Overheard at the Asifa Protest: Quotes, Moments, & Vignettes
Shulem Deen2012ReportsNews & Media
Photo: Mo Gelber
Yesterday, several hundred of us gathered outside Citifield to protest the misplaced priorities of the Charedi world. While sexual abuse cover-ups are rampant, mandatory educational guidelines are routinely ignored, and suppression of individuality and freedom of choice continues unabated, the Charedi world gathered to declare the evils of free and unhindered access to knowledge and information. We, in response, took a stand.
Reactions to our protest from the Charedi crowds were mixed, ranging from open hostility to curiosity to whispered messages of support. The following are some of the moments recounted by some of the protest participants. Some are funny, some are heartwarming, some are maddening. The worst are those highlighing the sheer amount of denial and misinformation reverberating through the Charedi echo chamber.
CHOICE QUOTES
From “Pinny the Wooh”: On being molested, someone said: “Come on, admit it you enjoyed it.” Another said, “You left that community a long time ago. Why do you still care?”
From Sue D.: “You’re continuing what they did in Auschwitz.”
From Ari Mandel: “It’s not your kids, why do you care?” (Multiple people said that.)
From Rachel Horowitz: Negative moment: A man yelled at us, “Anti-semites! Hitler!”
Positive moment: A 12-year-old boy approached us alone, from the back fence, to tell us, “I support your cause. I support the victims.”
From Mo G.: The worst moment: A car full of Hasidim pulled up and told a girl she was too ugly to be molested.
The best moment: A Hasid who was sympathetic and told the group that he felt their pain and wished the community did more to help prevent child abuse.
From Eli Mandel: One group of Chasidim came up to me, and the bravest of the lot said, “These are all the losers you were able to get together? Nu, k’lal yisruel is still in good shape.”
From Chav L.: A car of men passing by yelled,”Hitler!”
From Izzy L.: I just had someone on the Monsey bus tell me that all those who attended the counter rally are drug users or drug dealers.
Name Withheld: “Dich hut men molestet?! Bist aflile nisht shein.” (You were molested?! You’re not even pretty.)
From David K.: A bochur from Long Beach said to me: “Abuse doesn’t happen in our yeshiva.”
STORIES AND MOMENTS
Sol F., 22, Brooklyn:
One guy said “I thought you were out there hocking a leben (living it up). This is what you’re doing?”
Another said, “There are places to go. Get help and then forget about it. Move on.”
A man who was so proud that he knew my last name insisted that it was impossible that I was molested because his boys went to cheder with me. When someone asked him how he knew, he said that he had discussed it with me and I had told him that I’d never been abused. I’ve never had a conversation with the man.
All of those assumptions and speculations about whether I was abused or not came because my poster said, “The Internet Never Molested Me”.
*
After the counter-rally had mostly ended, my friends and I walked towards the subway with some signs. We kept chanting: “Ask your parents what a molester means!” There were the usual Chasidish comebacks, “foy”, “shkutzim”, “chillul hashem”, etc. But then this one young boy, without pause, yelled back with just as much passion as us: “Ask your mother what gehenom [hell] means!”
Libby Pollack:
A sweet moment was seeing a Chasid blow us a kiss from the other side.
Funniest, most classic moment: a Chasid passing in a van gave us the “thumb finger.” (Chasidim know this as a “fig” or a “feig.”)
A Chasid giving a 'feig.' Photo: Mo Gelber
Best moment: when I asked a modernish guy which way to Citifield from the train station, and he replied, “It’s not for women, it’s not for women, you’re in the wrong place…” He repeated it several times, and I was, like, “I know where I’m going, mister…”
“Pinnie the Wooh,” 35, The Shtetl:
Longing for denial:
With every abuse story I mentioned, this Lutvak kept on saying, “B.S. It never happened.”
Finally, I said: “You do realize the Holocaust is a myth, right?”
Lutvak: “What, are you crazy? Six million people died.”
Me: “B.S., it never happened.”
Lutvak: “There are pictures to prove it.”
Me: “It’s all PhotoShop-ed. B.S., it never happened.”
