#275 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Tuesday February 15)
Good morning,
WHOSE HOUSE?
Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams for their Super Bowl victory. And congratulations to the Cincinnati Bengals on the most unlikely of playoff runs.
I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’ve had about enough of the “Whose House? Rams’ House” mantra. It’s not a house—it’s a stadium—with an arguably unnecessary billion dollar roof in the most temperate of climates in the country… In any event, after the game, the saying has been taken to its absurd and grammatically incorrect apotheosis across social media. Countless people have posted in social media the phrase “Who’s House,” proving either that they don’t understand that the possessive is “whose” and not “Who’s” (unless we’re talking about the Whos in Whoville in Horton Hears a Who), or do not bother to correct auto-correct…
RESPECT AND SHAME
When I was a kid, I recall a conversation when driving home from High Holy Days services at our synagogue. My father asked what we thought of the Rabbi’s sermon. We all indicated that it was okay, though not memorable. He agreed and said the Rabbi didn’t rise to the occasion on one of the most important days of the Jewish calendar. He said it was a missed opportunity to challenge people and make them think.
But it’s the next words that came out of his mouth that had the greatest impact. “What we say here stays inside this car.” He admonished my sister and me that we could never speak of this opinion publicly. We can have these opinions but that we must not embarrass the Rabbi or show him disrespect. Indeed, my father felt this way of all clergy. They were entitled to respect not just because of their devotion to a chosen pursuit but for the office they held as well. There would be only respect shown in public.
TO VACCINATE OR NOT TO VACCINATE?
In the past few weeks, there has been something of a firestorm in many private elementary schools regarding whether the State’s vaccination mandate for 5 to 11 -year-olds will be followed in the coming academic year (private schools are not bound by this mandate), and whether the schools would still impose the vaccination requirement if the mandate is rescinded. Emotions run high on this topic, as parents maintain their “right” to make independent choices” (irrespective of the desires or health of their children’s classmates), assert that the vaccines are “experimental” (they are not), that the vaccines impose health risks to the children greater than that of contracting COVID (they do not) and that vaccine mandates are without precedent (they are not). But emotions run high, especially when one’s news sources are limited to the drumbeat of a particular type of “non-mainstream media” and one is in the thrall of confirmation bias. The arguments and anger are intense, much of it directed to life-long educators and clergy—people who have devoted their lives to the safety of these same children—and people who deserve our respect.
MANIPULATION OF AN UNFORTUNATE PHOTO OF A GOOD MAN
In the midst of the Super Bowl celebrations, the intensity of the “debate” (if one can call it that) rose to another level. It seems that Rabbi David Wolpe, whose Temple has an elementary school, had his picture taken at the Super Bowl and posted that picture on social media. He was unmasked in this photo. For those who may be unaware, this is not just “any Rabbi,” but one who has served with distinction for many years, bridging religions and ethnicities—a thought leader whose rabbinate transcends his Temple and, indeed, Judaism. He is one of the ecclesiastical “big thinkers” of our time.
Rabbi Wolpe has continued to insist, against the desires of more conservative rugged individualists, vaccine deniers, and those who have “done their own research,” that the vaccine will be required at Temple Sinai’s school when it moves from emergency approval to regular approval; provided it is shown to be advisable and safe. The vitriol by some to his position is remarkable. It has been conflated with this unfortunate photograph. There seemed no end to the rude (and crude) excoriation of the Rabbi.
Rabbi Wolpe has been branded, by a number of his congregants, as a hypocrite (and worse) for removing his mask to have his picture taken. Of course, most of us have momentarily removed our masks in order to show our “pearly whites” in a photo. In this case, the photo was used as “Exhibit A” that the Rabbi preaches compliance with the law and science at his school but flaunts it in his personal life. This was no “Gavin Newsom at the French Laundry” event; this was a momentary lapse (easily explained and tolerated), solely for a photograph.
What was particularly relevant to me in this story is how I came to learn of the Rabbi’s public flailing on Instagram. I was advised of this by a doctor friend, one with whom I disagree on much political and in the application of mandates, but whose view of common decency and respect comport with my own. He was mortified that members of our community could be so vile. As am I.
THERE IS NO SHAME
I’m willing to bet that the people attacking the Rabbi never really believed he spent the game without a mask on (it was required of spectators). They knew full well that he has been dutifully and responsibly been complying with the basic recommendations of the CDC and others about masks, distancing, and vaccination. They used this photo for their own political gain, without regard for decency or the respect that a member of the clergy deserves. To them, this was fair game to unreasonably and knowingly disparage this man, using a photo they had to know was misleading. They have learned a lot in watching our leaders and pundits knowingly twisting facts, drawing conclusions from snippets, and dragging reputations through the mud in the furtherance of their motives.
We are in an age when, to paraphrase, “all is fair in love and politics” and there are no limits to decency. In time gone by, people played by rules and didn’t manipulate facts. There was a sense not only of respect and responsibility, but the shame that can come from misbehaviors. We now appear to be in a “post-shame” world, where everything goes, facts don’t matter and no one ever needs to apologize.
Bill Sonnenberg would disapprove. Shame on these people.
Have a good day,
Glenn
PS: The attack comments have since been deleted from Rabbi Wolpe’s Instagram page.
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