Who Am I?

Gil Student has a humorous post on the publicity blitz due with his upcoming "500,000th hit." In it, he writes:

"A base censor, a rabbinic coward" — Shmarya, a pseudonymous blogger

In the comments to that post, an anonymous poster questions Rabbi Student:

Shmarya is a pseudonym? I thought that was his real name.

To which Rabbi Student replies:

No, I know his real name. Maybe it’s his real Hebrew name but to my knowledge that’s not what he normally goes by.

In other words, even though I use my Hebrew first name, and even though my full name and the city I live in are posted on my blog and have been since day one, I am still "pseudonymous" because I use the name I was given at my brit, and not the name on my birth certificate (which itself is found hundreds of times on this blog).

This whole issue isn’t really worth a post, and should have been dealt with by leaving a brief comment on Rabbi Student’s blog. But I can’t, because I’ve been banned by Rabbi Student from commenting, which is why I called Rabbi Student a base censor and a rabbinic coward in the first place.

That being said, congratulations to Rabbi Student on this important milestone. May you receive at least 500,000 more.

UPDATE: At the request of the anonymous commenter linked above, Rabbi Student has changed his post to read: "Scott Rosenberg, St. Paul, MN." He e-mailed me and asked for permission to do so. I responded by giving him permission to identify me (because my identity has never been a secrect), but wrote that I preferred to be identified as "Shmarya Rosenberg, FailedMessiah.com." That would be the normal way of identifying me, and would be the correct way to do so.

Rabbi Student did not do this. Why? Most likely because he refuses to mention FailedMessiah.com on his blog for fear that his readers might actually visit here. Just as Rabbi Student censors those whom he cannot answer, he censors mention of their blogs as well.

But this is not entirely Rabbi Student’s fault. His rabbis have encouraged Rabbi Student to follow this course, for it is the course they themselves follow, be it in YU’s beit midrash or in a shul in Riverdale. For you see, just as Rabbi Student censors those he cannot answer, so do his rabbis. As I have written many times, shame on them all.

Thousands Of Ethiopians Protest In Jerusalem

Even as Israel continues to promise the Falash Mura and the American Jewish community that immigration will be stepped up, the actual numbers of those brought to Israel continues to fall.

Ha’aretz and Reuters report:

Thousands of Israelis of Ethiopian origin marched in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against a delay in plans to bring their relatives to the Jewish state.

The Israeli government decided in February to double the immigration rate of the community known as the Falasha Mura, so as to bring over 20,000 people by 2007, but the number arriving in Israel has actually fallen in recent months.

"Why have they not been brought to Israel, even though the government has made the decision to do so?" said Jerry Faradam, 33, a student activist with an Ethiopian lobby group who said he had not seen some family members in 15 years.

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"The answer is that we are poor Africans, not rich Americans. We don’t have the money or clout to make it happen."

The Immigrant Absorption Ministry blamed the delay on Ethiopian elections, saying it had been impossible to finalize details sooner.

"Prime Minister (Ariel) Sharon has said he will do anything it takes to bring the Falasha Mura to Israel," a spokeswoman said. She said details would be worked out next week to allow the remaining members of the community to be brought to Israel.

Israel is home to more than 100,000 Jews of Ethiopian origin, who trace their roots to the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. The word Falasha means exiles in Ethiopia’s Amharic language.

Many Ethiopian Jews were flown to Israel in airlifts during 1984’s famine and the end of Ethiopia’s civil war in 1991.

The Falasha Mura, who were converted – sometimes forcibly – to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries, are eager to migrate to revive their Jewish roots and escape poverty.

Protesters said conditions were worsening for the Falasha Mura community waiting to leave Ethiopia.

"My aunt sold everything she had so she could come to Israel," said Getenat Awoke. "They are now stuck in Addis Ababa living in poverty with no assistance from the Israeli government."

Rubashkins’ Pollution Problem

Rubashkins’ pollution problem: Postville, Iowa; Allentown, PA.

The Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels

Sandee Brawarsky of the New York Jewish Week reviews the new book "The Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels."

