You may hate Obama, but this racism is uncalled for

by Heshy Fried on June 9, 2009 · 136 comments

I am posting this video so you see how dumb you racist bastards sound when you tell me Obama should be shot or that he’s a Muslim. I understand the pain that people are going through – but the ignorance that pervades the frum Jewish community is disgusting and finally you can see for yourself. This video is not really that shocking at all, fact is most of the frum people I know are exactly like this, but the fact that the world will see it is quite disturbing.

There is a lot of foul language so I warned you:

For the record, I am not saying I am a fan of the man – but this is exactly how Aryans and racists and Jew haters sound and I hear all of this talk at shul and at shabbos tables across the land.

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{ 136 comments… read them below or add one }

1 What War Zone??? June 9, 2009 at 10:17 PM

In response to your Tweet, I don’t believe this video is why people hate us. Anti-Semitism and whatnot far predates these idiots and their vitriol….but this certainly doesn’t help.

I hope these people suffer major embarrassment as a lesson to them.

Benji

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2 J June 9, 2009 at 10:24 PM

You’re obviously hanging out in the wrong crowd, no wonder you have so many issues with frummies!

Frummies I know don’t hang out on Ben Yehuda….

If you don’t like the people at your shul, why are you still there?

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3 Frum Satire June 9, 2009 at 10:26 PM

J – I have no issues with frummies…I just am damned good at making fun of them…but I have noticed that the lower the intellect the more likely they are to think I am angry or have an ax to grind.

I don’t have a shul…I shul hop.

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4 mike F June 9, 2009 at 10:36 PM

“fact is most of the frum people I know are exactly like this,”

Thats unfortunate for you. I’m not even frum and I make sure no one I associate with, frum or not, behaves like this.

This has nothing to do with why people hate jews. People hate jews for tons of reasons, and have since the very beginning of our existence. This video, and it should be noted, a video of a bunch of drunk kids who go to schools in Israel specifically for troubled adolescents, is just that, a video showing there immaturity. Finding a link between this video and antisemitism is a joke.

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5 s(b.) June 9, 2009 at 10:38 PM

1. These aren’t necessarily frummies; they look mostly like drunken American college kids.
2. What is this, the winner of the chillul Hashem awards? By posting this video, you’re basically condoning its content, despite your disclaimer. I find the racism infuriating. I’m not going to give it free publicity. But I’m not you.
3. The guy who knows his grandma’s # should join Tzahal, if that’s how he feels. Alcohol inspires bravado. Let’s see him put his life on the line where his mouth is. I wish I knew my grandparents’ #s. They never talked about that stuff, and they died when I was pretty young.
4. Cheers for the guy who wants p ’cause he’s not full of ignorant hatred.

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6 T Arnold June 9, 2009 at 10:42 PM

The funny thing is I want to convert to Orthodox Judaism, I’m mixed race, (black),from a secular sunni muslim family (who aren’t particularly religious) then one sees/hears this!!
I’ve even read Yitz Jordan’s experiences about his conversion a paper and thought it would just be a few isolated incidents. When I see this it makes me apprehensive to say the least. Will I just be considered another “-igger” and an ex-muslim! Sad and sickening!!

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7 ghottistyx June 9, 2009 at 10:44 PM

I am trying to imagine myself at 18, in my first months in Israel after high school chilling on Ben Yehuda, whether I would have been any better.

11 years later…I dread the thought that once upon a time that would have been me spewing racist crap while drunk on Ben Yehuda…

While a small part of me understands, currently my stomach can’t help but turn when I watch that video. It sickens me that people are willing to go that far to denigrate Obama–whether you agree with him or not!

A great Jew once said “Father please forgive them for they know not what they do.”

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8 Chaim P June 9, 2009 at 10:49 PM

This video is a funny attempt to make Jews look as vile as the people fighting on the other side of the fence. We are constantly bombarded by videos of ‘fanatical Muslims’ claiming Death to the Jews, Death to America, and Death to our President, be it the former or the current.

Here we have the following: 18-20 year old youths drinking at a bar, being asked about Obama in the wake of a very controversial speech in which the President berated Israel for having settlements which it had permission to build from the US, a speech which reneged on previously laid agreements for the road to “peace.”

Obviously this doesn’t give us the right to mouth off and scream racist profanity, which, by the way is merely a fraction of the actual video. Much of the video is targeted at the person, not the race.

Another important factor to realize is that while these people are angry, they won’t do anything about it. They will mouth off, sober up, and go about their normal business. Trust me, they wont pack themselves with explosives and run up the lawn of 1600 Penna Ave. They won’t hijack planes with the intent of smashing them into the presidents house.

The Muslim videos I have seen calling for “Death to Jews” or “Death to the American Infidels” are recordings of more mature, sober LEADERS of the Muslim world.

This video shows what some Jews were thinking about Obama. To see a reporters take on what Muslims think would be harder. For reference to what Muslims do to reporters that they disapprove of, please look up Daniel Pearl.

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9 Frum Satire June 9, 2009 at 10:51 PM

You see the problem is that this talk pervades almost every shabbos meal and shul and yeshiva I have been at that calls itself frum (very rarely modern orthodox) Its commonly known that frummies are racist – fine – but to bring it to the public is not fine.

I don’t care if your drunk, and a screwed up kid – if these kids had committed murder – they would have been tried just the same.

If you don’t understand why I am publicizing this video – I cannot explain it to you…I don’t just put things up for a fight – everything has its place and purpose.

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10 Mark June 9, 2009 at 10:51 PM

If people hate Jews due to a few drunken words,then the entire world should hate Arabs. And Christians. And Hindu. And … everyone else.

People have hated Jews for thousands of years. My own personal theory is that the root of why they hate us is because we killed all their gods by inventing monotheism and popularizing it in many places.

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11 Chaim P June 9, 2009 at 10:55 PM

T Arnold,
Of course some people would consider you just another *igger. You can never run away from bigotry. But don’t think that the spew of the few are the thoughts of the masses.

