Commercialization Of A Tragedy
09.26.05 (8:25 am) [edit]
With the recent aftermath of Katrina, and now more recent still of Rita, tons and tons of people have been pouring money and love and support in for survivors. Unfortunately, there have been scams in the storms wake where people are trying to cash in somehow. From Internet fraud to identity theft, people have been trying to use this as a tool to steal.
With that, celebs have been attempting to do the same.
Concerts have been performed. Songs have been sung. Records have been created. New fashion charities have been created. They wear pins. They talk about it on TV.
Wait a moment... How does that help? Oh right. It doesn't, really.
It has become more and more apparent in the past month that for a lot of people in the lime light, this is just another opportunity to cash in.
Remember Bono from U2? He's supposed to save the world, right? Well, he's saving the world by, along with other "artists," singing songs at [url=http://www.voanews.com/englis...]a concert[/url] "for relief." The question is, who's relief is it for?
Also, Michael Jackson, in between naked boy toy parties, is formulating a song to be sung with other "artists," much like his "We Are The World" creation back in the day.
Are Bono, Jackson, & their pals donating time? If they're not getting a penny for this, then that's one thing. The big pink elephant wearing the tutu in the middle of the room here is why aren't they donating money from their personal funds rather than their time at a bunk concert?! Or fine, have the concert, but where is the personal donation anyhow??? These "revolutionaries" talk against the greed that comes with power and politics but what about that which comes from celebrity?? Oh, I'm going to keep my billions under my matress when people are dying and need money and I'm gonna sing a song instead! What hypocracy! What filth!
Maybe Michael Jackson has an excuse because he needs the money to fen off molestation allegations with pricey lawyers. Oh wait, there's no excuse.
Lets assume Jackson and Bono and the artists donate their time. What about the rest of the crews? It's kind of like those rubber bracelets for (enter cure of something here) that I wrote about a bit ago. The [b]cost of the stupid rubber pieces of garbage[/b] takes a huge chunk away from the [b][i]people[/i][/b] who really need that money. All the concert does is suck, and suck money away with little reward left for the victims.
Equipment must be rented. Union working roadies must be paid. Security must be paid. Ticket dealers must be paid. Recording studios must be rented. The list goes on and on... Sure they say these concerts for relief are for the victims, but they never tell you how much money actually is going to them! Sometimes these people don't even tell you exactly to which charity the money, if there's any left, is going!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could sing a song and take all of the pain, heartache, and tragedy away and with that same song bring back people's homes and their lives.
Thing is, in the real world, it doesn't work that way.
Or how about the [url=http://fashion.about.com/b/a/...]Fashion for Relief[/url] organization that was just founded by a bunch of models and others in the fashion industry, including Naomi Campbell. Who among us doesn't find something a little wrong about gallivanting in prada and hedonistically partying all night long in order to "help" people? Let's see, people out there in LA don't have a home and they can barely get their hands on a hot meal, but aren't these shoes to die for?
And don't even get me started on those bullbunk magnolia pins!
Not to mention, Celene Dion, Kanye West, and a few others criticizing the president and saying garbage like "he hates black people" because his response time was slow. He screwed up. Doesn't give you the right to call him a racist. Especially since he's the one that has employed black people in his administration in high positions. Plus, Celene thinks he's a rich money grubber who hates the poor. How much money did Ms. Dion donate? A frikkin 1 million dollars! Like that's gonna make a dent. She can sit on her little French Canadian butt atop her empire of riches and point fingers at others while she donates $1 million for relief? We should all prostrate before her for being so generous.
Now this isn't to say that all celebs don't care. That simply isn't so. People whom have actually lived in the places ravaged by tragedy care. Take Harry Connick Jr, for example. He went down there and actually [url=http://www.kget.com/entertain...]pulled people out of murky waters and saved lives![/url]
Look, my point isn't to bash the Media Elite, at least not in this post. My point here is to say that we need to stop smoke-screening this tragedy with fake reasons to party. We need to stop commercializing this. We need to stop capitalizing on the pain of others. Face it! What happened, happened and it was horrible. Picking up the peices can't really be fun. It's serious. There's no partying that could help!
