tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51897531692945048142024-03-20T00:53:49.231-07:00Chassidic WhistleblowerMy way of BLOWING the WHISTLE on the community I was raised in.The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-14919932853331812772013-03-06T11:13:00.000-08:002013-03-06T11:19:00.579-08:00Did Someone... Go OTD???These past few days have been really sad ones for most people living in an area where news from New York reaches their radio stations and their TV channels. I'm referring, of course, to the tragic news of a young couple whose lives have been cut short by a coward who was probably drunk when he smashed in to their cab on their way to the hospital. To make matters worse, the baby that was initially delivered as the mother was dying is now also dead. It was born prematurely through a Cesarean section as that was the only option for keeping it alive, but even that didn't work out.<br />
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I've been following this story closely because, although I have left the Hassidic community, I still feel a connection to them, especially to the Satmar sect. After all, I spent the majority of my years in a Hassidic environment and the Hassidic community is one that I am thoroughly familiar with, as opposed to the secular communities who I've only recently had a chance to join.<br />
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The images pouring out from the scene on the television screens, the internet news sites, and, of course, Facebook are all pretty gruesome. From the images of the wrecked car to the funeral and now the monster who did this and is still on the loose being hunted down by the police, all are eliciting a strong emotional response from me. But not all images elicit the same emotional response, and this is where you may want to exit this window; you may not like what I'm about to say.<br />
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It's the images of the relatives mourning the loss of their child, brother, sister, or cousin. It's the footage of the 'community spokesperson' saying how much the kid will be loved and looked after (taped while the baby was still alive). Those images seem to elicit a very different reaction from me than they do from most people. I can't help but think 'do they care for the live as much as they do for the dead? Would they really love the kid unconditionally?' I see all these human emotions and they seem genuine, but my experience has been very different, and the experience of many of my friends have been very different also.<br />
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So here are a few blunt questions:<br />
-What if they did not die, but they went OTD (Off The Derech), would they still be mourned, or would they be scorned? I just can't help but wonder what would happen if the young man had chosen to discontinue observing every stringent Hassidic rule, if he had chosen to cut his beard and payos, would the family still love him? As I said, my experience was very different, and almost every single person I know that has chosen to stop observing the stringent Hassidic rules and to stop dressing in their wardrobe was pretty much immediately shunned and began being treated like a stranger, an alien, if you will. I can't stop but imagine the extreme difference in reactions if had I died the day before I cut off my beard versus if I died the day after.<br />
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If I died the day before I cut my beard off, my funeral would look very similar to that of Nathan's and Raizy's. Thousands of people. No building is big enough to contain them. It has to be held in the streets. Rabbis, loved ones, and just strangers who are touched by such events, all come out in the masses, just like they did this week for Nathan's funeral. People would not just talk of my dedication to God and religion, but they would go on and on about how wonderful and sweet of a person I was.<br />
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If I died the day after I cut my beard off, my funeral would be easily contained in a one bedroom apartment. It would probably have been done hastily, to get it over with. It would be an embarrassment for the family, an event that gets the community to gossip, not one that gets them to marvel over my life. Few good things would be said, not only about my dedication to the religion and God, but also about my character and personality. That's the difference that one day can make, one day in which I made a decision to cut my beard, a decision that the average free American can make without blinking twice.<br />
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-When I watched the video of the 'community spokesperson' raving about how much the family and the community is going to love the boy, the sole survivor (at that time), all I could think of is 'until when' or 'until what'. "This boy has nothing to worry about. Not only the family will take care of him, but also the community will so reach out to him..." And I'm thinking yea 'until he goes OTD'. The minute this boy makes a decision to live the life he desired, to cut off his beard for example, that's when he'd lose everything. Suddenly, all the love and the outreach would be gone. He may still be the same wonderful, sweet, softspoken boy, but he took off his beard or he no longer wears tzitzis. That's all it takes for a boy in this community to lose everything.<br />