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12 dodab13 June 9, 2009 at 11:00 PM

I dont know if to be embarassed or not, but I know those boys from the beggining of the video. I dont agree with what they said at all but… 1)They are not what you would call frummies and 2) That crew knew who to talk to to make it look bad. They were looking for drunk american kids in order to make them look bad. I’m not saying that the boys were right but the reporters were not either right

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13 s(b.) June 9, 2009 at 11:01 PM

T Arnold, not to me, you won’t. You are who you are. Please don’t mistake the words of a drunken handful for the views of the masses.

Hesh, I can understand your putting and keeping it up on one level — sh!t like this can’t be hidden and swept under rugs — it’s a real problem. BUT now that you’ve drawn attention to it, how do you propose to effect change for the better?

Or are you just posting it to draw attention to people behaving poorly?

It’s one thing to say something’s wrong. It’s another thing to help make it better. I do what I can in my day to day, how I live my life; sometimes I can do a little good. There’s always more to be done.

You’ve created an opportunity, tossed yourself a ball of tikkun olam potential. Will you run with it? Where? How? I’m asking ’cause I don’t have answers, but I’m open to good ideas.

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14 Frum Satire June 9, 2009 at 11:03 PM

Well allowing Jews from all walks of life to discuss this may lead some people to change their behavior, discussion never hurt anyone and this one of the few places on the internet where intelligent conversation between different sects of Jews can take place in a uncensored environment – try having this discussion or any two sided talk on Vos Iz nieas

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15 ghottistyx June 9, 2009 at 11:06 PM

@T Arnold, indeed the amount of times I’ve had to explain to people that I may have grown up Jewish, but I’m not like them. It sickens me. You should know that I rescently unfriended one old asshole buddy on Facebook for posting on his status updates how happy he is about 1,300 dead in Gaza, and how we should cut our boys loose and let them exterminate the entire lot–men, women, and children. He then messaged me asking if I’m excited that Tzahal is going to help India fight back against those (racist term for Pakistani Muslims deleted). Now this guy was never a good friend, just some dude who used to mooch of me and my roommates when I was in YU, but after that, I couldn’t take him anymore. Like I don’t support Hamas one bit, but to be happy that ANYONE is dead? That’s too much for me.

And oh yeah, currently I’ve got plenty of friends who are Muslims, several of whom are even Palestinians. Whenever I go back to hang out with Jews these days, I’m faced with a lot of Islamaphobia. I remember how it was when I was there, so I try to symathize, but I still find my patience running thin when I try. The first question I would ask any of them is “have you ever sat down with a Muslim and had a friendly conversation, like what we’re having right now?” If the answer is no, then I would challenge them to try it out, and I would promise them that if they can put their preconceived notions behind them, tney might enjoy it; they might even find that they’ve got more in common with Muslims than they’d ever like to admit. If the answer is yes, then I’ve got harder work cut out ahead of me.

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16 Shira June 9, 2009 at 11:08 PM

I agree with Heshy. This can easily give other people anothe reason to have more prejudices about jews.

I`m about the same age as these people and I`m ashamed we jews have been portrayed this way. I may not agree with Obama politically, but who cares if he`s of color. Why does that matter?! He`s a human being.

Even if it were one jew, he would still be representing the entire tribe (religious or not!).

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17 s(b.) June 9, 2009 at 11:10 PM

Hesh wrote: Its commonly known that frummies are racist – fine – but to bring it to the public is not fine.
———–
Racism is not acceptable behavior; not in public, not in private. So what can you do about it, other than not behave in a racist manner yourself and speak up when you see others doing so? Encourage children to be tolerant and accepting. Okay. You got a plan? How can people help? Don’t just say, “this is wrong.” How can that be a constructive enough answer to sh!t like this?

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18 ghottistyx June 9, 2009 at 11:12 PM

And Hesh, kudos to you, you’re absolutely right. It’s not just drunken asshole American students on Ben Yehuda. My brother is currently a Junior in a MO Yeshiva High School, and from what he tells me, there’s plenty of that crap going around there. He’s one of maybe 5 people in his school who would have voted Obama if he was old enough. Out of the rest of his school, he says that maybe 10 of them can intellectually articulate their problems with Obama, but the rest of them are just spewing that kind of crap. It is wrong, and it should not be ignored!

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19 m00kie June 9, 2009 at 11:12 PM

walk into any college and speak to a bunch of drunk 18 yr olds and you’ll get the identical nonsense
it’s a poor example of what frummies or jews think, its just an example of what immature inebriated morons think

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20 Frum Satire June 9, 2009 at 11:17 PM

Mookie that is complete BS, drunken college students expose their boobs but they don’t go on racist rants

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21 s(b.) June 9, 2009 at 11:19 PM

“try having this discussion or any two sided talk on Vos Iz nieas” That’s funny. And a good point. But all the agnostic reform conservative orthoprax ecohippiedox atheist BT Lubavitchers reading this blog can be not racist until the cows come home and that still won’t change frummies’ (Lubavitchers notwithstanding; apologies to all the sects not mentioned) behavior. So what’s your point? It’s wrong to be a racist asshole. That video makes me want to do not something not nice to the kid in the bandana. But that’s not the answer, either. And it wouldn’t teach him anything. I’m sorry. Sh!t like that really pisses me off. This is a topic about which I am quite willing to become passionate.

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22 ghottistyx June 9, 2009 at 11:20 PM

CHECK IT OUT: I decided to look up the authors for the video, and this is what Mr. Max Blumenthal has to say for himself:
http://maxblumenthal.com/2009/06/censored-by-the-huffington-post-imprisoned-by-the-past-why-i-made-feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem/

The other creator, Joseph Dana, had this to say for himself:
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/06/max-blumenthal-feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem-on-eve-of-obamas-cairo-address.html

I found this very enlightening.

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23 s(b.) June 9, 2009 at 11:21 PM

Edit; sentence should read: That video makes me want to do something not nice to the kid in the bandana.

