Chapter 46
The Board
Sam stood off to one side talking with three of the board members, listening but not, as half his mind kept checking out the other members in an effort to gauge their opinion, to see who would need some gentle arm twisting and who were already firmly in his corner. He would make eye contact with most and nod to them if he felt like they were on the fence or in his corner. Very few he noticed avoided eye contact with him and he felt like he had this all sewn up even if the meeting was being held on the Rabbi’s turf.
He hadn’t been thrilled by Saul’s moving of the meeting to the Shul nor of the urgent meeting of the Sisterhood happening downstairs at the same time in the gymnasium but he didn’t think it would matter now, not after that scathing news report on CH as well as the report given on Global National. He really was surprised by that part and to see his own face on National network television certainly wouldn’t hurt his reputation any either.
There were 17 members on the board not including the Rabbi, who really wasn’t on the board but was allowed spectator status as was his due as the religious leader of the community. He didn’t have a vote either but as Sam surveyed the members who were all gathered outside the conference room, he knew it wouldn’t really matter much if the Rabbi had a vote or not, because he had the majority and by his own count, he was certain that he would have more than needed. It really was a shame he thought, because the Rabbi hadn’t seemed like a bad sort, but he just wasn’t right for this community.
The whole board had worked too hard; well, maybe not the whole board, mainly it was himself and a few others who had toiled long and hard to get their little community accepted by the overwhelming non-Jewish community here. He had spear-headed many charity drives just so they could make the contacts they needed so that when things like getting the community centre built had needed an extra push, a little leeway, he and his few close friends had managed to get it done. Now the Rabbi was risking all that, and for what? Some fageleh’s? Okay so one was his own son, but that in itself should have made the Rabbi back off, but then he didn’t really expect the Rabbi to know much about politics, which really was a shame. They should teach it in the seminary or wherever it was that Rabbis went to to become Rabbis, because it was a necessary part of the job, especially in small communities like this one.
As he nodded to the man next to him talking, his eyes continued to survey the crowd and were drawn to the small little group around the board President, Saul. He was a bit disappointed in Saul for his sudden support of the Rabbi, but he then realized that perhaps Saul had gotten wise, knowing that Sam would more than likely take the Presidency away from him next election and he couldn’t blame him for trying to stay on. After all it was good for business to have that type of a non work related job description in one’s resume, it certainly helped secure clients and that was what it was all about, keeping your clients, gaining new ones so you could afford the house in Broadmead or the Uplands. Saul just didn’t realize how important it was perhaps until now, but it was too late. Saul had hitched his star to a fading light,as Sam knew he had at least 12, if not 13, votes in his pocket. He only needed 9 so he had a good cushion.
A thin smile crossed his lips but stopped in midstream as the elevator opened to let a tall well-dressed man step into the hallway. Sam swallowed hard as he recognized Trace Vickers and he wondered if perhaps Trace was lost or something, but deep down he knew why he was here. Well, as much as he admired the Rabbi’s choice in council, it wouldn’t help him now. Not after that scathing attack first on the Global National news and then in the two-part report by CH.
As he made his withdrawal to go and greet the lawyer, he saw the door open from the stairwell and saw Myron Schecter step out into the hallway. His eyes grew narrow and his face became rigid as he recalled the earlier behaviour of the man towards him. How dare he show up here, but of course, any member of the community could attend and it seemed that Myron was going to exercise that right. Well it wouldn’t help the Rabbi any more than having Trace Vickers here would help. The news report had clearly tipped the balance in his favour and he was too shrewd of a manipulator to let this pass by. Still, it did worry him a little and, instead of heading directly to Trace, he stopped and talked briefly with some of his soft support. He was going to leave nothing to chance, as he talked animatedly with several of the members, reminding them how hard it had been in the old country and how at least up here in Canada there were tough, new laws to protect them but how the Rabbi, for unknown reasons of his own, had chosen to toss them aside, leaving them all vulnerable to the type of attacks that were common in the old country.
Of course it was ludicrous for him because he was never from the old country, his family had been in Canada since the turn of the century, but it helped with the older members who were. It made him more like them and he could see that those who weren’t all that keen on removing the Rabbi were frightened of the renewed anti Semitism that his actions were bringing. Many had never experienced the horror for themselves, but so many stories had gone around, so many survivors had clearly shown their own fears, that it was almost as if they had endured it as well. The dull, black swastika on the side of the building they all passed on their way inside was a stark reminder of how hatred was never far behind them. It was the ace card for him and he inwardly thanked the News media for their stupidity and unwilling help in his quest for returning this community back to normalcy.
He saw, or rather he felt, Saul looking at him and he turned his head to stare back at the Board President. Instead of animosity he saw pity in Saul’s eyes, which made him angry for some reason that he just couldn’t explain. He glared at the man who was standing in his way of achieving a harmony between his fellow Jews and the Christian community, the anger flashing out but Saul didn’t flinch as he used to, instead he just shook his head in a way that only infuriated Sam more. How dare he, he thought, as he turned back to his politicking, knowing that it no longer mattered if he had a good majority, he wanted to make it a crushing defeat for not just the Rabbi but for Saul as well. He even contemplated a motion of non-confidence in the President but as his anger cooled a little he thought better of it, for now.
Myron had seen the flash of anger cross Sam’s face and he felt a bit uneasy as he stood to one side watching the elders of his community standing around in their tiny little groups and he knew that Rabbi Goldberg faced an enormous task here tonight. The news report had been devastating, the way it had so neatly implied that the attack on the synagogue was more about the Goldberg boys doing nothing to help a boy in need than about racism, how there was a cloud of mystery over that whole incident that the authorities had yet to uncover or reveal.
Oh, it was all neat and tidy, they even had a piece written by Joshua Goldberg from his old High School on how hate crimes were lax and not effective methods of dealing with anti-Semitism. He could see the reporter’s face now, as he asked the anchor on what young Joshua would be saying to his father who had just let a caught vandal go free. The smugness of it all and yet they hadn’t really lied but they had left a great deal out. They hadn’t mentioned that the paper was done as part of a High School debate on racism in the U.S.A. and that the discussion wasn’t about Canadian Law but American Law and dealt with the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s and not today. Funny how they could get away with that kind of crap, but they did and now here he was, knowing his support for the Rabbi would really amount to nothing and that even Trace Vickers wouldn’t be able to stop the juggernaut that was rolling towards the Rabbi.
They even had interviews with many of the old timers, who talked about the horrors of the death camps, one old timer rolling up his sleeve to show the pale etched number still visible on his forearm, spittle at the corners of his mouth, as he demanded that the young hooligans who had defiled the Shul should be horsewhipped. If anything, the whole parade of victims and survivors was nothing more than a horse and pony show for the camera, many of the old timers too wrapped up in the horror that had been their youth, too desperate in their desire to see hatred stamped out, that they came across as nothing but hateful themselves. It really was sad to have watched and yet too he felt angry at the media, who used it as a means of attacking the Rabbi.
