Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site unc.unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!fsks From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Human rights and Judaism: A hope for 5746. Message-ID: <97@unc.unc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 29-Sep-85 15:30:04 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.97 Posted: Sun Sep 29 15:30:04 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 1-Oct-85 03:22:56 EDT References: <31087@lanl.ARPA> Reply-To: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Distribution: net Organization: CS Dept, U. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill Lines: 26 Summary: In article <31087@lanl.ARPA> ihnp4!lanl!wkp (bill peter) writes: > >Here is my wish list for issues which I believe need to be raised >by all Jewish communities during this new year: > >1. The responsibility of religious Jews to human freedom in South Africa. > Most orthodox rabbis, unlike their counterparts in other movements, > have remained silent in South Africa on apartheid. Only one courageous > orthodox rabbi, Rev Ben Isaacson, has been outspoken in his condemnation > of racism. ("You cannot suppress the G-d given rights of fellow human > beings with impunity." he has stated). Rev Isaacson is now being called > a "rebel rabbi" since his ostracization from the orthodox establishment > in South Africa. If the Orthodox rabbis in South Africa publicly express their disapproval of apartheid, what will this accomplish? These rabbis have no influence on the non-Jewish community there. Most rabbis have a hard enough time getting their own congregations to listen. I believe their role should be to try to prevent South African Jews from absorbing the racist mentality of their fellow citizens. But when Rev Ben Isaacson did speak out, why did the other Rabbis "ostracize" him (assuming your information is correct)? Were they afraid of a white, anti-Jewish backlash, or what? Frank Silbermann