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24 perplexed June 9, 2009 at 11:22 PM

Hesh I really don’t get you (or any other Jew who voted for Obama). Thus Putz in the White House is letting Iran get a bomb, letting N Korea continue its nuclear testing, cutting spending on a Missile defense program, and trying to force the Netanyahu government to fall. Jeez this administration is standing back while TEHRAN AND PYONGYANG GET THE TOOLS TO KILL 6 MILLION JEWS!!!

With all of this in mind are you really worried about a couple of drunk kids in J town calling Obama the N-Word?? Is this really what your harping on? It seems so insignificant in the grander scheme of things.

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25 dassi June 9, 2009 at 11:22 PM

i am a bt and have found the less than subtle racism within the frum community surprising and disturbing.
i choose not to remain silent when i hear such things which unfortunately appears to have little impact. my views are attributed to one of the holes in my learning b/c i’m a bt.
this is one of the few areas that i am thankful that i am considered unlearned.

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26 Jacob June 9, 2009 at 11:22 PM

I know first hand from my interactions with students at Yeshiva University how prevalent these feelings are among the modern-orthodox jewish world. It disgusts me that I live in a community where people feel so comfortable sharing such sick, bigoted views in public because they are largely accepted. This, at an institution of higher learning and religious studies. A place that should be grooming the next generation of jewish leaders.

Like the guy in the video, my grandparents are also survivors of Auschwitz. However, my parents raised me differently. Coming from a family that has suffered so much, I was taught that as a Jew, I must understand and side with the plight of the oppressed. I was taught that I have a great deal in common with my African American friends and neighbors and the hardships they have endured. And as an adult, I have on my own come to re-examine some of the things I was taught growing up in jewish schools about Israel and the sad plight of the Palestinian people.

Realizing I live in a community where racism, bigotry, and hate so often seem to be the norm, I have begun to distance myself from modern orthodoxy and identifying with other observant jews. If this is what being a religious jew is about I want no part of it. And in the end of days, when God asks me why, i will tell him i decided to cast my lot on the side of good.

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27 perplexed June 9, 2009 at 11:24 PM

you may love Obama but a blatant disregard for jewish interests is uncalled for

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28 Frum Satire June 9, 2009 at 11:26 PM

Whoever said I voted for Obama, just because I am not racist doesn’t mean I am happy with what he is doing.

Funny about your thoughts on modern orthodoxy because I find the exact opposite – it happens to be that YU modern orthodox is much different than regular modern orthodoxy in that it is shifting to the right and hence the same ideals as a yeshivish person.

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29 ghottistyx June 9, 2009 at 11:28 PM

My Dad used to yell at me anytime I’d use racial slurs around him. I used to hate him for it. Now, I still thank him for not raising me to be a racist. I can safely tell people that my parents taught me better.

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30 Jacob June 9, 2009 at 11:36 PM

In my more limited interactions with the rest of the yeshiva world (beyond Yeshiva University circles) people seem to care less about politics. But my interactions with that world have been more limited.

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31 perplexed June 9, 2009 at 11:50 PM

Hesh it’s pretty clear you were a fan of Obama. You said so in one of your previous posts or videos. All that is fair play your entitled to your opinion. But at least be honest about it.

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32 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 12:15 AM

Wowowow.
The comments here are intense (they’ll get better).
I think this is your most controversial post to date.
Under 300 comments, and I’ll be disappointed;).

I don’t agree with the frum commenters that say you shouldn’t post this. We shouldn’t have a need to cover anything up, and if there are horrible things going on in the community, I’d like to think there’s a good chance of people finding out, but thanks to the ghetto mentality (“Holocaust!” – the answer to every question and the head-in-sand syndrome, almost everything is covered up, or conveniently ignored. What we don’t know can’t hurt, after all… It’s called denial.

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33 Z June 10, 2009 at 12:25 AM

WOW. I guess you can get lots of good footage on Ben Yehuda filming a bunch of drunk and high kids that should be sitting in their respective yeshiva’s.

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34 bitterwater June 10, 2009 at 12:30 AM

The people portrayed in the video are not an overwhelming majority, just a bunch of ignorant fools. I don’t think its worth getting agitated over. Ignorant fools are prevalent in every society, why should Jews be an exception?

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35 Mark June 10, 2009 at 12:36 AM

Hesh – Mookie that is complete BS, drunken college students expose their boobs but they don’t go on racist rants

You have no idea! I guess you haven’t spent all that much time on college campuses, not the NY ones full of Jews and other minorities, but the ones out of the big cities, like UF in Gainesville, for example. Drunken college students DO go on racist (and worse) rants.

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36 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 12:37 AM

>The people portrayed in the video are not an overwhelming majority, just a bunch of ignorant fools.

Yeah right. The “overwhelming majority” are Obama-loving, left-leaning liberals. Of course!

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37 bitterwater June 10, 2009 at 12:54 AM

off the derech, if they are not ignorant they are many times neautral.

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38 s(b.) June 10, 2009 at 12:55 AM

yasher koach, Jacob. OTD, who you callin’ frum? lol. not me. But if there’s a responsibility to expose, there’s a responsibility to make change. Who’s putting their actions where their keyboards are? Let’s hear from people who feel racism in the frum community isn’t acceptable and are speaking out against it, when they encounter it. A handful of people come to mind. Let’s here from those who aren’t making it their life’s work, but who do their part one day at a time. What are you doing to help combat this social disease? Last time I was at someone’s home for kiddush and I heard the host refer to someone as a (racial slur against African-Americans), I excused myself and walked home; I didn’t say anything, ’cause I was 11, and I didn’t want to get into an argument with my host. That’s the sort of thing that made orthodoxy very unappealing to me, and would continue to, if I encountered it again. I would not go to that person’s house for kiddush again, and when I see him every 10 years or so, I keep my time around him brief and the conversation light. I do not hope to change his views. I know his daughter does not share them, but I think his sons, unfortunately, do. I don’t know why/how people can think it’s okay to hate like that. It blows my mind.

