One time when I was sitting in a conservative synagogue, the rabbi said a most astonishing thing. It went something like this. "An orthodox rabbi said conservative rabbi's are like pigs", as a murmuring of voices spread throughout the sanctuary. The conservative rabbi continued, "he said we are pigs, because as you know, in order for an animal to be kosher, it must have split hooves and chew it's own cud. A pig does have split hooves, so on the outside it looks kosher, but on the inside, because it doesn't chew it's own cud, then it is not kosher."
The above is what can only be described as a problem one denomination of Judaism has with another. For me, at this point in my life, I say just take your disagreements outside, stand back to back, take ten steps, turn and then fire away and make sure no innocent bystanders get hurt, and of course, may the best man (or woman) win. And make it snappy, because after all, you don't want to be late for mincha.
I know. You think I'm being just a bit too sarcastic, pushing the envelope just a tad too much. Making too much fun of what is an otherwise serious problem within Judaism. Well, you're right. It is a serious problem within Judaism, but I choose to be sarcastic because the same orthodox rabbi who accused the conservative rabbis of being pigs, he needs to take a closer look in his own camp.
We have all read somewhere, that in orthodox communities, their was and there still is a serious problem with children being sexually abused by rabbi's or religious men who are dressed as ,"pious ones". It is a world wide problem, just worse in certain areas then in others. And you would be surprised to learn, if you do not already know so, that it is not just exclusive to places such as Williamsburg or Monsey. From what I understand, certain communities have put in place watch groups, that train it's congregants and rabbis as to what to look for in a sexual predator.
That's nice. So now rabbis are finally speaking out about the problem of child molestation. How nice of them. What I get from that is simply this. For years, these rabbis knew all too well who the predators were in their respective communities. They hid their identities so as not to shame their own communities.(after all, only the goyim do this, right?). Now that victims are speaking up and not being intimidated by a thing called "mesirah", which is a prohibition against handing over a Jew to non Jewish authorities for a criminal act, I would have to surmise that some of these same rabbis who are also now speaking up, were in fact the protector of these child molesters in the first place.
There is one thing I am absolutely certain of. The attire one wears on the outside, (split hooves) can so contradict what is actually going on inside, (I thought you chewed your own cud). How do I know this? I just do. The frightening thing ,they look so kosher on the outside, but inside, they are not. One of the problems? In some instances, their congregants and neighbors don't know that side of them.
This piece, by the way, is not just limited to the protection and sanctity of communities, or the "looking the other way" when it comes to sexual predators. It's about so much more.
Just for the record. My observations and opinions apply to a limited number of orthodox Jews. The ones where it does apply, you know who you are. Hang in there, Yom Kippur's coming.
Whoops, you missed your chance on Yom Kippur. Well, you just might want to give atonement a shot on Chanukah.
Alan Sanderson
Atlanta, Ga
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