Elli Ganchrow writes:
Today's piece in the WSJ by Michael Oren is as clear a statement from Israel as you will find that Israel's patience with diplomacy and sanctions are running out. Oren points out that Israel has been warning the world about Iran for the last 20 years. "But time is dwindling and, with with each passing day, the lives of 8,000,000 Israelis grow increasingly imperiled. The window that opened 20 years ago is now almost shut." It sounds like the Israelis are either ready to act or just want the world to believe that it is ready to act. In any event, any attack is likely to occur prior to the November 6th elections in America. The next few weeks should be very interesting.
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There are two battles currently being waged by the non-Orthodox against the Orthodox for the purposes of either ensuring that Orthodox families don't move into certain neighborhoods or reducing Orthodox influence once they move into the neighborhood. The first battle is over the erection of an Eruv and is taking place in the Hamptons (after being waged in other places like Tenafly). The non-Orthodox in the Hamptons know that if they can keep an Eruv from being erected then they can keep the Orthodox from moving in. They started an organization called " Jewish People against the Eruv" and are fighting in court so that the Orthodox can erect an Eruv around the city. Of course, they claim that their interest is that government not help establish religion by allowing the Eruv to be tied to utility lines. But we all know that their position is fueled by a hatred of Orthodoxy. The second battle is being fought over the school board in Monsey. Again, this is a fight which has played out in other areas where the demographics change and the Orthodox can vote for non-public school parents to the school board. The five towns area on Long Island experienced these fights. In simple terms the public school parents (who tend to be Jewish in Monsey and in the Five Towns) claim that private school parents should not be on the school board. Yet these same parents have no problem collecting our taxes to be used toward these schools. We should pay taxes but not have a say. I guess they forgot the American Revolution's founding cry of "No taxation without representation". Why would any American not want to be represented on a board which spends so much of our hard earned tax money? The bottom line is that the battle being waged by the Non-Orthodox in each case are wasting the time and money of the community and they are unlikely to prevail in either case. If only the Jewish community could act united, instead of these unnecessary fights. What a shame!
