יו. דזשעי. קעיר עקזעקוטיוו: ביטע מאכט שלום!

Williamsburg, NY - This past Shabbos, we were informed of an event that was so uniquely documented in Parshsas Masei, that we see no other documentation of its kind anywhere else in the entire Torah. It is for this uniquely documented event that I feel compelled to deliver this message to the ''Yeshiveshe Velt'', ''Chasideshe Velt'' and the Jewish community at large.

Parshas Masei documents the actual date of the Yahrzeit of Aharon HaKohen as the ''First day of the fifth month'', Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, which occurred this past Shabbos. Nowhere else does the Torah document the date of a Yahrzeit. Why did Aharon HaKohen merit having his Yahrzeit documented?

Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av marks the first day of ''The Nine Days'' of mourning the destruction of the Bais HaMikdosh, culminating on Tisha B'Av, the ''Ninth of Av''. Our Holy Temple was destroyed because of ''Sinas Chinum'', baseless hatred. Aharon HaKohen epitomized the exact opposite quality, ''Ahavas Chinum'', baseless love, if you will, loving a ''Yid'' (a Jew) for no other reason than he was a ''Yid''.

But Aharon was much more unique than that. Aharon HaKohen was and is referred to as ''Ohev Shalom'' and ''Rodeph Shalom''. He loved peace and pursued peace. When he saw a quarrel between two people, he would run to each separately and tell him how the other was sorry, but was too embarrassed to approach him and say so. Then he would run to the other and tell him the same thing.

We are reminded on Aharon's Yahrzeit, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, the first of the ''Nine Days'', that our Bais HaMikdosh was destroyed for acting in opposition to the values of Aharon HaKohen.

Rabbosai, it is no secret that quarrels and disputes exist in our communities. The ''gontze olam'', the whole world knows of our quarrels because we make no effort to keep it from the papers. We make our issues so public in the name of being ''right''. Well we are not right. We are so wrong.

As Aharon HaKohen did, I delve where I have no business delving. I am no Aharon HaKohen; I do not profess to be, not even close. And I am sure many a blogger will remind me of that once this is posted. But I feel just as strongly about the issues that tear us apart that I need to speak out. That of which I speak can be applied to any two individuals or group or any community, but I focus now on a particular issue so close to my heart.

Six months ago, I merited to be appointed Executive Director of a new organization called UJCARE (United Jewish Care – United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment). My twenty-three years of business management experience, including eighteen years in nonprofit management, has spanned the spectrum of social welfare needs, including the alleviation of poverty and hunger, immigrant resettlement, advocacy, education and training, Holocaust programs and healthcare, while maintaining personal and professional relationships with several community-based projects serving communities throughout New York. In accepting this position it was and is my desire to remain active in Jewish communal services, with an emphasis on the needs of the Jewish community, the less fortunate and the challenged, programs that provide direct services, ongoing strategic planning and community development.

I know, the preceding paragraph reads like a resume… But bear with me.

A condition of my acceptance of this position was not to be confrontational or adversarial. I was to build an organization that would serve those in need in the capacity to which I was accustomed. Certainly, I had no interest in being part of any propaganda or any street wars that were to ensue within the communities I was to represent and serve. Unfortunately, I am engulfed.

Among the many neighborhoods that UJCARE is reaching out to, UJCARE's home-base is Williamsburg. For the last 35 years, Williamsburg has been served by the UJO (United Jewish Organizations) under the capable leadership of Rabbi Moshe Dovid Niederman. I have known Rabbi Niederman since 1992 when I worked for the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (I left Met in 1998). I had come to know and respect Rabbi Niederman, having had the occasion to meet with him and UJO staff to strategize and duplicate some of the successful programs which I ran for Met Council (the umbrella organization for 25 Jewish Community Councils throughout New York). Back then, Williamsburg was a united, unified community.

In 2004, I was representing a medical facility that was seeking to bring services into Williamsburg, as well as other underserved communities. I had the occasion to meet with Rabbi Niederman. On a separate occasion, I met with Chaim Wercberger, Executive Director of the Central Jewish Council that was formed about 2 years earlier. The two meetings went well until I made the mistake of mentioning to each that I had met or intended to meet with the other. What I had thought was merely competition between two social service organizations, I soon learned, was much bigger than that – a split in the Satmar community. Their war was not my war. I suggested that both entities put their differences aside and sit together at one table to strategize on best serving the community. I failed miserably.

