Since I blog to get my views to the public, I've been glad to have this additional forum and apparently have developed a following. That's because I can see how many people are sharing my posts via their facebook and twitter accounts. Decades ago I had a few of my articles published by the Jewish Press. That was before the internet became the main medium for news and newspapers.
I didn't grow up with the Jewish Press. It wasn't at all on my parents' news radar. When I was young we only got the New York Times, and then after moving to Great Neck my parents added Newsday to our newspaper collection.
I only first saw the Jewish Press at my in-laws. It was the only paper they got. When my father-in-law wanted to read something else he had to go to the public library. My mother-in-law didn't want a house filled with newspapers so a weekly suited her just fine. The world I read about in The Jewish Press wasn't the world I knew, but I liked some of the columns. I was amazed to recognize the names of some of my Oakland Jewish Center Hebrew School teachers who apparently had become not just Orthodox rabbis, but chareidi.
When Yanover was given the job to edit the Jewish Press Internet Edition, he gave it new life, and it was the life I agree with. Unfortunately, he got into trouble with the owners/editors, Naomi Mauer and Jerry Greenwald when he confused his opinion with the paper's by writing an editorial that got a lot of flack from the Jewish Press's traditional chareidi readers. For that he was fired, which is explained in this letter. I have no idea who's taking over the internet edition now.
In all honesty, and it's something I've blogged about many times, I think that serving in the IDF is important and a mitzvah related to defending Jews and Jewish rights in the Land of Israel. As I've said many, many times, the only way to improve the IDF and make it more Jewish, halachikly Jewish is for more Torah observant Jews to serve and even become professional officers. Standing on the outside and criticizing whether it's criticizing the State of Israel or the Israeli Defense Forces will not improve things one iota.
To be true Torah observant Jews one must engage with all aspects of Jewish Life here in the Land and State of Israel. I think that the anti-State of Israel/draft campaign the chareidim are waging is dangerous and mistaken. In the long run it endangers them, too. Whatever weakens Jewish unity weakens the entire Jewish People. In the "Al hacheit..." "because of the sins..." we recite repeatedly on Yom Kippur, we speak in the plural. We Jews are all in the same boat.
Since I value all news media willing to include my blog posts, I hope that whoever is now running the Jewish Press will continue to publish my posts. I also wish Yori Yanover good luck in his future endeavors; I appreciate all he did to promote my opinions. There are enough wars and enemies of the Jewish People that really endanger us. I don't want to get involved or be a victim of this issue.
9 comments:
I posted the original article which was censored on my own FB page. I hope Yanover finds the right vehicle for his talents. Clearly the Jewish Press is too fossilized to appreciate them.
JP must have asked fb to hide it.
Actually, the nisayon is on us...while the yetzer hara, disguising itself in all the clothing and streams of Judaism, is running around creating havoc among us, we must TRULY BE TORAH OBSERVANT JEWS and learn and practice the fine art of "silence." If you want to complain to someone, complain to HKBH. But, as long as we participate in the fracturing of our people, all we do is open the doors wider for Rome to enter and destroy us...which is what is happening. And, when we find ourselves in galut within our own already limited borders, with Esau and Ishmael ruling over us, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. Maybe then we will learn to turn to HKBH, but what a shame to need such a prod.
Jewish press adopted the open orthodox cult and infused hatred against our haredi brothers, and all the G-d fearing people. A week ago was an article really disgusting for the "price tag". I observed their articles closely for months and I am very glad to see them to do teshuvah or to disappear. So baruch Hashem for the last development.
Thanks or bringing this to light. I wondered if it was Yori. This was the second time his article was removed. But I would still like to read it. I enjoyed 'his slant' on things.
Anyone have a copy to send me?
His name is mentioned in comments on the site.
There is intolorance on both sides. Nobody's sons should be cosidered too holy to serve in the IDF. It is a great mizvah to defend Jews and the Land of Israel.
The first time I saw the Jewish Press was when I was in Hebrew School in the 1960's, when the son of a family friend, Charles Schiffman, gave me his old issues. Then my wife had told me that she followed my Memphis Rabbi's column (Thinking Aloud by Rabbi Rafael Grossman) before we got married. So as a result we are regular Jewish Press readers.
This article is making me take a walk down memory lane. I remember the serialization of the novel "The Family Y Aguilar," "I Remember When" and "Abi Gezunt," and Rebbetzin Jungreis' column, which I still read in the paper and online.
Sheldan I too enjoyed them.
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