My response to Norm Pressman, a hateful guy in St. Louis

Mr. Pressman:

Your hatred of Orthodox Jews is fine, and I can sure live with it. Your insulting and mocking characterizations of mainstream Jewish practices is disgraceful and sad. By the way, 'mainstream Jew' would be us. 'Majority' may be you, for now, but give it time...

You don't like money coming from the Federation to the Orthodox community? Too bad. We are part of the community, as much as the very few vile, hateful folks like yourself [I repeat - very few - I find most in the larger Jewish community in St. Louis to be completely pleasant folks, disagree philosophically with them though I may] will struggle to denounce us. You don't like the way we practice Judaism? Deal with it - that's Judaism.

The Federation should focus on those living in the 21st Century? How about you focus on your respect of other people's religious beliefs, and get back to us after a little self-reflection.

You don't like the 'tragedy' [what a spiteful, small man you are] of seeing 'normal, smart Jewish kids who otherwise would have succeeded in life, reject the liberal Jewish upbringing of their families...'? Now, I think we've finally nailed down your pet peeve. You are aghast at the concept of 'liberal' Jews becoming religious (i.e., Jews who grow up non-religious or anti-religious in politically and religiously leftist, middle class homes, who later decide to study their faith, determine the truth of G-d and Torah, and seek to better themselves by becoming more observant in Mitzvot). Yes, I said 'better themselves' and meant it. My religious belief, with which of course you disagree because you are unabashedly anti-religious, says that a deeper commitment to G-d is a net good thing. Don't like it? Again, deal with it. The majority of Americans are with me on this one - maybe you'd be more comfortable in secular, Leftist Europe. [Side note - if you want to emigrate there, I pledge $500 towards your moving expenses, contingent on you proving to my satisfaction that you are really leaving our fair city.]

Stop referring to yourself or the group which you [Mr. 'Mainstream Jew'] tacitly claim to represent as 'liberal.' You can be the poster boy for anti-liberalism...

Next, if you think it a cause of non-success to be religious, let's talk. Let's see - around me - I'm a lawyer, my wife is a dentist and property owner, my brother is a math PhD doing arbitrage for a stock firm, my friends within the Orthodox community (mostly brought up less observant) include countless doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, as well as teachers, rabbis, mohels [I'm not even gonna touch your sick insinuations against brit milah in one of your rants], mashgichim, truckers, electricians, jewelers, practical and theoretical physicists, conventional middle-management, contractors, painters, and - yes - quite sadly - a few government workers and non-working folk - but not due to their religiosity to be sure. [That last quip against government workers was intended to lighten the mood a bit.]

My friends outside the tribe, so to speak, are similarly across the board. I know both materialistically successful and failing Orthodox Jews, and I surely know materialistically successful and failing non-Orthodox Jews and non-Jews. Caused by their respective religions or lack thereof? I sure don't think so, though to be sure faith does inform people's lives in myriad ways, as your rejection of faith informs others of your life and personality in myriad ways.

I can almost see you foaming at the mouth as you denigrate the Satmar of Kiryas Joel because of their poverty and 'numerous financial scams.' I can only imagine that when you speak of African Americans you dismiss them with something along the lines of, 'those n***ers, with all their poverty and crime, look at them destroy our city...' or some such. Your words about the Satmar were identical! Racist scum you are.

You state, "We let groups like Chabad into our synagogues and institutions [as if YOU could keep us out] and allow them to take our children on brainwashing trips, indoctrinating them into medieval customs, some of which are simply imaginary." Where to begin? Imaginary customs? How many pages of Talmud have you studied? If you so despise Jews whom you are different from, don't associate with them. If you really don't like Judaism, get yourself another religion. If you don't like what Chabad does, don't send your kids. (Though the thought of a hateful piece of work like you having kids and poisoning them with your vicious hatred is scary indeed.)

I won't go on further. Your wholesale slander of me and mine, my family, my community, my friends, my rabbis, my advisers, as in "Orthodox Jews in St. Louis Disrespect Shoah Victims" is pathetic, hateful and - I say this in all honesty - fighting words in the extreme. You're nothing but a shameless demagogue -- a page out of Joe McCarthy's book! The fact that you are a fellow member of the Bar here in St. Louis is an embarrasment to me as an attorney.

Frankly, sir, (and I use that term advisedly), you are in need of a good ass-kicking. You want to find me someday, feel free to ask anyone in the Orthodox community - and many outside it. You want to put something behind your hateful words, you come find me, you pissant. Any Shabbat, you'll generally find me in one of the Orthodox Shuls in University City. Anytime, any place. Any one in the community want to point Mr. Pressman towards my house, feel free to give him my address.