Lutvak: “But everyone knows the Holocaust happened.”
Me: “But everyone knows that child abuse happens and gets covered up in the community.”
Lutvak: “I’m willing to agree the Holocaust never happened as long as you agree that child abuse doesn’t happen in the Orthodox world.”
*
A passerby, whom I recognized, said to someone with him: “Nem nish kein tzetel fin dai goy.” (Don’t take a flyer from this non-Jew.)
Me: “Mendy, ich hub gelerent mit dir in yeshiva.” (Mendy, we went to yeshiva together.)
Mendy: Oy, antchuldigt. Chub gurnisht gemeint. (Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean anything.)
*
Here’s my most positive moment of the night…
As the crowd was leaving, some of us gathered at the subway entrance and displayed our signs. The crowds had no choice but to see and hear our message.
As we left, this Chasidic guy followed us and quietly approached Joel Engelman and said, “I need to talk to you” and asked for his phone number. Then he quickly left, obviously hoping that no one noticed the quick exchange.
(Note to those of you who are not aware: Joel Engelman is a survivor and advocate against child sexual abuse.)
*
While handing out pamphlets, I handed one to my first cousin from Williamsburg. He didn’t even recognize me. He just took it and said, “Thank You, Sir”.
*
Three Jews, Three Views:
While handing out pamphlets, I approached three Chassidim. They refused to take a flyer unless I first told them what it was about. I told them it’s an explanation for why this asifa is so vital to the community’s cover up of child sexual abuse.
The first Chasid started scolding me, to the point of almost jumping me: “How dare you fabricate lies? Stuff like that doesn’t happen in our community.”
The second Chasid, in a calmer tone, yet still quite unnerved, said, “I wouldn’t deny that it happens here and there… but this venue is not the place or time to make an issue about it.”
The third Chasid got quite upset at the other two and started yelling at them: “You guys are both in denial and choose to stick your heads in the sand. It’s a major problem our community. We should be the ones doing what this kid id doing. Right here right now! Be happy someone is doing it.”
It was then that a civil conversation between the four of us began. I was quite impressed at sudden willingness of all of them to approach the issue somewhat more open-mindedly.
*
Because You’re Satmar
This Chasid only wanted to know how I was raised. I finally told him Satmar.
“Ah, that explains it!”
I asked him, “What Chassidus are you?”
Proudly, he said, “Belz.”
I said, “We come from all Orthodox denominations. If you only walk with me to the end of the block, perhaps you can do some kiruv on your own people, just the Belz portion of the crowd.”
“Ahhm, it’s late. I gotta catch Mincha.” Suddenly he was in a hurry.
*
Hasidic guy comes over to the rally: “What are you protesting?”
Someone explains: “Almost 3 million dollars was spent on an internet rally while zero is being spent on child sex abuse.”
Hasidic guy comes up with the brain storm logic: “The community is very poor. The Rabbis need to raise funds and spend money to arrange an event for the community. Being that you guys all have money, there’s no need to spend money on your cause.”
Someone: “Where do we have money from?”
Hassidic guy: “You guys all rob anything and everything.”
Chanie Friedman, 34, Monsey; Protest Organizer:
Positive moment: two passersby, typical American teenage boys, stopped to ask what we were doing. We explained what we were protesting, they asked questions, thanked us and walked away only to turn around, ask for signs, and join us for a while. They obviously had zero connection to the community, they were shocked that this is going on in the communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews they have seen around New York City, and their desire to stand with us and support our cause was inspiring.
Avi B.:
In conversation with a young Chasid [about the problems with the Internet], he asked me if I watch porn.
Me: “Sure, I do.”
Him: “It doesn’t make you happy, though.”
Me: “Happy? Maybe not, but I enjoy it.”
Him: “But do you enjoy it like a blatt gemara?”
Me: “I enjoy porn a lot more than I ever enjoyed gemara.”
Him: “But you don’t really enjoy it, do you? Do you feel good afterwards?”
Me: “Uh… I usually feel pretty satisfied when I’m done.”
Him: “Well, you’re different than most people.”
