Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

Since Covid started I have sent over 250 messages to the shul and only a few have been political in nature, but those are the ones that engender the most robust response. What I sent out yesterday about Ben & Jerry’s ice cream  kept me busy reading responses for quite a while. These responses run the full gamut from awesome to not so awesome, but thankfully what they all have in common is that we can respectfully disagree on something about which we are very passionate and still respect each other as intelligent, well informed and well intentioned.

Ben & Jerry’s actions are anti- Semitic and what they intend to do does not belittle far more anti-Semitic acts perpetrated by others. When they bow to pressure from Israel-haters, while making no similar claims regarding places like China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, or many other bastions of human dignity, the act is anti-Semitic and de-legitimizing. As of this writing no other country in the world faces the actions threatened by Ben & Jerry’s.

That being said, the parent company of B & J, Unilever, is a significant supporter of the State of Israel, and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Israel over the years. America has laws about these things, and over 100 people are employed in Israel by Ben and Jerry’s - not to mention the shopkeepers, dairy farmers, delivery drivers, and all the others impacted by this decision. This action is not meant to apply for another year, so hopefully by then , we will be able to turn around a decision that singles out Israel in a way that should bother us all. I would also like to point out that the Ben & Jerry’s on the West Side (Broadway & 104th) has run programs with our shul and they do not share the sentiment of their company.

Shabbos Nachamu has traditionally been an Ice cream Kiddush at OZ. This dairy Kiddush has been postponed, but has nothing to do with Ben & Jerry’s. That’s because there will be a Delicious Kiddush this Shabbos bidding farewell to our longtime friends and members Rachel & Yosef Grunfeld, and Gavi & Emily Unger, who are spending their last Shabbos on the Upper West Side before moving out of the city. We wish them much success in their moves.

We wish Mazel Tov to David & Nicole Debora on the Bris yesterday of Hillel Chanoch Moshe.

Have a great Shabbos.

Be well.  Be healthy.  Be excellent.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz 

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street | New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200 | Fax 212.663-3635

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org