More Holocaustism on Big Aish
We live in an era where we literally pump money into regimes whose interest it is to destroy the Zionist Entity, and pretty much any city in the West. The pumps are needles, feeding our addiction. In the U.S., only NYC has successfully resisted the oil addiction in a significant way. The blood-oil money supports terrorism, and supports the growth of fundamentalist Islam. It also—by the way–destroys our environment. It is destroying our environment quite quickly. On the bright side, oil money will probably lead to funding fundamentalist regimes successfully acquiring full-scale nuclear programs a few years before we really feel the full environmental repercussions of our petro-based economy.
So anyway, it is only natural and responsible that Big Aish is concerned…about Nazi Germany. Rabbi Yaakov Salomon explains why he is boycotting any product made in today’s democratic Germany.
This is Big Aish’s version of socially responsible living. This is how Rabbi Salomon expresses his concern for the West and for the Jewish people. He personally boycotts…not today’s Saudi Arabia, but 1940’s Germany.
If Big Aish had a responsible bone in its body, it would at the very least be advocating for a mass transit agenda, sufficient bike paths in every city, and alternative energy. It would explain the apparently oh-so-difficult to understand reality that increased fundamentalist power (from oil proceeds) is bad both for Jews, and for the West. Even for those in the West unconcerned with Jews.
But no, no, no. Clearly, God will take care of that without any hishtadulus (effort) on our part. No need for that. Haredim don’t do hishtadlus. Not today. That’s for the godless secular Jews, and “the modern.” Instead, as fundamentalist Holocaustians, Aish’s rabbi chose classic victimology with zero payoff, except to justify continued resentment with his public “personal” boycott which accomplishes…nothing.
Look at this nonsense — they show the problem — they show automobiles…and Big Aish’s only concern is that they are made in Germany. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.
Rabbi Salomon wants to know what other Jews feel, not just think, about his very public “personal” boycott.
I feel he is being foolish. I feel both he and Big Aish are irresponsible.
24 comments
I think you’re mistaking a comment in his opinion column — which, like you, I disagree with — with the official policy of Aish HaTorah as an institution. I am quite sure Aish (which I represent) does not have an official position on this issue. I am glad, though, that you find the time to read and enjoy Aish’s website, David!
Ron,
Do we have any statement of concern on Aish.com anywhere that empowering fundamentalist Islam and Islamicist regimes through oil consumption for our cars may not be the shrewdest game plan, and that an alternative way of doing things might be something to consider?
LOL I’m sure not. I doubt they waste their time on that sort of liberal-style moral masturbation and posturing, i.e., taking stands on issues both unrelated to their expertise and which will have no effect whatsoever on anything (but my we feel great about ourselves!). I think their focus is on Jewish outreach, actually, where they do have a lot of influence and expertise.
Apparently, Ron, Aish does enjoy the occasional liberal-style moral masturbation session. Are we LOL-ing yet?
The author of a Tu b’Shvat article (link below), Rabbi Yossi Ives, even pulls from Gemara “the regulation against atmospheric, water and even noise pollution.” Rabbi Ives goes so far as to gently rail aganst rabbis that overlook environmental issues.
http://www.aish.com/tubshvat/t.....onment.asp
c, so what ur saying is that the enviroment doesn’t effect everyone even people in kiruv? because if u read rons post he says what u attack he says they won’t comment on things that have “nothing to do with anything” I think the eviromental problems effect us all. I think those right wingers have gotten to u
ie taking stands on issues both unrelated to their expertise and which will have no effect whatsoever on anything
Call me crazy but didn’t the Holocaust happen more than a generation ago? Also, I might be wrong but aren’t a majority of the cars, taxis and buses in Israel made in Germany?
So what part of boycotting German exports is something that Aish has “expertise” in? Last I checked your Yeshivas didn’t have any sort of exchange program with LSE.
Ron you are a tool.
POLJ,
Ron is not a “tool.” But Ron is strangely supportive of haredi institutions he is close to when they act silly. If it were a left-wing group doing and declining to do things for such dubious reasons, he would be ripping them up on his Likelihood of Success blog.
Here, I fear Ron has decided that since environmental issues are for the liberal and soft-brained (after all, the Big Business community has a couple of scientists on their payroll who dispute the finality of this mere correlation between the rise of petroleum and the rise in temperatures — we don’t know — better not to do anything rash, let’s just chill until we run out of oil which anyway will never ever happen so why worry?). Since such issues are to be relegated to the hippies and LIBERALS, so too, the far-fetched idea that empowering the Muslim-right with lots of money is also speculative as a policy we should revisit. After all, what’s the problem with a little Wahabism for the Muslim kids in the West? What’s wrong with all the hate they are spreading?
Big Aish can’t waste time being pragmatic about following the money bent on the destruction of the West and the Jews.
Better to just note that there is anti-Semitism out there, and it is unfair. That’s more than enough on the subject.
So, please think and feel deeply and carefully before buying gas guzzling cars…from Germany.
You’ve all ignored my main point: Every little column on the Aish.com website is not an official position of Aish HaTorah.
As to the substance of this: DK, I think perhaps my very first comment on your blog was supportive of your view of Holocaustism, which I deplore. As a conservative, I also believe that most boycotts are of the “feel good” variety, and accomplish virtually nothing. The exceptions, notably the coordinated worldwide boycott against the apartheid regime in South Africa, more or less prove the rule.
