Coming to grips with a tarnished image
JEWS around the world have done some soul-searching after being confronted with images of American Orthodox Jews, including a number of rabbis, being led away handcuffed by FBI agents.
NAOMI LEVIN
JEWS around the world have done some soul-searching after being confronted with images of American Orthodox Jews, including a number of rabbis, being led away handcuffed by FBI agents.
Police made 44 arrests last week in New Jersey on corruption-related charges. Among them were three mayors and 15 Orthodox Jews.
Accusations include a money-laundering operation that used methods such as cashing bad cheques through synagogue charities, political bribery and illegal organ brokering.
The president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, Rabbi Dovid Freilich, said last week that the Orthodox men arrested have potentially brought shame to Orthodox Jews around the world.
“Once one puts on the mantle of righteousness, one is expected to behave accordingly,” said Rabbi Freilich.
The Perth-based rabbi argued that while the rabbis arrested remain innocent until proven guilty, just the sight of them being arrested desecrates the Torah.
“When Orthodox Jews are paraded before the media, accused of having ruthlessly enriched themselves at the expense of others, of conspiring to betray the government of the country in which they live ‚Ķ¬† this is a sorry onslaught on our Jewish sensitivity and a chillul Hashem, a desecration of God’s holy name,” he said.
“When we, as Jews, experience this humiliation, it is easy to forget that the vast majority of loyal Torah-observant Jews deal honestly and correctly with their fellow human beings.”
He added that Judaism should not be judged on the behaviour of a small number of Jewish people. Similarly, rabbis should not be judged on the behaviour of “those who are the exception to the rule”.
Since the arrests, rabbis around the world have been working to contain the perceived damage to their reputation.
A number of rabbinic organisations in the United States have organised seminars stressing the importance of obeying the law.
In addition, the director of the Centre for Ethics at America’s Yeshiva University, Adrienne Asch, said the Jewish community must come to grips with the fact that there are wrongdoers among us.
“It is time for Jews to face the fact that there are criminals among them, just as there are criminals everywhere else,” she said.
“We should not be protecting criminals for fear of persecution. We should be speaking out for what is fair and just.”
WITH JTA
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