Inquisition 2.0

Breaking news:

The Stalinist State of NY has just unleashed its wrathful inquisition against the Marrano Jews of Kiryath Joel. [1]

As history has repeatedly demonstrated, it NEVER helps to feign compliance.

Between 1391 and 1496 CE, hundreds of thousands of Jews submitted to baptism in Spain and Portugal in attempt to save their lives, assets, and avoid expulsion. This ended up being a grave error, as these conversos and their descendants were subjected to horrific persecution in subsequent generations at the merciless hands of the Catholic Inquisition. The illusion of relief earned by their compliance was short-lived and transitory. It ultimately resulted in auto-da-fé and the hellfires of the Inquisition.

In contrast, Iberian Jews who defied the Church and demonstrated moral fortitude to remain Jews fared much better historically. They may have barely survived with their lives, and might have lost many loved ones to savage hordes, but they were ultimately able to regroup and rebuild their communities on freer shores around the Mediterranean rim. Every Sephardi Jew today is living evidence of their courage and defiance.

The same is true with Jews whose ancestors settled in Franco-Germanic lands. Every Jew of Ashkenazic background today is living testimony to his/her ancestors' selfless resistance to Catholic persecution, bloody Crusades, Blood Libels, banishments, etc.

But alas! In 2019, barely five centuries later, countless descendants of these heroic Jews capitulated en masse to modern-day state persecution. "Vaccinate," ordered the Public Health tyrants, "or you will lose all state funding!"

Given the prohibitively high cost of living in NY State, that order was akin to saying: "Vaccinate or we'll shut you down!", which is basically the same idea as "Baptize or we'll drive you out!"

Tragically, the majority of Jewish communities capitulated to this Orwellian dictate, forcing parents to vaccinate their young children with all sorts of mandated injections as a condition to school attendance. Unvaccinated (& under-vaccinated) children were discriminated against and banned from school.

With the state's elimination of religious exemption, thousands of Jewish families were now banned and marginalized from their communities. Many of these families sought refuge in freer states that honored their religious freedom, while others began homeschooling.

However, as mentioned above, the vast majority capitulated or at least feigned compliance. Some parents obsequiously or begrudgingly gave their children all the required injections, but in the Orthodox community where folks tend to be more open-minded and less trusting of state-sponsored Science™, parents sought alternative means to keep their kids in school. I'd rather not elaborate here in public forum, but use your imagination.

In any case, feigned compliance has been the status quo in Orthodox communities throughout New York State.

For the past few years, I have been strongly cautioning parents not to go down this path, and I've consistently protested the administrators of these schools and its rabbinic authorities for their shameful capitulation to state tyranny and their grave betrayal of Jewish children.

Feigned compliance is never a good idea, I argued. It will come back to haunt you. The tyrants will surely crack down with a vengeance. Better stand up for the truth now rather than submit and pay a heftier price later.

Now it's 2024, and the vengeance is here.

The Satmar schools of Kiryas Joel are the first to be investigated, punitively tarred and feathered by NY's Dept. of Hellth, the modern-day Grand Inquisitor.

Crown Heights is probably next. Or maybe it will be Flatbush, Williamsburg, Boro Park, or Monsey. Or maybe Queens or Five Towns. The ever-watchful eyes of Big Brother will be be watching.

The moment of truth has arrived for NY Jews. Will you continue to grovel and genuflect, in pathetic attempt to "stay under the radar?" Or will you rise up and cast off the shackles of despotic state?

It won't be easy. You'll need to reject your current lay & rabbinic leadership who betrayed you. You'll lose your juicy state funding. Some schools will get shut down, others will have to reorganize. A new paradigm of cheder education organized by parents will invariably need to emerge.

If a significant number of communities stand strong and refuse to play the game any longer, truth will ultimately prevail.

Learn the lessons from history.

Don't comply with the Big Lie.
Hold your head high and defy.
Am Yisroel chai.

Notes:

[1]