Between the November 26 attacks in Mumbai, the purchase a U.S. senator scheming in the great state of Illinois and now the news of the shameful Bernard Madoff, it makes it difficult to even look at the news lately.
Because on top of this we’re still dealing with the every day challenges of a sinking economy, less weight to one’s 401K,  a constant gray cloud over rust belt cities such as Detroit and even the local news of Gov. O’Malley’s decision to furlough state employees.
We’re approaching Chanukah, and we could all use a flicker of light to rid ourselves of this darkness.
It is with relief that we learn that the Madoff scheme didn’t infiltrate the finances of the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. It’s our hope that it didn’t impact individuals as well.
But this issue just speaks to so many different issues. And I believe that one of them is just flat out arrogance in the Jewish world.
Madoff, I’m told flaunted his wealth, and so did many of his inner circle. And he did it on the backs of charities and schools. And today there are unemployed people because either the charity no longer exists or there was a need for an immediate cutback.
This guy Madoff gets to stay out of jail on $10 million bond and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Terrific.
Some of us remember Jeffrey Levitt puttering around in his golf cart with the Rolls Royce front, the indoor swimming pool and all of the expensive amenities. People, whose retirements and children’s educations stood in line, some with lawn furniture to rest on, to claim their CDs. All the while, bank officers went up and down the line telling everyone their funds were “safe.”
Arrogance.
We’re already worried about what the anti-Semites are going to say. Well, in this day of blogs, chats and emails, this is a gift given from the Gods of hate to them.
But maybe instead of worrying what they are saying. We need to worry more about what we as a people are doing and how we’re living.
Because some where along the line, we’ve lost our moral compass.
And we’ve got to get it back.
Listen, we live in a nation filled with opportunities and advantages. But to take those opportunities and advantages and use them to destroy other people while flaunting the wealth you stole, is beyond comprehension.
Mr. Madoff and his colleagues have created a nightmare.
I just hope that we can take some sort of lessons from this economic carnage and use it to glue together what is now broken.
That compass might never be “good as new,” but we’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s got to be now, in our families and in our classrooms and synagogues.
“Getting away” with financial murder is no way to get ahead in life.
It’s a death sentence.
And this is what Mr. Madoff has done to the dreams of many, many people. He’s killed their dreams, but perhaps worse, their faith.