Posted on 12/24/2001 4:49:53 PM PST by dlt
BEIT SHEMESH (December 25) - The organization that administers Orot school in Beit Shemesh issued an apology yesterday for publicly burning a copy of the New Testament a student received from Christian missionaries.
"Everybody knows we made a mistake," said Jordana Klein, spokeswoman for Sha'alei Torah. "We wouldn't do it again. We don't think it's the right thing to do."
The book-burning took place in the school courtyard the week before Hanukka, after a teacher in the boys' school found that one of his sixth-grade students had brought in a Hebrew copy of the New Testament.
The student received it from local missionaries who, according to Klein, have been active in proselytizing Beit Shemesh children.
"The teacher said: 'God sent it and He gave us the privilege, and we'll be able to burn the New Testament," said Ariel Lesnick, 11, who is in the class.
The teacher consulted with the principal, Rabbi Yair Bachar, said Klein. After receiving approval, the teacher - whose name Klein refused to divulge - took his class outside.
Then, Lesnick said, "We took a few sticks and we burnt it." The teacher emphasized that the book-burning was an anti-missionary activity and not an anti-Christian one, Lesnick said.
After receiving calls from angry parents, Bachar reconsidered the decision, which Klein described as "too hasty." He consulted rabbinic authorities on the issue and decided to appoint Rabbi David Spector - rabbi of the Givat Sharet neighborhood of Beit Shemesh - as a permanent rabbinic decision-maker for the school.
Spector ruled that missionary material should be burned, but it is the sole responsibility of the owner to burn it and the burning should take place in private.
"It was appropriate to burn the New Testament in private," wrote Spector in his ruling. He cited traditional and modern rabbis, including Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who wrote that he had burned missionary texts, which he called "books of incitement and brainwashing." Such burning is permissible even if the texts include the name of God, Spector said.
The teacher said that if missionary material were found in the school again, it would be thrown into the garbage rather than publicly burned, said Lesnick.
The Education Ministry was not aware of the incident, said spokeswoman Orit Reuveni.
"In principle, the ministry condemns book-burning as an educational act," she said. "We are not aware of this incident, but we will investigate the matter in depth."
Wayne Firestone, director of the Anti-Defamation League here, said the apology is a positive reaction to the school's "inappropriate" decision.
"The issue of conversion obviously is a sensitive one, and school officials are entitled to make requirements to try to protect their students from inappropriate materials entering the school," he said.
"At the same time, the symbolic and actual imagery of burning any books is really an inappropriate reaction to any offensive material. We're encouraged to hear that the school has issued an apology, and we hope that from the apology, they can send a better message to their own students about tolerance of other religions."
Since the burning, Bachar has addressed teachers, parents, and students - particularly the sixth-grade class - about the issue. He emphasized that the school is not against Christians but against Christian attempts to convert Jews, said Klein. The school is also planning programs to increase tolerance, she said.
The student who brought the New Testament in is not the only one missionaries have targeted. After the book-burning, one of the other students in the class said missionaries came to his home and hung a crucifix behind the mezuza, said Lesnick. The family told the missionary they didn't want the crucifix and returned it, he said.
"We obviously have a missionary problem," said Klein. "We weren't even aware of how big a problem it is in our school."
The students that missionaries approach are generally among the native Israelis and immigrants who make up about 40 percent of the student body and tend to live in old Beit Shemesh, said Klein. That section is poorer than the newer section populated mostly by Anglos, who comprise 60 percent of the student body.
The Anglo-Israeli divide may have contributed to a difference in the approach to burning the New Testament. Lesnick, whose family immigrated from New Jersey four years ago, saw that distinction among the boys in his class. "The Israelis thought it was the right thing to do, but for the Americans, you're used to seeing [non-Jews] every day, and you don't do that to somebody that's just a little different than you," he said.
His father, Marc, also noted the difference nationality may have made in the decision. The teacher, he said, is an Israeli who has never left the country. But as an American, he said, "This is not the type of education I want my kids to have. In America, they let you practice your religion, you let them practice their religion, and you kind of coexist."
Book-burning may also invoke different images for Anglos than for Israelis. "The idea of burning in general in our minds has to do with Kristallnacht and the KKK and so on," he said.
But once he brought the issue to the attention of the school, said Marc Lesnick, it "very quickly took the matter really seriously and dealt with it properly afterward."
