Sarah Silverman's reform rabbi sister makes Obama ad for Florida
Susan Silverman, reform rabbi and older sister of Sarah Silverman, has made an ad for President Obama. Unlike Sarah's ads, it does not feature sexual innuendo. In fact, you won't even see Susan Silverman in it.
Let's go to the videotape.
Color me unimpressed. The sanctions against Iran happened despite Obama and not because of him. Iron Dome was a program that was begun during the Bush administration. All Obama did was continue it. Big deal.
In the meantime, Obama has treated Prime Minister Netanyahu like a leper and has put unprecedented pressure on Israel. Obama must go.
I think you have latched on to politics because you are searching for
something to build. There is only so much pulling down one can do
without feeling utterly destructive.... You are driven. You are
passionate. I pray that you channel your drive and direct your passion
to something positive, something that will make you a better and more
positive person, something that will allow you to touch eternity and
truly impact the world forever. I pray that you pursue marriage and, if
you are so blessed, raise children.
I noted in my earlier post that Silverman's father had written an obscenity laden comment on JewishPress.com, the site that carried the letter. Now, some larger sites have stepped in (Hat Tip: Benny).
Why is Rabbi Rosenblatt so threatened by Sarah Silverman?
Because — make no mistake — that's exactly what he is. He's clearly
threatened by the fact that a 42-year-old childless (gasp!), unmarried
(double gasp!) woman (TRIPLE GASP!) wields so much power and influence —
and that she actually seems fulfilled by her unorthodox life choices.
But most importantly, Silverman's dad took to the comments section on Rosenblatt's post and fired off a couple of warning shots:
Hey asshole: Daughter #1 is a rabbi. Not by your standards.
She's reform. How dare she, a lowly woman think god wants her to be a
rabbi, created from a mere rib. Her hubby, three times nominated for a
nobel peace prize was listed by the Jerusalem Post as the 49th most
influential jew in the world built the worlds largest solar field in
israel. By the way, Sarah was also on the list. I missed your name.
Oldest granddaughter is serving in the Israel Defense Forces. I'm sure
you also served.Oh I forgot the orthodox don't do that. You don't fuck
with my family.
The Jewish Press' Stephen Leavitt was surprised by the raw nerve Rabbi Rosenblatt's letter touched.
I propose that many of the Jewish-American commenters got so upset
because the Rabbi crossed a line. But the line he crossed was not about
his views on motherhood, but rather his views on the role of the Rabbi
and of Judaism.
Judaism, to some of those commenters, belongs locked in a box in a
synagogue, and should never be allowed out to offer any moral
observations, opinions or guidelines that disagree with the most
permissive of Western cultural values.
As expressed by some of these commenters, Silverman actually represents “Judaism” to them.
Some of them might have a list of humanitarian/liberal values and
call them Jewish values, while taking traditional Jewish values like
Shabbat and Kashrut (as well as Judaism’s own social values), and
relegating them to archaic, comical, even dark places in the culture.
For them, Judaism is Liberalism. A definition and identity where
anything is permitted, alongside a strong pride in their cultural/ethnic
identity as Jews, regardless of whether that identity actually
represent a Jewish value system, or an accident of birth.
The question is certainly open as to whether the Rabbi was right or
wrong in his analysis of Silverman, but one thing is clear, Rosenblatt
rattled something deep and painful in the psyches of those who define
themselves as cultural/ethnic Jews, without any actual Judaism to go
with it.
I would add that some of those commenters are outraged because of the guilt they feel at having their 'Judaism' thrown in their face in favor of real, authentic Judaism. Maybe they should try learning something about the real thing. They may be surprised.
On thisblog, I only alluded to foul-mouthed comedienne Sarah Silverman's latest disgusting stunt. I had no words to describe it, and our rabbis tells us that you should not rebuke someone who won't listen (to you) anyway.
But Rabbi Yaacov Rosenblatt thought that Silverman might listen to him. And so, he published an open letter to the 41-year old never-married comedienne.
Here is the Rabbi’s letter:
“You have made
a career making public that which is private, making crude that which is
intimate, making sensual that which is spiritual. You have experienced what
traditional Judaism taught long ago: when you make sex a public thing it loses
its potency. When the whisper is replaced with a shout there is no magic to
speak about. And, in my opinion, Sarah, that is why you have had trouble
forging a permanent relationship – the most basic desire of the feminine soul.
Human beings have many
acquaintances and fewer friends, but only one spouse. Judaism celebrates the
monogamous, intimate relationship with a spouse as the prototype of the
intimate relationship with God. Marriage, in Judaism, is holy. Family, in
Judaism, is celebrated. But for you, nothing is holy; in your world, nothing is
permanent. Your ideology is secular. Your culture may be Jewish, but your mind
is not.
I think you have latched on
to politics because you are searching for something to build. There is only so
much pulling down one can do without feeling utterly destructive. You want to
fight for a value so you take your belief – secularism – and promote it. As an
Orthodox rabbi, I disagree with just about everything you say, but respect your
right to say it. All I ask, respectfully, is that you not use traditional
Jewish terminology in your efforts. Because doing so is a lie.
Nothing you say or stand
for, Sarah, from your sickening sexual proposal to a Republican donor to your
equally vulgar tweet to Mitt Romney, has the slightest thing to do with the
most basic of tenets which Judaism has taught the world – that the monogamous
relationship is the most meaningful one and that a happy marriage is the key to
wholesomeness.
You are driven. You are
passionate. I pray that you channel your drive and direct your passion to
something positive, something that will make you a better and more positive
person, something that will allow you to touch eternity and truly impact the
world forever. I pray that you pursue marriage and, if you are so blessed,
raise children.”
And if you need any further evidence that the apple does not fall far from the tree, consider her father's response.
After this piece was published, however, Silverman’s father
Donald immediately came to his daughter’s defense in the Comments section,
telling the rabbi not to “f**k with his family”.
“Hey Rabbi
Idiot: Is your wife allowed to go to a minion or sit at the front if [sic] a bus
or choose between abortion or birth...Check your wonderful bible and learn
about your cruel god from a book you believe in literally,” Donald Silverman
wrote.
He continued
with several other comments, featuring many expletives, pointing out his
family’s strong connection to Judaism, most notably his eldest daughter, Susan
Silverman, who is a Reform Rabbi in Israel and her husband, Yosef Abramowitz,
who is a solar energy-pioneer.
The apple does not fall far from the tree. If one grows up with potty mouths, one learns to be a potty mouth. Once learned, that habit is hard to unlearn.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
