The Organized Resistance Against Phony Agunahs by Joe Orlow

It is not for plain, simple, members of the community to publicly question the religious rulings of the Rabbis of congregations. The role of entering into these Halachic discussions is the perogative of the great scholars of the generation.

We hold, however, that it is the obligation of every good man -- Jew and Gentile alike -- to protest when Rabbinical leaders promote lawlessness.

Therefore, we wish to go on the record as saying:

(1) No more incitement to riot in other people's Shuls.

(2) No more incitement to snatch husbands and violently attack them.

Rabbis involved in this incitement are

The Rabbis of the Washington Vaad;

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz; and

Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky.

We call on these Rabbis to rescind their inflammatory rhetoric and act to restore calm and peace to the community.

We cannot emphasize enough that we have no personal enmity against these Rabbis. If their car were to be stuck, we would come to their aid; in their respective domains, they are each Mora D'Asra, and all who choose to enter there should exhibit respect to them.

But when these princes of Our Nation venture into the public realm and trample the common values of Man and G-d, what citizen with any shred of feeling can remain still?

If they want to stir up others to beat their own followers, or foment a riot in their own Minyan -- by all means! But they have not limited their thuggery to those who willingly submit to them.

Therefore, with reluctance and regret, we unsheathe from our First Amendment scabbard the same weapon of the word that these men have wielded against us. We will go to the streets and online and trumpet the alarm to awake our unwary friends and neighbors.

Know that these kind, smiling, educated men we've collectively hired and/or elevated to "Gadol" status can also be nasty, arrogant, and bullheaded when it comes to placing their honor and selfish interests above the integrity of the Torah. That innocent people standing in their way get hurt seems to mean nothing to them.

We want to express Hakaros Hatov to fellow community members Mrs. Sara Barak, Dr. Jeremy and Mrs. Erica Brown, Mr. David and Mrs. Sharon Butler, Mrs. Avraham Rubin, Mr. Nathan and Mrs. Elizabeth Diament, Mrs. Sara Elikan, Dr. John Golin and Trish Weissman, Dr. Jacques and Mrs. Susan Gorlin, Mr. Dean and Mrs. Devorah Grayson, Mr. Ed and Mrs. Lori Greenberg, Mrs. Elanit Rothschild Jakabovics, Mr. David Janus, Mr. Avi Kaplan, Miss Rella Kaplowitz, Rabbi Ira and Mrs. Rachel Kosowsky, Mr. Neil and Mrs. Fran Kritz, Mr. David Levin and Ms. Debbie Rosenbloom, Rabbi Avi and Mrs. Debby Levitt, Mr. Avi Litwack, Mr. David and Mrs. Giliah Litwack, Mr. Maury Litwack, Mr. Moshe and Mrs. Rose Litwack, Dr. Jonathan and Mrs. Michelle Schneck. Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Orlee Turitz. Their groundbreaking and pioneering letter five years ago paved the way for us to openly and boldly state our position.