In Medved's Bed

I don’t know which four big lies about Israel and the Middle East radio talk-show host Michael Medved discussed when he appeared in Bala Cynwyd on October 23, 2007. I did not attend. But the “The” in the title of his talk, The 4 Big Lies About Israel and the Middle East, suggests that Medved managed to sift through the legion of lies floating around the subject and identified the absolutely, no-doubt-about-it biggest four.

That classic expression of Medvedian know-it-all arrogance comes as no surprise to anyone who listens to his show or reads his books and columns. After all, this is the man who revealed to a stunned nation that Happy Feet, the Oscar-winning, 2006 animated feature about dancing penguins, had a sinister pro-gay subtext. But what may surprise those who attended his talk, which was sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of the Main Line and supported by Kehillah of Lower Merion and the Jewish Federation’s Center for Israel and Overseas, is Medved’s thoughts on America’s enslavement of blacks. Basically, he doesn’t think it was such a terrible thing.

In a column published on the Townhall website back in September, Medved argued, among other things, that there is no reason to believe that today’s African-Americans would be better off if their ancestors had remained behind in Africa, that the U.S. did not become a wealthy nation through the abuse of slave labor, that the U.S. merits special credit for the rapid abolition of slavery – and that’s just half of it. By the time he lists all six of his reasons why slavery has gotten a bum rap, he reveals a level of ignorance about U.S. history and the economics of the slave trade that is simply astounding. Not to mention morally repugnant. Author and screenwriter Trey Ellis addresses this repugnancy from an African-American perspective in his must read column.

Morally repugnant was how one of the sponsors of Medved’s talk characterized his slavery piece after I brought it to that person’s attention, two weeks before Medved was scheduled to speak. Alas, in the opinion of some sponsors, the train had left the station. One said, you “can’t pull the plug whenever a hired speaker says something that we disagree with after we have committed to the engagement.” Really? I think you can. Of course, it involves the challenging task of letting your inner moral compass, your sense of moral outrage guide your actions, but that is apparently too much to ask of some in our community.

A week later, on October 15, Medved invited infamous anti-Semite Ann Coulter to his radio show, giving her a chance to defend the morally repugnant views she expressed on Deutsch’s television show. Medved treated her with kid gloves. He never forcefully challenged her hateful views of Jews or her warped understanding of the Hebrew Bible, which she refers to as the Old Testament. For example, she continually reiterates that she and other Christians accept the OT, but Medved is either too ignorant or deferential to point out that what many Christians actually accept is a distorted, misinterpreted and mistranslated version of the Hebrew Bible specifically designed to validate Jesus as the messiah and, in the process, invalidate the fundamental covenantal precepts of Judaism. Incredibly, Medved appears to express more solidarity with a fellow right-wing blabbermouth than he does with the Jewish people. Unfortunately, this revelation did not move the sponsors of Medved’s talk to take action either.

But can’t we look the other way? After all, Medved is such a staunch supporter of Israel. And Israel needs all the help it can get, right? Wrong. Surely we can do better. Surely we can find knowledgeable, passionate and inspiring speakers to educate us about the Middle East who don’t come with Medved’s despicable baggage. Surely we and the State of Israel are not in such miserable and desperate straits that we need to climb into bed with people like Michael Medved for comfort.

Lubavitch Debuts Its Hub With a Flourish

February 08, 2007 - Rachel Silverman

It's been seven years of real estate shopping, zoning-board hearings, fundraising and construction, but Lubavitch of the Main Line finally has a new home -- at one of the oldest spots in town.

The General Wayne Inn, which once served as a pub for British redcoats and later as a post office founded by Benjamin Franklin, will now play host to a bevy of Jewish activities.

Speaking at a lavish opening ceremony on Jan. 31, Rabbi Shraga Sherman, director of Lubavitch of the Main Line, called the refurbished space "a tremendous nexus of this three-millennia-history of the Jews and the 300-year-history of the building."

An old stone fireplace, for example, now houses an ark and two Torah scrolls, and portraits of Franklin flank the entrance to the property's on-site kosher restaurant.

Other additions to the building, which dates back to 1704, include a large multipurpose room for services and B'nai Mitzvah, Hebrew and preschool classes, administrative offices, as well as up-to-date electrical, sprinkler and fire-safety systems.

Sherman said that the inn gives Lubavitch much more visibility -- and physical space -- than its old Bala Cynwyd hub.


"We used to have to rent off-site locations for holiday celebrations and services," Sherman said of that office, known as the Mitzvah Factory. "As more and more people attended, and the array of programming expanded, we knew we needed more space."

However, the search for a vacancy in the primarily residential and heavily developed Main Line proved challenging. That's why when the storied General Wayne Inn went on the market in 2003, three individuals involved with Lubavitch -- Morris Willner, Gary Erlbaum and Steven Erlbaum -- immediately placed a bid on it.

After obtaining the property, Lubavitch spent two years getting the necessary zoning, and working out parking and traffic arrangements with Lower Merion Township. Construction, under the leadership of general contractor Core Management, took another year -- and $1 million -- to complete, said Sherman.

Though some elements of the building remain unfinished -- Sherman said that they are still searching for a vender for the kosher restaurant and to stock the gift shop with Judaica -- most Lubavitch programs have been up and running at the inn since the summer.

The grand-opening event -- which was attended by nearly 400 guests, and included abundant food trays and a musical performance -- was a public celebration. Sherman noted that the occasion allowed Lubavitch to thank various supporters and to announce its presence in the neighborhood.

Many who attended, like Lubavitch of Main Line education director Tsipy Weiss, practically gushed about the new building.

"It validates us a little bit," said the 29-year-old, who heads the preschool and Hebrew-school programs. "When you're in a [dumpy] little building, people are going to take you like that. Now, we're bigger; we're able to offer a lot more classes. We already have more people enrolled."

More importantly, perhaps, the facility provides a new home for the organization's message.

Rabbi Moshe Brennan, who also acts as programming director of the Lubavitch chapter, said that message is about "exposing Jewish people to their Judaism," regardless of their synagogue and denominational affiliations.

He said that the center will continue to offer classes on the Torah and Kabbalah, but that it's expanded to include topics like mystical ethics and the Hebrew language. He stressed that Lubavitch is making a concerted effort to reach all demographics -- children, women, families -- with classes like the new "Mommy & Me," women's fitness and challah-baking.

The Lubavitch approach to outreach resonated with Wynnewood resident Eunice Miller, who said that she recently signed up for a seminar on growth and development.

"You feel comfortable walking through this door," said Miller, a member of Congregation Beth Hamedrosh in Overbrook Park. "It doesn't require any religious commitment; it's not threatening in any way."