Guest Posting: Goodbye Letter

by TiredOfTruthiness

For those of you still on the fence about whether or not Rabbi Feldman and his Etz Chaim congregants premeditated their leave from the Center to create a minyan without the members of the Mechitzah Minyan, here are some excerpts from Rabbi Feldman’s goodbye letter to the Board of the Jewish Center of Teaneck.

April 18, 2007

Rabbi Feldman explains his credentials to people who still look at him as little Daniel while taking a jab at the Board that would have loved to pay him for his services:

It must be understood that accepting this position was in no way in my professional interest, nor did I have reason to believe it would be. I was not seeking employment, nor was I in any way bored. While many in the Center remember me as a child growing up within its walls, it appears to be necessary to point out that I am no longer a child. I have what amounts to three rabbinic degrees, I have written four books, co-edited another six, and sit on the panel that sets halachic policy for the Rabbinical Council of America. I have been a faculty member at Yeshiva University since before I completed my studies there, and I serve there as well in the capacity of resource director and consultant for rabbis across the US and beyond. While the Jewish Center may not feel it is worth paying to have me speak, more than sixty synagogues and organizations in five countries have felt differently. I work three jobs to support my family, and those three together require less time, effort, and emotion than has my unpaid position with the Jewish Center.


Rabbi Feldman refused to be hired as an employee of the Center. He could have been paid as a Assistant or Associate Rabbi to Rabbi Zierler:

In accepting this position, I knowingly sacrificed the status, stability, respect, and financial compensation that would come from any normal position I could have taken elsewhere. (Even had the committed stipends been paid, it would have been a fraction of what I would have earned in any other role). I accepted this position because I believed that I could provide a service to the shul that my parents lovingly served for decades, and continue to serve with selfless devotion, and I believed I could honor them as well with such service. I accepted because I had so much love, affection, and respect for the members of the Center I grew up knowing. I accepted because I believed in the potential for the Center to go from past strength to future strength, as a truly unique model of the best the Jewish people can bring together.


The Mechitzah Minyan had been in existence for 2-3 years, years!, before Rabbi Feldman sat in front of the multipurpose room in the Schechter Space:

And for a while, that potential was on its way to being realized. A truly remarkable group of people assembled over a relatively short period of time, and formed a minyan with whom it has been a profound honor to associate. The minyan quickly earned a glowing reputation throughout the Teaneck community and way beyond.

This truly remarkable group of people assembled over a relatively short period of time couldn’t possibly be talking about the members that were there when Rabbi Feldman arrived. The only group that assembled in a short period of time were the Arzei Refugees.


For all of you who were unhappy with the merger with the Teaneck Shul/Shtibul because of their want and need to destroy Arzei Darom, it is important to reread the first sentence of this paragraph. Etz Chaim’s structure was created to undermine and to hurt Arzei Darom and Rabbi Ciment:

It is important to emphasize that I would never participate in any structure that would undermine the hired rabbi of any shul.The complicated situation in the Center could only have worked in one of two ways. One way is a prearranged dual rabbi structure, which is what I was being told was the plan during the earlier phases of the rabbinic search. If that was no longer to be the plan, as indeed it was not when Rabbi Zierler was hired, the only other way it could work is through the rabbi himself agreeing to and allowing such a structure. To that end, I tried extremely hard to meet with Rabbi Zierler before his arrival to discuss it with him, and was at one point prepared to go to Israel to do so. I was under the impression that the RCBC letter was written with Rabbi Zierler’s participation and consent. Were that not to be the case, I would not have stayed. Now that it is clear that Rabbi Zierler is not comfortable with that arrangement, I would not want to cooperate in any plan that will undermine his authority.


I am putting my eye on Rabbi Feldman calling the Arzei people phenomenal again:
It is sadly ironic that one year ago this week, Rabbi Zierler visited the Center for his second shabbos, and spoke about the linguistic connection between the Hebrew words “nega”, affliction, and “oneg”, pleasure. The two words are spelled the same, but for the placement of the letter “ayin”, which is also the Hebrew word for “eye”. Thus, the difference between suffering and celebrating is where one places the eye, with what perspective one chooses to assess the situation. The fact that a group of people so phenomenal can be subjected to such undeserved negativity is evidence that we have missed the message of Rabbi Zierler’s words.


However, I pray that my place will always be with those whose fault lies in that their dreams are too big and too noble, and not with those who stumble for meanness of spirit and limitation of vision.
Reading the Jerusalem Post, Bergen Record, Suburbanite, Blogs, Vos Is Neias, court transcripts, BOA transcripts and other PUBLIC news sources, I have to say Rabbi Feldman’s prayers have not been answered.



Finally, I extend my profound apologies to Rabbi Zierler for all he has gone through with this matter. There is no denying he has been put into a very difficult position. He is a man of great talent, vision, and commitment, and I wish him only success as he works to bring the Center to the next level. He has done much, in a short time, to enhance the shul and I look forward to hearing about his progress.

Rabbi Zierler is bringing the Center to the next level.


The first thing I said to Rabbi Zierler, during our first meeting, was that our minyan supports him fully and can be his best friend. I continue to believe this could have been the case, and I regret that circumstances went in the direction that they did. Nonetheless, we recognize, as we always have, Rabbi Zierler’s right and responsibility to take the congregation in the direction he sees to be the best.

What congregation did you leave behind for Rabbi Zierler? Rabbi Feldman took everyone with him. The mantra at the time was that everyone has freewill and they left on their own, but Rabbi Feldman's letter shut everyone out of the Center.


Mechitzah Minyan members, this is the paragraph that foreshadowed your abandonment and cold shoulder from Rabbi Feldman and the Arzei Refugees:

I have turned down a number of extremely tempting job offers over the past few years. Among other reasons, I was unwilling to part ways with the extraordinary group that had been formed here. Now, I am gratified to see that a number of different opportunities have materialized both for myself and the minayn, that will allow both a more normal professional structure and my continued association with this remarkable chevra.

CareOne? Chadwick? Nope – Van Buren and a merger with The Teaneck Shul/Shtibul led by Elliot Frome, Zalman Levine and Allan Cohen (a.k.a. – The Remarkable Chevra). They are all part of the group Rabbi Feldman leads today.


You read the comments on the blogs and you read Etz Chaim’s supporters write that everyone who is not part of their Shul should just move on. Its easy for them to say. I am embarrassed when people ask me if I still go to Rabbi Feldman’s minyan. They move from controversy to controversy. Their actions do not represent any of the people they left behind. Etz Chaim should do their share to make it easier for all of us to move on, by making peace with their neighbors and the township. Only then we will all truly know shalom.

by TiredOfTruthiness