Classic Musings #1: Paradise Lost

The Classic Musings series was created to repost older musings that are relevant today. Its especially helpful for those who have not been following the blog from the beginning.

A history lesson that was originally posted March 18, 2010. Everything you ever wanted to know about the origin of Ohr Saadya/Etz Chaim/ToraS Chesed/Torat Chesed is in this posting.


Once upon a time, Rabbi Daniel Feldman and his minyan were victims of slavery in the bondage of the Jewish Center of Teaneck. Rabbi Feldman couldn't handle the edicts of the spiritual ruler of the JCT, Pharoh Zierler. His 3Cs were mightier than 10 plagues and so Rabbi Feldman wrote a letter severing the relationship of the Jewish Center and the Orthodox members of his minyan. The letter was read at a Board Meeting and in doing so, he sacrificed the goodwill that was left between the Board of the Jewish Center and the Mechitza Minyan members of Merkaz L'Torah that would have stayed behind. He led his congregants out of the bondage of slavery in the Jewish Center of Teaneck and to the promised land of self determination. Pharoh Zierler did not chase after the Center members that left. Que Sera Sera. Pharoh Zierler had his own plans for the future of Orthodoxy at the Jewish Center of Teaneck.

Rabbi Feldman, and his group of Orthodox that left the Center with him, wandered from house to house in the wilderness until they set up temporary camp in CareOne. There were a few weeks of calm and stability. Rabbi Feldman set up a Board that he was to lean on for guidance and advice, but they were not taken seriously. His advisors, who guided Rabbi Daniel Feldman to remove his minyan from the Jewish Center, were still in charge and a rift began to form. The Original Mechitza Minyan members who trailblazed the way for the Orthodox community to feel comfortable at the Jewish Center of Teaneck were quickly relegated to the background and the amazing group of people that came together in such a short period of time moved to the forefront.

The group was named Torat Chesed, Torah of Kindness, and were incorporated, in May 2007, using the names of Original Mechitza Minyan members who did not approve the usage of their names on the documents of incorporation. There was talk of the group merging with The Teaneck Shul, a prayer group located near Arzei Darom, a prayer group that was allegedly begun to help their friend with his courtcase. There was talk of getting Rabbi Feldman paid, buying a house on Chadwick, being a satellite for the Teaneck Mikvah and other issues to distract the Original Mechitza Minyan members. Very soon there were activities attempting to get the two groups, the Teaneck Shul and Torat Chesed, to get to know each other, to possibly merge.

Finally, everything came to a head when Rabbi Daniel Feldman took a job with the Teaneck Shul, complete with salary and 554 Queen Anne Rd, and left the Original Mechitzah Minyan members in the wilderness of CareOne. All of his new friends left with him. To add insult to injury, he designated CareOne as a sattelite minyan for his Congregants to pray there on Sundays and Legal Holidays. His new Congregation incorporated in September 2007 as 554 Queen Anne, Inc. DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck.

While all of this was going on, from May to September 2007, Torat Chesed collected donations and dues for membership. Checks were being made to Torat Chesed and being cashed in the Torat Chesed bank account. In or about July, there was a change of address where donations and dues were to be sent and there was a request for checks to be made out to ToraS Chesed instead of ToraT Chesed. Monies that were earmarked checks written out for ToraT Chesed, were being deposited in a ToraS Chesed bank account. What was the need for a second bank account? Inquiries were made as to why there was a change and they were greated with a flippant attitude. Some people were told that some people say Tora"t" and some say Tora"s". Its just a matter of what pronunciation you were brought up with. Some inquiries were met with extreme venom.

There was to be no land of Milk and Honey, no giant grapes or land for the hapless Orthodox people that didn't follow Rabbi Feldman to the Promised Land, to the land of strong Cedar trees in the South, on the Path of Peace near the House of Aaron. Rabbi Feldman did what was best for himself and his family, in the short term, while harming his reputation and shirking his duties as the leader of all of his people. He tried to keep the peace by silencing the voices opposed to the merger and abandoning them in CareOne.

Those that were left behind were also defrauded by Rabbi Feldman's Minyan, 554 Queen Anne Rd, Inc DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck. It is unclear if Rabbi Feldman was personally involved with any of the shady dealings of his minyan's and now synagogue's leadership and Management Team.