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You're probably thinking that it's too soon. 'How dare he write this so soon after the horrific incident. How dare he make this political?' I know, and I'm sorry. Like I said, I could not help it. Perhaps it was the fact that I experienced it all. Perhaps these mixed up priorities are just driving me insane, making me violate the unspoken rule of waiting enough time before I can criticize the community. Again, I'm sorry.<br />
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The goal of this post is to shed light on the issue of priorities. The Hassidic community needs to open their eyes and their minds and realize that family comes before anything. Yes, it comes before God and religion. Kids should be allowed to make decisions about what to believe in, what cloths to wear, and what haircut or beard-trim to get, and that should not cost them the love and the caring that they deserve from their families.The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-13011743299823635462013-01-24T08:04:00.001-08:002013-01-24T08:04:55.202-08:00Chassidic Education System is Failing, Government Refuses to ActReports on the failing Chassidic education system and the failure of the government to oversee and to enforce the law!<br />
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#1 <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130122/crown-heights/english-is-absent-math-doesnt-count-at-brooklyns-biggest-yeshivas#ixzz2IpOMrTEE" target="_blank">http://www.dnainfo.com/new-<wbr></wbr>york/20130122/crown-heights/<wbr></wbr>english-is-absent-math-doesnt-<wbr></wbr>count-at-brooklyns-biggest-<wbr></wbr>yeshivas#ixzz2IpOMrTEE</a></div>
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#2 <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130123/williamsburg/barred-from-talmud-studies-girls-get-english-math-at-brooklyn-yeshivas#ixzz2IpOTA7JK" target="_blank">http://www.dnainfo.com/new-<wbr></wbr>york/20130123/williamsburg/<wbr></wbr>barred-from-talmud-studies-<wbr></wbr>girls-get-english-math-at-<wbr></wbr>brooklyn-yeshivas#<wbr></wbr>ixzz2IpOTA7JK</a></div>
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#3 <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130123/new-york-city/bloomberg-markowitz-pass-buck-on-yeshivas-failure-teach-english-math#ixzz2ItIIwaWv" target="_blank">http://www.dnainfo.com/new-<wbr></wbr>york/20130123/new-york-city/<wbr></wbr>bloomberg-markowitz-pass-buck-<wbr></wbr>on-yeshivas-failure-teach-<wbr></wbr>english-math#ixzz2ItIIwaWv</a></div>
The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-82514477579671064762011-05-26T15:59:00.000-07:002011-05-26T16:30:23.604-07:00Modern Day Slavery<p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">About three months ago, I learned about slavery for the first time. I’m a transfer student, and I’m in my upper sophomore year. CSI requires all students to take the Core 100 which includes some of the history of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>. As I was thinking about slavery and how cruel it was, it suddenly hit me “I’m a modern day slave”; a white, Jewish slave.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">If we think deeply about the injustice of slavery, we realize it is a lot more than hard labor, little or no pay, and treating a human like property. In one way or another we all feel sometimes we work too hard, have very little time for ourselves, get paid too little, and are not being treated well by our bosses. What really makes slavery so wrong is the stripping an individual from opportunity, choice, self expression, and potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">Among the nearly a million slaves, there were people who had the potential to be lawyers, doctors, politicians, and entrepreneurs. Imagine being a smart person with all this potential, trapped in an uneducated body and stuck doing others' dirty work. It is one of the saddest situations a person can face. It’s like being paralyzed but well aware of what’s happening around you. You can think and come up with brilliant ideas, but you can’t do anything about it; you have to go back to your boring, non-paying, and mindless job of weeding the garden etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">Slavery is not necessarily a thing in the past; it found its way into the modern world as well. My friends and I grew up in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Brooklyn</st1:city> <st1:state st="on">NY</st1:state></st1:place>. We are healthy and smart people. Among us, there are people with the potentials of being lawyers, doctors, and in my case a psychologist, but we were raised as modern slaves. In our community, secular education was considered a pathway to the ‘dirty’ world. Our schools taught us a minimal amount of English and Math, barely the minimum to satisfy the state requirements. Judaic studies is what we really focused on all day.</span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">With an education like that, kids, and later adults, are pretty much left with no choice but to stay within the community and grow up to be what the Rabbis prescribed them to be. This is injustice.