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A Yom Kippur Letter: Please Stop Encouraging Hate, or "Hey Joe, Say It Ain't So!"



Yom Kippur, 5769
New York City

Rabbi Daniel Cohen
Congregation Agudath Sholom
Stamford, Connecticut

Rabbi Barry Freundel
Kesher Israel Congregation
Washington, D.C.

Dear Rabbis Cohen and Freundel,

Please forgive the presumption -- not only don't we know one another, I'm the kind of "cultural Jew" who makes even Reform Rabbis weep.
But as far as I can tell, now that Joe Lieberman and his family have moved from New Haven to Stamford, you, Rabbi Cohen, are his primary Rabbi in Connecticut. And you, Rabbi Freundel, lead the congregation where Sen. Lieberman worships in Washington.

Sen. McCain loves Joe Lieberman -- he wanted him as his running mate, if press reports are accurate.

Sen. McCain listens to Joe Lieberman.

Sen. Lieberman is, if you will, John McCain's rabbi.

So I thought I would write to you and ask you, as Sen. Lieberman's rabbis, to talk to Sen. Lieberman about the hatred that the McCain-Palin campaign is encouraging --- and the special understanding we Jews have of how that hatred plays out.

Why this public forum? Because I feel this is an urgent moment for American Jews. And because, in this moment, the men who can perhaps do the most to help us all -- Jews, Gentiles and Muslims alike -- should be identified and challenged to step up and do the right thing.
And make no mistake: Your voices do matter. If Joe Lieberman is the devout Jew he professes to be, you two are the most influential voices he can hear. He'd never listen to me. But to you -- how can he turn away?

I often think about Kristallnacht, that terrible night in Germany when it became unmistakably clear what the Nazis intended for the Jews. Almost a hundred Jews murdered, tens of thousands deported, windows smashed, businesses seized -- and hundreds of synagogues burned. Quite the "November surprise," if you will. But even after this horrific orgy of violence in 1938, there were many German Jews who didn't get it, who thought they were safe, who thought this was where it ended.

Now we know better. We say "Never again." But look around you, gentlemen. History does repeat, and in this case, with spooky echoes of Germany's darkest decade. A bad economy. A search for someone who can be dehumanized and blamed. The cries for "justice". And then....?
How would we recognize Kristallnacht if it happened today?

My fear: It's on the horizon, and coming closer every day.

Today "The Other" is Barack Obama. At a McCain-Palin rally the other day, there was a cry from a yahoo in the crowd: "Off with his head!" John McCain and Sarah Palin have not condemned that man. Indeed, they promise to ratchet up their "questions" about Obama in the final weeks of the campaign. At this point, it seems, they'd find nothing upsetting if the audiences at their rallies showed up with torches and pitchforks.

Jews, above all others, should fear this kind of hate speech. It may start with the demonization of one black man. Then it will move on to greedy Wall Streeters and "Jewish bankers" and a "liberal media" owned and controlled by Jews. [It's already happening: The Anti-Defamation League reports "a dramatic upsurge in anti-Semitic statements" on financial message boards on the Web. ] And then -- it sounds crazy, but it sounded crazy to many Jews in Germany -- the mob will come for us. Because that's where this goes. It's where it always goes. No matter where it starts, it ends with the Jews -- we're the ultimate "Other."

On your synagogue's web site, Rabbi Cohen, I note that you have a large family. Six daughters?Mazel tov. We have only one, but she is as precious to us as your girls are to you and your wife, and the thought of having her wrenched from my hand at some 21st century equivalent of a railroad freight yard -- it wakes me in the night.

I know I am asking a hard thing of you -- to confront Joe Lieberman and ask him to talk to John McCain, and, if McCain won't stop this madness, to call upon Sen. Lieberman to condemn his friend.

But maybe if I make this request both public and personal -- maybe if I invoke the images of Germany, just seven decades ago -- and ask that you do what you can to keep our children from harm, you will see how crucial this moment is to each and every Jew. And how much power you have to help us, all of us, who dare to hope for better from this country but find ourselves, in the middle of the night, awake and terrified.

A healthy and productive New Year to you and yours.

Jesse Kornbluth

###

As published at the HuffingtonPost.com

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That it meant never again will such a Holocaust happen to anyone , to ANY human being on the face of the Earth. I wish I was still that naive.

Not sure of this man's intentions, but his ignorance of the Neocons and their agenda is profound.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

The use of the demeaning labels like "spoiler" to describe those working for change is also profound!

STOP IT!

Al K.

www.votenader.org

"NO SPOILERS" reflects the profound ignorance of people who use such terms. The suggestion that any major party corporate candidate is entitled to anyone's vote is beyond ridiculous. Every vote must be earned. If Obama, for instance, has not convinced voters to support him over Nader (or any other independent/third party candidate for that matter), he has not earned their vote.

"NO SPOILERS" is a slap in the face to democracy, and anyone who says it should be ashamed of themselves.

Unfiltered Video Commentary:
THE HOUSE THAT FRAUD BUILT:

Congress conspires with Wall Street to bring America to its knees

Spoiling an election is a slap in the face of democracy. Anyone who spoils the WILL OF THE PEOPLE , FOR CHANGE, should be ashamed of themselves.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

Is that what you mean? We have to vote for your pro-free-trade/pro-war-on-terror carbon copy of McCain candidate or we should be ashamed of ourselves?