Ethiopian Who Saved Jews To Be Deported – From Israel

An Ethiopian righteous gentile is up for deportation from Israel. No amount of first-hand testimony from those he has helped save seems to be sufficient for Israel’s Interior Ministry, which also claims the Ethiopian did not serve in the IDF – even though he has his IDF ID, discharge papers and the testimony of those he served with to back him up.

Rabbi Sanctioned By State Over Nursing Home Abuse

Orthodox nursing home magnet Rabbi Morris Esformes has been sanctioned by the State of Illinois. His nursing homes have been under fire for years, with abuse and negligence alleged to be rampant.

[Hat tip: JWB]

Chicken Abuse In Israel? Why Are Rabbis Silent?

Ha’aretz reports on chicken-raising in Israel:

Arik Ben Moshe, chief nutritionist at the Amir-Dagan feed mill, said the source of protein in the chicken feed is grains, feathers, and sterilized meal mead from bodies of chicken, fish and meat. After the outbreak of mad cow disease, these meals were prohibited for use in cow feed, but are still permitted in chicken feed.

The Agriculture Ministry says the use of preventive antibiotics is prohibited, and they may only be used to treat disease, with veterinary authorization.

However, at many feed mills small doses of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) are added to the meal. "AGPs are used at all feed mills, for all feeds," says Ben Moshe.

A week before slaughtering, the chickens receive a different, antibiotic-free feed, so that its residue will not be detected by tests, and won’t reach the consumer.

When they are 42 days old, the chickens are crammed into small transport containers and taken to the slaughterhouse. An Agriculture Ministry-appointed committee recommended in 2001 that the transport process be regulated because this phase is "particularly traumatic." The committee recommended minimizing the waiting time for transport, giving the chickens access to food and water while waiting, and prohibiting seizing them by the head, neck, wing or tail. The ministry has not yet approved the regulations.

Note that unnecessary cruelty, like depriving chickens of food and water while being transported to slaughter, is still not illegal in Israel. More importantly, this clear violation of biblical law is not protested by the rabbis – which is another reason not to take today’s halakhic process seriously.

Iran: Israel Must Be Wiped Off MapRussia: No Sanctions Against Iran, Syria

Iran’s president called yesterday for Israel to "wiped off the map." Russia, who is reported to be helping Iran achieve nuclear technology, is refusing to join in condemnation of Iran’s stand. Russia also is refusing to sanction Syria for its role in the assassination of Lebanon’s prime minister. As usual, Chabad’s ‘chief rabbi’ of Russia and Putin lackey Berel Lazar has been silent on his goverment’s latest actions endangering Israel the west and democracy.

UPDATE: Apparently responding to growing unease with his fawning relationship with Vladimir Putin, Chabad’s ‘chief rabbi’ of Russia has issued a statement of sorts about Iran:

Moscow, October 27, Interfax – The appeal of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to wipe Israel off the international map undermines confidence in the Iranian nuclear program, Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar said on Thursday.

"The statement by the Iranian ruler shows that elementary norms of morals and civilized co-existence are alien to him. Thus, attempts by the Tehran regime to gain access to nuclear technologies look alarming, and their claims of an allegedly peaceful nuclear program can hardly be trusted," he said.

"It seemed in recent decades that the world was close to making tolerance a fundamental principle of international relations. Alas, we can see that this is not so," he said.

Lazar hopes that "the Russian administration will take a new look at the danger and condemn the position of the Iranian administration" following this statement.

Note that all ‘chief rabbi’ Lazar calls for is for Russia to "condemn the position of the Iranian administration." He does not call for Russia to act against Iran’s nuclear program or for Russia to stop doing business with Iran. He does not call for UN sanctions or international intervention. This is a weak statement by an even weaker leader.

Haredim Riot In Jerusalem

Y-Net reports:

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men rioted Tuesday night in Jerusalem’s Shabbat Square, stoning police and injuring four officers.

One officer was taken to Shaare Zedek hospital in the capital, and four people were arrested, including three teens. Several civilians were hurt promptly treated at the scene. Several cars were also damaged in the riots.

Police believe the riot was in protest of plans to build the trans-Israel highway over ancient Jewish graves.

Following Tuesday’s Simchat Torah holiday, hundreds of people gathered in Shabbat square, in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim, and began throwing rocks and burning garbage dumpsters.