ToraS Chesed is a corporation created in early July 2007 by the same person who incorporated ToraT Chesed. The names listed on the Documents of Incorporation of ToraS Chesed are same as 554 Queen Anne, Inc. From early July 2007-September ToraT Chesed, Inc. and ToraS Chesed, Inc. existed to service the same exact minyan.

The existence of ToraS Chesed, Inc. was kept secret from the Original Mechitza Minyan members. The ToraT Chesed checks were being deposited in the ToraS Chesed corporate bank account. ToraT Chesed's bank account's passbook began to collect dust from non-use.

Donors and members who wrote checks to ToraT were asked to sign a release absolving ToraS Chesed of any liability. Liability? What was/is 554 Queen Anne,Inc. DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck afraid of? ToraT Chesed and ToraS Chesed monies were one and the same! Right? ToraT Chesed already existed to represent Rabbi Daniel Feldman and all of his Congregants praying in CareOne. What was/is ToraS Chesed, Inc. and who did/does it represent? What is it's purpose?

ToraS Chesed, Inc. was created to collect money for Etz Chaim's future at 554 Queen Anne Rd. They knew that the ToraT Chesed members not following Rabbi Feldman to Etz Chaim would stop paying dues and donating money once they closed on 554 Queen Anne Rd. Its been alleged that they closed on 554 as ToraS Chesed, Inc. They tried to cover themselves by trying to get the ToraT Chesed donors and dues payers to sign a waiver absolving ToraS Chesed, Inc.of any liability and that they will not take any legal action against ToraS Chesed, Inc. After a ton of pressure, ToraS Chesed, Inc. became the Etz Chaim of Teaneck that we know and love.

Etz Chaim wants the Board of Adjustments to forget their history and their shady past. But as the BOA and the neighbors found out very quickly The Song Remains The Same.

It is upon us, this time of year, to remember and retell all that has befallen our old dear friends of the, now defunct, Mechitza Minyan. Please come home to the Jewish Center of Teaneck, your home until Moshiach comes.

Six Degrees of the Kotel Minyan

How does one man get so much power?

Robert Erlich is the President of

Ohr Saadya

Which was known as

Etz Chaim

Which was known as

Torat/s Chesed

Which was known as

Merkaz L'Torah

Which was known as

Mechitza Minyan

Which was originally advertised as

The Kotel Minyan


SIX DEGREES BABY!

Besides the obvious connection between all of them, Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman (Spiritual Leader and Founder of a Minyan that already existed), Robert "Teflon Duressed" Erlich is the other tie that binds and Allan Chanan Cohen and Elliot Frome Las Vegas.

MacD, you ask, how do you know?

http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/content/item/2677/ 

Two shuls too many? 
 Jane Calem Rosen • Local Published: 28 June 2007

 In April, the board of directors of one Orthodox congregation in Teaneck appealed to the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, the association of local Orthodox rabbis, asking it to prevent the establishment of another Orthodox congregation nearby. According to the complaint, the new congregation "would inevitably (intentionally or unintentionally) compete" for members. The RCBC rejected the appeal several days later, The Jewish Standard learned this week.

Representatives of both congregations — the president and a founding member of Cong. Arzei Darom, Shabsi Polinsky, and the spiritual leader of the relatively new minyan, Rabbi Daniel Feldman — told the Standard that they are working to resolve any differences and accommodate the best interests of the community. Attempts to reach Rabbi Aharon Ciment of Arzei Darom were unsuccessful.

Ciment was retained as the first spiritual leader of Arzei Darom in '004, and according to the letter to the RCBC, last year signed a new three-year contract through '009. The modern Orthodox unaffiliated congregation was established in '001, an outgrowth of a long-standing minyan in the South Cedar section of Teaneck that grew with an influx of Orthodox families.

Feldman, who said he reached out to Arzei Darom, as noted in the Arzei Darom letter to the RCBC, is leading the minyan, now called Torat Chesed, at CareOne Rehabilitation Center on Teaneck Road, five blocks south of Cedar Lane and approximately a 10-minute walk from Arzei Darom, which is preparing a new facility at 7'5 Queen Anne Road for its 80 member-families.

"I wanted to make sure that all aspects of the community are properly accommodated, to make sure that everyone's needs are addressed," he said, adding, "We are continuing to investigate all possibilities to make sure all parts of the community are served happily."

Although CareOne does not present a long-term solution to Torat Chesed's needs — it is too small and inconveniently located for many of the shul's members — for "the time being, we are having a wonderful experience and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be there," Feldman said.