</span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'"></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'"></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">True, many choose to stay. True, not ‘all’ kids can grow up to be lawyers and doctors, but some can. Not all black people had the potential to be politicians and activists either, but Frederick Douglas did, Oprah Winfrey did, and Barack Obama did.</span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">Slavery was brought to an end by brave people. It wasn't easy. Very powerful people were arguing and fighting for the continuation of slavery. The entire south’s economy was said to depend on slavery. Yet with determination it came to an end, and thanks to that we get to see bright young black students finally getting their fair chance in fulfilling their potentials and reaching new heights.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">I am ................ and I am a ‘runaway’ slave, and with your help we will bring an end to modern day slavery……</span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'"></span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">I've typed this up about six months ago, but didn't get a chance to revise it and post it.</span></p><br /><p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.4in; MARGIN: 6pt 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'sans-serif'">Disclaimer: I do NOT intend to compare my relatively free lifestyle to that of the people who were physically enslaved. I do, however, believe there are some similarities, as I mention above.</span></p>The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-76115598765569359172009-02-08T15:39:00.000-08:002009-02-09T07:23:40.976-08:00Footsteps Interview on Zev Brenner Radio Show<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjETTVpLu1B6Hbwe-x0RBXh3GaN87MX5phICAs_w3veVc5uUnNIqqmE_ztZ36J_jk5ioI8v9HEAvT8lL5X98HdwLcKUkX3gV9K63_jpKvhXxgKZAgSOKbZwJ3esB86aX57jm1uAw0SjCAX/s1600-h/zev+brenner.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300818600998192098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjETTVpLu1B6Hbwe-x0RBXh3GaN87MX5phICAs_w3veVc5uUnNIqqmE_ztZ36J_jk5ioI8v9HEAvT8lL5X98HdwLcKUkX3gV9K63_jpKvhXxgKZAgSOKbZwJ3esB86aX57jm1uAw0SjCAX/s320/zev+brenner.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On Saturday night, Feb 7, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zev</span> Brenner show aired an interview with two leaders of the amazing organization Footsteps. Before we go into the details of the interview, I should give you an overview of the organization.<br /><br />Footsteps is an organization that provides physical and mental support for people who were raised in a Jewish orthodox environment and are considering leaving that path. Footsteps is there to help them 'choose their own path', whatever that may be. People there choose to go for a career. Others want to just go and get a job. Some decide to make changes in their sexual identity by declaring they're gay, straight, or bi. Footsteps would guide you in a non-judgemental manner in all of those things and a lot more.<br /><br />Typically, this gives the chills to the orthodox community who opposes freedom in any shape. Also, for parents this takes away the last hope their child will return by not having <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">someone</span> else to turn to for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">guidance</span> and even shelter in severe cases.<br /><br /><br />I did not hear the show live, but I listened to it today, Sunday, from a link that a friend sent me (you can download it here in full <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?idzdyzqjtki">http://www.mediafire.com/?idzdyzqjtki</a>). There were basically two issues that kept popping up and that was: serving kosher food 'only', and staffing a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">religious</span> figure on board. I want to give a lot of credit for the two amazing people who represented Footsteps, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Malkie</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Shwartz</span> Founder, and Program Director Michael Jenkins. They did an outstanding job defending Footsteps' mission and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">intentions</span>. However, naturally to people who are not used to being interviewed on a live radio show, and considering that they were up against a professional (?) talk show host that was biased himself, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">alot</span> could have been said that hasn't or hasn't been emphasized stronger. Therefore, I want to share some of the thoughts that came up in my head when I was listening to the show.<br /><br /><br />At some point in the beginning, Michael mentioned that Footsteps serves kosher food. After the first caller claimed that Footsteps hosted a party in a non-kosher restaurant, and served non-kosher food, he had to explain himself that he meant they 'also' serve kosher food. I can understand <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Zev's</span> disappointment when he discovered that he previously misunderstood and thought they 'only' serve kosher food. However as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Footstepper</span> who attended that party and still eats only kosher meat, I knew exactly what Michael meant. I did not leave hungry from that party. I was welcomed with a sealed plate of delicious 'kosher' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">shwarma</span>, fries, and more. I got no negative comments from anyone for still keeping kosher to some extent.