Is that what you mean? I'm just trying to be clear here.

You mean like THIS change?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBqiee2RM60

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

HOw proud your parents must be

My dearly departed mother would roll over in her grave if I threw away my vote after her ancestor fought in the American Revolutionary War.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

Your mother would be proud to know that you threw away your vote on a man who totally opposed everything YOU believe in because we MUST DEFEAT a man who totally opposes everything you believe in!

DAAAHHH, RIGHT!

Al K.

www.votenader.org

As is anyone who passes on in Hospice due to pancreatic cancer.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS , PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

Yep, Anyone who dies of cancer MUST be sane. Narrow-minded people are all immune to cancer!

DAAaaah RIGHT!

Al k.

Anyone who spoils the will of the people by advocating $700 bailouts for the people who caused our meltdown, Like McCain and Obama, are "spoilers". Anyone who works to spoil our chances a single-payer not-for-profit health care reform, like McCain and Obama are spoilers. Anyone who will impede our speedy exit from an illegal and immoral war. like McCain and Obama, are spoilers. Anyone who would oppose the impeachment of a criminal president, like McCain and Obama, is a spoiler. What do they spoil? Our chances at true reform!

Anyone who labels another entire group of candidates who advocate his own thinking as spoilers because they can't win is worse than a spoiler. He / she is either a damn fool who works against his /her own interest or is a fascist who advocates only two candidates, or less, to every ballot! Hitler, Saddam and Stalin would approve!

Anyone who would label candidates who agree with ones own values as spoiler and side with a candidate that does not is just a damn fool!

Al K.

www.votenader.org

"Spoiler" is a word in the dictionary, and it aptly describes Ralph Nader. Get over yourself. You have no "powers" over my free speech or anyone else's (or the dictionary for that matter), and neither does Ralph Nader. He cannot spoil our election or the will of THE PEOPLE this year. The landslide for Obama by the majority of American voters will be so overwhelmingly great, Nader can't spoil a thing, even if he wants to. Nader is just a loser this year (as in all past decades). So no worries.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

Then what are you doing here?

Your suggestion that anyone who votes for Nader is doing so against their will is just more of your transparent nonsense.

I have never claimed to have any power over your free speech or anyone else's. Go ahead and spew your ignorance to your heart's content. And I have certainly never claimed any power over the dictionary. Thanks for the laugh.

It's quite clear you're a hopeless shill for the unacceptable status quo in Washington. The only thing that's not quite clear is whether you're truly as clueless as you appear, or you're some Capitol Hill lackey banging out the propaganda here on ADS while you serve the corporate Beltway cause.

Too bad for you that more people with a clue are getting wise to worthless crap like yours every day.

Unfiltered Video Commentary:
THE HOUSE THAT FRAUD BUILT:

Congress conspires with Wall Street to bring America to its knees

... impeachment efforts. Now she is all about undermining 3rd Party voters. She was big on the meme that impeachment would hurt Obama's chances in Nov.

She used to actually stand for impeachment, but then something happen... I don't know, maybe she got bit by the Obamabug...who knows. I mean they used to call her 'Impeachment Lady" in some other sites... so I don't what happened to her.

You can't argue the facts, so again you resort to slandering and bullying. It's a tired tactic, Willy, and beneath contempt. Just because I listened to Chairman John Conyers wisdom about weighing the pros and cons of LOSING an impeachment, is not me being against a SUCCESSFUL impeachment. How soon you forget that John Conyers is the father of impeachment movement against Bush. I remember when he took part of a SUCCESSFUL resignation of Nixon .

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS , PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

...then they wouldn't have been able to pass that FISA Bill that Obama was FOR...

...or that Bailout Bill that Obama said we had to have to save Wall Street. How's that working out by the way?

Yeah, all that gridlock would have been detrimental to our democraticly controled congress...

...and maybe a few thousand Iraqis would still be alive, certainly a few pakistani civilians and Afghanis...

...but you and Conyers were SOOOO right! All those Bad things that COULD have happened had we FAILED to impeach the President...

...hell, if we had tried to impeach him and failed... hell, President Bush might still be in charge of the Country! Hell, he might even be planning to take over under the continuity of government scheme...

...hell, you are right Yank! That would have been awful.

(psst. there are some "facts" for you. How do you like those?)

Losing to the Neocons is not change.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

I am NOT here to appease you or green groupies.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

You mean that "peace" where Obama suggests we blow up more kids in Afghanistan because they refuse to submit to BushCo's tyrany. that kind of "peace"?

I think you mean "pieces" as in we blow them to "pieces"...

is that what you mean? I am having a hard time understanding you.

IMPEACH BUSHCO & RICO PNAC/AIPAC...PNAC is Bush/Cheney's "Helter Skelter" !

NO SPOILERS, PERIOD > WE MUST DEFEAT MCCAIN!!!

"I don't understand you either"

How come I am not surprised?

Al K.

Yank,

What do you know! We agree. Everyone has the right to free speech. Everyone has the right to make a damn fool of his / herself whenever one sees fit, of course and unless he / she is just a spoiler who can't possibly win! In this case they MUST sit down and shut up because they are just a "spoilers"!

Al K.

www.votenader.

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