Rabbi Boylan's Lame Excuse Why The FJJ (Flatbush Jewish Journal) Chose Not to write about the 3 most Important Events that took place In Eretz Yisrael

I don't always read the FJJ, the Flatbush Jewish Journal, but it must have been Seyata De'Shmaya that I perused last week's issue.

I lived in Flatbush for many years and I found the shaven and "Flatbush bearded" community, a hotbed of anti-Israel sentiment. 

BTW, this is the only place on earth where you can still see clean shaven guys with bekeshes,. What's up with that?

I digress.

 These guys are by-in-large children of Holocaust survivors who became very successful financially and comfortable in their million dollar homes, but learned nothing from their own history, so Israel is the furthest thing on their minds. 

Yes, they will come to Israel once in a while to visit their daughters attending seminaries that have $30,000 tuitions, but this is for shidduch reasons. Their married children they send for two or three years to Mir Yerushalyim to start them off, but the children know they will come back to the USA back to the materialistic world of the Goldene Medina. 

I have met many of them when they come for Shabbos and I can tell you first hand that the majority of them are spoiled who lack nothing, B"H. I am frightened for them if their fortunes should G-d forbid change. The kids I meet, both the guys and their wives have absolutely no connection to Israel and when they speak I can hear their anti-Israel biases that they inevitably picked up in their affluent Flatbush homes. Their parents learned in the best yeshivos in the USA that never offered them any love for the Land and in fact discouraged any connection to not only the State of Israel but offered them no understanding of the importance and the holiness of Eretz Yisrael. Except for the dying Young Israels, no shuls in Flatbush make a mi-shebeirach for the State or even for the chayalim.

It is this environment that the FJJ flourishes and it is this type of community that produces the Rabbi Boyans of the world!

The State of Israel, yes the Zionist State of Israel is the home of close to 7 million Jews, bli eyin hara. For this reason alone a Jewish Newspaper in a Jewish Community should have the decency to acknowledge a holiday that is being celebrated by millions of Israeli Jews. We are not asking for 20 page spreads, we are asking for an Honorable Mention. 

I have read many of R' Boylans letters to the editors previously, but this one piqued my interests because it reflects the deep divide between the "yeshivish" world and reality! 

To excuse the FJJ's disgusting omittance of three meaningful consecutive events that were taking place in Eretz Yisrael with the supposedly "Daas Torah" dictum hits a new low for even the FJJ. I showed Rabbi Boyan's letter to three different Holocaust survivors here in Beit Shemesh to see and read  their reactions just to make sure that I am on target. They were outraged! 

Below and after the break is Rabbi Boylan's letter to the editor and my remarks in red.

 YOM HASHOAH, HAZIKARON & HAATZMAUT 

Boylan: In a recent letter, someone asked why the FJJ didn’t talk about Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut. 

There is a lot to say, but to say it briefly it is important to realize that the Gedolei Yisroel of the Yahadus HaChareidis, in both previous generations and in our current generation, don’t hold to observe these days.

DIN: Did we ask you to "observe these days?" We asked why you didn't  talk about it!

 Boylan:The FJJ followed this practice 

DIN: What "practice?" Not to discuss such an important and major event that took place in the Jewish State?

Boylan:{I might add that if someone follows a different Rabbinic leadership and is not Chareidi, they can certainly find quite a number of publications which discuss these days. However, the FJJ has decided to follow the path of the Gedolei Torah of the Yahadus HaChareidis, which is the mesorah the editor has from his rebbeim.} 

DIN: The Gedolei Torah of the Yahadus HaChareidis told you not to mention it at all? 

I do not believe this for one second!

 With all due respect, this has nothing to do with "whose leadership one follows." If the majority of the Jewish people (we are getting there probably this year) live in Israel and the country has 3 major  consecutive events that reflects the history of that State and the Jewish people, don't you think that it is prudent to talk about it? This is a JEWISH State! No matter what your frum take on this is, all admit that this is a JEWISH State! 

Who should talk about it if not a Frum Jewish Publication? 

AOC? Ilhan Omer? Tlaib? 

