You have to love the chutzpah of the advocates of that new religion "GLOBAL WARMING".
When asked to explain the frigid weather,not only in this country but Europe their answer is -"You see that proves there is global warming,because the weather is erratic" HUH?
So if its warm,cold,wet, etc we have an explanation-sounds good, no?
==========================================================================
I never thought I would applaud the Arabs and disagree with the stand of Israel.Well there is a first,as the Arabs attracked a UN resolution on Gay rights,while Israel supported it.
===============================================================
A few days ago, I wrote that there should be consideration by Jewish organizations to merge,including the Reform-Conservative movements .Thus it was interesting to see Reform head Eric Yoffie make such a call because of the financial pressures we are witnessing.
==================================================================
On Fri Dec 12 there was an op-ed in the WSJ by Erica Schwartz entitled " Who will end the abuse?"
I have been meaning to comment on the problems she discusses,namely sexual abuse in the Orthodox community.
It is the story of Assemblyman Dov Hikind who has exposed a raw nerve regarding sexual abuse of children in the ultra-orhodox community.He has collected he says hundreds of testimonies spanning decades involving rabbis and teachers.
The problem is that he promised to keep the name of those who have come to him from the police and public.He has now been subpeoned in a civil suit.
Hikind set up a lay commission to try to handle the allegations and look for solutions.The chairman Rabbi B Twerski resigned for fear of tarnishing his reputation or put another way lack of political courage.I had the exact same event take place when I appointed a prominent Monsey Rav-Psychologist to the Lanner Commission, who dropped out for similar reasons.
At the end of the day,despite the best efforts of Hikind,and those Orthodox leaders with political will,these issues have to be handled by the police,prosecuting attorneys and the courts.
Those efforts that are confined within a closed community while they should be applauded,are doomed to failure.
The success of the Lanner Commission was because it was limited to one organization and a small group who may have known about inappropriate conduct, but failed to act.Here we are dealing to social pressures in a closed society whose population exposure is in the tens of thousands.
Dina Dmalchusa Dina-the laws of society require that we protect our young, and not allow the perps to hide behind a veil of Torah clauses.
In the end if the Torah community cooperates with the authorities-yes we may have some embarressment,but we will protect perhaps generations of young people.
