews are bigots? If so, that is about as sensible as saying that all frum Jews have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Such a statement, in part, is a breach of the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael.
This writer was present in the shul of Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L when he recited this tefillo in the 1970s. At that time President Nixon was convicted by the media IMMEDIATELY in the aftermath of the Watergate situation. In order to show support for the President, he organized a letter writing campaign and allowed his name to be used in newspaper ads. During this period, he also PERSONALLY rose before Musaf on Shabbos and said this tefillo.
Yawn!
No. 17: Are you saying that the tefillo does not work, because it did not help Nixon avoid his disgraceful mistakes?
MDG, who cares about “a journalistic point of view”? All that matters is a Torah point of view.
The tefillah “hanosen teshua lamlochim” was printed in siddurim, and said in the big shuls, only for the benefit of the government spies. It was NEVER said in the small shuls where there were no informers, and everyone used to know that.
The fact that the Jewish community fails to see the danger in altering history as it happens speaks poorly of the integrity you hold your media outlets to. To literally take our Secretary of State out of the photo, is not irresponsible, it discredits any account of history taken by people with this same philosophy on women. This shows an extremism that is dangerous across all faiths. Whatever you point of view on women, the paper has altered history, the photograph is a lie, and the paper is nothing more than a joke written by delusional individuals.
yashrus, check the 4th paragraph, i might have missed it if it stated it differently somewhere else let me know! i just think its crazy that they say they are not allowed to post pics of women, what do you think?
#22, you are correct, it is crazy . . . and it has nothing to do with halacha, either, despite what they say.