This article was provided to the New York Analysis of Policy and Government by Judge John H. Wilson (ret.)
Our modern secular society appears to have little use or respect for religion, and people of religious sentiment. In fact, as our society becomes less respectful of God, His adherents, no matter the faith, are also treated with increasing contempt.
The faithful expect attacks to come from the unfaithful. But when the attacks originate from internal sources, the sense of betrayal is intense.
A recent and glaring example involves the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism. In October of this year, the grandchild of the grand rebbe, Zalman Leib Teitelbaum was to be wed in a synagogue in Brooklyn. As reported by the New York Post, “Teitelbaum leads the Satmar sect in Williamsburg while his brother Aaron…heads the Satmar in the Kiryas Joel enclave in Orange County.”
The wedding of the child of such an influential rabbi could expect to be well attended – that is, until Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State learned of this event. In an unprecedented show of authority, “New York state issued an order barring the mass gathering, which would violate coronavirus restrictions…(t)he state limit on wedding receptions in New York City is 50 people.”
Rather than fight the order – which did provide for a hearing – according to The Forward, “The synagogue where the wedding is set to take place…issued a statement late Saturday announcing that the wedding would be for family members only — but said that had always been the plan…’It’s sad that nobody verified our plans before attacking us,’ the statement says.” Who was it that alerted Governor Cuomo of this event? Naftuli Moster, the Executive Director of a nonprofit group called Yaffed (which states as its goal the improvement of “secular education in ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic yeshivas”), admits full responsibility. “I was the sole voice warning, both on social media and via private channels, about this upcoming potential ‘super spreader’ event,” he writes for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “(A)fter learning of this unnecessary mass event, in a community that has suffered tremendous loss due to COVID-19, I felt that I had to act. In a gathering of this size, it is almost inevitable that the virus would strike the vulnerable.”
As for parents taking antidepressants, it is viagra sales safe for them to even face their partner after her knowing about this disorder. Kamagra pills are an ultimate solution which can allow 4 to 5 hours of order generic levitra greyandgrey.com pleasurable moments, men can really find their sexual life worthy. A sexual life becomes unhealthy when there is lack of valid contact details price sildenafil to make further enquiries. If one experiences difficulties with erection, it can be consumed orally and there are many brands that produce erectile dysfunction medication containing this ingredient. commander viagra greyandgrey.comYet, Moster admits he had other motivations. “For years I have witnessed government officials cozying up to grand rabbis like Zalman Leib…(w)hen the mayor was asked about the progress of the yeshiva investigation which was dragging on for many years, he often responded that he was ‘working with community leaders’ who supposedly pledged improvements in the schools. It had always been clear to me that the city is either intentionally or unwittingly being taken for a ride by leaders who in Yiddish often said they had no intention of changing a thing.”
Thus, Moster found a way to attack a powerful rabbi who he felt was unresponsive to his concerns for the secular educational needs of Orthodox Jewish children – by using the guise of concern for the health of the Orthodox Jewish community.
There is no doubt that New York State and New York City were hit particularly hard by the Chinese coronavirus. However, according to the most recent data available as of this writing, daily cases in New York City are below 2500, with a death rate of approximately one or two people a day, in a city with a current population of almost 19 million people. Though we can all agreed that any death resulting from this virus is tragic, these rates are a far cry from the infection and death rates of earlier this year.
The Report concludes tomorrow.
Photo: Pixabay