As for covering things up, that’s why kids who are molested have no one to go to. Covering things up does no good for anyone. But now that it’s uncovered, what’s to be done about it? My answer was to distance myself. You down with OTD? Yeah, you know me. :lol: No, really. This blog has great potential to help effect positive change in the communities it reaches. I would just like to see it do that regarding topics like this.

You know what? And I’m going back to the kiddush house example (after shul, we’d go to a guy’s house for kiddush who had a daughter my age). The mother in the house tolerated the racist discussion or steered it to another topic.

My (female relative) spoke up to this host re: some of the hateful speech he was spewing, and eventually (my relatives) stopped going to that guy’s house for kiddush.

This is a communal issue that needs to be addressed by both men and women. What makes people think it’s okay to use hateful language and generalizations? It’s not.

(I hope this is making sense; I have tour flu and my head feels like it’s full of rice, right now. cooked, fluffy rice.)

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39 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 1:04 AM

SB:
I’m not sure where we disagree.
I agree that the kids should have never made such a video in the first place, but now that they have, and it’s on youtube, it’s definitely going to get a lot of views. I doubt Hesh would have ever put up such a video in the first place, but now that it’s up anyway, I don’t see a problem with discussing it.

I agree that discussion is important. How exactly can you go about affecting “real life” change? I think a blog can be an excellent forum for discussion. On this topic, people can start asking, “why do people hold these opinions?” People can start asking tough questions, and maybe get tough answers. Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away.

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40 anon June 10, 2009 at 1:13 AM

To everyone who thinks Hesh shouldn’t publicize this, it’s not just on YouTube but getting linked and discussed on lots of mainstream political sites for the last week, sites with (no offense) much bigger readership than this site and a lot of non-Jewish readers. The cat is out of the bag.

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41 not a fan June 10, 2009 at 1:21 AM

I’m not the insolent one who will hate on obama for his skin color and arab middle name, but let’s just say Jon Voight is THE MAN in this eye opening video. I’m proud that at least one man besides me can see for himself what this false massiah obama really is doing to this country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXKOotf3B2k

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42 s(b.) June 10, 2009 at 1:36 AM

I was just having fun (otd); anon, there’s a difference between saying I personally wouldn’t give the makers of this film free publicity on my own (infrequently posted-to) blog and saying he shouldn’t post this. If you don’t understand the difference, let me know. (I realize your comment was not specifically directed at me.) What I don’t understand is the use of a video of wasted mostly American MO kids to bring up the issue of racism being ignored/accepted by many in the MO+ community. This sort of behavior is not acceptable and it’s not okay.

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43 s(b.) June 10, 2009 at 1:51 AM

I found this article by the guy behind the video: http://maxblumenthal.com/2009/06/censored-by-the-huffington-post-imprisoned-by-the-past-why-i-made-feeling-the-hate-in-jerusalem/
———–
While interesting, it doesn’t seem to be about what seems to be the intended topic at hand (the blight that is acceptance of racist behaviors and attitudes).

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44 ipitythefoo June 10, 2009 at 1:55 AM

I’m with the yid with the long payos.
I don’t trust, Am Yisrael belongs in Eretz Yisrael.
BUT I am thankful that I live in the United States and not Yemen or France…
So I say we need to end the racist rhetoric and truthfully represent the Jewish people and Israel with dignity.Thats the only way to get some political support for Israel from a goveernment that seems to want to build a strong relationship with our enemies.

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45 Jameel @ The Muqata June 10, 2009 at 3:22 AM

Hesh: Seems like these people are Birthrighters, who for the most part, party every night and get drunk.

Additionally, the people who made the video and edited it, are mega leftists who WANT the effect of the film. Your response is exactly what they wanted. BTW – If I found a group of drunk leftists, Im sure they would be spewing the same sort of language and racism.

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46 Chris_B June 10, 2009 at 5:44 AM

@Heshy Good on ya for calling this out. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. But, I understand the pain that people are going through kinda rings like “some of my best friends are [insert minority group here]“. Whats to understand? Wrong is wrong. But I think you know that already.

@perplexed #24
Were you born yesterday? The problems with North Korea and Iran predate Obama by a long shot.

@T Arnold #6
Converts to any stream of Judaism can face issues about “not looking Jewish”. Its bone stupid, but we’re human just the same as everyone else. I’m not a frummy and wont speak for them, but I can tell you from my own experience that there are Jews and Rabbis of all stripes who understand that converts from all the nations of earth are to be welcomed amongst the children of Israel.

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47 CHOSHUVA YID June 10, 2009 at 7:52 AM

And to think that the parents of these kids sent them to Israel to learn or study in college despite the expense. I hope that some parents out therte recognize their partying drunken offspring.

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48 Frum Satire June 10, 2009 at 8:13 AM

Go spend some time in the black hat community mention Obama or start using the N word like your back in the days of Jim Crow and tell me it wouldn’t be widely accepted.

I have spent time in multiple frum communities and nowhere has it ever not been racist. Of course that depends on your definition of racism, all of my Rabbeim in high school were racist, as were all the students, all of my charedi cousins in Monsey, Israel and Brooklyn are racist and would admit that outright.

But then again, is saying that the “only good black guy is a dead one” or “I wish they would lynch Obama” or “why doesn’t someone just shoot him?” racist or just joking?

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49 buffthrash June 10, 2009 at 8:59 AM

that girl had some really nice SHOWMEN!!!!

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50 johnnieonice June 10, 2009 at 9:49 AM

Yeah, this video is a chillul hashem. Hesh, I don’t care whether you put up or not, people will see it anyway. But look, these kids are my age and we’re not the smartest age group int he world. Especially when we’re drunk. And there are just some things hat should be pointed out.
1. These kids were pretty clueless about politics. example: “Who is Netanyahu?”
2. They were drunk, people say stupid things when they’re drunk.
3. They are not “frummy” by no stretch of the imagination. Did you see the way they were dressed. So racism in the frummy world is irrelevant to this video.
4. These kids were still getting drunk in town, this late in the year. Probably not the most mature crowd in the world.
5. Racism is such BS these days with real racism, mis-directed racism, and affirmative action. it’s all so stupid. Everyone tends to be racist against something. Just some people suppress or work on removing that feeling.
6. Only people who are ignorant or looking to hate the Jews are going to take this video seriously. A mature, knowledgeable, (non-racist), viewer will know this is a carefully edited video of drunk teenagers and in no way an accurate representation of the Jewish people.