Polinsky said he believes that the leadership of Arzei Darom and Feldman are "close to a resolution," but declined to reveal the content of their conversations or speculate on where Torat Chesed might eventually relocate to avoid a geographic conflict. "If everybody works together, I'm sure people can all find a comfortable place to worship that meets their family's needs and for both of our congregations to grow and to flourish among the many wonderful synagogues in Teaneck," he said, insisting, "This is not an ongoing issue."

A copy of the appeal, bearing the Arzei Darom letterhead and dated April '3, '007, arrived at the Standard office on Monday in an envelope without a return address. The envelope was postmarked 11 p.m., June '3, '007.

Included with the four-page document, which indicated it had originally been hand-delivered to the RCBC office in Englewood, was a copy of the RCBC's reply, dated April '6, '007, from the organization's president, Rabbi Steven Pruzansky. Pruzansky, who did not return telephone calls from the Standard, is due to step down from the post at the end of the month. Copies of the appeal had also been sent to Rabbis Yaakov Neuburger, spiritual leader of Cong. Beth Abraham in Bergenfield, and Laurence Rothwachs, of Cong. Beth Aaron in Teaneck. Neither returned calls seeking comment.

In its letter, Arzei Darom's board requested and urged "the RCBC to protect Arzei Darom and to prevent the establishment — even for a purported "trial period" — of a new, competing congregation in the vicinity of Arzei," citing a teshuva by the late Orthodox scholar Rabbi Moshe Feinstein detailing the prohibitions of hasagat gvul. The halachic issue, which prohibits unfair competition in business, rests on a talmudic argument against encroachment on a neighbor's property that may threaten the neighbor's livelihood. It is based on a Torah commandment against moving the boundary marker of your neighbor (Deuteronomy 19).

In the Arzei Darom letter, the board alleged that Feldman's minyan had attempted to combine forces with another, informal minyan meeting in the neighborhood south of Cedar Lane, composed predominantly of former members of Arzei Darom. Feldman's minyan, which consists of between 50 and 100 Shabbat regulars, had, several weeks earlier, left its home at the Jewish Center of Teaneck, where it had been davening for several years, after JCT's spiritual leader, Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, objected to the continuation of a mechitza minyan in the building led by another rabbi, according to various sources.

This week, Polinsky described Arzei Darom's appeal to the RCBC as a search for advice and guidance, not an effort to have the RCBC shut down Feldman's minyan in the neighborhood. "We're working amicably and privately with Rabbi Feldman, as the RCBC directed us to do," he said.

Polinsky said he had no information about the informal minyan. Feldman stressed that Torat Chesed had no relationship with the informal minyan.

The RCBC noted in its letter to Arzei Darom, that Feinstein's teshuva applied to a "privately-owned shul (owned and operated by the rabbi in question)" and was not relevant in a communal context.

"We wish to reiterate our long-standing policy that encourages the development of shuls throughout our community. Such a policy has historically fostered the growth of the Bergen County Jewish community and contributed greatly to its success and prosperity," the letter from Pruzansky stated.

"Although every situation is different," observed Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, a past president of the RCBC and spiritual leader of Cong. Ahavath Torah in Englewood, "the general principle when it comes to opening congregations is that there is no such thing as hasagat gvul. It is not our position to discourage shuls from opening, although," Goldin conceded, "in general it is best to maximize geographic boundaries" in the interest of avoiding disputes and expanding the community.

Still, he said, "there could be good reasons for opening synagogues within a short distance of each other."

A number of years ago, congregants from Ahavath Torah broke off to establish East Hill Synagogue, a move Goldin said he supported to accommodate the needs of those who lived "a distance away from us."

Regarding Arzei Darom's petition to the RCBC, Goldin, who noted he was not familiar with the specifics of this case, said, "Everyone in a synagogue has the right to question whether the opening [of another shul nearby] is wise and to have a discussion about whether there will be more dispute [as a result] or amity and the expansion of the community."

