בס״ד
ט׳ בְּתִּשְׁרֵי תשע״ה

סכראוונהאך, סכילדרזווייק, נעדרלאנד

 

Banned from God

אִם נִנְעֲלוּ דַּלְתֵי נְדִיבִים דַּלְתֵּי מָרוֹם לֹא נִנְעֲלוּ

 

Even if the gates of men are closed, the gates of heaven will never be closed.

Rabbi Shalom Shabazi | ר' שלום שבזי

 

צַעֲקַת הַדַּל

 

Dear Dutch Jewry

cc: World Jewry

bcc: G-d

 

A few weeks ago, the Orthodox Synagogue of The Hague banned me for two years. This was followed by a ban from the Liberal Shul of The Hague due to slander. 

Such an irresponsible and impulsive decision by a few decision makers can cause complications towards my getting married and buried in the Netherlands, as I have heard from my Jewish lawyer that there is talk to extradite me completely from all Dutch Jewry altogether, amazingly enough from both the Liberal and Orthodox streams, I have to say that it is nice to see them work together.  If this would be the case I wish to reserve my burial ground to be placed by the side of Baruch Spinoza, who was also excommunicated by the Dutch Jewry, just outside of a church next to my present home.

There is a common joke that tells of a person left stranded from a shipwreck on a deserted island. When he was found, his rescuers discovered that he had built a house and two synagogues, when asked why he had build two synagogues, he answered “that is the one I go to and in that one I will never go.”  As Holland is a country that is destined in the future to find itself under the sea due to global warming, and all that’s left of it will be a few distant islands, I’d say that the few perplexed Jews left stranded would build three synagogues, bearing a clause of not entering two of them.

I don’t expect you to revoke your decision as you’ve quite clearly noted in your formal letter that your decision is irrevocable, a definitive ban for two years, not even for a single year, perhaps thus placing yourself above the Almighty who Himself does account for our acts annually, as our tradition teaches us how spiritual accountancy works.  Hypothetically speaking, if my actions were deliberate, with the power of proper Teshuva, G-d would consider them to be inadvertent and they would become (not considered) unintentional, something that your definitive statement contradicts, as how I see it, your present decree places yourselves on a higher level than G-d, as Judge, Jury and Executioner, this without even hearing my plea.  Perhaps as we learn that at times G-d stiffens the hearts of people just as he had done with the heart of Pharaoh, so אֵין כָּל-חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ Nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes קֹהֶלֶת Chapter 1 verse 9) and טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּייָ מִבְּטֹחַ בִּנְדִיבִים, It is better to take refuge in the Hashem than to trust in man (Psalms תְּהִלִּים Chapter 118 verse 8).

Just a week prior to the ban, I hosted devout Christians and Muslims for the Kiddush at my table and reviewed Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s Pirkei Avot (2:13) regarding what is a good path to which a person should cling. The conclusion is a good heart, as it is all inclusive of being a good friend, a good neighbour and one who considers the outcome of a deed. I wish to show Christians and Muslims what a good heart means and is.

How can we live with and amongst other nations if we can’t ourselves get along? A healthy body would feel more comfortable with itself and others, than and whereas a sick body would not. Unfortunately, instead of lending a hand, offering refuge and supporting a cast-off Jew, the Liberal Shul of The Hague, in a historical teaming up of force - which is good news I suppose - joined the Orthodox community here in banning me, and this is with those who don't recognise them as being Jewish, less enter their Shuls.

But this might not be nothing new for Dutch Jewry, as I’ve heard at first hand from a Jewish Holocaust survivor how the Dutch Jews greeted and treated the Polish Jewish immigrants with division. Unfortunately a repercussion of this apartheid (maybe a characteristic adopted by the Dutch, as this is the only prevalent and commonly used Dutch word in the English vocabulary) has been even extended to Jewish old-age homes where one can still feel inadequate.

I have to note that not a single Dutch Rabbi has initiated a call or contacted me regarding this excommunication. I even publicly and personally invited the Chief Rabbi to my Sukkah on national radio. The good news is עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב (Aseh Lecha Rav), make a teacher for yourself (Pirkei Avot 1:6), which basically means one should make for himself a teacher or Rabbi and not take everything for granted, such as one would do with an all-knowing lecturer in a university. We have posed questions to Rabbis for generations and the Talmud is packed with opposing queries by various individuals and Rabbis. Would you, the Dutch Jewish community, not be open for criticism or dialogue and extradite those who just don’t suit your own opinion and perspective as well? Just as a few years ago during an “Arachim” (values) weekend in Holland, we were indoctrinated for three days and not allowed to pose any questions in public and only on the last day were we given 30 minutes to pose questions in a public forum, and then I was somehow fortunate enough to speak some Mussar (Morals & Ethics), for a mere 30 seconds only to be forced to sit down by the same member of the board who has participated in the present excommunication committee and I was not allowed to voice a word, and this has basically happened on other occasions. I know a rabbi who is notorious for saying “don’t confuse me with the facts” and I respect that but not when it comes to indoctrinating others, so through this letter, I am sending an open call to rabbis who would wish to give me shiurim. I have asked the rabbi who excommunicated me if he could come to my house and give me a weekly shiur, as I told him that being banned from shul is one thing, but I don’t want to be disconnected from the community altogether. I have yet to hear his response. The last I heard from him, he said he will only talk to me when I talk (his) common sense.

