Yaakov Menken -From:menken@cjvalues.org-Sun, Mar 23 at 6:08 PM
Dear Rabbi,
I'm writing to you regarding something that is not directly a CJV cause, but is definitely for the sake of the Klal and for reducing anti-Torah voices in Jewish affairs.
You have probably heard of the current WZO elections, and the charedi Eretz Hakodesh slate.
This slate was founded with brachos from Reb Chaim Kanievsky zt"l and Rav Gershon Edelstein zt"l, and, in the words of Rav Shmuel Fuerst of Chicago shlit"a, has the support of "rov binyan" of Klal Yisroel.
I know there are contrary voices, and that's why I will repeat this is not a CJV matter. But as I personally am honored to have been selected as an EHK delegate (as are several members of our Rabbinic Board), I do want to share the importance of this election with you.
The World Zionist Organization controls a budget of over $1 billion. In recent decades the Reform and Conservative movements have mobilized their people to vote, and have taken the money to destroy all that we hold dear. They openly admit that all of their efforts in Israel are funded from this huge pile of money.
They have stopped single-gender concerts and charedi bus lines, and set their sights on blocking kosher phones, all because they control the money. Women of the Wall? It's all funded from this. And that is how Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv, who got various positions within the WZO, is today the Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Aliyah and Diaspora Relations. What's he trying to do for Aliyah? He's trying to remove the Rav of the Kotel from his position, to make the Kotel a makom hefker with mixed Tefilah under Reform auspices.
Your vote for Eretz Hakodesh directly impacts whether Reform gets this money. Reb Chaim did not say vote so yeshivos can get this money, although millions of dollars have now gone to yeshivos and Torah projects thanks to EHK.
Reb Chaim said you must vote to ensure Reform does not get the money, so they cannot pursue their agenda. And I have seen similar, recent letters from Gedolim in E"Y that endorse the effort. It is not about joining with them, but, to the contrary, having a voice against them to stop the machrivei hada'as from having their way.
By voting in this election, you help ensure that critical funding supports authentic Torah values and institutions in Eretz Yisroel, strengthening our commitment to maintaining Yiddishkeit in E”Y Israel to halacha.
Yes, your vote contributes to funding Torah-true education systems and yeshivos, ensuring that future generations remain connected to authentic Torah values and mesorah without compromise or dilution of our sacred traditions. And yes, voting for Eretz Hakodesh plays a pivotal role in developing and maintaining religious communities throughout Israel, supporting kollels, batei medrash, and the infrastructure needed for Torah-observant families to thrive in Eretz Yisroel. But again, the main reason is to ensure that others do not take the money to be machrivei hada'as.
Voting costs only $5, and is an extremely worthwhile investment in preserving authentic Yiddishkeit in Eretz Yisroel.
Please take just 2 minutes to vote in this important election! Vote by going to https://eretzhakodesh.org/ and following the instructions.
Please encourage your congregations and schools to do likewise—we had 25,000 votes in 2020, and can easily double if not quadruple that number this time. Make your voice heard for Torah values in Eretz Hakodesh—by voting for Eretz Hakodesh!
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Executive Vice President
Coalition for Jewish Values
Office: 301-727-2700
What’s the solution: It is obvious: Roshei Yeshiva should be recognized for what they are: Heads of yeshiva, as a position, is often earned via nepotism5, and not because they are qualified leaders, even if the person is certainly a talmud chacham.6 They should not be considered leaders of klal yisrael unless they explicitly understand this contradiction and consciously overcome it. And since they are not leaders of Klal Yisrael, you don’t have to follow them, since they are not caring about WZO and other issues as part of their leadership of klal yisroel but rather of their institution (even if they do not realize it). Because even if they are not out of touch with their institution, they are out of touch from you.