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

Paradise Lost

Once upon a time, Rabbi Daniel Feldman and his minyan were victims of slavery in the bondage of the Jewish Center of Teaneck. Rabbi Feldman couldn't handle the edicts of the spiritual ruler of the JCT, Pharoh Zierler. His 3Cs were mightier than 10 plagues and so Rabbi Feldman wrote a letter severing the relationship of the Jewish Center and the Orthodox members of his minyan. The letter was read at a Board Meeting and in doing so, he sacrificed the goodwill that was left between the Board of the Jewish Center and the Mechitza Minyan members of Merkaz L'Torah that would have stayed behind. He led his congregants out of the bondage of slavery in the Jewish Center of Teaneck and to the promised land of self determination. Pharoh Zierler did not chase after the Center members that left. Que Sera Sera. Pharoh Zierler had his own plans for the future of Orthodoxy at the Jewish Center of Teaneck.

Rabbi Feldman, and his group of Orthodox that left the Center with him, wandered from house to house in the wilderness until they set up temporary camp in CareOne. There were a few weeks of calm and stability. Rabbi Feldman set up a Board that he was to lean on for guidance and advice, but they were not taken seriously. His advisors, who guided Rabbi Daniel Feldman to remove his minyan from the Jewish Center, were still in charge and a rift began to form. The Original Mechitza Minyan members who trailblazed the way for the Orthodox community to feel comfortable at the Jewish Center of Teaneck were quickly relegated to the background and the amazing group of people that came together in such a short period of time moved to the forefront.

The group was named Torat Chesed, Torah of Kindness, and were incorporated, in May 2007, using the names of Original Mechitza Minyan members who did not approve the usage of their names on the documents of incorporation. There was talk of the group merging with The Teaneck Shul, a prayer group located near Arzei Darom, a prayer group that was allegedly begun to help their friend with his courtcase. There was talk of getting Rabbi Feldman paid, buying a house on Chadwick, being a satellite for the Teaneck Mikvah and other issues to distract the Original Mechitza Minyan members. Very soon there were activities attempting to get the two groups, the Teaneck Shul and Torat Chesed, to get to know each other, to possibly merge.

Finally, everything came to a head when Rabbi Daniel Feldman took a job with the Teaneck Shul, complete with salary and 554 Queen Anne Rd, and left the Original Mechitzah Minyan members in the wilderness of CareOne. All of his new friends left with him. To add insult to injury, he designated CareOne as a sattelite minyan for his Congregants to pray there on Sundays and Legal Holidays. His new Congregation incorporated in September 2007 as 554 Queen Anne, Inc. DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck.

While all of this was going on, from May to September 2007, Torat Chesed collected donations and dues for membership. Checks were being made to Torat Chesed and being cashed in the Torat Chesed bank account. In or about July, there was a change of address where donations and dues were to be sent and there was a request for checks to be made out to ToraS Chesed instead of ToraT Chesed. Monies that were earmarked checks written out for ToraT Chesed, were being deposited in a ToraS Chesed bank account. What was the need for a second bank account? Inquiries were made as to why there was a change and they were greated with a flippant attitude. Some people were told that some people say Tora"t" and some say Tora"s". Its just a matter of what pronunciation you were brought up with. Some inquiries were met with extreme venom.

There was to be no land of Milk and Honey, no giant grapes or land for the hapless Orthodox people that didn't follow Rabbi Feldman to the Promised Land, to the land of strong Cedar trees in the South, on the Path of Peace near the House of Aaron. Rabbi Feldman did what was best for himself and his family, in the short term, while harming his reputation and shirking his duties as the leader of all of his people. He tried to keep the peace by silencing the voices opposed to the merger and abandoning them in CareOne.

Those that were left behind were also defrauded by Rabbi Feldman's Minyan, 554 Queen Anne Rd, Inc DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck. It is unclear if Rabbi Feldman was personally involved with any of the shady dealings of his minyan's and now synagogue's leadership and Management Team.

ToraS Chesed is a corporation created in early July 2007 by the same person who incorporated ToraT Chesed. The names listed on the Documents of Incorporation of ToraS Chesed are same as 554 Queen Anne, Inc. From early July 2007-September ToraT Chesed, Inc. and ToraS Chesed, Inc. existed to service the same exact minyan.

The existence of ToraS Chesed, Inc. was kept secret from the Original Mechitza Minyan members. The ToraT Chesed checks were being deposited in the ToraS Chesed corporate bank account. ToraT Chesed's bank account's passbook began to collect dust from non-use.

Donors and members who wrote checks to ToraT were asked to sign a release absolving ToraS Chesed of any liability. Liability? What was/is 554 Queen Anne,Inc. DBA: Etz Chaim of Teaneck afraid of? ToraT Chesed and ToraS Chesed monies were one and the same! Right? ToraT Chesed already existed to represent Rabbi Daniel Feldman and all of his Congregants praying in CareOne. What was/is ToraS Chesed, Inc. and who did/does it represent? What is it's purpose?