It was bizarre really at how they made the Rabbi appear to be the villain but he was the one who set Neil Schellenberg free, he was the one who was attempting to end the so called cycle of violence that the National News anchor had spoken of, but he was the one being hung out to dry. Maybe he couldn’t do much but he couldn’t sit back any longer. This was his day for firsts and even though he saw Sam’s angry look, he really didn’t care. Besides he had paid his dues this afternoon, and while he knew he would have to watch how he spent his money until he got on his feet, the $500 for the year would at least insure him a vote at the next general election and he could maybe do something then to prevent Sam from gaining what he coveted most, the Presidency of the Temple Board. It would be a small solace for the Rabbi, but there was still some hope as he walked over to Saul and shook hands with him and Trace Vickers.
“So, Myron, I hear congratulations are in order? Yes?”
“Huh? Oh, well, not yet, I uh, I haven’t dared ask yet, but afterwards, I mean later tonight, I hope…”
“Well let us hope it is a joyous evening then all around.”
“I hope so, but Saul, it doesn’t look good.”
“No, no it doesn’t and I think this time Sam will have his way.”
“How many do you figure, Mr. Winestock?”
“How many? I don’t know, the Rabbi might be able to sway a couple, but I think it won’t be enough. If only the news hadn’t been so damning, maybe then he would have stood a chance, but now, now I think we will lose, our Rabbi.”
“But he has a contract Saul… surely they can’t just fire him?”
“No, I think at best they can only serve him notice that they won’t renew, correct Mr Vickers?”
“As it stands, yes. Of course the board could reverse that decision later on, but as the current contract term expires in 4 months, well, you know the board members better Mr. Winestock, what do you think?”
“I think that Sam has scared them all, but as you say there are 4 months to go, so perhaps, perhaps.”
“The board elections though, they are in November?”
“Yes and there too, we may see some changes, hey Myron?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not.”
“You going to run, Myron?”
“Me? I don’t think so Trace… I doubt if I will have the time, I uh, well I left the firm today.”
“What? Myron, why for goodness sake?”
“I don’t know, it just, well, I couldn’t take it anymore; besides Sam wanted me to drop the Fisher case, said it was too political for the firm, bad for the reputation you know?”
“What are you going to do? Do you have another firm to go to or?”
“I don’t know Trace, maybe open up my own practise, deal in family law more, which is really what I prefer, dealing with kids rather than adults, but that is for tomorrow. Tonight I am here to see if somehow we can’t keep the Rabbi employed.”
“Family law huh? Why don’t you come see me in the morning Myron, maybe we can work something out, I don’t deal in that area, but I do get requests, say around 10?”
“Really? Okay Trace, I will.”
“Good, see Myron, there is always hope, maybe some of that will rub off on our Rabbi, nu?”
“Halevei”
Steve Ferguson
Steve sat back in the dark leather seat of his car, resting his head against the rest as he kept one eye out on the fancy house, the other checking his mirror and the road ahead. He had taken this first watch himself, to get used to the area and to see for himself how best to position the surveillance of it. The house was an older styled Tudor and the thickets were pretty huge but it was all finely manicured, befitting its location in the prestigious Uplands. It still kind of amazed him at the opulence that was here, and yet not in any garish way like it was up over at Broadmead. Here it was more refined, more dignified or so it seemed but then maybe that was just because it was older. He still chuckled at the old iron gates that adorned all the entrances to the Uplands, remnants from a time when the community actually stationed guards at those gates and kept them locked so the masses couldn’t enter. He wondered what some of the civil rights people would have thought of that, or better yet, what would today’s media have made of it?
Thinking of those idiots only got his blood pressure up and he knew he had to calm down, only trouble was he didn’t quite have the same feeling about this as Debbie did. He still had that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that they were missing something, something important, but what? His eyes left the house and street for a mere moment and went back down to the open file on his lap. It did make sense, the way they looked at it, but maybe that was the problem, maybe they weren’t looking at it from the right angle?
There was little doubt that the person living in the house he was watching was influential. There was no mistaking that he had the power to have watched and even perhaps have influenced the Treat case back then, but why would he? What was his motivation for doing it or was there even one? Was he the missing piece or was he what he appeared to be, just a powerful figure doing his public duty by being or appearing to be involved in the local community?
He turned his attention back to the house and suddenly he saw the figure walking along the sidewalk. He quickly made a note of the time and watched discreetly, scrunching down to avoid being visible as the sauntering figure came closer to the house. Steve was able to discern that it was a young male, maybe 17 or bit older, and he had long flowing hair, too, as he walked towards the house. He saw him stop at the front walk, look around, and then casually make his way up to the front door, where he obviously rang the bell. Steve saw him look around, as if the kid was making sure no one was watching and then the golden light flashed out as the door opened and there stood the Judge himself.
There was no mistaking him as he had that face that you could easily pick out in any crowd. There was also an air of distinction about him that, no matter where he was, you could feel it and Steve saw it clearly reflected by the hallway lights. The Judge seemed pleased, too, as he had a big smile on his face as he stepped aside to let the young man in, checking the street briefly as he followed the boy inside his home, closing the door. Steve sat there, slowly taking in deep breathes as he contemplated his next move.
First, he quickly jotted down the time in his notebook and then glanced down at the file, saw the notes where it listed the baseball coaches for young Cory Treat’s team, the one he played on when he played. Assistant Coach was Judge Caleb Albamere, recently appointed to the British Columbia Appellate Court, a well known justice who was considered by many to be too liberal. His Honour had been married, his wife passing away from Cancer many years ago and they had no children either, yet the Justice was well known for his work with youth groups. He was on the board of Big Brothers, worked with the Christian Youth Groups and helped coach a minor league baseball team, the one that young Cory had been on and which also the Fisher boy’s had been on.
His hands gripped the wheel as he realized what he had just recited to himself, and his face quickly turned away from the Tudor house and stared back down at the file opened on his lap. There were four adults listed on the sheet, Judge Albamere, Cooper Strathmore, Tommy and Walter Fisher. Suddenly it all became clear to him and he sat there, wondering what his next step ought to be.
Should he call Debbie or should he wait until tomorrow? There was something else he could do as he turned his face towards the house and looked at it. If he were right, then what was going on inside that house might not exactly be good for the Judge, but it wasn’t what he and Debbie had suspected either. The Judge was 69 years old, his wife had been dead for at least 15 or more years, and they never had children, which fit with what he was thinking. He tried to dredge up what he knew about the Judge, and as he sat there, it became more clear to him that they were on the wrong track. The Judge wasn’t the one, but as his mind tried to accept that, his heart knew where they should have been looking and he turned back to the report, staring at the four names listed there for coaches.
Steve realized that before he could proceed on his new assumption, he would have to eliminate the Judge as a suspect. It was risky, what he thought of, knowing that he could potentially taint the case if he were wrong, but he had to know, he had to be certain. So he quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door. He waited for a moment, glancing at his watch, and then reached back inside to grab the folder and head across the street to the old style Tudor house. He saw the lights dimmed in the front area as he approached the house and saw the brighter lights still burning upstairs and he knew he was right, knew it in his heart but could he prove it?
The Board – Part 2
They were already running a good half hour behind schedule but Saul wasn’t in any rush for what he knew would be a tumultuous meeting. He could see Sam’s constant arm twisting and he knew inside that he was partly to blame for the predicament that the Rabbi was now in, but he had to give it to him, he certainly wasn’t about to go down without a good hard fight. He smiled at that, knowing what no one else knew but which would be certain to get tempers flaring as soon as the meeting began.