Zelda Deutsch:
We had just finished an argument with a very rude Chasid, when a young man approached us. He looked like a typical frum guy from Williamsburg, probably in his late 20’s.
“What are you protesting?” he asked.
We told him we’re here to let people know that they need to protect their children, to spread the message about child abuse, and that this needs to be a priority.
He said, “I’m with you 100%.” Then he started talking about his brother-in-law, who was married with children but can’t cope with life because he was abused as a child. The words were just spilling out, it seemed like he had bottled it all up and was grateful to be able to share his story without being judged. Then he said that he’s curious to talk to people who have left and moved on with their lives.
I actually discouraged him and said that if he’s happily married and comfortable with his life, he might not want to delve into that world. If he’s interested though, I told him to call Footsteps. He had never heard of it. [My sister] said “Footstepsorg.org.”
“The internet?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. No access to information, he’s a defeated man, the odds stacked way against him.
As we walked away, [my son] said “Mommy, you see, not all of them are bad.”
Dan T.:
One frum man in a car was ogling an 11 year old girl in our rally. One of our members shouted to him, “What you’re doing is exactly the problem we are talking about.” The person in the car rolled up the window (tinted) after hearing this.
Also, a few Chasidim flipped their middle fingers at the same said girl.
Eli Mandel, 27, Cleveland, OH:
Many people asked, “Were you molested?” As if to say that if I wasn’t, what was I protesting about? I found that to be so callous.
When I told one person that I was, he said, “Tell me who did it, I’ll break his legs.”
Me: “I don’t want you to break his legs, I want the system to change, I want his menahel to stop protecting him, I don’t want him shuffled around to different yeshivos every time he’s caught.”
Him: “Why don’t you go to the police? It doesn’t look like you’re embarrassed or scared.”
At this point his friend jumped in and started defending me by saying that it’s not easy to face these things and that the statute of limitations might have passed.
I just find it sad that I had to say that I was molested before I could have a conversation with the guy. And then, his first reaction was that we should be taking care of this internally. Fact: we don’t break perpetrators’ legs. Instead, we bully victims. Breaking a child molester’s legs doesn’t cure him. Going to jail, receiving treatment, and being registered as a sex offender does [address the problem] somewhat.
42 Responses
by the way, footsteps has a phone number 212-253-0890
According to most of the nutheads at the asifa, only those of us who have been molested are allowed to protest. In that case, only those Chasidim who’ve been corrupted by the internet should have attended the asifa. So why were all those rabbis there?
people kept asking me if im going i said hell no .. i dont believe the asifa is important or will help .. and im right.. people need self restraint and take responsibility for themselves if you cant then a filter wont help … luzer.. i love your responses always to the point cousin we think alike
http://marranochassid.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/found-on-a-note-flying-out-of-citifield/
i wish i would have gone with you to protest. Our community doesn’t need an asifa against the internet. My best friend was molested and nobody did anything. My brother was molested by his teacher in yeshiva and the school tried to get my mother to shut up. My mother called the cops. They want to hide everything that portrays the community in a bad light. Ignore it and it doesn’t happen. I’m calling them out- BULL SHIT! somebody needs to do something.
Hi Shulem Deen
I met you after the asifa and you told me to contact you. I knew your father ztl. Reb Dovid Deen. I’m the extreme right wing Jewish activist since I was 13. I am a zeida already but still a proud Jew. To those who were molested or abused by parents or teachers don’t carry your chip forever. You need to use your negative experiences as a stepping stone not a stumbling block. I told you last night growing up in the seventies I saw tons of antisemitic attacks by Italions and blacks. I hated goyim and I enjoyed when goyim suffered and if a goy looked at me the wrong way I cursed him to his face either calling him a whop or a nigger. You can imagine my hatred to goyim. Later I met great Rabbis like avigdor Miller wjo thought me goyim are G-ds creation and serve a purpose and some become Yidden. I realized I must be bad to the bad and good to the good. Yes there are good Jews and some problamatic ones. But don’t ruin your life because of some bad apple that hurt you. Your father was a tzaddik who I remember teaching gemorah to beginners. You Shulem are still young and could turn your life around. Don’t waste it. From a Jew who met you after the asifa. Heshy friedman. You may recall I had a blog called Jpac. Here is my e mail for al you chevra that want to talk or scream at me. Heshyfriedman@aol.com
Mr Friedman, perhaps this could have all been written to him in a private email? You frum ppl may be well meaning, but extremely insensitive.
