Comments on: This Sunday in Jerusalem…. http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/ A Journal of Jewish Thought and Opinion Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:30:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ahron http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77409 Ahron Sun, 28 Jan 2007 06:54:18 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77409 ><i>"First of all, the UN is salving its conscience as a home and residue for anti Semitism by remembering the Holocaust-which is a typically PC thing to do-cry over dead Jews, but bash live Jews and Israel."</i> The UN doesn't only cry over dead Jews (these days it resists doing even that)--it cries over the dead victims of all manner of manmade massacre and murder as it facilitates or produces the conditions that lead to more victims at the very same time. Happy political symbolism aside (e.g. "Oh! All of humanity weeps over the Holocaust!..." etc. etc.) the UN's "Holocaust Day" is an item of logical deception and moral parody. It is of no greater moral worth than a Jewish Persecution Memorial Day sponsored by Saudi Arabia or the former USSR. >“First of all, the UN is salving its conscience as a home and residue for anti Semitism by remembering the Holocaust-which is a typically PC thing to do-cry over dead Jews, but bash live Jews and Israel.”

The UN doesn’t only cry over dead Jews (these days it resists doing even that)–it cries over the dead victims of all manner of manmade massacre and murder as it facilitates or produces the conditions that lead to more victims at the very same time. Happy political symbolism aside (e.g. “Oh! All of humanity weeps over the Holocaust!…” etc. etc.) the UN’s “Holocaust Day” is an item of logical deception and moral parody. It is of no greater moral worth than a Jewish Persecution Memorial Day sponsored by Saudi Arabia or the former USSR.

]]> By: Steve Brizel http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77403 Steve Brizel Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:51:16 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77403 I think that as a community, despite that noone has the abilities of a R Elazar Ben Kalir as a Paytan, that we should start by reciting the kinos that were composed by R Schwalb ZTL and other Gdolim as part of incorporating the Shoah into the Jewish historical view of Tisha Bav. FWIW, Yom HaShoah strikes me as wholly secular and dismissive of spiritual resistance. As long as it sponsored on that day and rooted in the secular themes that mark it, it will never and should not be marked in the Torah world as having any significance. We can remember and think about the events that led to the Shoah, how we as a community reacted and dealt with the events but the current format of Yom HaShoah and much of what is called Holocaust studies that emanates from Yad VaShem is an ersatz form of Judaism that cannot be a subsitute for Torah Judaism. As far as Asarah BTeves, its designation as a Yom HaKaddish HaKlali seems fine. With respect to the UN designated day, I have major reservations. First of all, the UN is salving its conscience as a home and residue for anti Semitism by remembering the Holocaust-which is a typically PC thing to do-cry over dead Jews, but bash live Jews and Israel. WADR, it would be a mockery for the survivors and their descendants to rmemember the Holocaust on a day sponsored by an organization that seemingly lives to perpetrate anti Semitism more than anything else in its organizational routine. I think that as a community, despite that noone has the abilities of a R Elazar Ben Kalir as a Paytan, that we should start by reciting the kinos that were composed by R Schwalb ZTL and other Gdolim as part of incorporating the Shoah into the Jewish historical view of Tisha Bav. FWIW, Yom HaShoah strikes me as wholly secular and dismissive of spiritual resistance. As long as it sponsored on that day and rooted in the secular themes that mark it, it will never and should not be marked in the Torah world as having any significance. We can remember and think about the events that led to the Shoah, how we as a community reacted and dealt with the events but the current format of Yom HaShoah and much of what is called Holocaust studies that emanates from Yad VaShem is an ersatz form of Judaism that cannot be a subsitute for Torah Judaism. As far as Asarah BTeves, its designation as a Yom HaKaddish HaKlali seems fine.

With respect to the UN designated day, I have major reservations. First of all, the UN is salving its conscience as a home and residue for anti Semitism by remembering the Holocaust-which is a typically PC thing to do-cry over dead Jews, but bash live Jews and Israel. WADR, it would be a mockery for the survivors and their descendants to rmemember the Holocaust on a day sponsored by an organization that seemingly lives to perpetrate anti Semitism more than anything else in its organizational routine.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77388 Sarah Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:35:35 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77388 I believe Rav Lau was 5 when liberated from Buchenwald, and his brother was 17 or 18. Otherwise, good article. I believe Rav Lau was 5 when liberated from Buchenwald, and his brother was 17 or 18. Otherwise, good article.

]]> By: Toby Katz http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77238 Toby Katz Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:33:47 +0000 http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/01/26/this-sunday-in-jerusalem/#comment-77238 Maybe you can quote two or three of these prefaces to give us the flavor? Maybe you can quote two or three of these prefaces to give us the flavor?

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