The Last Exile

Finally, someone says aloud what most of us have been thinking for sometime. Bernie Farber may not be anyone’s ideal of the cavalry but at least his grasp of Jewish ethnics is impeccable. Here is a portion of his speech given at Shaar Shalom synagogue.

(Hat tip goes to Big City Liberal. Yes, I read him. He is in my reader and while I don’t always agree with what he writes – at least he still writes rather than market his blog as cyber answer to the shopping channel.)

“Our view of the universe was so limited that all we could do was talk about the connection between words and actions. Len was, in the loud and proud words of this blogger, “to stupid to be a Jew”. He had other things to say as well, including derisive comments on a perceived physically disability that he wrongly claimed Len had.

Did I mention that the blogger in question was Jewish? Is this the way that one member of the community publicly speaks of another? By engaging in ad hominen attacks? By referring to physical characteristics? This is the sort of thing one expects to find in the schoolyard. The behaviour is no less acceptable because the practitioner is in his 40’s rather than 14. Indead, this is not a “one-off”. This same Jewish blogger who upholds the rights of neo-nazis to malign Jews, has referred to other Jewish professionals as “liars, cowards, moochers” and has made consistent references to me as a “nazi book-burner’.

(…)
He is not the only one. The blogsphere is sadly replete with bullies, jerks, racists, homophobes, and bigots. But here my friend is the kicker, these same racists, bigots and misogynists all ‘love’ Israel and as a result there are those in our community who will tolerate them, even accept them.

Accepting those who engage in motsi ra can never be OK…ever!”

Amen. I am not much of a Jewish conservative as my inclinations are far too frum but maybe its time to visit Shaar Shalom when the next urge to shul it hits.