I walked passed you guys twice but I didn’t have the courage to come up to you and say that I support your cause and that I’m fully with you. Maybe if I would’ve known it’ll be posted on unpious, I would’ve mustered up the courage. Well, maybe next time…
Dovid – ignore Heshy. He’s a walking chillul hashem..
He’s a racist, a lunatic, and loves to rant about how it’s gay people who have caused every problem the community has.
Heshy – you’re twisted and sick.
You defend those who rape children. you blame the devastated victims,who are you protecting?
Why so obsessed with blaming everything on goyim or gay people?
Walking, talking, stinking chillul hashem.
The chilul H is made by those that spit on the Torah. It was 4100 years ago the Almighty destroyed the world because men married men and men married animals legally. You can laugh but we see how America is falling apart fast. Time to wake up and realize our purpose in life is not smoking weed and blaming everyone else for our shortcomings. Go back to yeshiva or try Aish hatorah or local shiurim. Make your families proud again. Life always offers another chance.
Please join us tonight at 7:30 for the NY Premiere of Standing Silent – specifically on the topic of the covering up of sexual abuse in the Orthodox community.
http://www.jccfilm.org
Please spread the word and join the conversation.
Dear Heshy Friedman,
The issue is not child molestation. Reasonable people know that a great majority of the asifa goers are not child molesters. The issue is that a guy like Moishe turner was allowed to do his molesting for at least 35 years. V’ein poitze
peh imetzaftzef. I know this because i was his victim. How many children has he messed with in 35 years?
Or what about melamdim such as y. kolko who was protected by the internet bashers. For years.
Its the utter hypocricy of this community that causes a light bulb to go on in our collective heads.
Maybe when one of these melamdim grab your little einikel yoily and take your little innocent einikel into a boiler room
Pull down his pants and thrust his member in your little einikel yoily’s tushy, and rock back and forth much in same manner as when he says Hoidy friday night mit de nasse peios. Maybe then Mr. Friedman, just maybe ‘et es deer pass’n to come by this board and apologize.
I feel bad that I did not see the counter rally advertised before :(. I would have loved to come.
Just bought my tickets for “standing silent.” can’t wait, but i didn’t know about it until now (being off facebook may have something to do with it.) but spread the word, people!
I was at the Assifa. Would have rather been with you guys. Chazak V’ematz
mr friedman,
i would suggest you leave kiruv and tochacha to those who actually know what they are doing
btw, telling someone who has been abused and then failed by the system and the community to, “just get over it” is not a solution
and do you honestly think that everyone here spends their days smoking pot?
dont you believe that those who hurt kids and those who protect them are the ones who are spitting on the torah?
have a little compassion…it goes a long way
The reason there is child molestation is because all of you protesters did not protest gay marriage last year. Now you cry about feigelach attacks. When schools are being forced to teach gay deathstyles no wonder attacks are up. You are the cause for your own attacks. Thirty years ago we tried to stop gay rights. Thanks to the sick liberals gay attacks on kids is up. Vote out the liberal skunks causing the problem.
The only people in denial are the drop out nut cases who are denying God.
Anonymous2
Dropouts are society’s failures. If you call them nutcases that is a reflection of your attitude. Hateful. Vindicative. Dropouts who reinvent themselves after being regurgitated by your intolerance, are far more real as people than you can ever hope to be.
As the Kotzker said to a kofer “I also don’t believe in the god you deny”, I say to you “I deny the god in whom you believe”.
