-Caveat Lector-
ELECTION 2000
Lieberman excommunication making waves
Reaction to rabbinical court decision mixed among orthodox Jews
By Tom Ambrose
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
A week following the excommunication of Democratic vice
presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Lieberman by a rabbinical
court in New York, one thing is becoming clear: Reaction to
Lieberman's views among Orthodox Jews is volatile and
controversial.
Lieberman, who has been under fire from various religious groups
for his views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, is
finding himself increasingly at the center of a polarizing
dialogue within his own religious community, Orthodox Judaism.
The excommunication is the strongest statement yet in a series of
criticisms of Lieberman by Orthodox rabbis and others. The
decision by the New York Torah Court -- also known as a "beth
din" -- was handed down by three rabbis who listened to evidence
concerning Lieberman's recent statements regarding his faith.
According to a statement on the website of Jews For Morality -- a
grass-roots organization which claims to represent the views of
"tens of thousands" of Orthodox Jews in New York and elsewhere --
the reason for the excommunication was that Lieberman had caused
a "grave scandal" by desecrating God's name since, "... while
claiming to be an observant Jew, Lieberman has been
misrepresenting and falsifying to the American people the
teachings of the Torah against partial-birth infanticide, against
special privileges and preferential treatment for flaunting
homosexuals, and against religious intermarriage of Jews."
Since the announcement of the excommunication on Oct. 18 by Jews
For Morality, Gore-Lieberman campaign press officials have
remained unwilling to issue a statement regarding the decision
despite repeated requests for a response from WorldNetDaily and
other publications.
However, a public relations representative of the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Betty Ehrenberg, stated
that the "Orthodox Union is proud to have Sen. Lieberman" on its
board of directors. She went on to state that Jews For Morality
and other Jewish groups critical of Lieberman were "neither very
large nor very influential." When asked what size she thought
these organizations actually were, she admitted that she didn't
know.
Yet controversy over Lieberman's views exists even within the
Orthodox Union -- a group that promotes itself as "the world's
largest and most effective Jewish organization of its kind" and
claims to speak nationally for "1,000 synagogues." Dr. Mandell
I. Ganchrow, president of the Orthodox Union, has been cited in
recent press accounts defending Lieberman, but at the same time
has also acknowledged that he "may disagree" with Lieberman on
various issues and reportedly has made statements critical of the
senator's pronouncements on Jewish law.
But the Orthodox Union is only one voice among Jewish
organizations. In recent months, representatives of other Jewish
organizations such as the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United
States and Canada, the American Board of Rabbis and the
Republican Jewish Coalition have made strong public statements
against Lieberman's positions on matters of Jewish law.
When asked why he thought so much controversy exists within the
Orthodox Jewish community, Rabbi Yehuda Levin with Jews For
Morality speculated that many Jews are embarrassed by Lieberman's
comments but are unsure of what to think or do since he is part
of their community. He went on to acknowledge that, while there
was not a central authority that could enforce the
excommunication decision, Lieberman would not be able to hold a
place of honor in synagogues that support the rabbinical court's
action.
According to Rabbi Levin, Lieberman will now have to contemplate
his dishonor until he repents from wearing "his Judaism on his
lapel" as a way to "get himself elected."
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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