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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Wednesday the Rabbi threw in the towel - visit to Arafat's tomb is off the itinerary

Greetings from Boston.

Earlier today, the following email from Rabbi Blumofe in Austin, Texas (the subject of yesterday's post) was forwarded to me:
> Dear Friends,
>
> Thank you for being in touch with me personally regarding the unfortunate insinuation, opprobrium and personal defamation that has surfaced based on the inaccurate and reckless premeditated judgments from a member in our community about the draft of an itinerary to Israel in June, 2017.   The refusal to have communicated directly with me has added hate and peril into this world. 
>
> I very much appreciate your requests to help.
>
> Here's where things stand -- if you can communicate this information to expanding circles and to folks who have reached out to you, or whom you know would be interested to have a fuller/current briefing, this would help to bring accuracy to a volatile and distressing situation.
>
> 1.  The draft of the itinerary that has gone public is no longer accurate.  That itinerary was cancelled.  
>
> 2.  There will be a trip to Israel in June, 2017 that will be planned with a different itinerary in the coming weeks, with the input of the leadership of Agudas Achim.  I believe that the goals of exploring Israel as it wrestles with its status as a democracy and Jewish state can be achieved in alternative, affirming ways -- and rest assured, the new itinerary will not stop at the grave of Arafat.
>
> Please do not hesitate to be in touch as we continue to strive to build engagement, literacy, and positive excitement for Israel within our community -- and as we look to keep each other safe and well.
>
> Am Yisrael Chai.
>
> Neil Blumofe
> Rabbi.
> ___________________
> Neil F. Blumofe, Rabbi
>
> Congregation Agudas Achim
> P.O. Box 28400
> Austin, Texas USA 78755-8400
The emphasis added was mine - not in the original.

Can't wait to see the new itinerary.

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3 Comments:

At 3:27 AM, Blogger InMemoryOf Yossi said...

I hope they stop to speak to Hillel's hy"d mom. She might have some great ideas on that topic!

 
At 4:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The refusal to have communicated directly with me has added hate and peril into this world."

To adamantly disagree with him brings hate and peril into the world? This guy has a VERY serious narcissism (or something) problem. I can imagine him shaking his staff at a perceived Sodom and Gomorrah, demanding extermination.

 
At 4:03 PM, Blogger NancyB said...

e too. His choice of including this verbiage, I find troubling. "exploring Israel as it wrestles with its status as a democracy and Jewish state". I certainly don't view Israel in those ways and find it troubling that a Rabbi would.

 

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