Executing A Jew

Luke Ford says:

I remember many of my Jewish friends agitating on Facebook to prevent the execution of Martin Grossman. I did not know much about the case. It seemed clear that Grossman had committed murder and therefore I felt no need to defend him from capitol punishment (which I support for the crime of murder).

Rabbi Yitzhock Adlerstein had thoughts on this case. Rabbi Adlerstein now opposes the death penalty.

Rabbi Marc B. Shapiro writes April 22, 2010:

During the discussions about the Grossman execution, I looked at some of the haredi websites (until the comments made me sick). What I found interesting was the incredible level of ignorance of most of the writers, all of whom had been in yeshiva and many of whom had studied there for years.

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Lonely Loma Linda University

Luke Ford says:

Friday. 12:30 pm. As he began driving east on the Ten freeway from Santa Monica, he tried to free his neck of unnecessary tension. He tried to think up with his whole torso. He tried to let go of habitual postures in his face and thinking.

He wondered which of his character flaws would trip him up this weekend? Would it be his arrogance or his thirst for attention? Perhaps it would be his lust. The wily shiksa — the blooming Adventist girls — they know how to trip up a holy Jew such as himself.

As he daydreamed about Adventist girls, he accidentally slipped on to the Five freeway north towards Sacramento and went eight miles out of his way. His soul yearned for Pacific Union College but his body was assigned elsewhere.

3:15 pm. Loma Linda University Religion Department. Dr. Dave Larson introduced him to Dr. Sigve Tonstad, Dr. Roy Branson and Bonnie Dwyer of Spectrum.

When the secretary left at 4:30 pm and accidentally locked him out, he Googled “Leo Baeck” and “romantic religion” on his Blackberry Curve and found this essay by Cynthia Ozick:

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Jewish Ethics

Luke Ford says:

Orthodox rabbi Marc B. Shapiro blogs April 15, 2010:

 

I remember many of my Jewish friends agitating on Facebook to prevent the execution of Martin Grossman. I did not know much about the case. It seemed clear that Grossman had committed murder and therefore I felt no need to defend him from capitol punishment (which I support for the crime of murder).

Rabbi Yitzhock Adlerstein had thoughts on this case. Rabbi Adlerstein now opposes the death penalty.

Rabbi Marc B. Shapiro writes April 22, 2010:

During the discussions about the Grossman execution, I looked at some of the haredi websites (until the comments made me sick). What I found interesting was the incredible level of ignorance of most of the writers, all of whom had been in yeshiva and many of whom had studied there for years. They were able to declare that a murderer can’t be executed unless he was observed by two kosher witnesses and was given warning, which they thought settled matters. Had these people known a bit of responsa literature, there would have understood how things worked in the real world, and especially what was done in the days of the rishonim. Do these people think that if a guy stood up in shul and opened fire with a machine gun, killing 20 people, that a Jewish court couldn’t execute him because he was never given a warning?

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Off The Derech V

Luke Ford says:

Luke: “Until what age did you live at this house?”

Nataly: “Possibly until I was 19. I’m 25 today.”

Luke: “Was there anything you loved about living there?”

Nataly: “Not at all.”

Luke: “Was there anything you loved about your childhood?”

Nataly: “My parents did the best they could. As far as childhood’s go, I’d categorize it as crappy… As I was growing up, I accepted it as that’s how life is.”

Luke: “Did the guys in this house, did they hit on you?”

Nataly: “Oh no. No, no, no. God no.”

Luke: “Why not?”

Nataly: “I don’t know. You’d think that two girls growing up in that situation that that might come up. Thank God it never did.”

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Off The Derech III

Luke Ford says:

Luke: “What keeps you living in Boro Park?”

Nataly: “Cheap rent. I live on the same block I grew up on, only a couple of doors down. I pay $700 for a one-bedroom, utilities included.”

“I went to an all-girls yeshiva until the middle of 11th grade when I finally dropped out and went to public school. I was such an outcast in [yeshiva] and I had no friends and I couldn’t take it. I begged my mother to let me go to another school. The rest of my family didn’t know about it. They still don’t.”

Luke: “Were you always unpopular at yeshiva?”

Nataly: “Oh yeah, I was totally unpopular. I had no friends. They all thought I was the biggest freak. I don’t blame them. I was dressed badly. When everyone had bat mitzvahs, I was too poor to buy presents. My mother refused to give me any money, so I’d go to the 99c store and buy a cheap little thing to give them. Nobody would talk to me. They were all these little rich spoiled girls. I was different. It was horrible. As the grades went up, it got worse.

“In yeshiva, you had such a small class, maybe 30 kids in the whole grade. Everyone is really cliquey. If it is a private school, they all come from money. If you are not like them, it’s brutal.”

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Off The Derech

Luke Ford says:

Nataly: “I always read Heshy’s blog. I found it very funny and interesting. One day I wrote it up and thought, this would be really funny if other people could read it.”

“Everyone’s been telling me that I should write a book.”

Luke: “Are you a tomboy?”

Nataly: “I’m totally not. I’ve always sucked at sports. I’m very girly. That’s why I put that picture up, to make people laugh. Nataly’s drilling. I’m a very big girly girl.”

Luke: “When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?”

Nataly: “It changed every day. One day I wanted to write for a fashion magazine. At another point, I wanted to be a businesswoman. At another point, I wanted to be an actress.”

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Off The Derech VI

Luke Ford says:

Luke: “What was public school like?”

Nataly: “I loved it. I could be myself. I made two, three really good friends. It was awesome. I wish I would’ve gone my whole high school to this school.”

Luke: “Did you have good friends before public school?”

Nataly: “I had maybe one girl who talked to me out of pity. I never had any friends growing up.”

Luke: “Did you have imaginary friends?”

Nataly: “No. I was always kind of a loner, so it never really bothered me. I was always in my imagination. I was always in my own little world.”

Luke: “What did you dream about?”

Nataly: “Shopping. Being able to afford to buy things. It was usually centered on — what if I won a million dollars? What would I do when I got my independence?”

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