Words From Rabbi White

"I got my job through the NY Times" This was a popular advertisement when I was living in NY.   Do you know anyone who actually did get their job through the times? C'est moi!!

You see, many years ago, when I was living in NY State, and teaching at the State University, I happened to purchase the Sunday NY Times one fateful Sunday, and saw an intriguing ad for "Herzliah High School Montreal, Canada." Being curious, I wrote a letter to the school, was invited to come up to Montreal to see the school, conducted a couple of classes, was offered a position, and was given about a month to accept or reject the offer. 

So... I spoke to many people of varied backgrounds, all of whom had only the most glowing things to say about Montreal. (And, no one said anything about Quebec separatism or language restrictions! In those ancient days, there was no Google to give information or to offer advice!) And so, after a month of deliberation, I accepted the offer.

B"H, my late wife and I were happy here. We raised two wonderful children, I have the privilege of teaching at Herzliah (as well as Concordia and McGill), and of course, being the Rav of Chevra Shaas. 

If so, you probably think that i am a big fan of the NY Times. Unfortunately, I cannot say that.  For a long time now, many of us have been complaining about the biased reporting of that paper. A most glaring example of that appeared recently, in their description of the jail breakers who were subsequently captured by Israel.

In describing the escapees, the Times, as explained by Stephen Flatow in Arutz Sheva, could never allow itself to use the word "terrorist."  Yet, these escapees were the ones who placed a bomb at a bus stop in TA, killing an Israeli teenage girl; kidnapped an Israeli teenage boy and shot him in the head; threw flaming bottles of gasoline at Israelis; fired weapons at Israeli civilian buses. All of them belonged to organizations that are determined, God forbid, to wipe out the State of Israel.  Yet, they are referred to as simply "militants," "prisoners," or "the 6 men."

In this week's parasha, Cain kills his brother Abel. For that Cain received everlasting shame. Yet, when, chas ve-shalom, evildoers try to attack our people, the reporters of the most famous paper cannot bring themselves to criticize, and can only refer to the "cycle of violence."

Let us pray for a year of good news, and peace in the Land of Israel and in the world. and may you all merit many healthy years.

Shabbat shalom,