ToraS Chesed, Inc. was created to collect money for Etz Chaim's future at 554 Queen Anne Rd. They knew that the ToraT Chesed members not following Rabbi Feldman to Etz Chaim would stop paying dues and donating money once they closed on 554 Queen Anne Rd. Its been alleged that they closed on 554 as ToraS Chesed, Inc. They tried to cover themselves by trying to get the ToraT Chesed donors and dues payers to sign a waiver absolving ToraS Chesed, Inc.of any liability and that they will not take any legal action against ToraS Chesed, Inc. After a ton of pressure, ToraS Chesed, Inc. became the Etz Chaim of Teaneck that we know and love.

Etz Chaim wants the Board of Adjustments to forget their history and their shady past. But as the BOA and the neighbors found out very quickly The Song Remains The Same.

It is upon us, this time of year, to remember and retell all that has befallen our old dear friends of the, now defunct, Mechitza Minyan. Please come home to the Jewish Center of Teaneck, your home until Moshiach comes.

Power Out(r)age

I hope everyone in Bergen County is well, families are safe and everyone gets their power, clean water and cable back very soon. I want my MTV!

I am blessed that I have been given the opportunity to author this blog. There are elements in Teaneck that act and operate as if they are beyond reproach. Etz Chaim of Teaneck and Rabbi Daniel Feldman are two of those elements. Etz Chaim because they are a religious Jewish Institution being repressed and discrminated against by the evil Board of Adjustments. Rabbi Feldman because he is a public figure, a local and internationally known celebrity (one website even called him a Rosh Yeshiva at YU), a learned scholarly Rabbi with Yadin Yadin Yoreh Yoreh semikha from REITS and he writes books about ethics.

That is why this blog is so important. The pedigree should not matter. They are acting unethically and outside of the boundaries of decency and the law. This blog, macdmusings, is the only venue that is critiquing them for their actions. This is where their opponents and victims have a voice.

During the storm I checked the comments that needed moderation. There was a single comment and it was by the same negative commenter as usual. Instead of trying to guess who I am or lauding my efforts or inviting me to a Kiddush in my honor or calling me McDick or commenting on my genitalia, this time I was issued an ultimatum.

Dear Schluff: please take this as a warning, I know who you are and I am asking you nicely to stop your musings and tweeting and all of your other garbage for good.  I am not really concerned sbout EC but your defaming Rabbi Feldman is going on for too long.  Grow up amd move on.  stop brooding about what you had at the Center.  Shut it down in 48 hours or I will expose you and you will be fair game for legal action.  (The sentence that was here was removed to protect the innocent person that the commenter believes is Shluffenheimer MacDougal)  Again shut it down or I will tell them who you are, please stop already.    grow up and move on in life.  shalom

Rabbi Daniel Feldman has taken a public position in the Teaneck community. He is well known around the world and commands a nice salary to visit communities and speak. He is a public figure and public figures are held to a higher standard than you and me. He has not been defamed, he has been critiqued and criticized using pure fact or opinions based on the truth as reported by newspapers. Sometimes the critiques are based on Rabbi Feldman's own words, books or newspaper articles quoting him.  

Under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, as set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1964 Case, New York Times v Sullivan, where a public figure attempts to bring an action for defamation, the public figure must prove an additional element: That the statement was made with "actual malice". In translation, that means that the person making the statement knew that they were making the statement with reckless disregard as to its truth.

The concept of the "public figure" is broader than celebrities and politicians. A person can become an "involuntary public figure" as the result of publicity even though that person did not want or invite the public attention. For example, people accused of high profile crimes may be unable to pursue actions for defamation even after their innocence is established, on the basis that the notoriety associated with the case and the accusations against them turned them into involuntary public figures.

A person can also become a "limited public figure" by engaging in actions which generate publicity within a narrow area of interest. Jokes can be made at their expense based on their actions. Like I have made here about Mr. President Robert Erlich's newspaper quotes and transcript and reported actions from the BOA hearing.

For more about defamation click here.