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51 Josh June 10, 2009 at 10:27 AM

First of all these kids look pretty far from frummies. As noted by Blumenthal himself , these kids are Long Island type college boys. Please stop stereotyping us as insensate bigoted boors. ( which by doing, you paradoxically turn into ) used as expendabe punchlines whenever you’r feeling lazy or uncreative.

Second. Next time you’r in Monsey come with me to Viznitz or Satmar and we’ll do our own interviews. You’ll be shocked at how informed and encompassing these people are. I actually think since they are more discriminated against than the average Jew it has made them more tolerant than most.

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52 Hornball June 10, 2009 at 10:37 AM

This is total bullshit. These kids do NOT represent the frum world, they represent a bunch of frustrated Jews who see Obama taking up the cause of his fellow Muslims against us.

And I totally agree with the last line of the video.

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53 Frum Satire June 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM

Viznitz and Satmar vote with their wallets, and having more social programs is what they want.

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54 Sergeant J June 10, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Ah, the racism of American Jewry rears it’s ugly head.. Sure, these guys might not be the most frum, but I have heard a RAV talk about the “good old days” in South Africa where the “shvartzes knew their place”, and while I will not name him, there is no doubt he is considered “frum”..

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55 Josh June 10, 2009 at 12:47 PM

All right then come on by and we’ll shmooze with them ( admittedly I’ll have to be your Yiddish interpeter )
Besides most of America votes with their wallet. Heck, nearly our whole premise of existing as a country and not being an English colony is because of our wallets. Don’t spin everything Chasidim do into bull*** . There is enough to attack them about, no need to contrive.

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56 Racist and knows it June 10, 2009 at 12:56 PM

Look I’m frum attend yeshiva and am a racist, but everyone I know is – its not really a bad thing. I don’t hate black people, I just their culture of drugs, rap, crime and blaming the white people for all of their issues. Slavery ended in 1865 deal with it.

In my Yeshiva its realism not racist, blacks commit crime, do drugs and are ghetto and poor and this country would do better without them.

The video does not represent the frum community as a whole, but I agree with what they were saying. Obama wants to take away our gun rights, divide Jerusalem, promote immorality like gay marriage and abortion and his black community socialistic ideals.

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57 Anonymous June 10, 2009 at 12:59 PM

You are a bunch of morons, its not racism, its just that you people are too politically correct to see the truth

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58 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 1:00 PM

I love how frum people like to say, “they’re not really frum people” and “they don’t represent all of us”, if the old shooting the messenger (calling the critic an anti-Semite, or just “bored”, if you’re lucky) doesn’t work. Always the knee-jerk defensive reaction, “they don’t represent all of us” yada yada yada. You guys sound like a broken record already.

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59 Observer June 10, 2009 at 1:02 PM

That video was encouraging. Sure, they’re a bunch of drunk kids who should probably be in a frat house rather than on the street, but maybe Israel is a little safer than some American cities. Anyway, at least they know whose side they’re on, and some are willing to call a spade a spade. Whoever has problems with this either isn’t used to drunk adolescents, or has greater problems with an occasional apparently anti-Black phrase than a with an obviously pervasive Anti-Jewish policy.

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60 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 1:24 PM

>I’m frum attend yeshiva and am a racist, but everyone I know is – its not really a bad thing.

Tells me all I need to know.

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61 Becky June 10, 2009 at 1:29 PM

To everyone defending this video, you are just as bad as the kids in it. If you cannot make your point without being rascist and biggoted, then you probably don’t have a point to make.

Whether these kids are furm or not doesnt matter, they are representing Jewish people, and if you think for a second thing like this dont contribute to the modern hatred of Jews, you are sorely mistaken.

You don’t have to like Obama, but come up with a reason based on his policy and politics, not on his skin. If you can’t, then you should probably stop talking.

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62 Chris_B June 10, 2009 at 1:37 PM

@56 Racist and knows it,

You realize it wasnt really that long ago when people would have said the same things about Jews in the USA. Actually, people still say it. You probably are not a bad person, just terribly ignorant. Get out and see the country a bit, rich parts and poor parts, white, red, yellow, brown and black parts. OTOH, there’s still a chance that you are in fact a bad person.

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63 Tevy June 10, 2009 at 2:11 PM

Thanks for the post Hesh. You’ve given us just another reminder for Jews to be role models to the world and to value staying educated on what’s going on in the world too.

It’s too bad, I actually knew that guy who said his grandmother’s tattoo #. Nice guy he was… but still no excuse for ignorance and running your mouth recklessly. You think people would stop and think (yeah even if they’re drunk) and realize anything they say to a camera could can go public online…

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64 s(b.) June 10, 2009 at 2:33 PM

@48: that’s not stuff to joke about, that’s not funny and if I encountered people talking like that, I’d most likely say something and remove myself ASAP.

I’m with OTD and Becky on this one. I’d love to hear from some MO/MO+ people who do not find racism acceptable and do not tolerate such derogatory discussion in their homes.

And re: the kid saying white power — he is ignorant. Jews aren’t white to the white power folks, and they’d string his ass up from a tree, if they could get away with it.

The KKK is not a hechsher organization, it’s a group of people who may do you harm for being Jewish. Shut your mouth and go study krav maga or another martial art.

If you believe “for every Jew, a .22,” get a license and please learn to use it safely and keep a lock on it if there are children in your house. I don’t worry about bans of automatic or even semi-automatic weapons. There’s no reason anyone needs them for personal use. Police and military, sure. But not Joe Citizen.

I encourage those who believe am yisrael belongs in eretz yisrael to make aliyah.

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65 Hornball June 10, 2009 at 3:23 PM

Am I the only one here who thinks the last line was the most important?

Everyone is so focused on this racism/non-racism issue, let’s not forget what’s most important.

