The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 53 JANUARY 1, 2010 | 15 TEVET 5770 www.thejewishstar.com THE STORY BEHIND HESDER A HANDLE ON THE SCANDAL HE MAY BE PIUS... Rabbi Chaim Goldvicht and Kerem B’Yavneh The fallout from Tropper’s fall But is he a saint? Page 4 Page 5 Page 13 I N M Y V I E W Compassion Don’t ask, is also a don’t tell at Y.U. B Y M I C H A E L O R B A C H pain and the conflict that is caused by someone being gay in the Orthodox Jewish As willing as the four panelists on world.” the dais were to speak about their sex- The gathering was far from a gay ual orientation, it seemed clear they pride event but instead a sober value would have rather been in the audi- acknowledgment. In a twist on the ence. gay-pride slogan of the 1970s, it said: “I'm gay, and nothing I've done We're here, we're queer, and we're can change that,” said Avi Kopstick, sorry about it. the president of Yeshiva University's “The halacha, as expressed explic- B Y R A B B I H E R S C H E L B I L L E T Tolerance Club and an openly gay stu- itly in the Torah and in the dent at the college. “I fought for six Chachamim, is clear to everyone here, s an Orthodox Jew and an years, every Rosh Hashana, denying and this is not what we're here to dis- ordained rabbi, I fully accept who I am. Every Yom Kippur, with cuss,” Rabbi Blau said, laying down that the Torah from the very tears streaming down my face, asking ground rules for the evening. “If some- A beginning endorses heterosexual G-d to take it away. My test is not that one does try to discuss halacha, I will relationships and forbids and condemns Hashem made me gay and I have to ask them to stop.” homosexual relationships in very strong become straight, but my test is to live Rabbi Blau cautioned that anyone terms. From my perspective the Halacha with it.” who interrupted the panelists would is unequivocal The panel, held in Belfer Com- be asked to leave, though he didn't and we are duty- mons on Yeshiva University's Wilf need to worry. The crowd of close to a bound to accept Campus in Washington Heights on thousand interrupted the presenters it in both theory Dec. 22, was a first. Titled “Being Gay only with applause and laughter. At 8 and practice. in the Modern Orthodox World,” it p.m., the panel's official start time, a Nevertheless, was run by the Wurzweiler School of line of hundreds snaked around the I believe that Social Work, and the Yeshiva Universi- outside of Belfer Hall in the blistering Chazal would not ty Tolerance Club. Three alumni and a cold. At 8:15, security guards were have wanted the current YU student spoke about their turning away dozens of students. story to end with homosexuality. Rabbi Yosef Blau, Later, some students snuck into the Photo by Michael Orbach ”The old this determina- mashgiach ruchani of Yeshiva Univer- building via tunnels that connect Rabbi Blau addresses the crowd at the “Being gay in the Orthodox world” panel. Yeshiva bachur tion of what the sity, was the moderator. In his words, Belfer with other parts of the campus. Halacha requires the panel was meant to address “the See DON’T ASK, Page 7 in me could not of us. In addition to observing have written Halacha fully, we these sen- must also under- stand the compli- tences. But my cated situations calling in life, of human beings Success to setback in non-ideal situ- First to the rabbinate ... ations in the real world. has enabled me Rav Yochanan ben Zakkai to success again face arrest to understand instructed his five things that I great students to Eliezer Project brings motivational speaker to Woodmere Persona non grata in U.K. before Livni “go out and see a own successful business and a large Manhat- B Y M O S H E F E I G L I N would have nei- good path to B Y M A L K A E I S E N B E R G tan apartment — and how it all fell apart in embody and a “It is important to understand,” I said to television ther expected “I’m not perfect,” said the trim, balding what he described as “three earthquakes” of bad path to interviewer Dan Margalit, “I am just the canary in the coal man. “I’m so far from perfect that I can’t financial crisis, anxiety and divorce. Katz nor could have avoid.” Why mine. More politicians will be receiving this letter.” The even see it in the distance.” went from being a full-time father to only should five of the interview took place close to two ever learned in With that opening, Red Katz seeing his children once a week and on greatest rabbis of years ago. I was reminded of it two began his life story. alternate weekends. He couldn’t cry for the Mishnah have weeks ago when Tzipi Livni had a the Bais “I don’t have all of life’s 10 years, he said, and then couldn’t stop to “go out and close brush with arrest in England. I answers but I have the right crying. Midrash.