What should we do then?
For starters, please give to the [url=http://www.redcross.org]Red Cross[/url]. That is probably the only charity worth trusting. If you can volunteer with your bare hands, that's awesome too! Build homes. Give to charity. Talk to people and try and help. Encourage others to do the same! Really help!
If we do these things, we can rebuild lives. If we follow the pipers of stupid, we'll never really help anyone.
That would be an even worse tragedy that everyone already commercialized to death.
Can Terrorists Be Legislators?
09.19.05 (8:48 pm) [edit]
You wouldn't know it from media coverage, but this Israeli position on Hamas is, in fact, neither recent, nor specifically Israel's position at all ― Hamas was rejected for a government role in the very foundational documents of the Palestinian Authority. A quick review of this important matter: The Palestinian Authority was established in 1994, pursuant to the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO. Oslo Interim Agreement, Annex 2, Article III (1995) outlines eligibility for PA elected office: The nomination of any candidates, parties or coalitions will be refused, and such nomination or registration once made will be canceled, if such candidates, parties or coalitions: Yet media outlets have, across the board, presented the objection to Hamas in PA elections as a mere 'Israeli demand', with no reference to the legal barrier the Oslo Accords places before Hamas' nomination to the PA: ● On Sept. 4, HonestReporting found the Associated Press finally began acknowledging the PA's obligation to disarm Hamas under the roadmap agreement (a positive change HR had long called for). But in the same breath, AP began framing the Hamas/PA elections issue as a unilateral Israeli demand: Israel has demanded Abbas disarm the group [Hamas] ― in line with Palestinian obligations under the US-backed ''road map" peace plan. Israel also opposes Hamas participation in parliament elections. ● All other media outlets have since taken AP's lead ― recent articles from the New York Times (9/16), AFP (9/19), Los Angeles Times (9/18), Reuters (9/18) and Washington Post (9/16) all failed to acknowledge the fact that Hamas is ineligible for PA legislative elections under the PA's own foundational rules. The journalist pack has taken the established principle of Hamas ineligibility and shunted it aside, associating it merely with current Israeli policy. This is the legal problem with Hamas holding public office. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom stated the more practical problem: And journalist Akiva Eldar offered comparisons to outlawed European parties: The opinion of international law experts at the Justice Ministry... notes that the European Union's court has disqualified way more moderate political parties from membership in European Parliament. In recent years Spain and Turkey have disqualified parties tainted by verbal terror, and the European Court of Justice rejected the claims of these parties that their disqualification was contrary to the Treaty on European Union. Look for this issue to grow in importance in coming weeks. If your local paper publishes articles that mention only Israel's opposition to Hamas-as-legislators, without noting the more fundamental legal barrier created by the PA's own foundational document, or the absurdity of armed terrorists holding 'democratic' office, write an op-ed using the points above, or draft a letter to your editor.
With the Gaza withdrawal behind us, the big issue in the region is quickly becoming Hamas' participation in the upcoming Palestinian Authority legislative elections. 
Israel has come out strongly against the PA's plan to include Hamas candidates on January's ballot: 'We will never agree that this armed terrorist organization will participate in the elections. We will make every effort not to help them in their elections,' Prime Minister Sharon recently stated.
(1) commit or advocate racism; or
(2) pursue the implementation of their aims by unlawful or nondemocratic means.
Hamas clearly falls under both categories ― its official charter (calling for jihad against all Israelis and universal conversion to Islam) is as racist as they come, and its terrorist means are certainly 'unlawful and nondemocratic'. Just yesterday (Sept. 18), a Hamas leader announced the group will not rest and will not abandon the path of Jihad and martyrdom as long as one inch of our land remains in the hands of the Jews... We are celebrating our victory in Gaza and now we are headed toward Jerusalem, Nablus, Akko, Haifa, the Galilee and all of Palestine.