Finally the time came and everyone filed into the spacious conference room. The Sisterhood had set out the table and he could see the cups and thermos mugs of hot coffee and tea laid out so everyone could easily have a cup of coffee. There was also pastry set out which brought a smile to his face, knowing it was typical women, always thinking that food was the cure all and Jewish women especially. He chuckled a little as many of the board quickly reached for some strudel or other tasty titbits.
On a more serious note, he noticed how the board also divided itself, how Sam took the opposite end of the table, a place he rarely sat but clearly showing his opposition to Saul and the Rabbi of course. The board for the most part all angled downwards towards where Sam sat and only a few were brave enough to sit nearer to the head of the table, the place reserved for the President. Normally Sam would site on his right, the spot for the Vice President, and then the Secretary and Treasurer would follow, tonight they all sat down at the other end.
He waited until everyone had seated themselves and had filled their cups with tea or coffee and had a plate of something in front of them. Then he quietly knocked on the door leading to the Rabbi’s inner office and returned to the table, surprising many by taking the seat normally occupied by Sam, leaving the head of the table open. It was a clear sign of who he supported which brought an angry frown to Sam’s face. Well, so what Saul thought, after all he could play the theatrics a bit too when pressed and this was important, worth the effort. He waited as the door opened and finally the Rabbi emerged, but not alone.
Sam was up on his feet already the instant that the second person was visible behind the Rabbi and he was demanding an explanation, his voice irate as he realized for the first time perhaps that this Rabbi wasn’t going to go quietly, as he had expected. He didn’t understand, it seemed, that this time he was actually fighting someone who was not impressed by him, by his standing and so the first round obviously went to the Rabbi as Saul gavelled him out of order in a soft but cold tone that already had many of the board whispering to themselves. What appeared to have been cut and dried was now up for grabs, as Sam quickly understood and quickly took his seat, not willing to antagonize the soft core supporters.
Without a word, the Rabbi sat down at the head of the long conference table and just as quietly everyone watched as first Joshua sat down next to his father, then a tall blonde boy they all recognized from the news sat down one seat away from Joshua and next to Trace Vickers the goyish (non Jewish) lawyer. Next to Joshua, Joel took the chair out, then looking at his brother and then across to Saul Winestock and then finally down the long table, he walked back and stood next to Robbie Fisher, quietly indicating to him he should be next to Joshua. Some of the older members began to murmur as Robbie looked up at Joel and then down the table and then at the Rabbi who smiled for the first time.
As Robbie moved to sit next to Josh Goldberg and Joel Goldberg sat next to the lawyer, Saul brought his gavel down firmly, and glaring down the table at Sam he called the board meeting to order, welcoming the Rabbi and then welcoming Trace Vickers to the gathering. In a surprise move before Sam could interject, Saul also warmly welcomed the Goldberg boys and Robbie Fisher as invited guests of the Chair, forestalling any possible objection from Sam and then with a calm voice, staring directly at Sam Ginsberg, he introduced Myron Schecter.
Saul “Nu, we all know why we are here, so we should perhaps start this off with a motion, I think that as this emergency meeting was requested by Sam Ginsberg, Sam should be the one to present the proper motion so we can get on with discussing this, Sam?”
Inside he was seething as he stared out non committal towards Saul and then to the Rabbi. So they wanted to play games did they, well he was an experienced litigator and he knew how to play to an audience, the Rabbi might know how too but Saul was way out of his league on this. All Sam had to do was appear calm and rational, and then hammer home his points with each opportunity, an opportunity he knew Saul would give him.
Sam “Well, I think that, I would prefer that the motion be made by someone else Saul, but as you seem insistent, fine. I move that the Board terminate the contract of Rabbi Goldberg on the grounds of improper conduct.”
Saul “I am afraid that is out of order Sam.”
He was about to take to his feet, when Saul’s calm, cool voice made him start and look askew at the man. Out of Order? Was Saul really going to try and muzzle him this way? God the man must be crazy or something, if he thought such cheap tactics could win the day on this issue. It was ludicrous if the Rabbi and his few followers could muster the votes to sustain any motion including one to over-rule the Chair.
Sam “Excuse me? How can…”
Saul “As any good lawyer will tell you Sam, the Board cannot terminate a Rabbi’s contract, it can vote to not exercise any clauses, such as the renewal clause, but it cannot terminate the contract. That requires a vote by the entire congregation; so, if you want to change your motion to request such a vote, that you can do, but this board cannot terminate the actual contract.”
Sam “Now just a minute Saul. I am a lawyer and I disagree. The board has the power to do just that, if it feels the Rabbi is endangering the community or has…”
So much for the easy win huh Sam, or so Saul thought as he peered down the table at him. He suddenly realized that most of Sam’s reputation was nothing but bluster and more than that, Sam’s ego was too big and if he could prick that ego a bit, perhaps he could damage Sam’s position enough to sway the needed votes. As it stood, he doubted if they could survive, but as seemed to be the case with the Rabbi and all that tszuris happening, you still had to give it your best shot. Sam liked to think he was King Lawyer, well maybe under normal circumstances he was, but tonight he had competition, so why not make the most of it, let the board see that the great Sam wasn’t exactly top dog everywhere.
Saul “Well you are a lawyer, but we also have two other lawyers here. Mr. Vickers, you are a well known civil litigator, what is your opinion on the matter?”
Sam “Now just a second, while I am aware of Mr. Vickers prowess, he has no standing here, his opinions aren’t relevant.”
Saul “Sure they are Sam, as President I can ask for outside opinion. Mr. Vickers here has been asked, besides that, he is representing the Rabbi and as such does indeed have standing here as you legal types like to say, so please, Mr Vickers?”
Trace Vickers had to smile at the Board President. He had met him briefly and hadn’t been exactly impressed by him but listening to him now, he felt very differently. Perhaps there was something about them, the way they could appear one way and then suddenly be totally different. He had seen lawyers refine that particular art and he liked to think he was one of those, but the change in Saul Winestock even had him buffaloed. This could be an interesting meeting after all, and not the foregone conclusion that he had surmised it would be.
Trace Vickers “Thank you, Mr. President, Gentlemen, with all due respect to my colleague, Mr. Ginsberg, I have to say that in my opinion the President is correct in his interpretation of the Temple’s rules. I would also say that, in my expert opinion, a Court would so rule should the matter be brought before them, which I can safely say would more than likely be the case, if this board did indeed act in such a manner. I hope that is clear enough for everyone?”
Saul “Thank you. Perfectly clear I think;, however, before going on, we have another excellent legal mind here. Perhaps we can hear his thoughts on my ruling? Myron?”
The sudden calling of his name made him jump a little as he had no advance warning that Saul would call upon him. He naturally assumed Saul would use Trace Vickers and his well known reputation to bolster his ruling, but to call him? It was almost as if he were setting Myron up for something, something that he wasn’t too sure he would appreciate either, but for now he had to speak, and at least he had some concept of contract law so he wouldn’t look like a complete moron.
Myron “Uh, Thank you, well, I am not primarily a civil litigant like either Mr. Vickers or Sam are, but from what I have read of the rules governing this board and its dealings with contracts for a Rabbi, as well as how the basic Rabbinical Counsel handles these issues, I would have to agree with Mr Vickers. I think a court would not look favourably on any case brought before it were this board to actually terminate the contract that is in existence nor do I believe that the Rabbinical Counsel would accept such an action either. I think that this board would only put itself into deep legal troubles if it were to over rule the Chair on this matter.”
