Letter to the Editor 2-27-09

Issue of Feb. 27, 2009 / 3 Adar 5769

Praise for ‘Defiance’

To the Editor:

Congratulations to Yaffi Spodek on a very well written article (‘Defiance’ hits close to home; Feb. 20, 2009).

I have done hundreds of interviews on “Defiance” and your article stands alone on its accuracy of our interview as well as your unique and gifted writing style. Keep writing!

Robert Bielsky

Woodmere

History from the Bielskis

To the Editor:

The Bielskis thank Yaffi Spodek for an excellent article ('Defiance' hits close to home; Feb. 20, 2009).

Just to fill in on some details, I grew up after the war with Zus and Tuvia; I’m Zus and Sonia’s son. I am named after my father’s brother and my mother’s brother, both Yaakovs, who were murdered by the Nazis. I am Yaakov; how fitting.

“Defiance” captures the impulsivity of Zus and the wisdom of Tuvia. None of the Bielskis were petty criminals prior to the war. That was made up in the movie as an explanation why they had, and still propagate via their children and grandchildren, aggressive skills.

The reality was that they lived in a small village and had a mill which converted wheat and other products into cooking fares (breads). Growing up, they had to defend themselves and their business from the locals. They were always a family team, nine brothers and two sisters, and also had many non-Jewish friends who helped them during the Holocaust. They developed a reputation before the war that “you shouldn’t mess with the Bielskis because you are sure to lose,” a quote by Aron Bell Bielski.

As the environment grew more hostile against Jews and the Bielskis in particular, the ante was raised and so was their response to it, ruthlessness and compassion. The “Defiance” movie did not show Bielskis’ enemies’ heads being axed (Jerusalem in the Woods, The History Channel 11/06). The Bielskis gave the death penalty to captured Nazis by grenades as each Nazi watched his fellows get blown up knowing that he will be next.

“It was very smelly,” said Shula Rubin in “The Bielski Partisans” a documentary by Kumar 1996. Many unmentionable acts were done without remorse by the Bielski Otriad (excluding the massacre fallacy of Naliboki, which falsely accuses the Bielskis of killing civilians unnecessarily).

Remember: what would you do if they killed your mother and father, your brothers, your wife and daughter? Zus never considered his revenge disproportionate, nor did he consider Israel’s responses to the killing of Israelis ever disproportionate. He told me many times, they, will only understand the stick. The they change over time in the Jewish experience. Was our response to Egyptian slavery disproportionate? After all many died of the plagues and sea. I think that whether by choice or coincidence, movie director Ed Zwick prioritized Tuvia as the Moses figure and Zus as David, of Goliath fame. This inadvertently points to disproportionate responses are necessary to maintain Jewish life.

If the Bielskis’ “Defiance” movie has any positive influence on Israeli government, a more assertive and permanent solution would already be in place both politically and militarily. “Defiance” was not intended to directly comment on Israeli policies; it intended to show that all Jews are capable and obligated to live and be defiant to anyone who threatens our existence, anytime, anywhere.

Jay Yaakov Bielski

North Woodmere

Key to the cure

To the Editor:

I was very pleased to see the detailed and excellent coverage of our recent Cantorial Council of America/Belz School of Jewish Music Midwinter Conference at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills by Judah S. Harris. (Tuning up for Pesach; Feb. 20, 2009). We at the Belz School of Yeshiva University are diligently working to improve the quality of tefilla (prayer) in Orthodox shuls across the length and breadth of North America through education. Rabbis and congregants alike are coming to us, in a slowly growing groundswell, to complain about the lack of inspiration, decorum and spirituality that is fast becoming the paradigm of an Orthodox shul. Much of this can be attributed to the precipitous disappearance of trained Baalei Tefilla (cantors) who have the innate ability to inspire and uplift a congregation through beautiful nusach (liturgy) and singable, appropriate niggunim (tunes).

The Shulchan Aruch requires a Baal Tefilla to have a “pleasant voice” and to “not change the traditional nusach” that we have come to know and love. A good Baal Tefilla who has these qualities can change the lack of kavannah (concentration) that has infected our Shabbat and Yom Tov tefillot. Yes, we are advocates of professional Baalei Tefilla/Chazanim, but we are just as passionately dedicated to improving the quality of the tefillot of every shul in our community through raising the standards of the nusach and song in its shuls. We invite those who share these concerns to join with us as a “Friend of the CCA/Belz School” to help disseminate what may very well be the key to curing our tefilla ills, by contacting me at the Belz School at YU.

Cantor Sherwood Goffin

Lincoln Square Synagogue

Lawrence meeting

To the Editor:

The Village of Lawrence Board of Trustees will hold its next scheduled meeting at the Lawrence Village Country Club, 101 Causeway, Lawrence, New York, on March 12 at 7:00 p.m. The agenda will include a presentation by Sanitary District # 1 on the new recycling program followed by a Question & Answer session.

We recognize that our citizens have many issues and concerns with the program. Your participation and input is critical in making the recycling program a success.

Simon Felder

Mayor, Village of Lawrence

Edward I. Klar

Trustee-Sanitation Commissioner