Letters/Discussion Forums
Sifrin is hostile to Orthodox Jews and Israel
It seems as if a large proportion of my life is going to be spent combating Geoff Sifrin’s hostility to not only Orthodox Judaism, but to the State of Israel. Israel is a land in which almost every citizen criticises the government right, left or middle of the road.
Rabbi Ben Isaacson
They also care for its achievements and its safety. People like Ronnie Kasrils and Denis Goldberg seem to do so out of hatred. Thus Denis is to be found today seemingly as a supporter of BDS whose aim like Iran’s and Hamas is the destruction of Israel with its seven million Jews.
Sifrin mentions Arthur Goldreich. Arthur happened to serve in Israel’s army during both the 1948 and 1973 wars and when convicted of treason among the Rivonia Trialists, he escaped brilliantly, was received with love in Israel where he lived with his family for the remainder of his life.
Goldreich had a right to criticise Israel because he cared for it and served it. Goldberg for the public’s information was released prematurely from prison because the late Julius Weinstein, great president of the SA Zionist Federation, accompanied by the Israeli ambassador, called on PW Botha and pleaded with him to release Goldberg.
Botha acceded to the request. This man, together with a few other icons, now as a member of BDS seems to seek the destruction of Israel. That’s gratitude for you. Aikonna!
It boggles the imagination how an organisation like Limmud, which I assume to be favourable to the existence of Israel, can have Goldberg almost as its main attraction!
This being so, we have a duty to inform South African Jewish community of this fact. Let them decide whether to attend the said gathering.
They do have a distinguished guest, Rabbi David Wolpe of Temple Sinai presenting. He is obviously a man of great achievement, but whether he is the “most influential rabbi in the world” as the Jewish Report suggests (based on a report in Newsweek), I doubt.
Newsweek is most definitely not an authority to make such a judgement, that is certain. Limmud can no longer deny, as it has in the past, its ties with Reform Judaism, and the South African Jewish community which is 90 per cent traditional, must take notice of this.
Johannesburg
Choni
August 24, 2016 at 9:38 am
‘Yasher Koach Rabbi Ben.
Your old friend
Choni Davidowitz.’
Judith Yacov
September 14, 2016 at 5:13 am
‘Rabbi Ben, you should not forget an extremely wonderful and colorful Israeli, who worked very hard to release Denis Goldberg. I don’t know what his original name was but whatever it was, he changed it to Herut Lapid (loosely translated to \”Freedom Torch\”) He was active in negotiating the release of many prisoners and helping them make use of the second chance he had gotten them. Denis and Esme’s daughter lived in Israel and she was an important factor in the effort to release Denis.’
Greg
November 17, 2016 at 3:31 pm
‘Limmud has ties to pluralist Jews – it is by its very nature a pluralist movement. Forget about Reform or Orthodox. Yes 90% of SA Jewry is traditionally Orthodox, but this doesn’t matter. I would say the majority of SA Jewry is pluralist. By the way, Rabbi Rosen was one of the key speakers at the Cape Town Limmud. Rabbi Rosen is an esteemed Orthodox Rabbi that served Marais Road shul previously. So not only Reform or Conservative Rabbis at Limmud – all are welcome.’