Heshy Friedman-
Not that I place any great hopes in reaching you- an admitted fanatic since age thirteen, but eh, I just ate supper and
have a moment. First i’d like to address the simplistic Avigdor miller ‘non racist’ attitude you lay claim to:
Not true! Miller is incredibly racist. Listen to yourself; the reason a goy can exist is for the fact that he/she might one day become jewish. In other words, were it not for that, zull’n ze alle gein peiger’n.. correct? Furthurmore, I have studied R’ Millers books, tapes, etc. and he clearly states that the goyim are “like the scenery” and we are the “actors”… whose only purpose is to serve us.
Totally racist. Totally infantile. Avigdor Miller rips into historical figures such as Josephus and whomever else he cannot fit into his recunstuctive narrative. But like Winston Churchill once said; a fanatic is someone who won’t change their mind- and won’t change the subject….
Look at you! After one or two posts on this board your’e foaming at the mouth. Hysterical!
Is your response to any of the concerns raised here really “that its the people on this board who wer’nt even born 35 years ago, that it’s somehow their fault? Are you listening? To yourself?
Nebech.
i am so proud of all you protesters against the asifa. good for you for speaking up for the victimized in the community. so many are afraid to speak for themselves. only when all can speak up will the practice of shunning those who tell the truth will end. i work with many formerly frum who would still be frum if they had not been abused and told to ignore it. how can they trust their world if they can be victimized as children and they are punished while their abusers get fund raisers? it helps all jews when children are cherished and defended, criminals are brought to justice and abusive behavior is not tolerated in the community.
It’s time for “Frum Against Abuse”. (FAB?)
I propose: Keeping Quiet Hurts.
Check out my poster design as a way to raise awareness for child abuse in the Jewish community.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=102398129901634&set=a.102385446569569.2516.100003943412371&type=3&theater
I have met many baalei tsuvah as well as converts black and white,who became frum or Jewish as a result of Rabbi Millers teachings. If anyone is a racist and a bigot its the secular Jew. The hate of chareidim is evident on all the secular anti frum blogs. True Torah Jews are more forgiving than secularists. We believe H created one man 5772 years ago and all mankind came from him. You secularists believe man came from animals. Then why don’t you call police when your cousin ape is being experimented and killed by scientist.
I was one of the chasidic men who walked past you ignoring you on the way to the asifa. I couldn’t stop to talk to you as I was with a group of friends. I just want to let you all know that walking past you I was very proud of you and if only I could’ve I would’ve approached you to tell you that and to cheer you on. If it makes a difference to you i’d like you to know that there are alot of chasidim who stand with you in mind and soul but don’t dare show it in the open.
” If it makes a difference to you i’d like you to know that there are alot of chasidim who stand with you in mind and soul but don’t dare show it in the open.”
Wow. Bravo to Unpious, Bravo.
Heshy,
Do you think that heterosexual child molestation is caused because we allow heterosexual marriage?
Also, do you hate male on male pedophiles only because they’re gay?
So, male on female pedophilia, you ok with that?
And do you really hate gays only because of pedophilia?
Richard
I hate gays because the Creator hates their behavior. Is everyone who dresses frum really the same inside. Of course not. You can go to shul and see for yourself. Those that put an effort to learn and understand the meaning of tfillah,enjoy davening. The others who don’t know what their mumbling do it by rote and habit and of course have no problem talking or texting during davening. The effort one puts in and trains himseldf is the results he will reap. When you daven you are taking to H but when you learn Torah,H is talking to you. Today there are so many opportunities to learn through the translations of the various books in english,yiddish etc but there also remains equal amount of distractions. This is all part of maintaining free will. In every generation there is a balance in order for a person to have free choice. Our job in this world is to polish up our neshomas. By staining them we only hurt ourselves. The greatest revenge is success. Some people become dropouts and decide to live a homless lifestyle thinking they will get even with their tormenters. If they would instead become a success that would be the greatest revenge. Look at Joseph how even though he was abused by his brothers, he kept his faith and they came to bow to him as the second in command of the Egyptian empire. These examples in the Torah are not merely stories,but lessons to take to heart and learn from them.
I’m somewhat heartened by the supportive comments posted here by Haredim, this one in particular:
“If it makes a difference to you i’d like you to know that there are alot of chasidim who stand with you in mind and soul but don’t dare show it in the open.”