“ see”? Why not had the dubious distinction of being questions,” he said. “I want to Eventually Katz managed to turn his life tell them to “Go the first Israeli politician since Men- give you the tools to find the around and saw his “vulnerability in and see”? achem Begin to be classified as a answers. Each and every as a source of strength.” Doesn’t the Bais persona non grata by her majesty’s one of you has the “I was the one who put Midrash contain government. The only other Israelis answers and tools to obstacles in my path,” he all of the answers inside its sacred to receive this classification have accomplish in life.” said. “I was the one to turn Moshe Feiglin walls? The answer is that perhaps the been IDF officers whose war against Katz, a motiva- it around. Any challenges Bais Midrash alone is insufficient if the Arab terror has turned them into war tional speaker, in your life, I can relate to Torah is to be a Toras Chaim! Perhaps criminals in British eyes. spoke as part of the you. If I did it, anyone in the lessons of the Bais Midrash must be I had the privilege to be inducted into this exclusive Eliezer Project’s the room can do it. applied in a practical way to the reali- club because of an article I wrote years ago. It included a resume workshop Whatever you want to ties of an imperfect world. An Orthodox sentence that read, “The Arab is not the son of the desert, on Dec. 23. He do in your life, you Jew knows well what the Torah says but rather, its father.” Interestingly, none other than the described his mar- have the tools to make about homosexuality. But what many of first British Commissioner of Sinai, Sir Claude Jarvis, wrote riage to a beautiful woman, it happen.” us do not know, and I believe should this sentence in 1938, in his book “The Desert Yesterday the three wonderful chil- At the beginning See VIEW, Page 7 and Today.” In other words, my entry to Britain was forbid- dren he had with her, his of his talk, a sobering heaviness hung in the den because I quoted an important British official. No mat- Rabbi Herschel Billet is the Rabbi of the air, but by the end the ter. What is clear is that the British, who allow terror chiefs Young Israel of Woodmere. He is a past Red Katz, motivational speak- mood was more like a See FIRST, Page 9 president of the Rabbinical Council of er, at an Eliezer Project event. America. See sidebar on page 14. See SUCCESS, Page 14 Y That’s Life............................................................................2 Classified .............................................................................9 Candlelighting: 4:20 p.m. I Shabbat ends 5:25 p.m. N AID 301 P Y Inside Shabbat T I Opinion.................................................................................4 Calendar.............................................................................10 Torah reading: Parshat Vayechi 0 GE STD C 3 NO A 5 N 1 E 1 D PRST R POST A PERMIT G US 11530 NY , City REQUESTED den VICE Gar SER Blvd., CHANGE Endo 2 29467 3 2 The Jewish Star January 1, 2010 Engagements I Engagement of Yael Diamond (Brooklyn, NY) & Yehuda (Jay) Idler (Brooklyn, NY) — Dec. 24, 2009 I Engagement of Jill Kairey (Deal, NJ) & David Elbaz (Brooklyn, NY) — Dec. 24, 2009 I Engagement of Shoshana Chera (Deal, NJ) & Yoni Aryeh anxiety that surrounds the (Brooklyn, NY) — Dec. 22, 2009 Dear That’s Life, moment you weigh in. For many I Engagement of Eli Lovi One evening while sitting of us, the weigh-in comes with a (Brooklyn, NY) & Malky around the dinner table my hus- particular ritual: the act of find- Rosenberg (Monsey, NY) — Dec. band noticed some math flash ing the lightest set of clothing in 22, 2009 Alexis Swedroe & cards, often used to challenge which to be weighed. I Engagement of Alexis Swedroe kids on their math skills.