Hypocrisy from the Jewish Press

Not "the Jewish Press," as in, "Zionist Masonic Illuminati Conspiracy that keeps ritual murder stories off CNN," but rather, the right-wing, Orthodox partisans over at the "Jewish Press."

The JP's editors want you to know that the Forward has an anti-Orthodox bias. Bias? From Abe Cahan's former-private fiefdom? Naah. But don't just take their word for it- they have proof- one whole article.

we were troubled by a front-page article in last week’s Forward, the subheadline of which included the irrelevant information that the principal subject of the story – a prominent businessman – is Orthodox. While we hold no particular brief for the individual or his enterprise, what does concern us is that the Forward plainly strained in making a case against him, and did so with a none-too-subtle shot at Orthodoxy itself.

The article’s incendiary headline read, “Peruvian Town’s Health Goes Up in Smoke,” with the sub declaring, “Calls Rise for Orthodox N.Y. Billionaire To Pay For Pollution.” (The headline on the jump page was, “Peru Fights To Curb Plant’s Pollution.”)

Ok, so maybe the Press has a point here. That the guy is Orthodox doesn't seem to have anything to do with the story (giving his denominational affiliation would have made more sense if we knew, for instance, if the rabbi visiting him was ALSO Orthodox). On the other hand, it's only brought up twice in the article, hardly the slam the Press is making it out to be. The Press also gets into trouble by debating the facts of the piece itself, instead of keeping focused on the central issue, the relevance of the mogul's Orthodoxy. (Of course, that would mean they would have a much shorter article, and these days people get paid by the pixel.)

The Press concludes by taking a shot at the Forward:

If there's a story here, the Forward didn't present it. But it couldn't pass up a chance to take a shot at Orthodoxy.

Ouch. That's harsh. But it's also kind of ironic coming from the Press, since they just devoted an entire story to refuting a story that they claim is a non-story, and supposedly were only motivated to do so by their prized journalistic ethics after seeing the Forward smear an innocent erlicher yid. Yeah, that must be it. I'm sure there's nothing like, say, a newspaper rivalry going on here.

Incidentally, it would be a lot easier to take the Press seriously on watchdog stories like this if they hadn't run an exhaustive hit piece on Eric Yoffie (which quickly turned into a general bash of the Reform movement) the week before. See, apparently Reform rabbis have this really irritating habit of thinking they're actually rabbis...

Several weeks ago we noted how odd it was for the president of the Union for Reform Judaism to cite as his authority, in the course of an attack on Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, one of the 20th century’s leading Torah sages, Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik.

Hang on, this so-called "Rabbi" cited another Rabbi as justification for an argument? And we like the second rabbi but don't like the first rabbi, so what the hell is he doing invoking our rabbi? Get your own rabbi, "rabbi!"

Man, I bet things like this used to come up all the time when Hillel and Shammai had fights. "You can't cite Moses, I'm citing Moses! You get to have Aaron." "Why am I always Aaron?" Incidentally, for the curious, Yoffie's article about the dangers of having a state-run rabbinate (which negatively influences both institutions) can be accessed here.

the old Yiddish phrase “chazer fissel” comes to mind. Literally it means “pig’s foot” but has come to refer to a hypocrite. Kosher mammals are defined as those that have cloven hooves and chew their cud. A pig has cloven hooves but does not chew its cud; hence it is not a kosher animal. Outwardly, though, a pig gives the erroneous impression that he is of the kosher variety. Additionally, when lying on the ground a pig will typically thrust its hooves forward as if to highlight this physical attribute. Therefore, a hypocrite is described as someone who proffers his chazer fissel.

...Plainly, after more than a century and a half of rejecting halacha as a factor in Jewish life, the Reform movement now senses the need to somehow identify with the widespread resurgence of Torah learning. What’s more, after a similar period of denigrating the notion of a Jewish state, the Reform movement has come to recognize the value of harnessing Israel’s institutions as a way of securing legitimacy for Reform's revisionist version of Judaism.

What the JP is trying to say is that only Orthodox Jews (and even then, presumably only Orthodox Jews they happen to like) have any legitimate claim to Jewish history, heritage, teachings, connection to Israel, etc. Thus, rather than recognize the positive elements in Reform Judaism emphasizing Torah studies, Hebrew literacy and a connection to Israel, they instead attack Reform as hypocritical and these incorporations of tradition as mere marketing strategies designed to legitimize revisionism. Which is pretty pathetic. If the JP was a little smarter (or possessed a little more tact), they could just as easily have quietly congratulated themselves for "showing our errant cousins the way," and concluded with a backhanded kiruv compliment about how they hope "Reform Jews will come to full observance soon, with the help of Heaven, etc."

But let's face it, they aren't that smart.

News flash, guys. They don't NEED to legitimize themselves. They're established, it's a fait accompli, deal with it. At the moment, their movement is the ascendant one in America. What Reform should be concerned with is holding on to the people it has and attracting new members, people that will not come from Orthodoxy, but rather from the untapped hinterlands of the unaffiliated. In that regard, perhaps there is some merit to the claim that they want "legitimacy" (at least from the people they're trying to attract, many of whom presumably aren't looking for a U.U. group with optional yarmulkes), but the same can be said of all the movements. Everybody is constantly struggling to hold on to power and authority. Just look at the ongoing infighting within some Hasidic communities, or the bickering between the MOs and haredim in Israel.

Incidentally, where does the JP get off lecturing Reform Jews on their history of anti-Zionism? Despite what your hesder yeshiva may have taught you, 150 years ago a lot of Jews were anti-Zionist, certainly the religious organizations and seminaries, even among the Orthodox. And during the Holocaust, it was Orthodox Jews more than their Reform counterparts who suffered due to firm anti-Zionist convictions which more or less ordered the flocks to stay put in Poland where God would provide and protect rather than get the Hell out of Dodge and risk defilement in America or, God forbid, Palestine. The JP has a lot of nerve pretending that the Rav Kooks of the world were the majority opinion in Orthodoxy before the late 40s. Aren't a lot of their Brooklyn readers Holocaust survivors? I wonder how many of them can remember things like the Satmar rebbe or the Munckatcher rebbe warning their people against immigrating.

Wait, there's more? Apparently so.

they are fooling no one. As another prominent Reform leader recently acknowledged, "Far more American Jews privately express their Jewish identity through social idealism or involvement in social justice concerns than any other expression of Jewish identity – including support for Israel or Jewish rituals."

Social activism as an expression of Jewish identity? A shande! The only legitimate way to be a Jew is to light candles and read Torah, not feed the hungry or clothe the naked! Don't these Reform Jews read Prophets anymore?

Thanks very much for this demonstration of hypocrisy in action, JP. You (legitimately) slam the Forward for mentioning a guy's Orthodox links without any cause, but feel totally entitled to not only directly attack a Rabbi you disagree with, but also slander a movement comprising millions of Jews. Well, at least it was news-worthy, right? Who knows, maybe next week you'll inform us that Conservative Jews still think swordfish is kosher.