Editorial Regarding Attacks on Rabbi Eliezer Silver and the Kosher Industry from 1958 in the National Jewish Post and Opinion

January 24 1958

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The  National Jewish POST and OPINION
Friday, January 24, 1958
 
ATTACK ON RABBI NOT IN GOOD TASTE
• Editor, Jewish POST and OPINION:
THE LETTER by Rabbi Morton S. Baum of Memphis concerning the kashrut situation and his remarks about Rabbi Eliezer Silver were truly in good taste. Rabbi Baum has a pretty good knowledge of the situation regarding kashrut and therefore knows what he is talking about. Also the fact that he (Rabbi Baum) is a very sincere person that does not sell his soul for a mess of pottage should be uppermost in everybody's mind when they evaluate the content of his statements.
 
Unfortunately, the letter by Trude Weiss-Rosmarin in the same issue was not in such good taste, in fact for a woman of her culture and status to call the institution of kashrut with its deficiencies a "racket" is pretty low and common. Her statements about the Coca-Cola incident that if it contains treif ingredients, it is a "miniscule" percentage, is truly amazing coming from her; that she above all should take issue and contradict Rabbi Eliezer Silver. A tiny speck on eye glasses mars proper vision, a tiny spot on her dress would send Mrs. Rosmarin rushing to the cleaner, and a "miniscule" percentage of a strange particle in a person could cause enough trouble for a doctor to take several X-rays.
 
Mrs. Trude Rosmarin refutes the explanation of why the Union of Orthodox Congregations took away the hehsher from Barricini by accusing them of giving hehsherim to other concerns who are open on Shabbos and who are owned by Jews. Why does she not blame them, is she afraid, or is it not the truth?
 
WHAT A change has come over her! Years ago, I used to hear that Trude Rosmarin was one of the most scholarly Orthodox religious women, and today, she lauds Reconstructionists who have been put in herem because of their disbelief and religious misconduct in the faith that pays them very handsomely. On the other hand, she infers that some of our greatest rabbis and rabbinic scholars are dishonest and do everything because of money. This change in Trude Weiss-Rosmarin is very similar to the change that occurred with Dorothy Thompson. With Trude the change is religious, while with Dorothy the change is political.
 
The great strength and influence that Rabbi Silver wields in the American religious community is because, of the fact that he cannot be bought in religious matters, in spite of and contrary to what Trude says indirectly and indirectly. It was Rabbi Silver who was one of the most potent forces in the Vaad Hatsolah, which agency saved thousands of Jews,  and it Is Rabbi Silver who is personally responsible for t h e Chofetz Chaim and Eitz Chaim schools in Cincinnati, and for the raising of a great many thousands of dollars for great institutions of learning and others all over the world.
 
Unlike Trude Weiss-Rosmarin who utilizes her culture and talents for personal gain through the speakers platform, Rabbi Silver, although in his 70's, still flies all over this country wherever he can serve the cause of his people without an personal renumeration. This I know for a fact, because the various times he visited in my city of Louisville, he never even received one penny for expenses.
 
It is sad that Trude Weiss-Rosmarin is a frustrated and embittered woman today, there-fore let us not condemn her too strongly, but rather let us hope that she will emerge from her frustration and confusion and do tshuva, and return to her former self and to her people, who gave her the Jewish culture she could not have found elsewhere.
 
HARRY SIMON Louisville, Ky.