Sunday, November 6, 2016

Mishpacha magazine responds to Hillary cover photo

Mishpacha reporter Sruly Besser responds to Hamodia editorial via  Facebook post

Dear Hamodia

Im so sorry that you dont find us to be true charedim. I thought hours of conversation and deliberation with real rabbanim would give us some credibility, but I guess not. Im sorry that when we asked genuine gedolim and poskim how to proceed and followed their advice, we didnt think to ask you what true charedi papers have always done.

Im much sorrier that you thought it wise to make this a public issue, because the charedim (true, not true, whatever) don't need this story in the secular media. We were barraged by requests for comment last week from major media outlets, and we respectfully fended them off because were not here to be spokesmen and saviors, just to do keep doing our jobs with ehrlichkeit, professionalism and dedication. Its not about us.





I respect your right not to publish a picture of Hillary, in line with your mesorah. (I imagine that this comment appeared in Hebrew Hamodia, not English, I havent yet seen it. I hope its not in English!) Its a holy mesorah. I enjoy Hamodia and will continue to enjoy it.

Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld was asked by a British census taker what language he spoke at home and he said Ivrit, rather than Yiddish- which of course didnt reflect his true ideology. Talmidim asked him why he chose to answer that way and he said, 'Voss iz tzuvishen mir uhn mein breeder, things that come between me and my brother, iz nisht di gesheft fuhn der...isn't the concern of this Englishman.'

Im sure you mean this lshem shamayim and wish you hatzlacha in your great work.

from INN
Mishpacha's English staff responded, "The Mishpacha English magazine follows the spiritual guidance of important haredi Torah figures in the US. Every decision is made after speaking with the spiritual committee of communal rabbis in America, and that is why we decided to publish the picture in the fashion we did."

11 comments:

  1. Mishpacha has no one to blame but themselves. They should have clearly stated who their rabbonim are and why they decided to change policies.

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    1. Good for Mishpacha for bringing some normalcy back to Jewish publications. The Jewish Observer, Alav Hashalom, printed pictures of women for years and no one said boo.

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  2. I find it interesting that some folks seem to think that Chareidim should follow what they think "the Gedolim" say, not what they actually say but what these folks think they should have said.

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  3. Shame on Yeshiva world news for fanning the flames and allowing the bashing chasidim that is ten times worse than this silly picture.

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    1. You are so right! This is not Hamodia's fault for choosing to attack Mispacha in public - it is their right to do so! How dare Mishpacha answer back in a respectful way, outside of their magazine! Real chutzpah! Real chareidim know that Hamodia is in the right, and that all responses are fanning the flames and bashing the good people who did the right thing.

      #BlameOthers

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    2. Mishpacha is left of torah orthodoxy. Stores in Lakewood do not carry it and the yeshiva world does not read it.

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    3. Which store in Lakewood doesn't have Mishpacha?

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    4. You are blaming YWN for fanning the flames, or are you upset that they responded to the slander? The fact that you just repeated Hamodia's slander answers that question.

      Hamodia and their disrespect for Rav Shaul Alter are far, far from true Torah orthodoxy.

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    5. As usual, Mr. Lightstone will wait three days to let the comment through, since it proves him wrong.

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    6. NPGS in Lakewood wont sell mishpacha

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  4. Why are Chareidim obsessed with the picture of an ugly woman on the cover of a magazine, in a way that does not violation Jewish Law, but they are not interested in doing things to counter Muslim efforts to wipe all-of-Israel off-the-map, which would result in another Holocaust?

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