<br />And I want to ask this question. Where would <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Zev</span> like us to have that party? In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">V'Yoel</span> Moshe in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Williamsburg</span>? And we should serve food with a big stamp of the supervision of... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Reb</span> Aron, Or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Zalman</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Leib</span>?<br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Zev</span> also kept saying that if Footsteps considers themselves impartial they should have a rabbi on the premises as well. I'm really wondering if the man even thinks before he speaks! The very fact that they are impartial actually deprives them from the luxury of having a rabbinical figure in the staff. That would automatically screw up the impartiality of the organization. We see all the time that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">religious</span> people feel they have a duty to impose their beliefs on others. They justify violating every law to reach that goal. No confidentiality, no ethics which are extremely crucial in an organization that promotes freedom 'from' religion and freedom of choice.<br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Zev</span> just 'doesn't get it'! The majority of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Footsteppers</span> 'despise religion' in any shape for various reasons. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Zev</span> thinks that we are a bunch of 'teens at risk' who deep inside want to stay <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">religious</span>, and there's this malicious organization that goes ahead and feeds us non-kosher food and teaches us all kinds of anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">religious</span> thoughts. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Zev</span>, let me break it to you. We are a bunch of grown-ups who made our own decisions. Footsteps, knowing for whom they are catering, is not stupid enough to serve kosher food and provide us 'more' rabbis.</div>The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-13603569164205561082008-12-28T07:31:00.000-08:002008-12-28T08:03:53.736-08:00Orthodox and the Army<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO_aZwvdCGZtScKfAglzFUOgKA8NmN-YiTYDSCc-j77v_xiDgdrY_G6mqUSGuFki-hqlWvpxxgWDmOX4LDLhr6k-t_sLqZKoinlW5HodIbzkRrsVmaNbLEJ2Y9C6UvFUeidQRnSbhyphenhyphenZQB/s1600-h/2wmk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284872302861505506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUO_aZwvdCGZtScKfAglzFUOgKA8NmN-YiTYDSCc-j77v_xiDgdrY_G6mqUSGuFki-hqlWvpxxgWDmOX4LDLhr6k-t_sLqZKoinlW5HodIbzkRrsVmaNbLEJ2Y9C6UvFUeidQRnSbhyphenhyphenZQB/s320/2wmk.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Below is a link to an article from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ynet</span>, the online version of the Israeli newspaper, '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Yediot</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Achronot</span>'. Here's an outline in case you don't understand Hebrew.<br /><br />While there is the war between Israel and the Palestinians going on, another small war was going on in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bnei</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Berak</span>. It started when mothers of soldiers fighting on the front came to the city to convince people to go and send their kids to the army. The responses they were getting are just upsetting. I encourage you to watch the video as well.<br /><br />One person tells the mothers of soldiers. "Why should I go serve this '<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">retarded</span>' country?" When asked how come he lives in a country that he thinks is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">retarded</span>, he said, "I feel like living here but not serving it". Then he goes on and tells them, "He's got a problem in his head" referring to their children for serving in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">military</span>.<br /><br />But what I liked even more in that video is where a '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chareidi</span>' mother says that the only way the soldiers survive is because of the Torah learning of their kids that sit in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Yeshivas</span>.<br /><br />In both cases, they didn't have the slightest decency to show a little respect for the mothers whose children risk their lives for the people and for the country.<br /><br />Read and watch this, and thank God (or if you don't believe in one, just be happy for yourself) that you are not a part of that group of people who can't show a little <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">gratefulness</span>, but instead take the full credit to themselves.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3645491,00.html">http://www.mynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3645491,00.html</a></div>The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-4139622707170248662008-12-24T15:43:00.000-08:002008-12-25T22:47:29.420-08:00Rochmunim B'nei RochmunimAs I'm waiting for my hair to dry after showering for a Christmas/Chanukkah party, I decided to share a story and my thoughts with you, and hear some of yours as well.