Police attempted to calm things by closing the area to traffic until about 10:00 Wednesday morning.

Police are expected to decide Wednesday whether to extend the suspects’ remand.

More On Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Scandal

The JTA has more on the scandal surrounding Ukraine’s many chief rabbis:

Yakov Dov Bleich, a U.S.-born rabbi and member of the Karlin-Stoliner Chasidic group, has been widely recognized as chief rabbi of both Kiev and Ukraine since 1992.

Bleich, 41, a pioneer of Jewish renaissance in post-Communist Ukraine, was never properly elected, yet he has shown no intention of giving up the post.

Ukrainian Jews got another chief rabbi in 2003 when Soviet-born, Brussels-based Azriel Haikin, 75, was proclaimed chief rabbi by dozens of Chabad rabbis working for the federation in Ukraine.

Those who supported Haikin’s election two years ago protested Azman’s election last month. Azman, who also is Soviet-born, is a Chabad-ordained rabbi but not a member of the federation.

A spokesman for the federation called Azman’s election “nonsense.”

It all boils down to this: Chabad bet on the pro-Putin, anti-democracy camp to win the presidential elections. Democracy won, despite Putin’s attempt to poison the leader of the pro-democracy camp. That leader – Victor Yuschenko – is now Preisdent of Ukraine. Even though Chabad supported Putin’s man, Chabad still wants special treatment from the new Ukrainian government at the expense of other Jewish groups, just like Putin gives them in Russia. Yuschenko won’t give it to them. End of story. (Almost.)

Satmar Factions Rumble In Williamsburg

Two rival Satmar factions fought in shul in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY on Simhat Torah. Police broke up the rumble before it could turn into a full-fledged riot. This is the community whose Beit Din is entrusted by NYC’s mayor to ‘investigate‘ metzitza b’peh.

UPDATE: More fighting in Williamsburg.

Fear Society

Ha’aretz has a review of Natan Sharansky’s book on democracy, which has just come out in Hebrew translation. Ha’aretz summarizes Sharansky’s thought:

According to Sharansky … the world is divided between free societies and fear societies. Fear societies … must create outside enemies to ensure the loyalty and cooperation of the masses. Hence, if the free societies want to live in a world of peace without the threat of terror hanging over them, they must turn the fear societies into free societies. Those who compromise on this suffer from a lack of moral clarity.

Sharansky’s definition of a "fear society" fits haredi society almost perfectly. If Jewish "free society" – those who seek truth over comfort and spin – is to survive, we must bring "democracy" to the haredi world. Those who compromise by covering for gedolim who act inappropriately – as in the Rabbi Slifkin Book Ban, for example – including those afraid to stand up and be publicly counted, "suffer from a lack of moral clarity." That many who suffer from this lack of moral clarity are rabbis and roshei yeshiva, including many at YU, does not bode well for the future of Judaism.

Grave Robbing Destroys Ethiopian Jewish Cemeteries

Ha’aretz has a disturbing report about the desecration of Jewish cemeteries in Ethiopia. Locals dig up Jewish bones and trade them, believing that they have the power to cure illness. They also use the land to grow crops. Locals have extorted large sums of money from Ethiopian Jews trying to protect the cemeteries and have shot at Jews trying to arrange for cemetery reconstruction. The problem has been known in diplomatic circles – including the Israeli government – for several years. Until the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel this week went public with the problem, the Israeli government apparently did nothing to try to prevent the desecrations.

The good news? The very poor Israeli Ethiopian Jewish community rasied $9 million from its own members to reconstruct and preserve the cemeteries.

Rabbi Shteinman: “Most” Gentiles “Robbers, Murderers, Theives”

Paul Shaviv has some interesting thoughts about this quote attributed to the haredi yeshiva world’s number two ‘gadol,’ Rabbi Aryeh Leib Shteinman by (the Israeli) Yated Ne’eman:

"Most of the world is evil," said Steinman, "especially the gentiles, most of whom are robbers, murderers, thieves and all the bad things. They have no justice or integrity."

Yes, my friends, God is on our side – with leaders as bad as Rabbi Shteinman, He’d better be.