Where Are The Orthodox?

In the wake of last week’s flotilla mess, numerous non-Orthodox rabbis took to print to critique Israel’s response. Among them was Conservative rabbi Sharon Brous. Her complete lack of expertise in matters of security did not stop her from approvingly quoting a friend: “There were 800 activists on those boats. We couldn’t sneak one Mossad agent on board to get an accurate read on the resistance commandos could expect to encounter?”

She declared that after the flotilla killings, “Israel’s revered military and intelligence apparatus, once the envy of the world, suffered a devastating blow.”

Why are all these non-Orthodox clergy who have no expertise in matters military rushing into print with their critiques of Israel’s security methods, while the Orthodox stay silent? Even the most left-wing Orthodox rabbis, even the Yosef Kanefskys of the world, aren’t going to the media criticizing Israel over this and making sweeping declarations in matters in which they know nothing. This stupidity is purely the province of the non-Orthodox. I wonder why?

When I read Sharon Brous on the flotilla killings, I have renewed respect for the stance of Dennis Prager, who says: “I have never commented on Israeli foreign policy. I have believed that Jews living 10,000 miles away from the Middle East, whose sons would not directly feel the consequences of Israeli policies, should not tell Israel what to do.”

P.S. Why do L.A.’s silliest rabbis, such as Sharon Brous and Bradley Shavit Artson, have extensive and glowing online profiles, while L.A.’s greatest Torah scholars (rabbis David Rue and Yehuda Bukspan) have virtually no internet presence?

Can you imagine a real Torah scholar offering a high resolution download of his picture? This Rabbi Artson file is massive — five megs. By contrast, none of L.A.’s top Torah scholars offer any online photos of themselves.

It seems that the bigger the picture you post of yourself, the less wisdom you have to give.

Why do our best Jewish brains lack all media notice, while our worst are full of passionate intensity?

Surely some revelation is at hand.

About Luke Ford

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