<br /><br />A friend of mine told me, he used to work for a Chassidic guy that had a business on the other side of one of the bridges. Every morning the boss would pick up my friend and then he would make a stop at one of the corners where Mexicans stand waiting to be picked up for a job. He would pick one Mexican and head out to work. After the bridge he would stop by a store and tell the worker to wait there while he parks his car, and he would then drive off leaving the guy behind. He would do this every morning, and all this: to save money when he passes the toll booth (carpool).<br /><br />In case you are not shedding tears yet, let me help you out here. Put yourself in the worker's position. He waited there thinking he's be picked up for a job, so that he can buy some food and other enecesseties. His excitement is indescribable when someone picked him out of many others. When the boss tells him to wait out there, he doesn't suspect anything. He waits there one hour, two hours till he finally realized what just happened.<br /><br />He puts his hand into his pockets and counts the change. He doesn't have enough money for a ride home and for breakfast, certainly not for both. He's got no cel phone to call, and even if he had, he wouldn't have whom to call. He's here alone, no friends or family, certainly none who own cars and would come pick him up.<br /><br />With no choice left, he starts offering himself for work at the local stores, but why would they need him? They have their steady workers. So he starts begging people in the streets for money, but when was the last time you gave a Mexican a dime? Finally, he got some change and hops on to the bus and gets back home. He's got no money, no food, and no faith in humans.<br /><br />I know, I know, he's illeagal here. He shoud be deported. We shouldn't give them work because they're taking away work from Americans. But to do such a thing??? How mean can a person be? WHERE IS THE "ROCHMUNIS" (mercy)?<br /><br />The answer is, to those radicals there's no such thing as 'humanity' and 'manners'. All those are reserved only for those in the community. If you are not a part of the community, you don't deserve respect whatsoever. They probably base it on what the Talmud says: "kol ha'olam lo nivru elo l'tzavos l'ze" (the whole world was created only to serve him-the Jew).<br /><br />Ok, I gotta get going, and I can't elaborate here, but you tell me what you think.The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-26281155604415456142008-11-19T18:00:00.000-08:002008-11-24T18:09:56.955-08:00Jews and ObamaWith the elections behind us, I'm not going to bore you with my opinion on the issues that were discussed in the debates and in the media (well, maybe I will but not here). America has chosen their next leader, and they chose <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Barack</span> Obama. However, let's take a look inside the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">chassidic</span> community to see what they think about that.<br /><br />From the start, Obama didn't benefit from great support <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">amongst</span> the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Communities. I personally find it to be very ironic. No other candidate would represent them better. He is good when it comes to health care, and benefits for the poor (which most of them are). He promised tax-cuts on families making less than $250,000 a year. All of them fall in that category. Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chassidim</span> who make more than that, but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">at least</span> on the books they make less. So what's the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mystery</span> behind the opposition that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">chassidim</span> had <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">against</span> President Elect <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Barack</span> Obama?<br /><br />When Obama first started to become famous, and more attention was paid to him, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">criticism</span> from the right has also intensified against him. Among the different smears against him, there was a rumor going around that Obama is a..... Muslim. Need I say more? It all fits like a puzzle. If he's a Muslim, He must be anti-Israel, and if he's anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Israel</span>, he must be an anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Semite</span>! The 'brighter' people in the '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">mikvah</span>' had an even-bigger picture: he is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">archi</span>-terrorist working his way up to the greatest position in the country if not in the world, and his ultimate goal is to kill out all the Jews, Hitler style.