JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Shomrim vs. Shmira (and the NYPD)

By Uriel Heilman · September 23, 2008

The NYPD is trying to bring two rival Jewish security patrols in Brooklyn, the Shomrim and Shmira, under one roof, the New York Post reports:

The NYPD is trying to settle a long-running dispute between two rival Orthodox Jewish patrol groups - and keep them from taking the law into their own hands - by uniting them into one police-supervised unit, The Post has learned.

The challenge is getting them to cooperate.

Shmira and Shomrim, private crime-patrol organizations in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, have been rivals since the late ‘90s, when they split.

Shmira has agreed to the merger, which was proposed in June. Shomrim has refused.

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Monkey business

By Ami Eden · July 17, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel of America rings the alarm about the Spanish parliament’s recent vote in support of extending the right to life and freedom to apes:

That vote has no force of law at present - and, in any event, it has been several centuries since anyone has entertained the notion that as goes Spain, so goes the world. But we would be shortsighted to dismiss the recent development. It dovetails diabolically with larger societal changes taking place all around us. Unborn human life is terminated for reasons of convenience, patients in extremis are considered unworthy of care, any and all means of behavior are endorsed as nothing more than “personal lifestyles.” We are, the thinking goes, mere physical creatures, not different in any meaningful way from the rest of the animal world.

Which conclusion might well liberate us even further. Why should we consider any insect our inferior, any personal behavior objectionable, any act - even murder - wrong? Without affirmation of the singularity of the human soul, society itself is rendered - in the word’s deepest sense - soulless.

Please note well: Jewish religious tradition forbids causing animals unnecessary pain. The first man and woman - indeed all of humanity until Noah - were even forbidden to eat meat. But Adam was nevertheless commanded to “rule over” the animal world and, in postdiluvian times, Judaism expressly permits not only the “enslavement” of animals but even their killing for human consumption.

That commandment and that permission bespeak a clear and timely truth: Humans are qualitatively different from the rest of the biosphere, elevated by their souls and the responsibilities that attend them.

To pretend otherwise is to welcome a world where Leona Helmsley’s will is unremarkable and Peter Singer’s way upright.

UPDATE: Andrew Silow-Carroll responds here, turning the “slippery slope” argument on its head – and making it about Agriprocessors.

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Ronn’s rabbis

By Ami Eden · July 11, 2008

After my earlier post on Ronn Torossian, he and I went back and forth over his interest in representing hip-hoppers and traditionalist/hawkish Jews. Here’s what he sent me for the record:

I grew up in the Bronx passionate about a lot of things – Judaism and hip-hop amongst them. Today, I personally remain passionate about both Judaism and hip-hop.

I was the National President of the Betar movement for years, and spent days, hours and weeks protesting for various causes important to Am Israel (frankly as I joke with friends a lot more time doing that then in school from the age of 12ish till I graduated from college)....  I am proud of the fact that I grew up in Rabbi Avi Weiss’ shul and consider him a very very close figure to me on many levels. When I was married I had 2 officiating Rabbis - Rabbi Avi Weiss, and Rabbi Benny Elon, who at the time was a minister in the Israeli government.  I continue myself [to be] very close to them today personally, as well as to many others who are traditionalists.  We work with many traditional, conservative organizations and people.

Rabbi Pinto in fact visits my office regularly and will be here this week… There are pictures of the Chabad Rabbi in my office.  I think anyone who knows me at all from the Jewish community is very familiar with my personal beliefs. A picture of Ze’ev Jabotinsky is also in my office.

Today, at the age of 33, I own a business - One which is one of the 25 largest independent PR firms in the U.S. We work with a wide variety of clients, from many walks of life. I am proud of the fact that we have 1 of the most diverse client lists in the U.S. It’s hard, every day to build a business and work hard.  People can challenge, question and destroy - A lot easier than building and working. We regularly turn down clients for many reasons.

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