Lesnick found out about the burning when Ariel came home from school. "My son got home from school that night, and he actually said to me, 'Dad, you know what we did today? Well, we burned the New Testament.' I said, 'You're joking,'" said Lesnick.
He discussed it with the teacher, and a few days later Bachar came to his home to talk about the incident. Lesnick is glad that they have told him they would "definitely not do this again."
Rev. Ray Lockhart, director of the Jerusalem-based Israel Trust of the Anglican Church, said burning the New Testament so publicly was "going over the top somewhat." Lockhart, whose organization focuses on ministry to the Jews, added that it's preferable to get a signed statement from parents before giving Christian scriptures to a minor.
"Clearly no Jewish person would want to see the Tanah being burnt, and would feel that whoever did it, it was an affront to their beliefs," he said.
But the school's apology, said Lockhart, mitigates the offense. "I think it shows that it's sometimes good to have second thoughts, and to recognize that we can all make mistakes in the way we make a response off the cuff without really thinking through all the implications."
Now you are grasping.
Grasping? But, why, ofcource.. How can you not blame the Jews? Keep whining.. People like you whine and look for others to blame for whatever goes wrong in the world.
You didn't exactly deny that many of your coreligionists feel offended by Christian references. But don't let that prevent you from posturing here.
People like you whine and look for others to blame for whatever goes wrong in the world.
Hmm, you just described yourself perfectly.
Freedom is slavery, War is Peace.
Your trying to avoid the issue of using BC/AD as insulting to Jews is obvious.
To me, what's important and revealing is the sentiment.
You have't provided proof to the above statement.
Hmm, you just described yourself perfectly.
Oh? I remember growing up in Ukraine.. Jews were blamed for the poor treatment of workers/peasants before revolution...(no wonder millions of them fled to America early 20th century!) Jewish woman shot Lenin.. Capitalism/zionism is the natural enemy of communism.. The reason why we still haven't reached communism is the Jews, etc,etc... Now that communism isn't cool anymore, comes out that all communists were Jews, and that even Lenin was supposedly partly Jewish! Cool! Blame the Jews! Whine..whine.. whine..
What are you talking about. The fact that I use BCE/CE on daily basis (and so do you) meets this issue head on.
Oh, because of an isolated incident which was condemned by everybodyyou are going to attribute it to all the Jews? Well, it was done for thousands of years, and most of the time there was no need to even have an isolated incident.... Why stop now? Blame the Jews!
Both the article and the letter that I posted provide AT LEAST cosiderable evidence. Are you religious at all?
Oh? I remember growing up in Ukraine.. Jews were blamed for the poor treatment of workers/peasants before revolution...(no wonder millions of them fled to America early 20th century!) Jewish woman shot Lenin.. Capitalism/zionism is the natural enemy of communism.. The reason why we still haven't reached communism is the Jews, etc,etc... Now that communism isn't cool anymore, comes out that all communists were Jews, and that even Lenin was supposedly partly Jewish! Cool! Blame the Jews! Whine..whine.. whine..
You, as a person, had little to do with what happened in the past, true. But you are quick to dismiss history just because you don't like the facts. (and yes, Lenin was quarter Jewish, not that it matters much).
The act was condemned, the sentiment is there. Deny, deny, deny.
Well, it was done for thousands of years, and most of the time there was no need to even have an isolated incident....
Whine, whine, whine.
Playing dumb, or being dumb?
Take a walk in Brighton Beach, get some fresh air, eat some "kopchenaya kolbasa".
Considerable evidence? As to what? That this particular teacher, in this particular school burned new testament and there was a great public outcry? I am not denying that. However, you trying to attribute that this is the policy/view of all Jews, is ridicilous. As I said before. Let us practice our own religion, and we don't care who you worship. You, as a person, had little to do with what happened in the past, true. But you are quick to dismiss history just because you don't like the facts. (and yes, Lenin was quarter Jewish, not that it matters much).
Ok. Please continue.. What exactly am I dismissing and which facts am I not liking? The only thing I am not liking is you trying to attribute this isolated incident to all Jews. As for Lenin being quarter Jewish.. well funny how those allegations didn't come about till AFTER the communism stopped being cool.
For "some" reason you only quoted half of this. So I'll quote the whole thing for you.. Still havent' mastered the art of cut and paste? Interesting how you decided to change the topic real quick.
Take a walk in Brighton Beach, get some fresh air, eat some "kopchenaya kolbasa".