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66 Observer June 10, 2009 at 3:26 PM

Becky // Jun 10, 2009 at 1:29 pm

“To everyone defending this video, you are just as bad as the kids in it. If you cannot make your point without being rascist and biggoted, then you probably don’t have a point to make.”

Wrong. These kids have a point to make. However, being drunk, they don’t make it to those who are too slow to get the point without their help. As far as my being just as bad as the kids, while that is not entirely true (I’m not as ignorant as one or two of them), it is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Like I said, at least they know whose side they are on. Would you believe that there are actually Jews so stupid or so uncaring about Israel that they actually voted for that Jimmy Carter wannabe? For shame!

“Whether these kids are furm or not doesnt matter, they are representing Jewish people, and if you think for a second thing like this dont contribute to the modern hatred of Jews, you are sorely mistaken.”

YOU are sorely mistaken. Modern hatred of Jews existed before these kids were born, occasionally for good reason, mostly not. Sucking up to anti-Jewish politicians or populace is a bad idea regardles of the bigots’ race.

“You don’t have to like Obama, but come up with a reason based on his policy and politics, not on his skin. If you can’t, then you should probably stop talking.”

Most intelligent people know what is wrong with B. Hussein Obama’s politicy and politics, and the few who didn’t should have been reminded by his speeches shortly before this set of interviews. That a few drunk kids spoke wisely rather than deeply may offend you, but it does not offend me.

Am Yisroel chai.

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67 BROOKLYN YID June 10, 2009 at 3:36 PM

I am not a racist. I consider all non Jews the same, be they black, white, yellow or red. We stand apart and the majority of “them” just don’t like us.

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68 Phil June 10, 2009 at 4:00 PM

What else you expect from a bunch of drunk kids? I’ve seen worse.

Fact is many people, especially Jews are pissed off at Obama. From day one he hasn’t done anything positive in office. All he’s done is repel some Bush laws to try to gain popularity.

With his latest statements about America being a muslim country, and asking Bibi to fly the UN flag over the Kotel instead of Israel’s, he has confirmed which side he is on.

He is the ultimate hypocrite and liar as well. All throughout his campaign, he tried to distance himself from his muslim heritage, now he’s suddenly proud of it.

The guy is going to destroy whatever is left of America with his “bright” ideas, it’s going to take a huge amount of time, effort and $$$ to rebuild your country once he’s gone. I truly believe he is more dangerous to Israel than any president since Jimmy Carter.

And yes, I would be very happy if he was shot and killed, not because I’m a racist and he’s black, but because he’s an anti Jewish muslim sympathizer that’s in charge of the only superpower that was once on our side.

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69 Mark June 10, 2009 at 5:03 PM

offthederech – I love how frum people like to say, “they’re not really frum people” and “they don’t represent all of us”, if the old shooting the messenger (calling the critic an anti-Semite, or just “bored”, if you’re lucky) doesn’t work. Always the knee-jerk defensive reaction, “they don’t represent all of us” yada yada yada. You guys sound like a broken record already.

From the looks of them in the video, perhaps they represent you :-)

They do seem pretty much off the derech.

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70 Former Lubab June 10, 2009 at 5:23 PM

I can’t speak for the entirety of the Orthodox Jewish community, but I can tell you that the Chabad community I grew up in is virulently racist.

The not-so- subtle undertones of racism are prevalent throughout the community, and kids are inculcated with this nonsense (while bemoaning anti-semitism) from birth.

Even after many of them have dropped out of the community, they still carry their right-wing politics and racism like a badge of honor along side the Chai necklaces and Hookah pipes.

Befuddling. Sad.

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71 Phil June 10, 2009 at 6:02 PM

Former Lubab,

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that most lubabs or at least one of their parents grew up in Crown Heights, one of the worst areas in Brooklyn thanks to criminal activity perpetrated mainly by black people in that neighborhood.

My wife was mugged in Crown Heights back in her seminary days, when she went to the police, they pulled out volumes of mugshots for her to look at. They actually had 80,000 black people listed in them, all with prior convictions!

Speak to any Jew that grew up under muslim rule, and you’ll very likely hear that the only good arab is a dead one, and not to trust them even when they are 6 feet under.

Speak to any Jew that lived in EasternEurope during the war, and they’ll tell you that the inhabitants of their country were even worse than nazis (Hunarians, poles, etc.).

Simple fact, Esav hates Yaakov. No matter where we go, we will always be hated by goyim in general, don’t fool yourself by thinking America is any different.

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72 cdubya June 10, 2009 at 6:51 PM

consider this my rebuttal http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_wright_0610jun10,0,7603283.story i think at this point we should all realize it goes both ways and its only going to get real bad real soon.

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73 cdubya June 10, 2009 at 6:57 PM

also for the sake of conversation i would like to ask does Rev Wright represent the “Black” ideology just as much as these dumb ass kids represent the Jewish ideology?

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74 cdubya June 10, 2009 at 7:02 PM

i found a list of who “them Jews” are and you can relax Hesh because neither of us are on it.

David Axelrod (2009- ) Senior Advisor to the President
Jared Bernstein (2009- ) Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President
Rahm Emanuel (2009- ) Chief of Staff
Lee Feinstein (2009- ) Foreign Policy Advisor
Gary Gensler (2009- ) Chair of the Commody Futures Trading Commission
Elena Kagan (2009- ) Solicitor General of the United States
Ronald Klain (2009- ) Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Jack Lew (2009- ) Deputy Secretary of State
Eric Lynn (2009- ) Middle East Policy Advisor
Peter Orszag (2009- ) Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Dennis Ross (2009- ) Special Advisor for the Gulf and Southwest Asia to the Secretary of State
Mara Rudman (2009- ) Foreign Policy Advisor
Mary Schapiro (2009- ) Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Dan Shapiro (2009- ) Head of Middle East desk at the National Security Council
James B. Steinberg (2009- ) Deputy Secretary of State
Lawrence Summers (2009- ) Director National Economic Council
Mona Sutphen (2009- ) Deputy White House Chief of Staff