I don't want to be disrespectful but  the "rebbeim" of the editor lived in the USA when 6 million Jews were murdered. One arrived in 1938 and the other one was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Boylan:While it should really require a whole megillah to explain this, permit me to say at least a few words to explain the hashkafah of the Gedolim that the Olam HaTorah and Yahadus HaChareidis follow. Our mesorah is to mourn for the tzaros of galus on Tisha B’Av. As such, many gedolim have felt that the day to mourn and focus on the tzarah of the Shoah, Holocaust, is on Tisha B’Av. 

DIN: No one is arguing what the "hashkafa of the Gedoilim is.  And for your information, the majority of the Holocaust survivors were actually outraged that a day wasn't designated for their murdered husbands, wives, children and parents. and extended family. 

That is why Rav Schwab and the Bobover Rebbe had to quickly compose a special Kinnos to pacify them. In addition there were many tragedies that Klall Yisrael went thru such as pogroms and they did have special days set aside to mourn. The Gemarrah in Taanis mentions them. Geonim and Rishonim mention many special days that were kept by various communities to commemorate those events. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 580:1) lists days "on which tragedies befell our forefathers, and it is proper to fast on them" Among those listed are tragic events which occurred after the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash.

What many Gedoilim such as the Chazon Ish were opposed to was to add another  "FAST DAY" 

In addition, all agree with the late Kloizenberger Rebbe that said that the Holocaust was the worst tragedy to have befallen the Jewish people in its entire history, and that includes the destruction of both Bais Ha'mikdashs. 

The survivors were so broken, so destroyed, that they had very little fight left to battle those in "charge." They were busy building their lives from scratch in a new country with a new language.  

I am not saying this because I read it in books, I am talking from first hand knowledge. I grew up amongst survivors. Growing up I never met anyone who had grandparents. 

What R' Boylan doesn't tell you and it could be that the "Yankee" doesn't actually know this fact that the "Gedolim, the Olam HaTorah and Yahadus HaChareidis " were themselves not on the same page, many were actually for designating a special day. This is not the time to elaborate on this but why, Rabbi Boylan, don't you go out and ask a survivor what his opinion on this is? 

Notice that it wasn't enough for Rabbi Boylan to just write "Gedolim" but he added words that no one bunches together .."Gedolim, the Olam HaTorah and Yahadus HaChareidis "  What was the point of Boylan to bunch these three terms together? 

Is it possible that R' Boylan is trying to deceive his readers? 

 If he had only written "Gedolim" one could ask "which Gedoilim?" 

So he adds  in "the Olam Ha'Torah" ... 

R' Boylan, in the 1950's and in the early 60's there wasn't any "Olam Ha'Torah" in the US to speak of.

Survivors were all working people, there weren't any kollim, except for Lakewood and that was very tiny.  But R' Boylan adds it for emphasis., and not content with that, he throws in Yahadus HaChareidis for good measure. What does that even mean? Is there a group of Chareidim that are not part of "Yahadus?"

What I think R' Boylan is trying to convey, while sneaking in the word "many Gedoilim, " (because he didn't want to be called out on this white lie) is that ALL were on board.

But he knows very well that's an outrageous  lie so he bunches together  "Gedolim, the Olam HaTorah and Yahadus HaChareidis ?"  to hide this fact and give the impression that all were on board?

It's no secret that the remnants of the Holocaust all wanted a special day, but this was not the battle that they were ready to fight as they had other more important things to take care of. In fact I remember that tens of thousands of Frum "heimishe" Yeedin went to Madison Square Garden to observe this day even though it was arranged by not frum Holocaust survivors. No one had cars in those days, they took buses, trains and traveled for hours back and forth to get there and back. 

But again, we are not asking you to observe it, we are asking for acknowledgement in a Jewish Newspaper, for it is after all, like it or not, a day observed in a Jewish country by hundred of thousands if not millions of Jews.

Boylan:{I might add that I heard from talmidim of Rav Yosher Ber Soloveichik zt”l that he also didn’t hold of Yom HaShoah.} 

DIN: Interesting that R' Boylan, again deceptively, brings the opinion of Rav Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik z"l on Yom HaShoah but doesn't talk about R' JB Soloveichik's opinion vis-à- vis Yom Hatzmaot . We recently brought his favorably opinion on this.