Now I serve UJCARE. At UJCARE, I serve alongside the well-respected Rabbi Leib Glanz, an Askan, a servant of the community who will go to any length to help another Jew.

I have no intention of competing with UJO or Rabbi Niederman. I believe that the need in the community is so great, that no one organization serves all. But the war between the sides portrays the other as the rival. No matter how much UJCARE accomplishes within the short time since they were established, all reports of their achievements are claimed to be exaggerated and they are denied the right to exist. On the other hand, claims against the UJO, with their 35 years of experience are that they have nothing to show for it, leaving a very dissatisfied community.

Who do you believe? Well that depends which side you are from. Which side am I from? I am from the outside. In my opinion, it's the best side to be from. I have no bias, except that I take exception to the attacks on an organization that I helped build and serve.

With all due respect (and I sincerely mean no offense) to Reb Aharon Teitlebaum and Reb Zalmen Teitlebaum, the war of Ahronis and Zalis benefits no one. The entire community suffers. But with each propaganda battle, each side claims victory. (I am sure I will receive criticism from both sides for this, but I'll take my chances).

Most recently, a new battle arose over City Council funding. UJO experienced a budget cut from last year; so did Met Council; so did Agudas Yisroel; so did so many other organizations – Jewish and non-Jewish alike. UJCARE was fortunate to have received an allocation in the amount of $205,000. UJO received ''a mere'' $210,000. Why? I cannot answer, but I will not apologize for that which we fought so hard to receive. That allocation will fund new initiatives for the community, regardless of any rival claim. And our accountability for those funds (once actually received) will be made transparent and crystal clear. Yet those funds are still being contested by the other side.

Unfortunately, the word on the street, in the blogs and hitting the news is that UJCARE stole UJO's money. My dear friends, that claim is ludicrous. Instead of fighting, instead of splitting, if you would only realize that the community has received a total City Council allocation of $415,000. We should be screaming in unison ''BARUCH HASHEM!''.

But that's just one minor example of self-destructive behavior that we are exposed to too. Worse than that are the blogs that portray each of these great community leaders, Rabbi Glanz and Rabbi Niederman as monsters, incapable of leading. I am ashamed that the world must see this.

Rabbosai, Tisha B'Av is coming. How do we reconcile these disputes? Each side will accuse the other of being the source of ''Sinas Chinum'', and it will continue to fester until it destroys us all, ''Chas V'Shalom''.

I am no Aharon HaKohen. I am no Talmid Chochom. I am no Reb Ahron. I am no Reb Zalmen. So how dare I lecture? How dare I preach Mussar to the Rebbes?

I dare! I double dare! Because it was not just an Ahroni Bais HaMikdosh nor a Zali Bais HaMikdosh that was destroyed, but mine as well. It was ours! We are all in ''galus'' for this very type of behavior.

Each side boasts how powerful they are and they are confident they will win this fight. Well, just imagine if we unite those powers. What can we accomplish then?

The Rebbes have the power. I beg you. I implore you. I beseech you. Tell your armies to lay down their weapons. Find a way to resolve your differences and mend the wounds of your communities.

I have been told time and time again that I just don't understand. Well perhaps I don't. And I don't want to.

Baruch Hashem, Bli Ayin Horah, I have children – younger ones and older ones. They fight – ''Narishkeit'', nothing earth-shattering, but they fight nonetheless. It doesn't matter what it is – sibling rivalry, a toy, a game, a seat at the table – it doesn't matter. Sometimes they just want to get ''the other one's goat''. And most often they blame the other one for starting. My response, most of the time, is ''I don't care who started it… I just care who stops it''.

It is time to stop it!

I wish I could be Ahron HaKohen and apologize to Reb Ahron on behalf of Reb Zalmen, and then apologize to Reb Zalmen on behalf of Reb Aharon. But I'm not and I can't.

Dear Rebbes, I beg you. I implore you. I beseech you. Tell your armies to lay down their weapons. Find a way to resolve your differences and mend the wounds of your communities.

Should we still have to fast this Tisha B'Av, may it be a meaningful fast. However, May this Tisha B'Av be converted to a Yom Tov.