Saul “Thank you! Well, we have two expert legal opinions who support my ruling. See if maybe the other members of the board wish to accept or over rule my decision?”
Well score one for the accountant but this was not over. Sam glared at Saul with such hatred that there was no way that those around him couldn’t see it, and he could sense their unease, which quickly brought him back to the moment. Okay, so the wily bean counter had managed an end run, well two could play that game as he leaned back in the chair, his hands hidden on his lap.
Sam “Very well, I will bow to the Chair’s ruling on this. In which case, I will offer a different motion, that being that this board seek a special election by the congregation to terminate the current contract of Rabbi Goldberg on the grounds that the Rabbi has endangered the good standing of this community with our non Jewish brethren, second that this Board moves a motion of non confidence in the Rabbi and that it further terminates the appropriate renewal clauses of the existing contract, pending the outcome of the general election by the congregation. There, does that meet with the Chair’s approval for being in order?”
For a moment, when Sam had glared at him, he felt the hatred, the raw anger even and he felt the fear inside of his heart and yet he didn’t flinch, didn’t bat an eye even, which amazed him more than Sam’s anger. He never thought he was a brave man, never really tested that part of his manhood actually and he had to admit, it felt kind of nice to not back off, to not avoid the confrontation that was only just beginning between him and Sam. He also saw others staring at him, but not with anger or hatred but with something else, something he had never seen people have when looking at him, and that was with respect. Maybe Abner was right, that it wasn’t so much the victory that was the thrill, but how you played the game that determined if you were worthy or not.
Strange how he could sit in the chair without flinching and think of all this while time marched on and yet he knew it was really only a second or two. It felt so good, that just like Sam, he leaned back and even stretched, then with a slight nod of his head and a small smile on his lips he spoke, in a voice that oozed condescension rather than compliance.
Saul “Again the Chair feels you are out of order. You are mixing three separate motions into one. I would suggest that perhaps you start by simply making a motion of non confidence, if that fails your other motions would appear moot, wouldn’t they, Sam?”
Sam “Fine, I am not going to sit here all night being bogged down in some mumbo jumbo. I move that the Board hold no confidence in Rabbi Goldberg as its spiritual leader.”
Saul “Fine, to speed this up, I’ll second the motion so we can get on with the discussion. So Sam, your motion.”
Sam “I think we all have seen the news reports. There really isn’t anything to add to them. We have a Rabbi who condones deviant behaviour, and as much as I have nothing against homosexuals, the Bible is clear on it being a sin. Our Rabbi has come out saying he supports it, and that isn’t all, he encourages it, though I suspect he has no choice given that one of the parties is his own son. But the fact is, he has made it seem like this community, this congregation, supports such deviant behaviour. And that isn’t all, please Saul it is my turn, he has come out and while on the one hand supports such behaviour, he has also encouraged anti-Semitism as well by allowing some hooligan to get off scott free on painting those… those images on our very Shul walls.
I am sorry Rabbi, but that is not how I envision a spiritual leader acting. Quite frankly, I think you should resign and save us this added nonsense of putting this to a general vote of the congregation, but as has been pointed out, those seemingly are the rules.”
Saul “Yes they are Sam, rules which you helped write by the way, so don’t act so put out by my simply enforcing them. Now, is there anything else you wish to add in your opening remarks?”
Sam “Thank you for pointing that out Saul, yes I did help write these rules you have twisted to try and prolong this agony. I do have more to say on this matter.”
Sam leaned forward now and stared at each board member directly in the eye before he moved his attention to the Rabbi, who so far had said nothing, who had hardly moved a muscle really. Sam could see the anger written all over the three children next to him and he knew the spot to attack, knew the weakness to the man who stood opposed to him.
Sam “As much as the Chair seems to want to make this a personal matter between us Rabbi, I want to say for the record that as a fellow Jew I have nothing against you, in fact I would go so far as to say I applaud your defence of your son. But Abner, you weren’t speaking as a father on television when you claimed that homosexuals were not sinners, you were not speaking as a concerned parent when you said that these deviants were welcomed in our place of worship, you were speaking as a Rabbi, as our spiritual leader and you over stepped your bounds. You had no right to speak for this community on that issue, that is not your place and now your actions could lead to terrible repercussions against all of us. In fact they already have, as anyone who came in off Pandora Avenue could clearly see. This board needs to re-establish its credibility with the community we live in. To do that, we must stand aside from your remarks and your obviously biased opinion. It is the smart thing to do Rabbi, and I think this board knows me well enough to know that I speak only for their best interests, for all of our best interests, when I say that you are a liability to this community now. As much as it pains me to say it, say it I must Rabbi.”
Robbie “Please… uh, May I say something?”
Saul could see that many of the board were nodding their heads at Sam’s words and by his count he knew that the Rabbi would be lucky to hold 4 votes out of the 17 and as much as he hated to admit it, he felt that this was a losing proposition until he saw Robbie’s face and heard his soft quiet voice intrude on the babble of voices. In an instant he saw everyone’s attention gravitate towards the solemn faced young man who stared at no one, who looked at no one person, but who had suddenly commanded everyone’s rapt attention.
Saul” Certainly, in case anyone here doesn’t know this…”
Sam “Now just a minute here. How can you let him speak, I don’t even know why he is allowed to be here. This is supposed to be a meeting of the board and not some debate club, I really must object.”
Saul “Yes, well, he is here because I invited him as is my right being the Board President. As to having a say, I am granting him that right. He can’t vote but he surely should have a say, especially considering how you have made his relationship and the Rabbi’s defence of him a cause for this meeting in the first place. Now maybe you know all about this homosexual stuff Sam, but I don’t, and I don’t think many of us on this board do either, and who better to get some idea of what it is about than from one who just happens to also be at the centre of all this tszuris?”
Damn it, where did Saul get such backbone all of a sudden? By now he should be hiding under the table and yet instead there he sat, calm, cool, almost as if he were enjoying himself. Well he would put an end to that, because no matter what Saul might think about those kind, he knew the Board wouldn’t exactly embrace them, even without all the other meshugussem.
Sam “This is ridiculous, Saul. I don’t know what you are trying to do but this is not the way to win friends or support. My God man, don’t you realize how serious this is?”
Rabbi “I think, Sam, that Saul may realize it a lot more than perhaps you do. If you are right, what difference does it make if the boy speaks?”
Sam “Rabbi this is highly improper, he is not only not a member but he isn’t even Jewish…”
Rabbi “Now there you are wrong Mr. Lawyer. He is indeed Jewish, after all the whole world came from the same seed, he is as much one of the chosen as any one here.”
Sam “That is semantics, he is not a practising Jew, and this whole business is wrong…”
Rabbi “I think, Sam, you should sit down, nu? Let the boy speak if he wishes, this is still a free country, no?”
Saul “Go ahead, uh, for those who may not know, this is the young man being talked about on the news, Robbie Fisher.”