Boylan:In terms of teaching about the Shoah, the Novominsker Rebbe zt”l gave Hadracha to Yeshivos and Beis Yaakov’s in terms of the proper mehalach to teach and approach this sensitive topic. 

DIN: This approach failed miserably. Our grandchildren by-in-large  know nothing, and are not even interested, their grandparents were in such pain that they couldn't discuss it and the Yeshivois didn't have a Holocaust curriculum, so why would we expect empathy from the Flatbush "bekeshes" to speak about this enormous tragedy in a Jewish Newspaper?

In fact when Yad Vashem was looking for survivors to tell their stories, most of the frum people guided by the Gedoilim refused to have anything to do with it. When Yad Veshem opened and didn't have the Chareidie viewpoint, they screamed and yelled. But whose fault was that ?

I noticed on my latest visit to Yad Veshem that they added a whole segment featuring Rav Weismandel.

Also many survivors decided to speak to Spielberg and tell their stories, in practically all the interviews they mention that they want  the story to go out and be publicized. 

After much pressure from survivors, who were in disbelief that the secular world was putting up Holocaust museums left and right, that weren't telling their stories, they got Heshy Kleinman involved. Kleinman was the one who established the Amud Aish Memorial Museum in Boro -Park and they expect to build future annexes in Lakewood, and London.

 It's too little and too late. Our children show no interest and therefore it comes to no surprise that they have no connection to Eretz Yisrael as well.

Boylan:I would also add that one can develop a sensitivity to the Shoah without Yom HaShoah. For instance, the Telzer Yeshiva has an azkarah for the day that the Telzer talmidim (in Europe) were killed. In every Daf Yomi Siyum it is part of the mesorah to have part of the program dedicated to the Shoah. These are just small examples of the many things that are done in the Yahadus HaChareidis to educate others about this tragedy. In addition, it is important to realize that part of the way we remember the Shoah is to continue on the mesorah to our current generations. For instance, when the Ponovitzer Rav zt”l called his Yeshiva Ponovitz (and Grodno in Ashdod) he had in mind to continue on the Yeshivos from Europe in Eretz Yisroel.

DIN: Did he just write "that one can develop a sensitivity to the Shoah?" "Develop Sensitivity?" What are we a bunch of Arabs? He brings an idiotic example from the Telzer Yeshiva. who have an azkara for the day the Telzer talmidim in Europe were killed. 

What kind of an example is this? What does this teach the bochrum about the Holocaust? I'll bet that many of the bochrum walk away thinking that it was only the talmidim of Telze that were murdered. How many bochrum learned in Telze pre WW2? Do they even realize that the parents and siblings of these bochrum were brutally murdered as well? and then just in case you forgot, he throws in his home made description of Chareidim Yahadus HaChareidis?

He writes that in "every Daf Yomi Siyum it is part of the mesorah to have part of the program dedicated to the Shoah." But he doesn't mention that this is once in 7 and half years?

 Is it any wonder that Yeshiva students have no clue how to defend Holocaust deniers? 

Not too long ago a famous "Chizuk Speaker" gave a speech where he denied that 6 million Jews were murdered, Later under immense pressure he reluctantly made a half assed apology and walked it back. But he absolutely believes it!  When he said it publically, no one challenged him.

Then R' Boylan  gets even more bizarre he states: The Ponovitzer Rav zt”l called his Yeshiva Ponovitz (and Grodno in Ashdod) he had in mind to continue on the Yeshivos from Europe in Eretz Yisroel.

What is exactly does that even mean? Is there even one bochur in Ponovitz that gives any thought to this? How about the bochrim in Ashdod learning in the Grodno Yeshiva? Does any bochur stop for even a second and give any thought that Grodno was destroyed in the Holocaust? In fact these "Grodno bochrum don't even really believe that "Torah protects them." It wasn't too long ago during the onslaught of rockets from Gaza that their Roshei Yeshiva told them to pack up and move to Bnei Brak. It was the Hesder Yeshivas that remained and actively went out to find Holocaust Survivors to make sure they have a safe place. Where was the "Grodno Torah?" So the Grodno Yeshiva that was set up as a memorial for the Holocaust, packed up during a Gaza attack and left to Bnei Brak only to leave all Ashdod Holocaust survivors to fend for themselves/ Some memorial!

