The Letter of 80 and the Open Ortho-Chelm: An Op-Ed

Perhaps never before in all of Jewish history do the words of the holy prophet Yeshayahu apply more aptly than to the Letter of 80 – “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Yeshayahu 5:20).

First they tried to undermine Torah Judaism with their philosophy of “Wokism Uber Alles.” But then they betrayed the very soul of their people when 80 of these Open Ortho-Chelm Rabbis drove daggers into the hearts and backs of Klal Yisroel by signing what amounts to a genocidal manifesto against Israel. Sadly, this is the highest form of betrayal from within.

The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza of which they espouse is certainly a severe one, but it was not caused by Israel – it was caused and continues by three factors:

• The leadership of the Hamas murderous regime
• the parents of Gaza who willingly sent their children to camps where they were inculcated into a culture of terrorism and the attack on innocent people
• and the unwillingness, even now, of the Gazan residents to denounce and inform upon the whereabouts of Hamas murderers and rapists.

In this moment, with Jewish blood still steaming in the desert sand, with hostages still rotting in Hamas dungeons, these “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis chose to twist the knife deeper into Israel’s wounds.

The Torah’s principle of “Chayecha Kodmim” found in Bava Metziah 62a is one that has informed much of the world throughout history. Here, however, this war to eliminate Hamas is even more critical because when an evil government glorifies murders, rapes, and kidnappings, and its civilian population not only tolerates it but embraces it, society must quickly eliminate that evil in a manner that does not allow that evil to continue.

Here lies their deepest shame. These “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis are not merely failing Israel. They are betraying their own communities. At this moment when Jewish students face harassment and assault on college campuses, when mobs march through American streets howling “Death to Israel” and “From the river to the sea,” when American antisemitism reaches heights unseen since the 1930s, the Jewish people need chizuk – not treachery. As Yechezkel proclaimed: “And your people about whom they said ‘The land of Israel is lost’ – behold I will redeem you” (Yechezkel 36:2-3). We need leaders who strengthen our resolve, not undermine it.

The tragedy began long before the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023—a brutal act that justifiably demanded a strong military response and demand for the release of the hostages. October 7th proved to all of Israel’s citizens that Hamas’s evil can never be tolerated.

The signees of the letter correctly stated that Hamas’s actions have repeatedly shown a cynical disregard for the lives of the people it claims to represent, using civilians as human shields and rejecting ceasefire proposals. They incorrectly blamed Israel for Gaza’s current predicament. The death toll is rising with very significant losses of lives on account of Hamas’s actions, no different than the death toll of Germany’s civilians during World War Two.

These “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis fancy themselves as modern-day prophets of morality. In reality, they are prophets of surrender. True Torah leadership requires the courage of which Yirmiyahu HaNavi spoke: “And I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land” (Yirmiyahu 1:18). Leaders must stand firm against evil, not capitulate to wokist popular opinion.

Horrifyingly, the Open Ortho-Chelm Rabbis wrote that “the absence of a clear post-war vision from Prime Minister Netanyahu has allowed the most extreme voices in the Israeli government—including ministers from the religious Zionist community—to fill the vacuum with disturbing proposals.” This is both a violation of the deepest Jewish value of Hakaras HaTov gratitude as well as a negation of the notion of Chayecha Kodmim.

These “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis speak of Palestinian Arab suffering as if it materialized from nothing and make no mention that Hamas carved more than 300 miles of terror and kidnapping tunnels – a subterranean structure larger than New York City’s entire subway system.

And no army in human history has shown such restraint toward enemy civilians. No army in history, besides the IDF, has been careful enough to telegraph its military operations to enemies, sacrificing the element of surprise – the key to military victory.

Yes, they are correct in asserting that “we must affirm that Judaism’s vision of justice and compassion extends to all human beings” – but this is an utter perversion of that vision when it is applied in such a manner as to allow avowed murderers, rapists, and kidnappers and their supporters to continue their vile acts. Yes, “our tradition teaches that every person is created b’tzelem Elokim—in the Divine image” but the quickest defeat of Hamas will allow these civilians to eventually become a tzelem elokim that neither supports nor cheers at murders, rapes and kidnappings.  True justice demands confronting evil, not appeasing it.

If these “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis genuinely cared for Palestinian Arab lives, they would condemn Hamas with their every breath. They would demand Hamas lay down its weapons, release every hostage, and stop sacrificing the people of Gaza.

We are the spiritual descendants of Avraham, chosen to walk in the path of Hashem, “to do righteousness and justice” (Bereishis 18:19). Justice must be done here and allowing Hamas to take and sell humanitarian aid to continue their abuse contradicts this imperative.

These are the foundations of our ethical obligation—to demand policies that uphold human dignity, to provide humanitarian aid wherever possible, and to speak out when necessary, no matter how painful this may be to accept. But true justice requires moral clarity, not some misguided vision that allows murderers, rapists, and kidnappers to continue.  These “Open Ortho-Chelm” rabbis – whose approach mimics and apes the appeasement efforts of the 1930’s- who criticize Israel today – will be forever remembered as traitors to Klal Yisroel.

photo by Sue Dorfman via the Associated Press