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CANDLELIGHTING

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THE JEWISH VIEW

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HOLIDAYS

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JUDAISM 101

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{weblog_name} - Saving Face
Comments (3)

Last week’s funeral at Beth El Congregation to mourn the loss of Rabbi Mark G. Loeb was a veritable “Who’s Who of Baltimore Jewry.” I must admit, I didn’t see too many “black hats” in the crowd—not a shocker since Rabbi Loeb always wore his liberal views on his sleeve, thus becoming the embodiment of everything that’s wrong with left-of-center Judaism to some frum folks. But I did see people there from across the denominational and congregational divides, demonstrating how well-respected Rabbi Loeb was among his fellow Jews (and non-Jews, since I noticed a number of Christian clergy there as well). Among those in attendance was Rabbi Jacob A. Max, the former rabbi emeritus of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah (MMAE) Hebrew Congregation, a shul still known fondly in some circles as Liberty Jewish Center. As you likely know, Rabbi… read more

My goodness Mr. Feiler.  Your friend must be quite talented to make the statement you wrote in your article about Rabbi Max.

“He’s got a point to make,” said my pal. “He wants to show his face and be out there. He feels he has nothing to hide, did nothing wrong, and wants the world to see him smiling. He’s in denial about his problem, so he goes out there and does his thing. That’s just the way guys like him are, that’s how they’re built.”

I wonder if your friend is a mindreader, and you as well as your comment states what people should say.  I believe you wrote “What people should say to Rabbi Max is, “I’m always happy to see you because you did so much for so many, but we really need you to acknowledge what you did and apologize. Then we can move forward.”

Then you had the——- to write “Until that happens, he only continues to hurt the community and the people who trust(ed) him.”

How is he hurting the community?  The people who trust him were obviously not negatively affected by anything.  The reason some people were kind in greeting Rabbi Max is because he is a citizen who has the right to mourn someones passing just like all the others in attendance.  He is not barred from mourning, is he?

I am shocked that the Jewish Times would take Rabbi Max’s money for advertising for so many years, and actually do a cover story on him years ago praising him, then throw him under the bus time after time, even when the readers are so sick of hearing the same thing over and over.  Can’t you get some real news?  That’s old news.  Enough already.  Those who will forgive, have.  Those who haven’t yet, won’t.

I feel bad for those who feel that they can’t and won’t forgive, but it doesn’t change anything.

Get on with the real news, please!

The Jewish Times seems never to miss an opportunity to bash the Orthodox.

No, not Rabbi Max, but what can Feiler intend by this passage?

“I must admit, I didn’t see too many “black hats” in the crowd….”

How many is not “too many,” and did Feiler conduct some sort of poll of the other mourners to determine what “kind” of Jews they were? Or, more likely, did he merely survey the room visually, and divide it into “black hats” and his kind of Jews?

It occurs to me that there is a stark and painfully revealing similarity between Feiler singling out “the black hats” and the reason why, almost one year ago, muslim jihadi killers just happened to find their way to the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, a huge city with a mere handful of Jews: the “black hats” are conspicuously Jewish and are easily identified as such. They can be, and frequently are, attacked all too easily.

Readers of this publication ought to track how regularly and repeatedly our fellow Jews are singled out by its publisher, editors and main blog writers.

And then ask: why?  What purpose does this serve?

What baseless hatred lurks in the hearts of Buerger, Jacobs, Rubin, and Feiler?

What people should say to Rabbi Max is, “I’m always happy to see you because you did so much for so many, but we really need you to acknowledge what you did and apologize. Then we can move forward.”

Until that happens, he only continues to hurt the community and the people who trust(ed) him.