I don’t think Orthodoxy is salvageable at this point, but it’s encouraging to read that not everyone in that world is in complete denial.
To those of you who are trying to reason with Heshy – please don’t waste your time. He’s clinically insane.
I will not “Heshy Friedman” bash, save and except to say that he is indicative of the mindset of the upper echelon of orthodoxy and the mindless dogma they spout. How very woefully ignorant.
The purpose of the asifa is to stifle information about the world outside orthodoxy. The rabbis live in fear of knowledge. To a mind denied the basics, a little knowledge is a powerful addiction. Once knowledge is attained the sham and pretension of the UO lifestyle becomes apparent, then the formerly frum choose to enter the real world. What do most find there? The truth. The truth, not of their ravs or gedolim, no the real truth. Not as Heshy would have you believe. Heshy is in the business of keeping minds captive and working for the good of the collective.
The second and more important point is that this asifa was bought and paid for by those that want to keep their brethren in the fold, and not outed to the world for the deranged child molesters that they are. They do not want the truth to be told. There is no homosexuality in child molestation. It is borne of a highly immature sexuality. The self-same sexuality that is encouraged by the “OTD” lifestyle that denies the very existence of the paedophile in the UO community. The thousands, if not millions, wasted on this congregation of the already converted could have been spent to heal the myriad of victims in the community. Instead, the rabbonim have sealed their destinies to rot in hell for not just ignoring the problem, but alienating the victims, if not outrightly excommunicating them.
Next time one of the organizers daven, may they ask Hashem for forgiveness for not extending a helping hand to the victim and embracing the wrongdoer.
“I don’t think Orthodoxy is salvageable at this point, but it’s encouraging to read that not everyone in that world is in complete denial.”
JDE, you’re right. On your first point.
Orthodoxy isn’t repairable. There’s no Rambam. No one with “shoulders”. No one like Abravenel who famously had a friendly dialogue with Christians even in matters of Torah interpretation…
It is becoming ever more difficult to exist as a thinking person in the orthodox community.
there’s no Baal Shem.
Did you know that the Baal Shem tovs grandson, the 2cnd generation of chassidus, rips into
the Chassidic Rabbis as CHARLATAN’S!
It’s right there in Degel Machaneh Efrayim, the last piece in parshas Noach.
The beauty of MY Judaism is that we DON’T FOLLOW BLINDLY!
Today’s Fuck ups (rabbis) want to make it seem as if the Jewish leaders are infallible.
Well guess what assholes, “infallible” is a CHRISTIAN concept. So as the good Jew I
aspire to be- I cannot continue going along with y’all on your OTD ways.
I’m not a Christian. If anyone is OTD then it’s YOU RABBIS.
Moses? Fallible. Aharon the high priest? Fallible.
But as soo as you start talking about the fallibility of those rabbis “closer to home” ….it’s heresy.
Start talking about MAHARALS major mistake in a pasuk Chumash and you become a heretic.
Start talking about r’ Yosef Engels missing an open pasuk and you’re labeled a ‘meen’
NO GUYS, I’m not OTD.
YOU RABBIS ARE.
>I will not “Heshy Friedman” bash, save and except to say that he is indicative of the mindset of the upper echelon of orthodoxy and the mindless dogma they spout. How very woefully ignorant.
I have my objections to Orthodoxy, but please don’t mention Heshy Friedman and “upper echelon” in the same breath.
Despite their shortcomings, the “upper echelon” has done a world of torah, avodah and gmilluth hasadim.
Heshy is just a “baal habos” who shows up everywhere and talks.
No on thinks for one minute that you are worried for victims… (Not that there are no victims in the heimishe community) But you guys are just miserable human beings, who look for someone to blame your miserable life…We all know what we need to do to abusers and alot is being done by the heimish rabunim…And no, they wont inform you of all, and sorry that no one belives you, because someone who doesnt belive in HASHEM is NOT a trusted person… keep on the bashing no one anyways cares………….
“Mark” Mmmmark! Oy ribboine shel oilem a goyishe name?
don’t you know that yetzias mitzrayim was for three things,
sheloi shinee es sh’mum being the first…
Once you start compromising its a slippery slope.