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75 eyekanspel June 10, 2009 at 7:09 PM

On one hand, this video is a deliberate attempt to manipulate public opinion. The people shown in this video are drunk 19 and 20 year olds attending “rehab style” yeshivas such as Ner Yakov and the like. I can say this because I recognize many of them. To say that these people represent a large percentage of the Orthodox is to spread false information. These are just drunk OTD kids speaking the way they normally do in order to get attention from a guy with a fancy camera. On the other hand, the ideas they express are somewhat of a product of the racism that is allowed to exist in the Orthodox community. Most of the educated and upstanding would not express themselves this way (with this kind of vulgarity), but many upstanding and NICE Jews would agree with some of these opinions due to the propaganda on our side of the media (theyeshivaworld, for example). This is a sad reality. In an ideal world, all media outlets with an agenda would be banned, and much less would be wrong with the world. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world…

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76 anon June 10, 2009 at 7:26 PM

So if Obama is so anti-Jewish as some of you claim, why does he have so many Jews around him?

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77 Michal bas Avraham June 10, 2009 at 7:43 PM

eyecanspel,
You’re a fool. You think that it’s better to only have the goyisha media. I’m not surprised most of you feel this way. The majorirty of people here are not on the derech, so I don’t suppose many of you care what happens to the motherland. The reality is that Obama feels he can just tell Israel what to do. The reality is that he continues to go all over to Arab lands on our tax dollars, um when did he go to Israel? I haven’t read of this in the Hamodia, Yated or goyisha paper.

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78 Michal bas Avraham June 10, 2009 at 7:44 PM

anon,
to make him look good to us so he can just run us over.

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79 Frum Satire June 10, 2009 at 7:53 PM

“And yes, I would be very happy if he was shot and killed, not because I’m a racist and he’s black, but because he’s an anti Jewish muslim sympathizer that’s in charge of the only superpower that was once on our side.”

Phil – thank you for backing me up:

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80 Phil June 10, 2009 at 7:58 PM

Anon,

He is probably surrounded by Jews to further distance himself from being called a muslim by the average American.

As for those Jews, they are for the most part “left wing liberal yes men”, so don’t expect them to stand up for what’s right for Israel.

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81 Mark June 10, 2009 at 8:14 PM

Some say the video proves all or most or many Jews are racist.

Well, if that is the case, this video proves that all or most or many Obama voters are uninformed -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm1KOBMg1Y8

The techniques used by the interviewers and videographers are similar.

A video can prove anything you want it to prove.

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82 Anonymous June 10, 2009 at 8:44 PM

that girl who said she was a political science major and didn’t know who netanyahu was while in Israel… what’s with that? she was trying to say she was an expert on politics and she doesn’t know the name of the prime minister of the country she’s visiting and probably says she loves? that’s absurd.

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83 Homey June 10, 2009 at 9:11 PM

Mark,

You were right on with that comment to OTD.

Some people are so desperate to look for excuses for their own agenda, they don’t realize they make zero sense to prove their point.

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84 Jacob June 10, 2009 at 11:38 PM

Sorry. I can’t hold this back. This post is directed to the person who goes by “Racist and knows it”

…Dude, you’re a sick individual, and the fact that your yeshiva buddies share your views is no excuse. If that’s what learning in yeshiva does to you it really makes me wonder.

God asked us to be a light to the nations. Your bigoted stereotypes of African Americans and desire for a country without them makes you sound like a white supremacist.

Have our yeshivas turned into Hitler Youth Centers?

I have a great number of African American friends who do not commit crimes or do drugs, as you suggest. Rather, they good people, something you yeshiva students apparently know little about. If what you say about yeshiva students is true, it sounds to me that this country (and any other for that matter) would probably be a lot better off without yeshiva students.

It makes me sad that culturally I probably share so much in common with you.

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85 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 11:38 PM

Mark: >They do seem pretty much off the derech.

Excuse me, but I happen to know a few of the kids in the video, and I’m quite certain they’re not off the derech.

Anyway, the main reason I use the name “offthederech” is to disclose my philosophy before posting on Yiddishkeit. Instead of giving myself a name like “Yeshiva dude” and posting on Jewish topics, I’m upfront about my beliefs. No, I don’t hate Judaism, or Jews, or Israel (newsflash to frummies: not every critic of yours hates you). I know it’s a lot easier to dismiss every one of your critics as Jew-haters, but it’s immature. It’s also in your own best interests to have honest discussion. Would you want your government, or the telephone company to be above criticism? Probably not. So why is it so offensive to question rabbis, or the way things are done in the frum world? More to the point, why are you so afraid of allowing people to question? You wouldn’t have anything to hide, would you? Yeah, right.

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86 offthederech June 10, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Michal: >The majorirty of people here are not on the derech, so I don’t suppose many of you care what happens to the motherland.

That is highly offensive.

Besides, who ever said these kids are OTD? A frum commenter on my blog had this to say, “There is no reason to think they OTD’s at all unless there is actual evidence. And anyways, I have seen that most OTD charedi Jews tend to be more compassionate.” So there.
http://offthed.blogspot.com/2009/06/indoctrination-is-ugly_10.html#comments

And not to waste my time, but Homey – if you have something to say, you can say it to my face.

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87 Jacob June 11, 2009 at 12:23 AM

By the way, don’t you have a religious commandment to remember that you were once a slave … thousands of years ago.

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88 Aliza Hausman June 11, 2009 at 1:46 AM

http://mixedjewgirl.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/hate-in-jerusalem/

Maybe you need to see how a Jew of color feels about this video.

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89 eyekanspel June 11, 2009 at 9:07 AM

@ Michal Bas Avraham
“You’re a fool. You think that it’s better to only have the goyisha media. I’m not surprised most of you feel this way. The majorirty of people here are not on the derech, so I don’t suppose many of you care what happens to the motherland. The reality is that Obama feels he can just tell Israel what to do. The reality is that he continues to go all over to Arab lands on our tax dollars, um when did he go to Israel? I haven’t read of this in the Hamodia, Yated or goyisha paper.”