I would also like to call upon Jews and other people around the world to voice their opinion as G-d has made it possible in this day and age to sign a petition in effort to revoke this excommunication and voice an opinion.

This of course was done in biblical times with Yonatan the son of Shaul when the people said, חָלִילָה חַי-ה׳ אִם-יִפֹּל מִשַּׂעֲרַת רֹאשׁוֹ אַרְצָה Far from it, as Hashem liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground (Samuel 1 Chapter 14 שְׁמוּאֵל א י״ד - מ״ה, verse 45) however this is a bit difficult since I am bald. Nevertheless I urge you to review the petition and not let the decision take its effect. Decision makers are not permitted to make decisions in Judaism if biased, this decision was made by a few biased decision makers, who are not even rabbis and decided if one is considered to be eligible for prayer, next thing they might condemn me as a בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה (Ben Sorer Umoreh - a stubborn and rebellious son), perhaps it is lucky that I was orphaned before my bar mitzvah and raised by a disabled widowed mother so for that not to happen given the Jewish law exempting such a child for being as such. 

But eliminating tradition is nothing new in the Shul of The Hague, as precious and beautiful the Dutch nusach (tradition) is, and even given that the shul is officially a Dutch traditional Orthodox Shul. The Chabad Rabbi who has been appointed by the Dutch community, conducts the services in the Chabad manner and the nusach Ha’ari HaKadosh, even though the Dutch tradition has been passed on for hundreds of years, surviving even the Holocaust, only to be mutilated and nullified in recent times, due acts of missionary work as I see it.

 

As Rashi notes in Shoftim that we must first go to our own Jewish courts, the Beth Din, my Jewish lawyer has approached the Dutch Beth Din and also the European one. Both have unfortunately rejected my case of slander, a slander which has caused a Liberal Shul to ban me in The Hague and, as noted before, a talk of a complete ban and expulsion from all Jewish synagogues, schools and institutions in The Netherlands, making it difficult for me to meet a shidduch, get married and buried in the Netherlands.

Therefore I request from the relevant individuals among the decision makers of Dutch Jewry and their counterparts, the Beth Din Judges and Dutch Rabbis, who as noted, not a single one has contacted me on the matter, to exempt from their morning prayer the mention of personal reflections on the text in the prayer and bringing peace between a fellow man and his friend, עיון תפילה והבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו.  

 

Dear Dutch Jewry

Is it not enough that I get cursed on the way to Shul for being a cancerous Jew?

דיינו

Is it not enough that a person tried to run me over with a scooter for being Jewish on the way to the market to buy groceries lichvod Shabbat Kodesh (towards the holy Sabbath) and practically no one from the Dutch community voiced their care or concern towards me?

דיינו

Is it not enough that I try to organise an anti anti-Semitism Kippah Walk and the police don’t let me?

דיינו

Is it not enough that a notorious anti-Semite write a whole article about me?

דיינו

Is it not enough that I’ve engaged in dialogue with Muslims and Christian for weeks and approach the shul with the same individuals that have helped me and all get rejected from Shul?

דיינו

Is it not enough that I get an anonymous letter in the post saying cancerous Jew and the police say that it is nothing?

דיינו

Is it not enough that the police and Town Hall don’t want to authorise me to build a Sukkah?

דיינו

Is it not enough to be excommunicated from the all the Orthodox Jewish community in the Hague?

דיינו

Is it not enough to then be excommunicated from the Liberal community in The Hague?

דיינו

Is it not enough to be considered for banishment from all Dutch Jewry in The Netherlands, meaning that I will have a problem to meet a shidduch, get married and buried in Holland?

דיינו

 

Might I add that the Second Temple was destroyed not by the Romans, but the from שנאת חינם (Sinat Chinam) baseless hatred.

 

In any case, I forgive your actions and consider them to be בשגגה (Bishgaga), inadvertent, and I ask forgiveness for whatever harm or anguish you may feel that I have caused you and wish to engage in talk with you. I am not looking to win anything, as we should always take example from G-d who prefers to be defeated rather than prevail, with the הוי למנצח למי שהוא מבקש להנצח concept saying that victorious is he who is defeated, such as was G-d really the winner by causing the flood, seeing His creation destructed, or was this destruction his defeat, it is the מנוצח (Menutsach - defeated) that is משתכר (Mistaker) rewarded).

With this I wish to say that may we all be written in the Book of Life, Shana Tova and G’mar Chatima Tova.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvfaToMVgFU

 

ואם עשיתם תשובה לפני בלב שלם, אני אקבל אתכם ואדון אתכם לכף זכות, ששערי שמים פתוחין ואשמע תפלתכם, שאני משגיח מן החלונות, מציץ מן החרכים, עד שלא אחתום גזר דין ביום הכפורים. -תנחומא - האזינו - סימן ד

 

Banning a Jew from a Yom Kippur service doesn’t sound very Jewish to me, it is a day when even convicted criminals and prisoners are allowed in, but I for one have nowhere to attend a service for Yom Kippur, except and fortunately for one small brave and wishes to stay anonymous Shul that is not from either stream and in another city, I am glad to say that I feel that this Shul has extended and showed to me what a true warm Jewish heart is.

 

Maze

by Fabrice Schomberg

 

Wrong decisions that lead to good conclusions

 

are better than good decisions that lead to wrong conclusions.

 

edited by Janet Cartlidge

 

www.sketchedworlds.com/stories

 

copyright © 2014 Fabrice Schomberg