Not all change is for the better.
The Seattle Kollel and its acolytes represent a foothold in our city for a dangerous brand of Haredi Judaism that those of us who have been fortunate to live in Israel are very well acquainted with.
Anyone who has been spat on on the streets of Jerusalem or been pelted with a soiled diaper on Shabbat will know what I mean. Although vehemently anti-Zionist, these Jews are more than comfortable to live on the Israeli welfare dole, while others work and pay taxes to support them, and fight and die in the army to protect them.
For years, the Seattle Kollel and their followers have been actively trying to undermine our centrist Orthodox institutions — schools, synagogues and kashrut — attempting to remake them in their own image.
I call on Jewish Seattle to reject this hostile takeover of our community by refraining from funding this institution. Instead, let’s stand together to strengthen our centrist schools and synagogues.