Madoff essay blasted, Shafran apologizes http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/yoffie-and-weinreb-blast-shafran-who-apologizes/ Rabbi Avi Shafran has apologized for his essay last week arguing that Bernie Madoff is worthy of moral admiration while Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is not. The column drew rebuttals from two prominent rabbis—Eric Yoffie of the Union for Reform Judaism and Tzvi Hersh Weinreb of the Orthodox Union. en-us bharris@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-04-06T;19:55:00-05:00 Comment by stuart goldbarg sgoldbarg@msn.com Mr. Lakehomer, I applaud your ethical stance.  We should be holy, for ‘HVH is Holy However, the universe is not only tthe creation of HaShem, El Shaddai creates and supports it daily. Mr. Lakehomer,

I applaud your ethical stance.  We should be holy, for ‘HVH is Holy

However, the universe is not only tthe creation of HaShem, El Shaddai creates and supports it daily.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by danny bloom danbloom@gmail.com what i mean above is that nobody in the jewish community has addressed the fact that the investors loved the huge returns and nobody voluntarily left the club. they were greedy people. they wanted better returns than the rest of us. let’s be honest.....all those who got scammed by Bernie, they also were scamming the rest of us, thinking they were better than us...shame on them all........it takes two to tango what i mean above is that nobody in the jewish community has addressed the fact that the investors loved the huge returns and nobody voluntarily left the club. they were greedy people. they wanted better returns than the rest of us. let’s be honest.....all those who got scammed by Bernie, they also were scamming the rest of us, thinking they were better than us...shame on them all........it takes two to tango

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by danny bloom danbloom@gmail.com They go on CNN and cry foul, but nobody cried all those years getting all those high returns. Greed is greedy. Elie was greedy too. Shame on him! They go on CNN and cry foul, but nobody cried all those years getting all those high returns. Greed is greedy. Elie was greedy too. Shame on him!

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by danny bloom danbloom@gmail.com QuestTION AND COMMENT: those who invested with Bernie also took the moneh and ran for many years, from Elie W to everyone else. They were also greeedy. They liked getting the high returns. They liked being in the club. They were also greedy. Bernie was bad man, yes, but these investors loved their club too and they need to be blamed and scolded, too, frm Elie W to everyone else. QuestTION AND COMMENT: those who invested with Bernie also took the moneh and ran for many years, from Elie W to everyone else. They were also greeedy. They liked getting the high returns. They liked being in the club. They were also greedy. Bernie was bad man, yes, but these investors loved their club too and they need to be blamed and scolded, too, frm Elie W to everyone else.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by danny bloom danbloom@gmail.com where? where?

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by 40 Charley shomrimwaksman@bellsouth.net Finally a breath of fresh air. Finally a breath of fresh air.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by George Lakehomer kingofgab@interlync.com It has been a long, long time since Hashem has interfered with the Universe, or the planet Earth, although believing in truth or myth, surely that promise after the Great Flood has surely by now truly brought great regret. Name calling, curses? What a fine collection of Jews are brewing in these comments… There is one tradition that has been and will forever be a part of Judaism - there are more opinions that Jews, and one belief that we need always remember:  There is only one G-d. One G-d.  No matter how many Jews or how many kinds of Jews. And what does G-d require of thee?  To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your G-d. It has been a long, long time since Hashem has interfered with the Universe, or the planet Earth, although believing in truth or myth, surely that promise after the Great Flood has surely by now truly brought great regret.

Name calling, curses? What a fine collection of Jews are brewing in these comments…

There is one tradition that has been and will forever be a part of Judaism - there are more opinions that Jews, and one belief that we need always remember:  There is only one G-d.

One G-d.  No matter how many Jews or how many kinds of Jews.

And what does G-d require of thee?  To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your G-d.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Ruth Mendes ruthm3m@optonline.net Pulleeze! The fact that assets were transferred to his wife, family member and friends; that part of his modus operendus was to personally befriend many victims and nurture their families, as he did with Eli Wiesel; etc., etc. This speaks against the argument Mr. Nicholson poses. The money went to mansions, penthouses, jewelery, boats, etc. Much more than dirty brown shirts. This man has single-handedly derailed thousand of trusting investors including major charities, schools and not-for-profits. He has sunk municipal pension plans, etc. If he isn’t a bad guy, who is? As the Yiddish curse goes, he should be like a chandelier, hang by day and burn by night!! Pulleeze! The fact that assets were transferred to his wife, family member and friends; that part of his modus operendus was to personally befriend many victims and nurture their families, as he did with Eli Wiesel; etc., etc. This speaks against the argument Mr. Nicholson poses. The money went to mansions, penthouses, jewelery, boats, etc. Much more than dirty brown shirts. This man has single-handedly derailed thousand of trusting investors including major charities, schools and not-for-profits. He has sunk municipal pension plans, etc. If he isn’t a bad guy, who is? As the Yiddish curse goes, he should be like a chandelier, hang by day and burn by night!!

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Norman Pressman nwp@goldsteinpressman.com Rabbi Shafran’s comments further shows why mainstream Jews who don’t believe the Torah is the word of a diety who interferes with the Universe need to take action to stop the subsidization of haredi organizations through various channels inlcuding our Federations. Not only is Shafran wrong but he ignores the obvious further potential for anti-semitic feeling from Madoff and similar scams which have been perpetrated disproportionately by members of our tribe. (no I don’t believe in collective guilt.) Why do we let people like him tell us who is a Jew, what is Kosher and what days our instittuions should be open? I need to send him a book on Spinoza. Rabbi Shafran’s comments further shows why mainstream Jews who don’t believe the Torah is the word of a diety who interferes with the Universe need to take action to stop the subsidization of haredi organizations through various channels inlcuding our Federations. Not only is Shafran wrong but he ignores the obvious further potential for anti-semitic feeling from Madoff and similar scams which have been perpetrated disproportionately by members of our tribe. (no I don’t believe in collective guilt.)

Why do we let people like him tell us who is a Jew, what is Kosher and what days our instittuions should be open?

I need to send him a book on Spinoza.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Ross Nicholson TogetherinParis@gmail.com A friend of mine had a lot of money with Mr. Madoff and I have some inside information about this case.  Mr. Madoff is not what he appears to be.  I hope everyone will reserve judgement permanently.  Everybody get a little perspective here.  It’s not like he spent the money on his dirty brown shirt collection.  There are extenuating circumstances that no one will ever know about.  Just save your venom for real bad guys, huh? A friend of mine had a lot of money with Mr. Madoff and I have some inside information about this case.  Mr. Madoff is not what he appears to be.  I hope everyone will reserve judgement permanently.  Everybody get a little perspective here.  It’s not like he spent the money on his dirty brown shirt collection.  There are extenuating circumstances that no one will ever know about.  Just save your venom for real bad guys, huh?

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00