Please, do it for your soul. I implore you.
Think to yourself “how does it come to me, a chassidishe
yingermaan, to pick a name like…” (ich ken es-afile nish arosebrengen offen mole).
Even for a joke its not allowed. Soon you can start making jokes about bigger things….
De rebbe z’l is rolling in his grave. For a “mark” we did’nt have to be saved from
auschwitz…
MARK!!
“But you guys are just miserable human beings, who look for someone to blame your miserable life…We all know what we need to do to abusers and alot is being done by the heimish rabunim…”
Oh Ye! Alot is being done. Alot of pushing under the carpet!!!
“…and sorry that no one belives you, because someone who doesnt belive in HASHEM is NOT a trusted person… keep on the bashing no one anyways cares………….”
I was a ehrliche Chasidishe veibal when no one believed me!! When I was told I am imagining things! When the grand Rabbi told me not to tell anyone we spoke to him about it. That is THE reason I am not that ehriche Chasidishe veibel anymore!
If this is what yidishkeit is ALL about (Protecting the good name of the chasidishe dynasty) then I don’t want to be a part of it!
I wonder what you will say when you walk into a room and see your neighbor/brother/friend whoever is raping your child?!?!?!
We’ll talk then.
Heshy Friedman on May 22, 2012 at 4:39 pm
So you’re suggesting that people were molested 30 or 40 years ago because some individuals didn’t protest against Gay marriage last year?
Do you realize you shouldn’t be reading this site or posting here anymore? Where’s your yiras shamayim and daas toirah? Aren’t you aware that Rabbi Paysach Krohn has stated that anyone using the internet to visit unapproved sites should be put in cherem?
We will be protesting the gay nyc parade on June 24. Will be there to speak the Torah truth.
Heshy, you’re psychotic. You wouldn’t recognize “truth” if it walked up to you and introduced itself. I’d feel compassion, but you’re such a shtick drek that I find it impossible.
The kindest thing you could have done for humanity would have been to kill yourself before you reproduced. Unfortunately, it’s too late.
Years ago I read the story of Esther Frumkin- ex rebbetzin who helped to found the anti-religious Soviet Yevsetskia. I couldn’t understand how a Jewish woman could get so angry as to turn against her own people. I understand now- after reading Jewish blogs and took my head out from where the sun don’t shine. I wish Shulem and others would discover Modern Orthodoxy even though you were taught years ago that MO is treife, please don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!
@spaedout BT: I wish Shulem and others would discover Modern Orthodoxy even though you were taught years ago that MO is treife, please don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!
Apart from a few pockets of Left Wing Modern Orthodoxy, MO no longer exists. The Right Wingers are Haredi in all but name, and the “Centrists” are Haredi Lite.
Furthermore, it isn’t your place to tell these people what to believe or how to live. It’s really none of your business.
To the protestors: you are my heroes. To all the haters out there: You need to be mindful of Martin Niemoller’s apt words “And then they came for the Jews. And I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. And then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Hesy – you’re a fruit loop. And you’d be doing all of us a favor by crawling back into that expired cereal box where from you evolved. (Or didn’t more to the point).
FYI – I’m not Jewish but stumbled across this blog after reading Deborah Feldman’s book. I’m from Toronto originally which has a very large ultra Orthodox community and am very familiar with its customs. As a mother now many years later living in Perth, Australia, I’m teaching my kids all about the different cultures which abound in the wide world. It’s proving a challenge though – every time we drive up to the kosher adjacent to the largest shul in Perth to buy bagels (decent ones being in short supply in our ‘hood), they’re always so curious about the frum people shopping alongside us. Im known as the goy lady from Toronto who buys 8 dozen bagels at a time lol. As a side note, exclusion within the Jewish world is not unique – the major Orthodox websites here refuse to acknowledge the Reform congregation here which is sad.
Shulem – love what I’ve read so far. You write what you know. Looking forward to your upcoming book. Have you done any media in Australai?
JDE – shtick drek..hilarious! I’ll have to remember that one.