There is no place - nor can there ever be - in a democratic society for political parties which bear arms, for political parties engaged in terrorism and intimidation. No democratic regime can survive if it lets terrorism and politics proceed side by side.
Y Heartless & Stubborn?
09.19.05 (7:45 am) [edit]
Originally seen [url=http://frummer.blogspot.com/2...]here[/url].
There's nothing I can say and there's nothing I can do, but the anguish of a large number of parents who have no school to which to send their daughters to this Ellul term bothers me tremendously. I am not always able to post on current events as soon as I would like. I simply don’t have sufficient time, I earn my living through working, not blogging, but this issue bothered me sufficiently for me to stay up until the small hours last night penning this post. For those who don't know, many Stamford Hiller's have had their applications for their daughters to join one of our schools turned down at the final hour, despite many of them having been strung along with promises of further meetings and consultations.
A little background. There's one girls school in town which can proudly boast that it is the oldest girls school in town. Over the years each Chassidus has opened their own boys, and then girls school. Until very recently, Bobov had no girls school, but too they have recently joined the ranks of Chassidim who are trying their utmost to outdo each other and become more and more insular. There's only one Chassidus which still has no boys or girls school, Ger. Interestingly enough, they mix with the rest of them until Yeshiva, but then manage to put something into the mix to ensure that nobody will mix with them again, Gerrer boys will only be offered Gerrer girls when it comes to marriage proposals. I think we all know why that is. Something to do with not mixing often enough? (I've just used the mix word enough times to make up for half a dozen Gerrer marriages!) In happier times the oldest school in town used to serve the entire community. Now it serves only those who are unaffiliated to any one particular Chassidus or those who do serve one particular leader but prefer their children to grow up free of the unique style of brainwashing as taught by their respective Chassidus. To date there have never been any restrictive admission rules imposed. Unless you had a TV in your living room, you were sure your daughter would be accepted. If it was in the bedroom cupboard where no one else can see it, that’s an entirely different matter completely. After all what goes on in ones bedroom is between one and ones wife, no?
Recently though, a change has come about. Greatly troubled by the style of young women's dress, the present day leader of the school took it upon himself to implement admission rules which, officially at least, relate to the highly subjective and individualistic issue of the style of the child’s mothers wardrobe. That the rules are not being adhered to across the board, and that there are other unwritten regulations which are brought into play when the first lot are not applicable, only serves to add to the level of frustration of the parents whose daughters have been refused admission. There is a clear reasoning behind the no TV rule, that most families in Stamford Hill do not have a TV. These new rules though, clearly are not in the same league. A TV, it is generally accepted, reflects on the level of commitment to Chassidishkeit of the license payer. That cannot always be said of the dressing down being insisted upon by the school.
One would have thought that a public insitution such as a school would be run by a publicly appointed committee, and headed by one or more prominent local Rabbonim. In this case, it is run by one lone "Rabbi" who, along with his wife, act as judge, jury and executioner, and for all we know, both draw a salary for all three positions as well. The title of Rabbi he uses is inherited, not earned, and despite him not really being referred to as such amongst us Heimishe, he is introduced and addressed by his fake Rabbi title when he represents us in the outside world, for it gives him credence, authority he has not earned nor does he deserve. His position as head of the school too, he owes to his lineage, not talents, for his father was the school's founder. For all the disadvantages of the lack of an appointed management, they do have an excellent appeals system. You can appeal as many times you want, provided you can get the Rabbi to take your phone calls or listen to you when you accost him in the mikve. Despite his faults it seems that he does have some patience. Once he ignores you, you know you have exhausted your avenues, and that you no loner have anybody to turn to. Even the Rabbonim of this town hold their hands up in the air, and claim they have no power over him.