Tiny little beads of sweat were showing up on his forehead and he could feel the knot in his stomach twisting and turning inside of him as he stared at Saul and then over to the Rabbi. He had done so much for him and now his whole future was at stake as a result. He couldn’t not speak and he prayed for help and as he turned away from the Rabbi to stare down at the faces arrayed against him and the Rabbi, he felt the gentle touch against his leg, and he saw the hand lightly resting there and his eyes moved towards Joshua’s face and he saw the power of what they had together, at what Joshua’s father had given him. With that image now dancing in his mind, he found his voice and his courage and he stood up to face the many strange faces of the men at the table. He took their measure, quietly looking at each man, squarely in the face and refusing to let their looks intimidate him or cower him as he finally let his eyes rest on Sam Ginsberg’s face.
Robbie “I don’t mean to cause a whole lot of trouble here, I never wanted that. I am not even sure, really, how all this started, but I can’t just sit back and let all of you think that the Rabbi here is anything less than a man of God.
I know it may seem strange coming from someone like me, I never really was much on religion and all, but you have all heard the stories about me, guess the television took care of that for me. I just want to say that I am here today because of the Rabbi, because he came and talked to me and did something that no one had ever done before. He told me simply that it was okay to be me, that I didn’t have to hide or be ashamed of who I was because it wasn’t my choice. I was made to be who I am by someone more powerful, more intelligent than me, which you have to admit, is kind of an awesome thing to tell someone who thought they were sh.. they were dirt. I can’t explain how it felt, I mean you have to have been in that place that I was in, not the shrink hospital, but the place my heart and my mind was in, where to me the only way out of the pain, the only way I could stop running was to die. It was all I had until I talked to Rabbi Goldberg, and maybe it sounds corny, maybe it sounds kind of, well sappy, but when he spoke about God, when he told me that God loved me for me, it wasn’t words. I mean, you could see it in his eyes, the way they glowed, even how he held me, how his hands touched my slit wrists and how the pain I felt there just left, just simply vanished long enough for me to see he was telling me the truth.
I don’t know what a Jewish spiritual leader is supposed to be or do, heck I don’t even know what my Pastor’s role is supposed to be, but what Rabbi Goldberg did for me, that is being a man of God, and I am alive now, willing to face my demons because of him.
All this stuff about me and Joshua, well I won’t deny it. I suppose I could, but why? I am who I am, Rabbi Goldberg showed me that, showed me that I was created and not moulded by some society, some set of man made values, but that God’s hand made me who I am now, and I am gay, so that wasn’t my choice, it was God’s. If you want me to say otherwise, then you are asking me to once more abandon God, and if you want the Rabbi here to stay silent, then you are asking him to deny God too.
Uh I am sorry, I know that many of you don’t understand all this talk about being gay, to be honest I don’t understand it either. I doubt if the Rabbi does, but I know how I feel. I know that I almost lost my life because I tried to run away from who I was and that isn’t right. Rabbi Goldberg showed me that, and more. I think, if you let him, he can show you too. And for what it is worth, I think if you let him go, you all lose, not him, but all of you.”
There was absolute silence in the entire room as Robbie sat down in his chair. He didn’t look at anyone except to glance over at the Rabbi who simply smiled at him with a tear in his eye. That was enough for Robbie who reached out with his hand and firmly took Joshua’s hand into his own. He had spoken from his heart and though he didn’t think it would make any difference, he knew he had to do what he had. He felt that glow again and he heard that soft gentle voice near his heart and he smiled a little as he looked down at the table in front and then over towards Saul and Myron. He saw their wet eyes too and he felt at peace, knowing that he had overcome one more hurdle in his quest to rid himself of the secrets that had tortured him for so long.
Sam could see some of the board members, their faces looking softer and less demanding than he had wished for. He could tell that the boy’s words had struck a chord within many of them, and he had to give the kid credit, he was eloquent in a sort of raw way, but it didn’t change the fact that he was a sinner. He knew his job was going to be harder now, but as much as he admired the boy’s courage, it just wasn’t right. He had to find a way to break the spell though or else he would lose, and that was one thing he wasn’t going to let happen, no matter the cost.
Sam “Yes well that is well and good young man, and as much as you might think you have found God thanks to the Rabbi, I think it is just that you have found your will to live and have attributed that to him and called it a rekindling of the holy spirit. This isn’t about how he has affected you, though thank God he has in the way you say, no one wants to see any child die at their own hands, but the Rabbi’s responsibility is towards his whole congregation not just one. It would be nice if we could all afford our own Rabbi, but we can’t, and in this I am afraid that Rabbi Goldberg has let us down in order to win you, for, and please, as much as this is distasteful for me, I think it is the truth, that he has sacrificed his obligation to his own congregation, to his own kind in order to save you for the pleasure of his own son. Now Saul please…”
The sheer audacity of the man was unbelievable and yet Saul had to admit that it had gotten his point across. He could see it reflected in many of the faces down the table and he swore silently to himself, wondering what it was that was driving Sam to this extreme? Did he really feel threatened by the Rabbi or by the thought that gays were no different than himself? How could he be so mean spirited in his quest to be the head Macher?
Myron saw the Rabbi flinch at Sam’s words and he despised the man for them, and yet he had to admit, it was perhaps the only way for Sam to regain his hold over the board. He had to negate the words spoken from the heart by Robbie, and how better to dilute them than to imply an impure reason for them? It really reeked but it was a tactic that appeared to be working.
There was shock on Robbie’s face as he stared blankly at the man at the far end of the long conference table. He could feel the mood changing and he could feel the despair reaching for him. He saw how the President leaned forward with a glowing anger in his eyes and he saw also his own lawyer leaning forward, but before they could speak, he saw the Rabbi’s hand gently tug at the President’s sleeve and then as he began to lean forward, to speak, he heard the chair next to him squeak and he knew that Josh had risen to his feet.
Josh “Such narishkeit, my father would never do that, he is a man who believes in God, not in some inter faith society or in how well the goyem will like him. What is it, are you so scared of us queers that you are willing to cast such accusations against my father so we will leave? If you are so frightened of us, come after us; leave my father out of this. He is a good man, better than any of you ever could be… ”
Joel “Josh…”
Rabbi “Boychik, hush, this is not how you do it kind, yes?”
Josh “Yes, I am sorry Papa, uh to everyone, it is just that, well, I just know my father, to even think he would go against his beliefs of what God is, of what Judaism is, is meshugussem, it is.”
Sam could sense the opportunity now. The boy had lost his composure and as much as he wanted to reach out and throttle the mouthy boy he knew he had to play this right if he were to succeed in doing exactly what he had set out to do.
Sam “I am sorry you feel I am out to get your father as a means to get you, Joshua. I have no animosity towards you or even towards your young uh, your…”
Josh “Lover?”
Sam “Uh well whatever it is you call each other, partner perhaps. No you don’t scare me or frighten me, least not in the way you are thinking. I do think though that your choice of lifestyle is wrong and I think it leads to all sorts of trouble, for all of us. What scares me is that the Rabbi, your father, has let his own personal feelings for you interfere with doing his job and there is no other way to put it, no kind way at least. I am sorry if that upsets you boys, but this is how it is, we are men here, used to this. I am sorry for your pain, I really am Joshua, but you are here not by my choosing, I wish you weren’t simply so you would be spared this, but alas, that was not for me to decide, was it Saul?”
