Can finally share that my in-laws, Moscow Chief Rabbi @PinchasRabbi & Rebbetzin Dara Goldschmidt, have been put under pressure by authorities to publicly support the 'special operation' in Ukraine — and refused.
They flew to Hungary two weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are now in exile from the community they loved, built & raised their children in, over 33 years — though he was re-elected today by the МЕРО community.
They first traveled to Eastern Europe, fundraising for refugees through @europerabbis, and then Jerusalem, where his father was hospitalised at the time.
The pain & fear in our family the last few months is beyond words. The sounds of the Moscow Choral Synagogue ring in our ears…I’ll never forget our engagement there in ‘14, & taking our children there, Shavuos ‘18…
Grateful our parents are safe; worried sick over many others...
A tiny example: This year, a recording surfaced in which, ostensibly, a known Orthodox personality confessed to molesting children. The allegations were confirmed by 2 sources whom I trust. I couldn't get through to alleged victims, but there was obvious smoke...
Several orgs/rabbis confirmed to me that he is 'dangerous.' So when a modern Orthodox synagogue hired the alleged perpetrator to perform at an event, I quietly raised my concerns, in a private email.
I was met with rage. How *dare* I say something. I was told that because there was nothing filed in court they're not doing anything about it. (The rabbi also screamed about me being a "careerist" feminist journalist, but that's par for the course.)
‘The industry behind “Yocheved has kidney disease” & “Yossi needs heart surgery” is a murky one, peopled with activists, journalists & broadcasters who milk charities & divide loot among themselves. At best, the remaining crumbs go to the needy.’ themarker.com/law/.premium.H…
Orthodox community members are constantly bombarded with heartbreaking fundraising pleas — destitute brides, emergency transplants, children orphaned by Covid. Charity is sewn into our very ethic: Torah, repentance and charity save us from an evil decree, our sages teach.
A transcript of a never-published interview with Rav Adin Steinsaltz zt"l from June 26 2014, in honor of his first yarzheit.
I was 22, interviewing him for @haaretzcom on his biography of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, but eager to discuss with him faith, history, literature...
R' Steinsaltz: "So where is Chizhik from? Your family is an important family in Israel."
me: "We're from Kiev, I don’t know if we are related to those Chizhiks...”
RS :"It must be your family, a distinguished family...
What are you doing in America, in America your name means nothing, but in Israel, now, that’s yichus [lineage]! They built the state, kibbutzim, the Chizhiks, they had a few martyrs who died for the state, real heroes. Surely people told you?"
There were many crucial facts glaringly omitted from this colorful retelling...
It omitted the fact that the day after NYC announced that it was closing public schools, days after yeshiva day schools had closed — on 3/16, R Teitelbaum promised to pursue every legal avenue to ensure that schools remain open, that "Torah & prayer protect us from death.”
Recently another Orthodox woman in outreach was telling me about the secular Russian Jews she encounters. She started mocking someone she had met recently — his tattoos, his casual clothing, his “cute wife” who may not be Jewish.
“Oh those Russian Jews!”
I hear this often from “Kiruv professionals” working with this community. “How nebach! How distant they are from Torah!”
If you’re mocking the people you’re supposed to be servicing — rethink the life you’ve chosen.
This is absurd. I staffed Birthright twice - with the OU’s (Orthodox-run, right-wing leaning) Israel Free Spirit. Not a single time were we staffers instructed to say “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank.”
At staff orientation, we were actually given little instruction in this regard - which I interpreted as free reign. So much of this “Birthright debate” is SO SPECIFIC to staffers. (Pic from trip, from my Insta then.)
Sure, a zealot can somehow get accepted as a staffer & then will dismiss any questions from participants. That zealot ought to be complained about - for doing a disservice to participants - directly to Birthright, as any HR complaint....