There are quite a few unfortunate parents in this unfortunate position, they have been unofficially excommunicated. Because their wives have been accused of dressing brazenly and of not being frum enough, they are acting defensively, and are reluctant to come out and work together, with the strength they would have as a united group. After all, who wants to tell the world that they have been labeled as persons of low morals? That the Rabbi claims to be acting to protect Yiddishkeit gives him the moral high ground from which it is very difficult to remove him. After all, are we not all expected by G-d to dress simply and be as un-materialistic as possible? Which Rav would defend them? How could one? This despite the dangers of allowing one man to mould the fundamentals of Yiddishkeit in the way he sees fit. The way I see it, this sort of behavior and these rules probably serve to drive more and more people away from Yiddishkeit, of course not right away, but slowly-slowly, a drip-drip effect. There are already some families who have been forced to move to Golders Green as a result of their daughters not having been accepted. Now of course I do not argue that moving to GG is a step away from Yiddishkeit, but those who care so strongly about these rules most certainly are of that opinion. Is this what they want? Families becoming less "farfrumt"?
I am sure that the self proclaimed Rabbi, were he to read this post, would take great offence at it's content and criticisms. In the remote chance that he does read this I have this to say to him, on behalf, I am sure, of the familes of the refusedees:
Enough is enough. You've put enough parents through enough torment. The entire town, anoshim, noshim, ve'taf (men women and children) are now terrified to take a step in the wrong direction in fear of you. You have made your point, and some people have changed. Many women are no longer quick to follow the latest fads and fashions with scant disregard to Tznius. You are a hero. Everybody now knows about you, and you have ensured that ample Loshon Horah has been spoken about you to guarantee you a place in the world to come, despite your misdeeds. Although because all the reward has merely been moved from other people’s “Gan Eden” accounts into yours, you should expect to play a game of musical chairs up in heaven for eternity. That should be fun, for the onlookers.
It's now time for you to capitulate and accept all the sweet little girls you have been keeping home alone for the last few weeks. You’ve caused enough misery and messed up workdays due to lack of childcare. If there are those parents who share your "concerns", and who want your school to become even more radicalised, tell them to take their kids elsewhere. There are more than enough radical Chassidshe schools which would be more than happy to swell their ranks with another few girls to brainwash and which cater to their extreme brand of Judaism. The girls you are refusing into your school have nowhere else to go.
Remember your father, Reb Shmelke of blessed memory, the great man that he was, the founder of the school. He would never have done what you are doing. He practiced a policy of inclusion not exclusion, and unlike you, he kept to his rules. I can see him looking down at you from his comfortable seat high up in the heavens, with dismay written all over his face. The characteristic twinkle in his eyes is noticeably absent and he is wagging his finger at you.
[line]
[b]Lakewood vs Monsey[/b]
I did not know how to write and or describe this, so I will refer you all to Frummer's post Y Heartless & Stubborn?.
Score one victory for Lakewood. After years of torture, where the girl schools were not accepting "certain" girls, Rabbi Elyishav and the local Rabbis of Lakewood issued a "decree" that no school should open unless all girls who do not yet have a school are accepted. As of today, the high schools are still closed but all elementary schools are open after all the girls have been placed.
Well score one shame for Monsey! The city of Din Torah as eloquently described by one of the Ger Rebbe's has become a city like what Frummer describes.
Where once upon a time when the first Bais Yaakov opened and girls whose parents where still driving on Shabbos for a living were accepted to help any Jew, it seems that today we have enough "frum" Jews. It seems as long as one "looks" Jewish it is sufficient for the school whereas one does not practice the community's new "CHUMRES" you are not considered Jewish! One has to go off the derech completely before they will be considered a nebech and then hishtadlus will be made to bring them back.
At this time I will admit that all I can do is vent and feel the pain of Frummer and all such Jews. All I can do is pray. But it seems that just like the prayers of the Gush Katif Jews were saved for the future so will others and mine.
Hashem help us all.
Allowance For Acceptance
09.09.05 (11:41 am) [edit]
Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. . .
Allow me to try
Allow me to love you
Allow me to ask why
Allow me to be humble
Allow me to be true
Allow me to stumble
With what it is I must do
Allow me to see you
Allow me to cry
Allow me to need you
Allow me to sigh
Allow me to depend
Allow me to extend
Please don't make this the end
Here's to better days ahead.