So here is what is going to happen.
You will tell Etz Chaim, President Erlich, Rabbi Feldman or whomever, who you think I am.  They will serve the poor guy/gal and attempt to take him/her to court. Rabbi Feldman and/or Robert Erlich lose their case because they blamed an innocent person and they will point the finger at you as their informant and if they don't, I will. You will lose house and home when your victim sues you for everything you have and more. YOUR good name will be destroyed and I get the feeling your professional standing will be harmed, too.

All of this because you want to protect someone who doesn't care about you, leaves you scrambling for a minyan every Sunday because his Congregants don't show up to CareOne and his cronies who continue to badger your friends that don't toe the Etz Chaim party line or buy into the propoganda. Please stop fooling yourself. This is not your battle.

If you feel the need to be in touch with me, email me directly at macdmusings@hush.com

Please feel free to continue to comment and participate in the blog. I look forward to real arguments based on facts to prove me wrong.

Shluffenheimer MacDougal

You CAN go home again

Mazal Tov to our

Mara D'Atra Rabbi Zierler!

Good luck at Etz Chaim of Teaneck with your neighbor troubles

and issues with the Township of Teaneck.

We did not need nor want

Rabbi Daniel Feldman

to become an Orthodox Shul.
(the "O" is capitalized)
Jewish Standard Article

GOOD RIDDANCE - YOU LOSE!

and to all of our old friends from the Mechitza Minyan:

You will always have a home at the Jewish Center of Teaneck!!!!

A Selfish Mitzvah

In my last posting, Etz Chaim of Teaneck: Modern Day Robin Hoods?, I discussed the way that Etz Chaim misrepresented themselves to the Teaneck Board of Adjustments and the expenses involved with running their Shul/Prayer Group, such as mortgage, utilities and Rabbi Feldman's salary. Their congregation supports the property purchase and den expansion through dues, donations and a building fund. They have taken on a financial burden to be able to have a place to pray and for Rabbi Feldman and his family to live comfortably, to quote Seinfeld, "not that there is anything wrong with that!"

Between fighting the neighbors, avoiding davening at Arzei Darom, filling out paperwork for the Township and spending time in front of the Board of Adjustments, the leadership of Etz Chaim are working hard to make 554 Queen Anne Road a reality. Its natural to want to show pride in your Synagogue, to make sure that a minyan is maintained in your building, your makom Torah and spiritual home!

I navigated to godaven.com on the intertubes to see Etz Chaim's listing. Rabbi Feldman claimed in The Jewish Standard that The rabbi disputed the change-of-use argument saying that of the 168 hours in a week, only five are devoted to religious services at the house, which are held Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon. “That’s 3 percent of the time,” he said. “It is our understanding, confirmed in two meetings with the township, that [a] prayer group in the house is a permitted residential use. Thus, we do not believe that the use has been changed in any way.”

Where do they daven on Sundays? According to Etz Chaim advertises that Shabbos/Yontuf Davening is at 554 Queen Anne Road (Rabbis residence). Sunday/Secular Holiday Davening is at Care One (544 Teaneck Rd.).

Based on Rabbi Feldman's math, Sunday's services should not take more than 2 hours or another 1% of the week for a total 7 hours of prayer or 4% of the week.

Why don't they daven in Etz Chaim in the building that they own? How did they choose CareOne at Teaneck?

CareOne at Teaneck is a huge chessed opportunity. Since Etz Chaim davens there on Sundays, their Sunday minyan is taken care of, but who prays there on Shabbos?
As with everything involving Etz Chaim of Teaneck there is usually a hidden motive behind their actions. CareOne's Shabbos minyan is made up a lot of original members of the Merkaz/Torat(s) Chesed/Mechitza Minyan. This was the minyan that Rabbi Daniel Feldman officiated at the Teaneck Jewish Center. Rabbi Feldman abandoned them after he led them out of the Teaneck Jewish Center to CareOne and then took the position at Etz Chaim. The Shabbos minyan goers want nothing to do with Etz Chaim of Teaneck or Rabbi Feldman.

So why does Etz Chaim need to pray in CareOne? Maybe they want to be nice to the Feldman family and not wake them up early on a Sunday morning. It is possible they are being considerate to the neighbors. It is possible that they are just doing a mitzvah.

They have not proven to be a trustworthy nor an honorable group based on their dealings with their neighbors, Arzei Darom and the Teaneck Township. Etz Chaim has an expensive new sanctuary to pray in, so why are they praying in CareOne on Sundays and Holidays? What do you think?

Please keep the conversation constructive and civil. Thank you.