Message from R’ Schonfeld: R’ Yoel Schonfeld

 We live in very confusing times. We want to fight racism, so we create racism. We teach that all whites are racists and that it is systemic. And our president is then, by definition, racist. It would be right for him to step down and yield the office to his vice president, who is whatever race and gender – one could fill in the appropriate non-racist and non-sexist boxes. We teach tolerance of all genders, but we are taught that there really is no gender separation. Being called a hypocrite is considered not an insult but a confirmation of the correctness of this skewered way of thinking.

 When the Navi Shmuel (Samuel) confronts King Saul for sparing the life of Agag, the king of Amaleik at the time, he issues a strong rebuke: “Though you are small in your own eyes, you are the head of the tribes of Israel, and Hashem anointed you to be king of Israel.” For this misplaced modesty, Saul was ultimately stripped of his kingship.

 There was a time when dog catchers played a vital role in the community. Menacing dogs had to be removed from the streets for public safety. The dog catcher was a public official who was elected to his position by the community he served.

Dear Liberal:

For me, the fun and games are over. It’s not just political scuffles anymore. It is real. I have experienced the drastic effects of liberalism firsthand. Truthfully, so have we all, as Jews and lovers of Israel. So have all people with normal values and concerns.

 I spoke with a respected staffer at the OU, who told me he was at a rally for Israel in Great Neck earlier this week that was well attended by Israel supporters, politicians, and clergy. A Reform rabbi expressed his solidarity with Israel, which truthfully was a pleasant surprise. Of course, the expected “but” followed.

 A number of years ago, my father zt”l was looking for a speaker for the shul’s Yom HaShoah program. He contacted the agent of a famous Holocaust survivor and author to see if he could get him to address the audience for the event.