I’d like all kinds of better energy efficiency to happen, and think there are interesting things to think about in terms of strategic approaches to sale of petroleum by the countries that export it –virtually all of which are bad — but no statement by a yeshiva is going to have any effect on the use of petroleum products by the 6 billion non-Jews and couldn’t-care-less-what-Aish-says Jews in the world. So why posture?
Ron,
The Jewish community needs to be mobilized to take action for supporting alternative energy and for getting off our ludicrously massive oil consumption. Aish has a huge readership. Instead of pushing this issue, which we should all be very concerned about, a senior Aish rabbi shows a bunch of cars, and decides the problem is they are German made.
The problem is that we are buying cars period. We need public transit, we need bike paths, and we need to find many alternatives to oil.
The stakes are so high…none of the Jews get it. They just don’t get it. We think that if we write essay after essay proving why fundamentalist Islam is problematic and evil then we win the war. Well, it doesn’t work like that. This isn’t the debate club. Cutting the supply lines of your is critical to winning any drawn out war.
Rabbi Weinberg has been quite strong in his demand to stand up to fundamentalist Islam. But apparently, he thinks this is just some hashkafa thing. It isn’t.
We will never win while we are pumping cash into their regimes.
Sorry, DK. Not a “Jewish issue,” unless everything is a “Jewish issue.” In which case, nothing is a “Jewish issue.”
Ron,
This isn’t making road-maps for democracy in Darfur, okay?
Islamic fundamentalist rage is directed firstly at you know who (hint: not Japan). True or false?
The biggest financial enabler (by far) of Islamic fundamentalism and even Islamic fundamentalist regimes is the cash supplied by oil. True or false?
If you agree to true for both, how is oil not a Jewish issue?
Oil is a Jewish issue — on Chanukah. The rest of the year, the Jews have no impact whatsoever on the use of oil, qua Jews. As an American citizen, it is of concern to me. So as an American Jew, it is of concern to me. If I want to have an impact on petroleum policy, it is not going to be through Aish, the Federation, or Glatt Mart.
Coleman is a [deleted by site owner]. So in other words it is “current” and an “issue” for fish man Salomon to rant about about not pumping money into one of Israel’s largest trading partners … but it is not an issue for fish man to cry about pumping money into governments that fund “CURRENT” enemies of the Jewish people.
[deleted by site owner] like Coleman make me sick.
SJ,
Please do not name call misguided friends.
“The rest of the year, the Jews have no impact whatsoever on the use of oil, qua Jews.”
Wrong. We have a zillion “defense” orgs dedicated to protecting Jewish issues and the State of Israel. The key to both right now is oil consumption.
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did i mention [deleted by site owner]?
lol just kidding. XD
OK, DK, I guess we disagree about the best way to utilize Jewish political advocacy. But evidently, now, it seems not about the role of Aish HaTorah in such a campaign!
I like you’re friend, by the way. Always impressed by someone who makes moral arguments on the “high road.”
Urp. Your friend. Gosh, maybe Coleman is a [deleted by site owner]!
Ron,
I don’t understand your position. If every Middle Eastern country with an oil-based economy is virulently antagonistic to worldwide Jewry in general and to Israel in particular - how can you say that it isn’t “Jewish issue”?
Oh, it’s of interest to Jews, but Jews as a group have no chance whatsoever of affecting the petroleum market. So given limited resources, why should Jews put this on the agenda for Jewish organizations?
It needn’t use up a lot of resources. Just something for Jews to get behind. There are a lot of reasons to wean ourselves from the petroleum teat. This is one of them.
In any case, I agree with DK. I can understand Rabbi Salomon’s resentment, but it’s foolish to fixate on Germany when there are contemporary regimes seeking our destruction - and being quite vocal about it.
why wouldn’t a mass jewish boycott impact the petroleum market? we shut down the automobile market in the thirties pretty well. Jewish morality and collective decisions TOTALLY profoundly affects all surrounding peoples; why wouldn’t seeing a big group of smart people reject something make one think it was worth rejecting?
I wonder, if we factor in Jew-owned buisness, how much of the world’s petrol consumption is jewish. probably at least 5%, right?
The idea of not doing something morally valuable because “it won’t make a difference” is so much of how the problems get big. Remember the midrash about the generation before the flood? they would steal trivial amounts of rice, two grains a person or something, until the rice vendors had nothing left.
Jews as a group have no chance whatsoever of affecting the petroleum market
… but apparently, they stand an excellent chance of bringing the German automotive industry to its knees.
Please explain the logic.
I don’t have to explain the logic, because I agree with David that the Germany boycott is dumb. Why is the intellection, here at the reality-based community, unable to follow this:
* The column was written by a person with an opinion
* Every opinion column is not the official view of Aish Hatorah
* I disagree with the opinion
* It doesn’t mean I have to disagree with Aish HaTorah (in this case)
* I agree with David about Holocaustism
* I agree with David that, as he says, ‘Instead, as fundamentalist Holocaustians, Aish’s rabbi chose classic victimology with zero payoff, except to justify continued resentment with his public “personalâ€? boycott which accomplishes…nothing.’
* I disagree with David that other social gestures that “accomplish … nothing” are more valuable by virtue of being merely politically correct.
Yoseph Leib, dream on. We have no cohesion, and no market power at all. And if DK gets his way and Aish HaTorah disappears, we’ll also have no “we” soon enough.
You guys might like this link, by the way — similar issues.
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