Do Not Keep Silent

Call or email the Public Affairs Dept. of Agudath Yisroel of America and other rabbinical leaders (contact information below) and r e s p e c t f u l l y ask them to speak out!

* From Odelia Jacobs, E"Y activist: "I just finished speaking with Rav Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rechovot. Rav Kook told me that he met personally with Rav Elyashiv, Rav Shteinman and ... Rav Perlow and they all urged us to do our hishtadlus in tefila and actions on behalf of Eretz Yisrael. They mentioned that these are dangerous times, worse then pre-Holocaust!"

What has already been done: A crucial statement on behalf of Jerusalem in the Agudah convention in November:

"NOW, THEREFORE, the delegates to the 85th national convention of Agudath Israel of America hereby resolve that Agudath Israel of America, under the direction of its rabbinic leadership, should communicate to appropriate government officials the organization's strong belief that, for the reasons set forth above, Israel should not relinquish parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty, and the American government should not pressure the Israeli government into doing so."

What still needs to be done: R e s p e c t f u l l y ask major rabbis to please end the silence regarding Judea and Samaria and the establishment of a Terror State Chas Vechalilah right next-door to Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Ben-Gurion airport.

Example letter (even better – write your own):

B"H

Dear Distinguished Rabbonim,

Please consult urgently with Rav Steinman Shlita and Rav Eliyashi Shlita and other prominent Rabbanim and other Jewish leaders and organizations as to whether to publicly support Israel retaining Yehuda and the Shomron in addition to all of Jerusalem because;

(a) These are all integral parts of Eretz HaKodesh as explained in the very first Rashi in the Chumash and not "occupied" lands as our enemies contend

(b) Parshas Masei inter alia says that it is G-d Himself who delineates the Holy Land's boundaries which include Yehuda and the Shomron

(c) Abandoning Yehuda and Shomron, G-d forbid, would put the Jews in the remaining Israel in a real and present existential danger on a much larger scale than the Jews today in Sderot, Ashkelon, etc. who are faced with daily rocket attacks.

(d) This is not a "political" or "Zionist" matter. It is a matter of Israel's survival and, perhaps in turn, the survival of the Jewish people.

(e) What is at stake goes to the essence of retaining our connection as Am Hashem to Eretz Hakodesh, a holiness we witness and experience every day and even more so now during this Shmitta year.

Through your efforts now, Jewish lives and deaths being literally at stake, may Hashem bless your efforts with success to reverse the evil decree "in those days at this time" and to restore to the Jews in Israel and everywhere "Orah VeSimcha VeSasson Vicar".

BeChavod Rav, (YOUR NAME)

The relevant rabbis to contact r e s p e c t f u l l y in this connection are:
* Rabbi Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Rabbi Avi Shafran, and Rabbi Gertzulin - Public Affairs Department, Agudath Yisroel 212-797-9000
* Rabbi Pesach Lerner at The Young Israel 212-929-1525
* Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb of the OU 212-563-4000
* Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chabad Headquarters 718 774.4000 / fax 718 774.2718


By email: plerner@youngisrael.org, dzwiebel@agudathisrael.org, shafran@agudathisrael.org, execthw@ou.org, hq@lubavitch.com

Please cc or bcc all correspondence to faigerayzel@aol.com