<br /><br />The day after the elections, I visited my parents in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Boro</span> Park. On the street, I met some people I know, and the first question they asked was whether I voted for Obama. Then when I walked into my house I was bombarded with the same question: "so, did u vote for Obama?" I quickly realized that 'transformers' like myself and many of you, readers, are automatically 'accused' of voting for Obama. They had it all figured out. It was already established that Obama is an 'anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Semite</span>,' and you are also an 'anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">chassidim</span>' (which to them is the same thing as anti-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Semite</span>). Therefore it only makes sense that I voted for Obama.<br /><br />For the record, I did not vote for Obama nor McCain. To me it was too painful to see the Americans having to choose between two candidates that weren't fit for the job. But here is not the place to elaborate.....The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-85066109664946170262008-11-19T07:08:00.000-08:002008-11-19T11:53:12.678-08:00More About MeI find that when people read someone's writings, they want to know more about the writers personal life. Knowing where the writer is coming from not only gives them a better understanding on why he/she wrote that, but it also determines, to some extent, what their reaction will be. It often leads to a misconception, but it's still the reader's right to know.<br /><br /><br />For example, when you read Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams", you wonder who is that guy. You look him up and you check out his biography from the day he was born. You may conclude "wow this guy is a brilliant person". In Freud's blog you would comment: "amazing work", or something similar. Another person, who also read the same book and his bio, would conclude "Freud was a pothead". In his blog he would comment: "What do you know, you were stoned while you wrote the book".<br /><br /><br />For obvious reasons I'm not going to share any details that can lead to the discovery of my identity. Maybe later on I will. But I will share as much as possible.<br /><br /><br />I was Born to a family that belonged to one of the following communities: Bobov, Belz, Breslov, Boyan, Bluzev, and Borditchuv. If you can think of more sects that starts with a B, and you want to make it more complicated, you can add it to your list. Either way, my family is a very religious family with all the details (and 'chumras').<br /><br /><br />I fall somewhere in the middle of a family that is considered big even among the Jewish orthodox families. As it goes in those communities, our family was considered a very nice family ('a sheina mishpucha'). My father was/is considered a respected person ('a chushiva yid'). He would always sit in the front row ('oiven un'). Little did they know that he is a psycho with an uneven temper. He would yell, curse, and even hit his children for anything. It was impossible to please that person; nothing was ever good enough for him. For example, he was once in the hospital for a broken leg. I was afraid to go visit him because he was a scary person. After debating back and forth I decided to go for it. I was 12 years old. I took the courage and walked into his room. He was nice at first. I was making sure to be respectful, so I was standing nice against the wall and talking to him when suddenly he starts yelling at me. "Are you a soldier?" "why are you standing like that?" It is pointless to say that I regretted going there in the first place. Basically, after age of 14 I (as well as my siblings) didn't get along with my dad, and we kept a little distance. There was no such thing as discussing a personal matter with him. Forget about crying your heart out to him.<br /><br /><br />But let's concentrate more on <strong>me</strong>;<br /><br /><br />I went to the elementary school (cheder) of my community. Most of the years I was considered one of the best or 'the best' student. But that was only in the Jewish subjects ('limudei kodesh'). During the English and other secular lectures ('limudei chol') I was quite a troublemaker, but I never really got in trouble for that. It wasn't really enforced that much. It was just not recognized, by students and teachers alike, as important as the Jewish subjects.<br /><br /><br />Then I was Bar Mitzvah (13 yrs). Soon after, I went on to middle school (yeshiva ketona). There there was no secular education altogether. We were there for around 12 hours a day learning only Jewish subjects like Chumash (Bible), Gemurah (Talmud), Halacha, and... Chasidus. I had my ups and downs in middle school. In one year I went back and forth from being one of the best students to one of the worst. I clearly went through some tough times. It was everything that the age brings along plus the circumstances at home that contributed to that behavior.<br /><br /><br /><br />Then I moved on to high-school (mesivta/yeshiva gedolah). I was sent to a yeshiva in a different country. I didn't feel like a total stranger because many of my friends also went there. I still hated the place. I mean, I was 16 years old already, and they locked me up in the yeshiva campus forbidding us to leave. I hated the food. I hated the shelter. I hated the learning all day. I decided to make the best out of it, and before I knew it, 3-4 years passed. As it goes in the orthodox community, most of my friends were married by that time. I can probably blame it on the fact that I had an older sibling, and they don't skip anyone. Also my mother was very picky.