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From: hjb@hlwpc.UUCP (H.J.Bassman)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Donations to Ultraorthodox
Message-ID: <595@hlwpc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Aug-85 21:48:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: hlwpc.595
Posted: Fri Aug 30 21:48:06 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 00:40:32 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Short Hills, NJ
Lines: 34

*I'm delighted to at last see participation in this group
by other than scholarly, orthodox jews.  I have been a reader
for some time now and frankly have been intimidated
as well as educated by the scholarly dialog.

However I am moved to comment on the topic of charity to
groups whose religious values don't match one's own.  The
argument that the poor and deserving shouldn't
be punished because I don't agree with the position of the
people who are helping them is hogwash (pardon the non-kosher
epithet).  There are certainly
enough charitable institutions with which I agree who will
support the poor and deserving just as well.

 When I give to an organization
whose position is antithetical to mine, I acknowledge the
position and tacitly support it.  Furthermore I support the
organization itself since some percentage of my gift (or
someone else's) is used for overhead.

I can't support an organization that refuses to recognize
conservative and reform rabbis because that position is most
divisive to Judaism.  How do some of us come to recognize Ethiopian
Jews, Indian Jews, Iranian Jews, Syrian Jews, and Chasidic Eastern
European Jews, all of whom practice the religion differently
and have different observances and laws, yet not recognize
American Jews who adhere to another set of traditions?

Don't we have enough problems with non-Jews?  Why must we
bicker among ourselves about who is a Jew and whether Martillo
is a better Jew than Rosen?  Let's get on with facing the real
threats and taking advantage of our unity!

Henry