Opinion

It’s one of those great Yiddish words that defy ordinary translation. A macher. What’s a macher? A macher is a busybody, often with a great sense of self-importance. The Jewish community has always had machers. It’s machers who get things done. It’s machers who have the political connections. It’s machers who have the pull to reach the right people at the right time.

Chareidi publications in recent years have become a class act. Although the fact that they print no pictures of women may be irksome to some, they nonetheless are written with the highest degree of professionalism. It’s not just their use of language that is superb, but their thoroughness in each article is truly special.

It is said somewhere that when a talmid chacham passes, it is like the sun setting at mid-day. (See Yirmiyahu 15:9.) Rav Yaakov Ruderman zt”l, legendary founding Rosh HaYeshivah of the Ner Yisroel Rabbinical College, explained what the connection is between a premature sunset and the passing of a Torah scholar. When the sun unexpectedly sets in the middle of the day, said Rav Ruderman, people witness this unusual event and wonder with great trepidation what will be tomorrow. Will the sun rise again? How can we move on, following the departure of a Torah leader? What will the morrow bring?

It is incomprehensible. Within the space of about ten days, America has undergone two horrific mass murders. On Saturday, May 14, a white supremacist gunned down ten Black people in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Then, on Tuesday, May 24, a crazed 18-year-old Hispanic kills 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

A few years ago, I wrote an article “How Crazy Are We?” In the article, I questioned those Jews on the liberal left for constantly battling Donald Trump by nastily protesting his immigration policies and just about everything else he stood for.

I was at the Celebrate Israel Parade this past Sunday, as I’m sure many readers were. Naturally, I took quite a few pictures. My pictures include Mayor Eric Adams, who despite whatever his record as mayor might be, has always been a friend of the Jewish community. There was Curtis Sliwa, another friend, and Rudy Giuliani. I did not see Senator Charles Schumer. That’s good (although it’s possible I missed him).