Aaah. Wonderful. So at first Jews are bad because of their supposed beliefs and attempts to put Christians down, and now you are implying that Jews are just not Jewish enough. As for my personal Judaism. I try to keep kosher. I am not goign to lie that I have never had pepperoni pizza. But I am not into "kopchenaya kolbasa" and all that stuff. Pastrami is kosher, and I love it. Thanks for inquiring.
Damage control. Not a good story to come out. Now comment on the letter about "smack in the face".
I am not denying that. However, you trying to attribute that this is the policy/view of all Jews, is ridicilous.
Burning the New Testament is not the policy/vew of all Jews, and is not a Jewish policy at all. You adopted the Middle Eastern bazaar trader mode again, with your incomprehension and wild accusations.
As I said before. Let us practice our own religion, and we don't care who you worship.
Hey, likewise. Don't just try to remove symbols of this historically Christian European country that's offensive to your religion.
Ok. Please continue.. What exactly am I dismissing and which facts am I not liking?
For example, the Jewish involvemnt in the Bolshevik revolution.
The only thing I am not liking is you trying to attribute this isolated incident to all Jews.
I am trying to point out that hostility to Christianity is a wide-spread phenomenon, both among religious and atheistic Jews.
As for Lenin being quarter Jewish.. well funny how those allegations didn't come about till AFTER the communism stopped being cool.
Those aren't allegations but facts. Remember, the commies were internationalists and the ethnicity didn't matter.
Second half doesn't make any sense at all. You are using BCE/CE and that proves what?
Aaah. Wonderful. So at first Jews are bad because of their supposed beliefs and attempts to put Christians down, and now you are implying that Jews are just not Jewish enough. As for my personal Judaism. I try to keep kosher. I am not goign to lie that I have never had pepperoni pizza. But I am not into "kopchenaya kolbasa" and all that stuff. Pastrami is kosher, and I love it. Thanks for inquiring.
It was obvious that you are not very religious, with you growing up in Ukraine and all. The degree of your religiousness doesn't matter to me. Atheistic Jews are anti-Christian enough.
If the guy chooses not to use BC/AD, that's his business. Do you want me to force him? Do you want me to comment on every Jew? Look at the history, and look at the people as a whole. For example. Jihad/Terrorism in Muslims world is not an isolated incident. This is.
Burning the New Testament is not the policy/vew of all Jews, and is not a Jewish policy at all.
Good. We agree. Then why are we still on this?
Hey, likewise. Don't just try to remove symbols of this historically Christian European country that's offensive to your religion.
I wasn't aware that there was a movement amongst Jews to take out symbols out of this "historically Christian...". By the way, while most of the first americans were Christians, if I recall correctly, freedom of speech and religion were the first values as well. As for Judaism, nothing is offensive to our religion, other then others not letting us practice is.
For example, the Jewish involvemnt in the Bolshevik revolution.
I suspect that by this you mean that there were Jews amongst Bolsheviks? Sure, I don't deny it. Do you deny the russian involvement in the Bolshevik revolution?? Do you deny the Jewish involvement in the shaping of the capitalism system?
I am trying to point out that hostility to Christianity is a wide-spread phenomenon, both among religious and atheistic Jews.
Yes. You have been trying for a while now, yet I don't see any other examples other then isolated incident that you brought about here.
Those aren't allegations but facts. Remember, the commies were internationalists and the ethnicity didn't matter.
Now, you are the one acting like you are at a middle eastern bazaar. Internationalists? In theory? maybe. In practice? It said "Jew" in Jews' soviet passports. What's more, my father had to divorce my mom for 1 day, so they can remarry under her name so he could actually get into college (the dean told him flat out, that they are accepting any more of "his kind" that year).
Proves that I accept it. You are one who was asking me for my views on the dating systems.
It was obvious that you are not very religious, with you growing up in Ukraine and all.
Right. There were no functioning temples in Odessa (but plenty of churches. My mother walked me into one when I was about 7 to show me how people worship and how beautiful the art is).
The degree of your religiousness doesn't matter to me.
If it didn't, you wouldn't have brought it up. But you did.
Atheistic Jews are anti-Christian enough.
Interesting. So Jews are just hateful of Christians because of their genes? Very interesting. Weren't you the one arguing that a Jew is a religion, not an ethnicity? You people spin this so much, you get caught up in your own contradictions. Do you believe that the Zion protocols are true?
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