And how many bochrim  learned in Ponovitz and Grodno in Europe altogether? This is supposed to be some memorial for the 6 million Kedoishim? What about the civil war going on in Ponovitz while I'm typing these very words? What kind of Azkara is this? Even in Telze Cleveland that Boylan  mentions, there were tremendous battles within..The Yeshiva got totally destroyed!

 Boylan:In terms of Yom HaZikaron, it is a mistake to assume that not observing this day shows one is not showing hakaras hatov to soldiers. Let us give an example: Let us say one doesn’t observe Fathers Day or Mothers Day, as they are not part of our Jewish calendar. Does that mean they are not keeping Kibud Av Vaem? Clearly it is more than possible to fulfill Kibud Av Vaem in many ways, without observing a day that is not part of our mesorah.

DIN: With this childish "Father's Day" logic, why do we have one day Yom Kippur, when we have to do teshuva every single day? 

Obviously even though it is an obligation every day, we set aside a day for contemplation and reflection, this is not a contradiction. 

My mother a"h a Holocaust survivor waited every year for her Mother's Day card.

BTW Yom Ha'Zikoron is not only in memory for the soldiers that gave their lives al Kiddush Hashem, but also for the victims and this day is observed by the Chareidm all over in Eretz Yisrael. In Bnei Brak it is a very solemn day and this year especially because of what happened in Bnei-Brak! I live in Beit Shemesh, and there were special tefillos on this day in the Chaeridie Shul I davened in.

 Boylan:In our example, one can have hakaras hatov to Israeli soldiers without observing a particular day that is not part of the mesorah. As an example of the above: Rav Kalman Krohn zt”l learned Mishnayos in the memory of the fallen Israeli soldiers. Is that not a way of showing hakaras hatov, even if he didn’t observe Yom HaZikaron? 

DIN: Tell me Rabbi Hagoin Oliom Rav Hakodosh Boylen... Tell me did you say Yizkor this Pesach? Why? Why didn't you just learn a couple of Perakim mishnayois? 

Why don't you suggest ,come Shevuois, to cut out the Yizkor and say some Mishnayois instead? Let's see what happens? 

Obviously the Soldiers appreciate your mishnayois that you learn, but they want to see your Hakoras Hatoiv displayed to the entire world. 

Boylan writes that Yom Ha'zikoron is not part of the mesorah. 

But then just a couple of lines above he writes about a "made up mesorah" "In every Daf Yomi Siyum it is part of the mesorah to have part of the program dedicated to the Shoah. "

Boylan makes a mockery of his readers; he himself decided what is a "mesorah" 

To say a couple of words at the Siyim that takes place once every 7 and half years is a GENUINE "mesorah" but a "mesorah" observed now since 1951, 71 years, every single year, is not a "mesorah?"

The truth is that Yom Ha'zikoron is indeed a "mesorah" as Chareidim in Israel observe it. The reason is because Chareidim personally know a family that lost loved ones to the Arab murderers. On the other hand, Yom Hashoah, isn't observed by Chareidim  because they  have no connection to it, and they won't visit Yad Va'shem and finally there is no Holocaust curriculum in Yeshivos. The Noveminsker initiative mentioned by Boylan is as I wrote a total disaster. Survivors some of who are their very own grandparents are dying like flies and there is no one to tell the story. That is why it's so important to talk about it! Especially in this Holocaust Denial Climate!

I don't know who Rav Kalman Krohn z"l was, but I'll bet that he would have wanted the FJJ to mention Yom Hazikoron so that our youth would stop and thank G-d they are not the ones having to give their lives for the rest of the Jewish people to protect the bochrim in Ponovitz, Telze and Grodno.

Boylan:I recently read about how many Chareidi Yidden showed great respect (such as buying food for them etc.) to the soldiers that came to help guard them due to the recent terrorist attacks. This was a great kiddush Hashem and also showed hakaras hatov.

