Hypocritical Jews... This One Is a BEAUTY!!!

My wife came across the following letter written to the Jewish Week (a Long Island weekly we get when friends from New York come to visit): 

Obama’s Pastor

by Reba Shimansky

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld writes that Sen. Barack Obama should not be judged by the incendiary remarks made by his former minister and spiritual adviser Rev. Jeremiah Wright (Opinion, April 4). 

However the problem Obama has is not just with his minister, but also with the church that he attends, The Trinity United Church of Christ: it says on its Web site that it is “unashamedly black”; it recently gave Louis Farrakhan a lifetime achievement award; it believes in a black values system, encouraging blacks to group together and separate from the larger American society by pooling their money, patronizing black-only businesses and backing black leaders. 

Such racial separatism is strangely at odds with the media’s portrayal of Obama as a uniter who reaches across races.  

Also, in 2007, the church newsletter reprinted an op-ed by a Hamas leader.

The fact is that Obama has fellow-traveled with a hate-filled, anti-American black nationalism all his adult life, failing to stand and challenge an ideology that would have no place for his own mother. 

Shall we disseminate? Great!

The Trinity United Church of Christ: it says on its Web site that it is “unashamedly black.”

Is this any better than Jews who are "unashamedly" Jews? Thousands upon thousands of Jewish people walking around today are "unashamedly" Jewish and are quite unmistakably Jewish, from the Chassidishe diamond dealer in Manhattan to the to the Lubavitchers and Litvaks running around around Los Angeles. They ALL wear the uniform, regardless of what other think and are QUITE "unashamedly" Jewish. In fact, I was brought up to wear my Jewishness with pride!

It recently gave Louis Farrakhan a lifetime achievement award

I'm going to agree here. Lou Farrakhan, from a JEWISH perspective, is a bad, bad man. But that's subjective. There are plenty of very distasteful "Gedolim" out there as well upon whom many people heap quite a bit of respect.

it believes in a black values system, encouraging blacks to group together and separate from the larger American society by pooling their money, patronizing black-only businesses and backing black leaders.

Ooh. This is a FUN ONE!! Ok, point by point, here.

1. It believes in a black values system. And Jews believe in a Jewish "values" system. How is this ANY different? Just because many Jews perceive Judaism to be the ONLY possible EMES? How is this any different than any other ethnic or religious group that holds its morals/religion/values above any other group's morals/religion/values?!
2. Encouraging blacks to group together and separate from the larger American society by pooling their money, patronizing black-only businesses and backing black leaders. And do 99% of Jews live? Hmm. Let's see. We live in largely JEWISH areas and communities. We tend to separate ourselves from the larger American society by patronizing JEWISH establishments. In fact, rabbonim in MOST communities greatly emphasize the need to patronize JEWISH establishment and tell people they MUST patronize those establishments. The only difference? Black establishments probably don't rip their customers off by charging far more than they should for goods. JEWISH establishments do so UNASHAMEDLY!! Further, Jews tend to pool their money, or at least some of it, by donating to JEWISH organizations, such as synagogues and schools. Finally, in heavily Jewish neighborhoods, Jews CERTAINLY back JEWISH leaders. It would be UNNATURAL NOT to do so!!
   

Next:

Such racial separatism is strangely at odds with the media’s portrayal of Obama as a uniter who reaches across races [this should read "racial lines," but whatever...]

Don't you get it? This is the POINT with Obama. He IS reaching across racial lines; he IS trying to unite people of all walks, rather than just talking to African Americans, for African Americans. And, obviously, he HAS been successful. Otherwise he would NOT be on the brink of winning the Democratic presidential nomination.

Also, in 2007, the church newsletter reprinted an op-ed by a Hamas leader.

And how many JEWISH publications have printed unsavory opinions about other groups? I've lost count of the number of speeches I've heard by prominent "Rabbonim" about this group and that, and how evil and horrible and non-emes they are. Big deal. Further, many mainstream newspapers REGULARLY publish crap written by distasteful people.

The fact is that Obama has fellow-traveled with a hate-filled, anti-American black nationalism all his adult life, failing to stand and challenge an ideology that would have no place for his own mother.

Ok, first of all, he was not involved with the church his ENTIRE adult life. Second, again, he is trying to change these things, perhaps even from within. He is, above all, and AMERICAN, color and religion aside, and his desire is to see AMERICANS getting along, color, ethnicity, and religion aside. Is this not something for which to strive? Is this not something to admire?