Sam thought he finally was gaining the upper hand as he looked calmly at Saul, seeing the anger on Josh’s face out of the corner of his eye. He had hope for such an explosion and now he was hoping to provoke the Rabbi as well, hoping to finally be able to bring this whole nonsense to a satisfactory conclusion to his way of thinking. His whole body oozed confidence and he could tell it was having its desired effect to on those around him and yet, something was nagging at him, something was tugging at the back of his mind which he couldn’t quite put his finger on. This whole nonsense about supporting gay rights and then letting a hooligan off was too much for him and still, he did have to wonder why the Rabbi had taken such an obviously dangerous course of action. Abner Goldberg wasn’t a fool, so why was he risking his entire career over this? It just made no sense to him as he waited patiently for his plan to fall into place.
Abner stared out at the members of the board, many of whom he knew in a bit more than a passing manner, and yet many he really didn’t know at all. From what he did know, he could tell that Sam’s words were working, that Sam’s playing on their fears of the unknown, of the unexplained was working quite well. In many ways he had to admire Sam, for knowing exactly what to pick up on and exactly how to use those fears but then that is what made him a good lawyer. No, he couldn’t blame Sam really, but then he couldn’t let him win either and so he leaned forward, his own demeanour showing just a slight irritation, just a slight hint of impatience which brought the focus away from Joshua and placed it on himself.
Rabbi “Sam my friend, you are good, a very good lawyer indeed but my friend you are wrong if you think that my job, my responsibility as your Rabbi is to conform to some code or standard that you or your fellow man has devised or enacted in some parliament. As a Rabbi I answer to a higher court, to the Court of HIS LAWS and HIS JUDGEMENTS, not to yours. It is my job Sam to inform you of those laws, to teach them to all who would listen, not just to those who have paid dues to this temple or even to those who claim Judaism as their religion, but to all. That is my job Sam.”
Sam “That maybe how you perceive it Abner, but they aren’t the one’s paying your salary, we are, and we are entitled to some consideration for that at the very least. What you did, Abner, puts us all at risk, puts all the work that many of us have spent a lifetime doing at jeopardy. You may answer to a higher court as you put it, but you took our money in good faith, you still have an obligation to us too, Abner.”
Rabbi “My obligation to you and to this community, Sam, is to be your Rabbi, that may mean doing and saying things that you might not agree with or even understand. That is why you hired me, to be your teacher as the word implies itself, whether you choose to follow is your decision, not mine. My job is to teach, and the Talmud is clear Sam, God is the only one who can judge if we are sinners, not you, not me, only HIM, and so we cannot condemn someone simply because we perceive them to be sinners, it is not our way Sam.”
Sam “Then what you are advocating is anarchy Rabbi, pure and simple anarchy.”
Rabbi “Not in the least Sam. We have a code of ethics, just like lawyers do and doctors do, but our code of ethics is a moral code, one that starts by demanding that we do what is right, not what is easiest, that at best we must try to do that. Our code is realistic Sam, it doesn’t expect us to always succeed, it only demands that we try, and that is what I have done, nothing more, nothing less.”
Avrim “So what you are telling us Rabbi is that to you these boys are acting according to God’s will? I am sorry, how can that be? The Bible itself condemns such actions.”
Rabbi “Avrim, no it doesn’t, no where does it say that, not in our Bible. In relations it only forbids us from going outside our species, not our gender, nowhere does it say otherwise. That is merely a misconception that those who are frightened by such actions have concocted. I am sorry Avrim, but there is no Biblical source for denying homosexuality, believe me I have looked; I have tried to find the answers. I am as confused in some ways by this as many of you are, but I know this to be true, that what many feel like my Joshua and his Robbie feel, it is not by choice, it is how they were created and if we believe that God created us all, then how can we condemn his own creation simply because they are different and maybe more than that, how dare we condemn what God has created? Is that not a greater travesty than anything else? To deny God’s own creations?”
Ken “You speak like this is certain, while I admit that there is no proof that being gay or not is a choice, I find it hard to believe that it is natural Rabbi, and that is what you are saying, that homosexuality is a natural occurrence. I am sorry but that maybe your opinion, but it is just that, an opinion.”
Rabbi “Is not everything we believe an opinion? Ken you teach at the High School, some kids have a so called natural ability for math, others like Robbie had a natural ability to play basketball. You don’t deny that as being natural, so why would you deny who they are attracted to as being unnatural, simply because it doesn’t conform to popular opinion?”
Sam “Abner you speak like a lawyer, you have your client to defend but we do not live in utopia, we live in a world of men. It is in that world that we must deal. It is idealistic to believe that everything is all part of some grand plan by a higher power; reality, Abner, is that we make what we make, that in countries where such behaviour is not tolerated, there are in fact less of them. So perhaps this is not natural but environmental, that we have more people believing they are naturally attracted to the same sex simply because our society is more tolerant. But all this talk, all this digression, doesn’t change the fact, Abner, that you took it upon yourself to align this community on one side of the issue, that you not only did that without consulting us, but you did it in the most public manner possible. Now we are placed between a hard rock and a hard place.
If we support you we are at risk, if we denounce you we are at risk. Either way Abner, you have taken away our right to decide, and that isn’t being a Rabbi. You yourself just said it, that it is our choice to follow what you believe is God’s words, or not to, but by your actions you denied us that choice, is that not failing in your job by your own definition, Abner?”
All eyes were on the Rabbi as Sam leaned back in his chair. He had found the weak spot and Sam could see it in Abner’s face. He had hit him in the one area where Abner could not talk his way out. If he was only being a Rabbi, how could he deny the simple right of his congregation to have a choice, to decide for themselves if they supported or opposed such relationships? No, he knew he had him and more than that, he could sense the board’s support as well.
Abner had to admit that Sam had him in a corner as he looked out at the Board and saw the closed blank looks. While some had managed earlier to look at him, now most turned their eyes away and yet in his heart he felt that Sam was wrong. That his actions were not a matter of personal choice but that it was doing the right thing. Did he over react? Did he deny his congregation that simple but important option to have a choice? He couldn’t answer that as perhaps Sam knew he couldn’t, not because it would prove him wrong but because he was an honest man who didn’t have all the answers. All he could do was what his heart told him, what he believed was the right thing to do.
Rabbi “No, Sam, I don’t believe it is, simply because I must do what I believe is right. What I did, for Robbie and later for that young boy, Neil Schellenberg, was then and is now to me the right thing. Does it take away your right to choose? No, you are still free to define your own positions. You can still go to the media and say that young Neil should have been charged, you can still go to them and say you oppose homosexuality, and in fact some of you have already done so. So, no Sam, I haven’t betrayed my duty as your Rabbi, I haven’t prevented any of you from objecting. Perhaps what I have done is made it a bit harder for you to walk away without making a choice, and that maybe, Sam, is exactly what a Rabbi must do. To force you to choose, to actually sit there and search your heart to actually make a decision on where you do stand.”
Sam “Many on this Board don’t agree with that, Abner.”
Rabbi “That is their choice to make, Sam.”
Looking at the Rabbi he was amazed at how calm the man seemed to be. Didn’t it dawn on him that his job was at stake, that if this Board did indeed support his motion that he was basically finished here as the Rabbi? Surely he had to know that and yet he acted like it didn’t matter, like he already had his answer and was at peace with his decisions no matter the ramifications. Strange how he could be that way and yet, as much as Sam thought it crazy, he had to admire him for his courage. It certainly wouldn’t be easy for him to gain another pulpit after this type of action and at his age, what was he going to do to support the family?
