Chabad Center's response on Sandra Bernhard
One of my readers has passed along the response they received to their protest against Sandra Bernhard being invited to speak at a dinner being sponsored by the Chabad Israel Center on the Upper East Side of Manhattan next Friday night: DearIt's possible. The first element of teshuva is regretting what you have done in the past.
Thank you very much for your concern regarding Sandra Bernhard speaking at the “Persian Shabbat dinner”. I sincerely appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us and I understand your unease. My wife and I did not intend for the invitation to be an endorsement of Ms. Bernhard or of her views. Recently Ms. Bernhard has been rediscovering her Jewish roots and exploring her heritage. Given the Jewish focus during this time of year on teshuvah--return, we thought it would be beneficial for some of her peers to hear her speak about this transformation in her life.
With gratitude and blessing to us all that we each do teshuvah in our own lives and usher in Rosh Hashanah in the most beautiful way possible,
Yours truly,
Rabbi Uriel Vigler
Chabad Israel Center of The Upper East Side
That vile video from last September has disappeared down the memory hole, but Wikipedia has some of what she said in that 'performance' and its aftermath:
On September 19, 2008, in an "epithet-laden"[10] performance at Theater J of the Washington DC Jewish Community Center, Bernhard warned Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin that she would be gang-raped by Bernhard's "big black brothers" if she visited Manhattan. Palin had a campaign stop planned in New York City at the time. Bernhard later stated "I certainly wish Gov. Palin no harm. I'd just like her to explain to me how she can hold such outrageous views... and then go back to Alaska"[11][12][13]. Bernhard also warned Palin to stay away from the Old Testament and referred to Palin's Christianity as "new goyish crappy shiksa funky bullshit!"[14]. Bernhard's comments resulted in a decision by Rosie's Place, a Boston women's shelter, to cut her act from its annual fundraiser. Bernhard claimed on her web page that her comments were taken out of context[15]. Later she began to deny that she had made the comment at all[16].Here's an interview from London's Jewish Chronicle three months ago. Decide for yourselves if anything is changed and whether this is the sort of person who should be held up as an example for potential baalei tshuva (penitents). It must be an awfully recent 'transformation.'
UPDATE SATURDAY 8:56 PM
Shavua tov. I decided my initial response was too harsh and updated this post accordingly. I hope this is for real.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:52 AM
4 Comments:
Three months ago is a long time in Teshuva terms.
Let's hope.
C'mon - so she uses some "bad" words and come up has said some repulsive things - a Jew is a Jew is a Jew - and I'd put money on it that the LUBAVITCHER (not to be confused with others) Rebbe would welcome her appearance, despite what she has said in the past - her presence is bringing other Jews into Chabad. Chabad also used a blatant ripoff of Obama's "Yes We Can" video to promote Chunukah - don't you understand the various types of lure that Chabad uses in order to bring Jews closer? That's all this is an example of.
i see that you scrubbed the site of your original comment, which included ms bernhard having to apologize to palin before her tshuva could be accepted
carl, maybe i miss this every year during the aseres ymei tshuva, but where is it where i must ask mechila of a goy for anything
chabad is known (much like scientology) for grabbing celebs and feeding them religion lite, so as to make them feel good about themselves, and then using them for fundraising (not to bring other yidden closer as has been suggested)
so to pick on ms bernhard being invited to an event is rather disengenuous, when you look at a list of other celebs that have spoken for or entertained for chabad
btw, does this mean that she is turning away from her lesbianism...cuz i would love to ask her for a date...she makes me laff
I just searched "Sandra Bernhard apology Sarah Palin" and variations and came up with nothing about her apology.
L'havdil, Sarah Palin has more knowledge of the OT in her Right big toe than Bernard does in her life. Sarah Palin is a HUGE supporter of Israel, while Bernhard hangs out with and has repeatedly helped elect Democrats who excoriate and help denigrate and try to destroy Israel.
Bernhardt's comments against Palin are a chillul Hashem, and we can only hope that those who heard them don't take them as a RELIGIOUS JEWISH position on Palin, but only as the ravings from the mentally ill/JINO liberals.
I also understand Chabad's wish to offer someone the chance to speak of their teshuvah/use it as draw for a dinner.
I can't find any reports of her talk that night. I also know that other Chabad centers in the past have invited big name draws like Russel Simmons, who made hundreds of millions selling cRap music, and who endorses the far left leadership of the Occupy Wall Street crowd...(you can find him on YouTube, mindlessly standing with the marxist sheep, repeating phrase after phrase of their dogma and drivel).
In plain language, Sandra Bernhard is a slut for the far Left, and until she apologizes to Palin and to the Jewish world, I wouldn't trust the judgement of anyone who allows her to speak at a religious institution; either they aren't doing their homework, or they value her draw more than they do the damage that will accrue from (a) people listening to her lies and her garbage and (b) having her name associated with their institution.
As watching porn is dangerous, so to the ears too are the megaphones to the neshama; if you listen to hate-filled trash like hers, it will affect your life and your behavior.
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