Agudath Israel of America
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
212-797 9000 / 646-254 1600-fax
To Whom This May Concern:
As you and most individuals are well aware, there was a call for a cross-communal gathering for a rally or demonstration for tomorrow – Monday April 15th, to take place in Washington D.C. A large turnout is the goal of this event, the purpose of which is to show the world as well as the U.S. Government and the Administration that Klal Yisroel is united with their brethren in Eretz Yisroel in this precarious time of grave danger, that is poised at them by our common enemies in the form of suicidal bombings and random shootings, which have taken the lives of hundreds of our Acheinu Bnei Yisroel. We all know too well that our enemies and their targeted bombs do not discriminate between the various factions in our society; they target us all.
It is unfortunately self-evident that your organization (Agudath Israel Of America) is lacking the needed leadership through responsible Rabbis who know when to join in a call for support, which in this case is vital. The reasons circulated through your representative voices that your absence of an endorsement here is due to the fact that you and your organization cannot "guarantee its’ content of overall program & speeches" (which might arguably not be according to your guidelines) is at this particular case just not an acceptable response to me, as well as to a very large percentage of "Balei Batim" in every part and neighborhood of our communities!
We all know too well that apart from the unfortunate bombing victims, there were dozens of Jewish soldiers that lost their lives in the last few weeks alone, defending our country and Homeland with all its’ inhabitants – including the tens of thousands of ‘Hareidy’ communities of Yerushalayim, Bnei Berak and across Eretz Yisroel. A solid show of support by the American Orthodox Community is the least that we can and should do for their courageous actions; this in addition to our ‘Tfillos’ for ‘Rachmei Shomayim’ and the ‘Limud Hatoyroh’ that we must continue to contribute!
It just does not pay for Agudath Israel to be like a "Chosid Shoyteh" and look for excuses to abstain. Sometimes and ‘unorthodox’ move or action can bring on the necessary results; in this case a call for a massive turnout regardless of the total contents! (After all, the Midrash in Parshas Korach tells us how the wife of Oyn Ben Peles saved her husband from Korachs’ demise through her ‘un-orthodox’ actions!). Not always is it imperative for us ‘Toyrah-Yidden’ to control the "Umi Berosh"!
I had very recently received an invitation to your upcoming Dinner from a very good and trusted friend, Mr. Yossie Tepfer. My wife and I would have contemplated attending or at least to contribute appropriately to this invitation. This all in addition to the letters that we regularly receive from your organization, urging us to join their ranks of membership. After this current fiasco I have decided to ("bli neder") send my contributions to worthier causes than your organization and to decline your call for membership; at least till your ‘Moetzes Hagedolim’ convinces a broader spectrum of our society that it is capable of leadership that they are expected to show!
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