Sam shook his head a little as he sat back in the chair, knowing he had the votes now, knowing that his quest to end all this foolish talk about gays was over and that the defamation of the Shul would be avenged too. It was too bad that the perpetrator of the crime wasn’t the one to pay and that instead the Rabbi would be the one paying the price, but such actions could not go unpunished, it just wasn’t right.
Saul “Are you finished Sam?”
Sam “Yes, I think everything that needed saying has been said.”
Saul “I see, Rabbi? Do you wish to say anything more?”
Rabbi “No Saul, I think I have made my position clear enough.”
Saul “Yes I suppose so, well… is there anyone else who has something to say? To ask perhaps?”
His eyes moved down the table, trying to gauge how the other members were feeling, how they might have taken all that the Rabbi had said or how they felt about Sam’s own arguments. He wished he could simply adjourn the meeting, let them all digest all that had been said and come back to the issue another day, at least that way perhaps some would understand better what the Rabbi had said, perhaps not but it might be worth a try, but looking down the table he knew that the majority merely wanted to end this now, that they would not accept any delay.
His heart felt heavy as he tried to think, tried to find a way in which he could forestall what he knew would be a terrible shame for his community. There was little doubt in his heart that the Rabbi may have convinced some but not enough. It wasn’t right, and he felt angry because he knew it wasn’t right but could do nothing or think of nothing he could do that would alter what would happen. It just wasn’t right but as he stared at each face, he could tell that time was running out.
Saul “Okay then, if no one else has anything further to add, I…”
Avrim “Just a minute Saul, I have a question I would like the Rabbi to answer, please, if I may?”
Saul “Uh well, sure Avrim, go ahead.”
Avrim “Thank you. Rabbi, I am sorry, all this gay stuff, it is beyond me and while Sam seems to feel that it is a major issue, to me, well it is just beyond me. I am sorry Sam, to me being a faigelah isn’t something to get all worked up over, my Sarah, we were married for 63 years before she passed away, God rest her soul, so I know only one type of relation. So like I said, all this talk about gays smays, it just isn’t that important to me. But what is important to me is how you dealt with that… that Nazi, that so called boy who scrawled those hideous symbols on our Shul, that Rabbi I cannot understand, I cannot see how letting such an animal go free is doing your duty as our Rabbi. I am sorry, but it has to be said, maybe others here are more worried about this gay thing, but to me and I think to many in the congregation Rabbi, it is the desecration of our Shul that worries us. Am I not right?”
Saul saw the small smirk on Sam’s face as Avrim talked and he could see his eyes gleaming as several heads nodded in sympathy with the older man. There was no mistaking their views on that either. Sam had them, he could see that and all Avrim was doing was putting the final nail in the Rabbi’s coffin.
Rabbi “I can understand how you feel Avrim, believe me I can but…”
Avrim “With all due respect Rabbi you can’t. You are simply not old enough to know, but I do, I was there Rabbi, I saw it with my own eyes and only by the Grace of the Almighty was I spared to live and to tell others about it. The horror you cannot imagine Rabbi, no human mind can imagine it but it all happened Rabbi, and those animals are still here, they are still breeding and still passing on their hatred for us Jews, and you Rabbi, you a man of God, have allowed that hatred to go unpunished, to let it go free to spread its evil.
Rabbi, we swore when we left the camps, when the troops came and liberated us, we all swore, Never Again, Never Again, and now here, 60 years later you are saying, Yes Again, Yes Again. No Rabbi I am sorry, but letting that boy go, that was too much, too much.”
Saul “Avrim, we all know the horror even if we aren’t old enough to have gone through it, it is a part of us too, I am sure that the Rabbi…”
The old man turned his lined and leathery face towards Sam and stared at him and then shook his head. The eyes were like burning embers though and Saul could see the fire inside, see the hatred mixed with the pain. It wasn’t going to help the Rabbi that Avrim opposed him, after all the man had gone through in his life and as much as some might deride the survivors and their obsession with discussing the holocaust, he knew in his heart that it was necessary so that the new generation never lost sight of what had happened. He sighed as he realized that the Rabbi could not defend himself from this as well and he felt angry at it, angry that people, his people, were so blinded by their own hatred that they lost sight of what was important.
He didn’t quite understand it all, but he knew that if you wanted to end a cycle of violence, of hatred, you had to start somewhere. Maybe by not charging the young boy the Rabbi had set them on that path, but everyone was too angry to see that, too blood thirsty really and yet he couldn’t blame them. How many centuries had the Jewish race been the underdog, been the scapegoat of the world?
Avrim “Saul, the Rabbi is a good man, you are Abner, but you let a monster loose, one who is laughing at you now. I know, I can hear the laughter, just as I heard it over 60 years ago. You had no right, Rabbi, to deny us justice, none.”
The silence filled the room once more and Sam could feel the anger being directed at the Rabbi. He hadn’t wanted to dwell on this subject, afraid that it would lead to personal attacks and for his part, he was glad that they had been spared the press that a trial would bring, not that he would dare admit to that here.
Rabbi “Avrim, you say I don’t know, you say I denied you Justice, but you are wrong. I do know, our whole race knows about the horrors, the hatred that exists for us simply because we are Abraham’s children. What the Nazi’s did is no less harsh than what the Spaniards did in the inquisition or the Poles during the pogroms (refers to the practise of attacking Jewish settlements in Poland and Russia during ancient times to kill Jews), or the Romans, the Assyrians, the list goes on and on. Our history as a people is filled with Nazi’s of one type or another Avrim, but the cycle cannot end unless we stop it. We Avrim, you and me and my kinder, because if we don’t try to stop it Avrim, then the next Nazi’s might finish the job that was started eons ago, that is why Avrim, that is why.”
Avrim “This history of hatred, it continues because we let it, because we do not punish those who hate, that is why it goes on Rabbi. Now at least, we have the goys willing to try and help us, for whatever reason, and you slap them in the face for it. No Rabbi, that isn’t going to stop the hatred. It is nice to say turn the other cheek, but Rabbi, when you do, all that happens is that your other cheek gets slapped harder than the first.”
The Rabbi could feel his pain; the way his heart ached as it kept the memories of all that he had gone through, he could feel it in his own heart and yet he knew that vengeance wasn’t the answer. He knew deep down in his soul that in this case, locking up a 16-year-old boy would only further the cause of hate and not end its vicious cycle, but could he convince Avrim and the others of that?
Looking at them he rather doubted if he could, but then looking at his own boys, at Robbie, he knew he had to try even if it meant losing completely. There really was no other choice for him, he had chosen this path and so he must see it through, if for no other reason than for his own conscience.
Rabbi “The Talmud tells us, Avrim, that the punishment must fit the crime. What were the options for this young boy did not fit the crime Avrim, it would not stop the hatred but only give it more strength, more credibility. There was no choice but to let him go and hope he would change or to incarcerate him and know he wouldn’t change. I believed then and do now that this way there is at least hope for change. I know the other way there wasn’t.”
