Below is the text of a letter sent today by Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israel of America’s executive vice president, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker’s comments that elicited the letter follow it below:
January 26, 2009
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
On behalf of Agudath Israel of America, I write to share dismay and sadness over the comments about birth control funding you made Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” program.
Viewing the funding of birth control as a fit and proper means of stimulating the economy – and by extension children as essentially burdens on the treasury – should be beneath a public servant, much less someone of your accomplishment and influence.
Agudath Israel represents a national constituency of Orthodox Jews. From our perspective, every human life is inherently precious, and carries with it the potential for greatness and holiness. To the best of my understanding, that perspective is by no means limited to the Jewish faith; it reflects the worldview of countless millions of Americans from all religious backgrounds.
There is a reason, after all, why our nation’s tax policy favors children and the parents who undertake to raise them. America cares about and values its young. Framing our responsibilities to the youngest Americans as liabilities rather than privileges is a dismaying departure from that longstanding American ideal.
Respectfully, I urge you to repudiate your remarks about stimulating the economy by limiting life. I, and the many others in our community and the broader populace who hold you in high personal esteem, would like to believe you simply misspoke.
Rabbi David Zwiebel
Executive Vice President
Agudath Israel of America
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ABC’s “This Week,” January 25, 2009
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?
PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children’s health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those – one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?
PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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14 Responses
Agudah is busy straightening out Nancy’s Hashkofos.
I guess that is their last unfinished job.
The Democrats have long been the party of death, destruction and immorality.
Scary. So to improve the economy, we kill babies. This is the same woman responded to protesters chanting “Drill here! Drill now!” with “You want to drill right here? Can we drill your brain?”. And she’s the 3rd most powerful person in America, and possibly the world. Truly scary.
I admit that I am missing something, why is there any need for Agudah to respond to her statement? Much time will be wasted if Agudah pens off a note to every ill conceived statement made by politicians.
I think that is one of the most stupid things anyone in public office has ever said, nebach.
Kol HaKavod! The letter is a Kiddush HaShem! How dare we sit silent? Isn’t that more or less what Noach did when the world was full of zima and chomos? We learn from him that we are not to sit idly by! Kol Hakavod again!
Yeyasher koach to Agudas Yisroel and Rabbi Zweibel.
I am furious that some people cannot undrstand why they should and have to do these things. Therefore, I will not try to explain. There are some people out there who innocently believe this
and are entitled to an explanation though. I hope someone else will do that, although not necessarily here in the comment section.
Presumably, Pelosi is referring to children born out of wedlock, which is not something that Agudah would want to encourage.
So I guess Agudath Israel wants to use its political capital NOT on Israel or helping yeshivas but rather fighting for people to have kids out of wedlock, interesting. I will note that next time I get a request for money from them.
bacci40 every now and then you give me hope.
Respectfully,
I address my comments to #1 (yidlmitnfidl)whose naivety and anti- establishment bias is now public.
When a Chillul Hashem or attack on decency is perpetrated by a person in political power, it must be respectfully challenged-immediately. If not, it has the potential of becoming public policy. One of the roles of Agudas Yisroel over the past century has been to stand up for Torah values and against immoral behavior in the public sphere- where the leadership feels it appropriate and/or effective. In fact many times, like- minded gentile organizations and elected officials specifically look to see if the Orthodox Jews (Agudath Israel)- are also in protest.
Silence is perceived as acquiescence.
Our obligation to stand up for Kovud Shomayim demands a response on many levels if the issue requires it.
There are very few public servants like R’ Chaim Dovid Zweibel that have the intellect, credibility and universal respect in the religious or secular world.
I am pretty confident and you should be too, that after working on behalf of Klal Yisroel for the past 25 years, he knows his role better than arm chair critics like you (anonymous of course).
The comments by Speaker Pelosi were outrageous and dangerous. They needed to challenged. They were.
A public thank you is due the Agudah. If you can’t muster that, then at least keep the criticism to yourself. Your inability to appreciate appropriate protest has been compromised by your obvious bias against the Agudah. That yours was the first comment, is even more unfortunate.
#10
I’m sure your a huge supporter.
Give me a break.
#13
please explain
President Obama asked Pelosi to take this money out of the Stimulus Package, and she has reportedly agreed.
B”H, Rabbi Zwiebel made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem! He should be commended for his strong statement. Kol Hakavod.