<br /><br /><br /><br />I decided I'm too grown up to be in such a restricted environment where people dictate you on every step of the way: 'go to sleep now', 'wake up now', 'pray now', 'learn now'. So, I picked up and came back to NY. I started going to 'kollel'. I never felt very comfortable over there, but I had no choice. If I wanted to get married some day to a decent girl, I had to comply with the expectations of the members of my community. I did start going to college, though. I insisted that there's nothing wrong with learning a career so that you can support yourself after marriage. I had to overcome many obstacles that were in my way of success. My mom didn't stop nudging me that I'm ruining my name. My father didn't cooperate with the 'financial aid' forms. But i made everything happen.<br /><br /><br /><br />I want to take a moment and tell you about a major development that occurred around this time. To me it was like an 'enlightenment'. I opened my eyes to the big world. I started realizing that the people I trust are not trustworthy, and that bottom line, I will be the one suffering the ramifications; nobody else would take blame in my wrong-goings. Not my mother, father, rabbi and so forth. Since I discovered that, I had to start analyzing everything I've been taught thus far. Is this true or did the person that taught it to me have a personal interest? I had plenty of time to think. I didn't work. I didn't watch TV. I didn't hang out. So I thought a lot about all that. That is when I started paving my own way. I did it in my beliefs as well as in my looks.<br /><br /><br />In the past year I've only gone what I call 'uphill' and what they call 'downhill'.The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5189753169294504814.post-79644074719369563582008-11-18T20:35:00.000-08:002008-11-18T22:16:02.802-08:00WELCOME (and more)I want to WELCOME you all to my new blog. I hope you will find it interesting and informative.<br />It wasn't easy to bring my thoughts together and decide what to write about. There's so much to say.<br />But i have to start somewhere, so I decided to use this post as an introduction to the entire blog.<br />I divided it into three parts. 1) My Background 2) My Mission 3) Post Topics/The Blog.<br /><strong>My Background</strong><br />I grew up as an Orthodox Jew. I can't share details about my family, but one thing I can tell you: I wasn't their only child; I have a lot of siblings. At around the age of 20, just two years ago, I started seeing things that I haven't seen before. I'm talking about corruption, misconduct, misleading etc. etc. I don't want to go into details here. I will do that in the upcoming posts. It came to a point where I saw that I can't trust anyone. Too many opinions, theories, and beliefs. I decided to pave my own way, with few exceptions.<br />I do believe in G-d.<br />I don't believe in Jesus.<br />I don't believe in the New Testament or The Koran.<br />I am unsure about the Torah, but I definitely don't believe in the Talmud and the whole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Halacha</span> system.<br />Therefore, I don't follow most of the things that so-called religious people do. I do try to follow things that are clearly stated in the Torah.<br />Since that conclusion I started changing my external appearance too. I took it slowly but diligently with passive but fierce objection and disapproval from my family and community.<br />I no linger live by my parents. I live a little out of the community. When I'm there for a visit or something, I dress a little conservative. I put on a '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">kipah</span>'; basically I look 'modern orthodox'.<br />I am holding a good job, nice pay, and great potential, but I work very hard.<br />This is where I conclude the 'my background' segment. However, more will be discussed later on.<br /><strong>My Mission</strong><br />Have you ever heard the term <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Whistleblower</span>? Well, it refers to an individual who makes public wrongdoings or corruption of a business he works/worked at.<br />In my case, it is used to describe the very point of this blog: blowing the whistle on the community I grew up in. And trust me, there's a lot to say, and a lot to make public.<br />But if you came to hear the dirt only, it is not your lucky day. The thing I'm most proud about myself is 'honesty'. I will blow as loud as I can against the wrongdoings, but will blow just as loud and give them credit where they deserve it.<br /><strong>Post Topics/The Blog</strong><br />As you can imagine, I will dedicate a nice portion of my posts to the topics related to religion with an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">emphasis</span> on Judaism. However, I also intend on using this opportunity to express my feelings and opinions on other issues including, but not limiting to, politics, economy etc.<br /><br />I now want to ask my precious readers to use this blog as a form of discussing things, not imposing them. I respect other opinions, but I ask that they be written in a respectful manner.<br /><br />Thank You<br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Whistleblower</span>The Whistleblowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06847949019977796491noreply@blogger.com6