Ken “I am sorry Rabbi, but I know these kids. What you did will not end this cycle of hate you speak about, kids need to know that there is a consequence to their actions, even if that consequence may seem too harsh for you. Yes, maybe it wouldn’t end the hatred in Neil, but I can tell you it would make the others think twice before doing something like that. So once more, Rabbi, I am odds with your one on one actions. You don’t grasp that there are more than one person involved, there is a whole community of us looking to you for leadership, for spiritual guidance, not just one, not just Neil Schellenberg or Robbie Fisher even.”
He could see how Sam had worked his magic. On both fronts the Rabbi came across as being too narrowly focused on one single issue, and Sam had played to their basic fears. Strange how men who could forge through, life like many had here, were also so petrified of being held accountable for being Jewish. It was irrational but he too had to admit, he felt like he had to apologize sometimes when some Jew had done something he shouldn’t have, almost like he would be held accountable simply because he shared the same faith. It wasn’t that way with the other religions and for a moment or two he wondered what it was about being Jewish that gave them such unwanted prominence? Was it spite for being first or was it just out of ignorance?
Whatever the reason was it didn’t really matter now, because what mattered was that how this board voted would perhaps define who they were. To him it suddenly wasn’t about saving the Rabbi’s job but about defining the community and he could no longer sit back quietly and not lend his own voice to what most likely was a losing cause, but as it seemed the case with all who were in support of Rabbi Goldberg, it was more about trying than winning or losing. He leaned forward to look directly at Ken Cohen and as he began to speak, he knew what Saul had in mind for him and he shivered a little but he also felt a sense of pride inside, wondering if she would approve or not?
Myron “So what Ken? We lock up kids for years and trust that the others will learn from it? I am sorry, I have seen these kids. Once they get into the system they are lost, and as much as you might think the others learn from it, they don’t Ken. They are drawn to these kids, they have this insane sense that he was simply unlucky, that he got caught. They don’t even think about what it is he did, but I can guarantee you, many who normally stand on the sidelines and watch the Neil Schellenbergs, are talking about it more now in a more meaningful way than if he were waiting for trial.”
Sam “Oh come on Myron, that is just bleeding heart liberalism, you know damn well a good whack on the ass gets more of a kids attention than a calm dialogue on the rights and wrongs of his actions.”
Myron “No I don’t Sam, not in this context and I am fairly certain neither do you, but for now it just doesn’t suit your own purposes to admit that.”
Sam “Now just a minute Myron…”
He stepped in quickly as he saw that look on Sam’s face and he could tell that Sam wasn’t going to back down, that he would do his best to attack in order to keep his victory secure. It amazed him at how one tracked Sam had become and yet, deep down, he really didn’t think Sam was a bad man. just maybe too focused on being recognized?
Saul “Gentlemen, please… let us not get into name calling.”
Myron “I am sorry Saul, it is just that this whole issue here, it infuriates me no end. Neil Schellenberg may or may not be a Nazi in the making, I don’t know, but I do know this, throwing him into Adult court would have made him a martyr with his peers. You know that too Ken, right?”
Ken “Well, possibly, in the short term maybe yes, but…”
Myron “But nothing, because you know that after the trial, after the sentencing is all done, all they will remember is that the Jews pushed for him to go to jail for nothing more than spray painting some crap on their walls. Do you really expect some 14 year old, who gets pissed at something one of us does or says, is going to remember Neil Schellenberg’s trial before he goes out and paints a swastika on the Shul walls? No he won’t! He will only think about how poor Neil got stiffed by the damn Jews and the damn Jew Lovers, which will only increase his anger, his hatred, and maybe he won’t stop at just painting a swastika, because the hatred will have a hold of him, and God only knows what he will do then. No Ken, short term or not, what the Rabbi did here was right, it may not work, I’ll grant you that, but it was right, if we want to end the cycle of hate, of course if all we want is retribution, is vengeance, then yes what he did is wrong, because it won’t give us that. So maybe instead of you all condemning him, you might want to re-examine why you are so upset at what he did? Is it your own lust for vengeance?
Avrim “Yes, I want vengeance, why shouldn’t I want that? I want to see that you don’t have to watch your own mother raped by gangs of guards who stand around laughing and then when she finally dies, to have her lifeless body thrown at you and then be made to bury her, where they then defecate and urinate on her and other lifeless bodies. Yes I want vengeance young man, I wanted it then and I want it now, because these are animals not humans, they do not understand humanity, charity, forgiveness, they only understand brute force. So this young boy, today he walks free knowing he can taunt Jews, knowing that we are cowards and will not defend ourselves; and worse, so too do the rest of the world see that, and it only gives them more reason to attack us.”
Rabbi “No Avrim, as much as you feel you deserve your vengeance, it is wrong. Only God is allowed that because only HE is able to know when it is right and when it isn’t. You have suffered and your own heart is filled with the same hate that you want to eradicate. That isn’t justice, that is just hate, Avrim, the same hate that they have.”
Avrim “I am sorry Rabbi, but you weren’t there, you cannot understand. I am sorry, truly I am, but I know that if we had been strong, if we had the laws we have now, perhaps then the senseless slaughter would not have happened.”
Trace “I am sorry for interjecting here Sir, I don’t profess to know the pain you went through or the horror of it, but you say that if they had the laws we have now, this wouldn’t have happened is false Sir. For in fact they did indeed have such laws under the Weimer Republic, and it resulted in only increased hatred for your people by the masses, and Hitler and his kind only used those liberal laws to seize power. The Rabbi is right, to punish unjustly or over harshly will not protect you but in fact endanger you more. I know this isn’t my place, but as a student of law I had to comment. Forgive me, I mean no disrespect to you Sir or anyone else here, but the simple truth is, mankind has hidden under the law for many of its excesses. As the Rabbi has pointed out, the Spanish Inquisition was in response to the Spanish Law… the Roman destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem was in response to Roman Law. As long as you choose to let human law over ride your moral code, you will have these excesses. I am sorry but history only proves that. What your Rabbi has done is taken this to a higher court, to one that I think is the only court that can affect the changes you want. So to me, his actions are in keeping with his job title and description.”
The room was silent and even Avrim had a strange look on his face as they all sat and stared at each other and as they all considered all that had been said. Sam could sense once more that the mood was changing and he knew he had only one last chance to insure his victory, which was paramount. He really did like Abner, thought he was maybe idealistic and naïve, but all in all wasn’t a bad man, just that he had let his idealism over rule his common sense. You had to live in today’s world with today’s problems and life wasn’t about what was right or what was wrong but was filled with compromise.
There was no doubt in his mind that the law did go to excesses, but on both ends of the spectrum. Just as maybe it might be excessive to have charged and then convict Neil Schellenberg in adult court, it was just as wrong to let him go free. No, the system wasn’t perfect but it was their system and all they really had. All this talk of Higher Courts was nothing but hocus pocus because no one really knew what if anything happened up there, or even if there was an up there. They only had what they could see and so he leaned forward to try and bring this to a conclusion.
Sam “With all due respect to you Trace, society has evolved since the Roman times or the times of the Spanish Inquisition or even the short time since the Weimer Republic. For starters the issue in Germany back then was more about being able to eat than it was about civil liberties, the whole Russian revolution was based on bread instead of guns, and yet they too attacked the Jews, because that is how the world is. Only now, because of Israel