WOW. Talk about reading “comprehension”. I did not say that we would be better off with only non-Jewish. I said that ALL media has an agenda, and we would be better off if no media sources had their own agendas. We know this to be impossible. This is the way it is and it will not change. As to why you don’t see the Yated calling Obama a “nigger”, it’s quite obvious and I said it in my post as well (but you didn’t get it). The VULGARITY is not going to be there because it’s not PC (and maybe not legal, I don’t know) to write that way in a newspaper. However, the SENTIMENTS that these kids are expressing are, although a minority view, VERY much alive in the Orthodox community. I grew up in a VERY Yeshivish community and I am still religious. I don’t particularly like Obama either (I didn’t vote for him). I don’t particularly like what he does either. And I certainly do care what happens to “the motherland” (disgusting term, but whatever). My proof that I care: I’ve been here for the last two years and all my nephews and nieces live here. If that doesn’t give me a vested interest, I don’t know what does. Sorry but you obviously missed my point completely.

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90 Mark June 11, 2009 at 9:24 AM

Excuse me, but I happen to know a few of the kids in the video, and I’m quite certain they’re not off the derech.

Ah, if you know them personally, then you are probably right. But in any case, they were engaging in lots of behavior (lack of respect, lack of self respect, public drunkenness, pritzus, bad language, smoking, lack of wearing a kippah, indicating that they want premarital sex, etc) that is indicative of being off the derech. But since you know them personally, I’ll have to defer to you. But I do wonder why you waited until your 6′th comment on this post to mention that you know some of those kids?

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91 Homey June 11, 2009 at 10:54 AM

OTD,

Consider it to your face.

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92 martlet08 June 11, 2009 at 12:16 PM

‘racist and knows it’- how can you say that being racist isn’t really a bad thing? Do you actually know any black people? How DARE you??

I am of mixed race, and I have NEVER committed a crime, nor have I done drugs. I am not ghetto in any sense, I live in the suburbs, and my dad (who is black), is a professional accountant. I went to a private school throughout my life, and I have a degree in business (from one of the best schools in the country), and I’m now doing one in law (yet again, from one of the best schools in the country). My parents paid for all my education, and will continue to do so. This MUST be the ‘ghetto’ behaviour you’re speaking of!!

You should note that I refused to state my race on any of my applications, so I was not admitted through affirmative action. And my name is quite ‘white’ sounding, so the admissions officers didn’t admit me based on thinking I ’sounded’ multi-racial. Nor am I involved in any activities which would give an indication as to my background.

I am an upstanding citizen (I vote, I volunteer, I work in the summers, and I attend school from September-April), and you have NO right to tell me that my country would be better if me, my siblings, and my father didn’t exist. In fact, there’s a good chance that I will provide more positive benefits to society overall then you will.

Admittedly, I am not the norm, but that gives you no right to generalize and decide that EVERY black person is denigrating society. You must be aware that a small segment of the black population behaves as you think- just as a small segment of the frum population thinks as you do.

I hope that someday in the near future that racism toward black people is removed from Jewish thinking, because it is extremely hurtful to Jews of colour.

You #56, give the wonderful frummies I know a very bad image.

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93 offthederech June 11, 2009 at 12:47 PM

>in any case, they were engaging in lots of behavior (lack of respect, lack of self respect, public drunkenness, pritzus, bad language, smoking, lack of wearing a kippah, indicating that they want premarital sex, etc) that is indicative of being off the derech.

That would only be true if being “on the derech” correlated with good behavior. In my experience, frum people are far less well-behaved than off the derech people and secular people, and yes, even goyim, so I can’t say I agree with any of your premises.

>But I do wonder why you waited until your 6?th comment on this post to mention that you know some of those kids?

Look, I don’t care if you believe me. As a non-frum person, I saw no need to show off. However, now that some of you are dismissing their behavior by saying they’re “off the derech” (as if all on the derech people behave so well. I have many BT friends who were shocked beyond belief teaching frum kids. they couldn’t believe how horribly the kids behaved), I feel it’s relevant to mention that I know two of the kids in the video, both wearing kippas and from normal frum families, so i see no reason to assume they’re off the derech. Even if you wanted to say they’re off the derech (so as to discredit their opinions), how do you define “on the derech.” How do you know if someone is on or off? (I know! Anyone who gives you a good name is “on”! Anyone who gives you a bad name is “off”! Woohoo!) And this is not about me, so don’t try to make fun of *me* for being off the derech. It’s about *you*, and your racist brother pigs.

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94 offthederech June 11, 2009 at 1:15 PM

Homey: I’m so scared.

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95 Homey June 11, 2009 at 1:20 PM

OTD,

Um…you asked me to say it to your face. That’s kind of hard to do online. Nevertheless, I acquiesced to your absurd demand.

Not only are you scared, you’re very confused. Hence, you’re OTD.

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96 offthederech June 11, 2009 at 1:22 PM

You’re a complete asshole.

And yes, I was sarcastic when I said I’m scared.

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97 Chilul Hashem June 11, 2009 at 3:17 PM

you must take this down. it’s a huge chilul hashem. the people in this video are not frum jews. It’s so sad…. no matter what we feel about Obama, this kind of talk is an outrage.

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98 eyekanspel June 11, 2009 at 3:28 PM

@ Chilul Hashem
I agree with your first point, but I disagree with your second. The chilul hashem was committed when these kids acted the way they acted. The public knows about this, and taking it down from here will have no effect. You fall in line with those people who say we should not publicize the names of child molesters because it is a chilul hashem. It most certainly is a chilul hashem, but NOT publishing them is a much bigger chilul hashem. Props to you for being able to spell properly!

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99 Homey June 11, 2009 at 4:43 PM

OTD,

Even if I was interested in debating the issue, I wouldn’t bother to debate anything with you.

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100 eyekanspel June 12, 2009 at 12:05 AM

@Homey
Don’t waste your time. Some people are not worth debating. For some, this is because you won’t win, and for others, because you can’t win (people such as OTD).

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