DIN: I'm glad that happened but I'll let you into a secret, that exact place is where just a year ago a Chareidie Soldier in Uniform was attacked by bochrim when he walked into a shul to daven Mincha and had to be rescued. This was not in Yerushalyim where that happens on a daily basis, this was in this very town where Chareidie Yidden now bought food for them. They felt "hakoras ha'toiv only, once they personally experienced the IDF protecting their tuches', and when they finally realized that Arabs make no distinction between Chareidim that don't celebrate Yom Haatzmot and Zionists who do, to them all Jews are one of the same!

 Boylan:In terms of Yom HaAtzmaut, there are many different approaches to Hakamat HaMedinah. Even in the Yahadus Hachareidis there is a spectrum. 

DIN:  Again with his made up term "Yahadus Hachareidis" Interestingly here R' Boylan doesn't talk about Rav Yoshe Ber's approach... very interesting. 

Boylan: However, I will discuss it somewhat to give at least some perspective. The Chazon Ish zt”l said that the Medinah is not the Reishis HaGeulah but rather the Saifa Degalusa. {It is not the beginning of the redemption but rather the end of the exile.} 

DIN :"The Chazon Ish said" I just love these guys that bring up the Chazon Ish's perspective on the medina, during a Holocaust discussion, I just love this. The discussion wasn't about the "medina' it is about commemorating Yom HaShoah, yes, the medina established this day, but  so what?? Many Holocaust survivors fought and gave their lives for the "medina."  These survivors left widows, children, siblings and parents who want a special day! 

  I assume that R' Boylan has no idea what the Chazan Ish was talking about or in what context.. Because even a child knows that when it's the end of something it is usually the beginning of something else. If it's the "end of the exile" then it's automatically the "beginning of the redemption." There is nothing in our "mesorah" that says there is something in between. 

Without going into Yom Ha'atzmoot debate, let's continue 

R' Boylan is telling us that the fact that there is a State that accepts all Jews and has close to 7 million Jews living there and has the most Torah being learned in Israel than anywhere and anytime, and the fact that the Zionist government are the biggest supporters of Torah Institutions to the tune of over 250 million DOLLARS a year which is nothing short of a miracle, and that according to him is not a miracle at all but a coincidence (just like Ameilek's war with the Jews) and that he holds that it doesn't deserve an honorable mention in a Jewish Newspaper catering to Jewish people, is a crying shame and a distortion of our Torah values and doesn't promote Ahavas Yisrael .

Boylan:The Chazon Ish also had strong feelings of the danger of what the Medinah may do to Klal Yisroel and fought strongly against laws he felt put the Olam HaTorah in danger. While he encouraged the Agudah to participate in the Knesset, he felt this was to guard our community, not because he felt the Medinah was somehow a part of the geulah. I hope I have shed some light on these topics. I hope that even those who don’t agree with this should understand better the approach of the Yahadus HaChareidis. 

DIN: Again with his made-up fake moniker "Yahadus HaChareidis. 

The Chazon Ish wasn't the only Gadol living in Israel, there were many gedoilim including Rav Itche Meir Levin, the Gerer Rebbe that were supportive of the medina. But let's not get sidetracked.

Mr. Boylan: The Chazon Ish despite his feelings towards the medina, unlike you, chose to live in Israel. The chazon Ish also prohibited those who live in Eretz Yisrael to leave. The danger of what the USA government is doing to Klall Yisrael is far graver than anything the Zionist State can do. In fact the assimilation rate in the USA according to Bnei Brith reached over 85% and in Israel it's 1.2% .

And no you didn't "shed some light" you actually brought a dark cloud over FJJ! 

Go tell your "Yahadus HaChareidis," whatever that means ,that they are the cause of so much machlokas, and now FJJ that had an opportunity to make things right also fell into the cesspool of "political correctness" . Good Luck 

Boylan:Rabbi Moshe Boylan

In conclusion:

Yom HaShoah is the day that shows us not only the depths to which humans can sink, but also the heights to which they can soar.