Eliezer Brand
By Eliezer Brand
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Opinion Memo to Belgium: A country that wants Jews doesn’t ban kosher meat
Right before the end of Hanukkah, a holiday that celebrates the right to religious freedom, the European Court of Justice reminded us that this right is very much in peril. Earlier today, the Court upheld Belgium’s effective ban on ritual slaughter, ruling that it does not violate the European Union’s promise of religious freedom. It’s…
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Opinion In 2016, I couldn’t imagine voting for Trump. In 2020, he has my vote.
Four years ago, I couldn’t imagine voting for Donald Trump. Though my politics were always more conservative on social and fiscal issues, pulling the lever for Trump was unimaginable. While all politicians are flawed and many tend to bend the truth, Trump was unique in his blatant disregard for honesty. So you will not be…
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Opinion Why Mike Pence, a proud Christian, represents me, an Orthodox Jew
On Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence will face off against Sen. Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate, in the 2020 vice presidential debate. And I for one am looking forward to it. It’s not that I’m an undecided voter. I’ve already made up my mind that I will vote for the Trump-Pence 2020 ticket,…
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Opinion ICE is forcing Muslims to eat pork. My fellow Orthodox Jews: This is our fight!
In another dehumanizing episode for detained migrants, it’s been reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been feeding pork to Muslims held in a Florida detention center seeking to move to the United States to improve their lives. While most people should be outraged at such detestable behavior, Orthodox Jews in particular should be…
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Opinion De Blasio just lost the Orthodox. It was a long time coming.
A very public clash is developing right now between the Haredi community in Brooklyn and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Over the last few days, the Parks Department welded shut the gates of public parks, mainly in neighborhoods populated by Orthodox Jews. Meanwhile, parks in non-Jewish areas have been allowed to remain open, with no police…
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Opinion ‘He asked if his Rebbi didn’t like him anymore.’ Special needs families are struggling with the pandemic
Sarah W. has six children. The youngest are three-month-old twins. But they aren’t the most challenging. Three of Sarah’s children were born with hydrocephalus, a condition in which spinal fluid accumulates in the brain, hindering development. It took years for Sarah’s children to learn how to dress themselves and feed themselves. When they are taught…
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Opinion Mayor de Blasio’s outburst endangers my community
On Tuesday night, there was a funeral for a Hasidic leader in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Unfortunately, throngs of people attended this funeral. They didn’t adhere to social distancing guidelines, although most in the crowd did wear facemasks. The gathering drew widespread criticism, including from many in our community, and deservedly so. Nobody is exempt from these…
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Opinion The media’s latest hypocrisy: Blaming Orthodox victims of coronavirus
Orthodox Jews don’t use technology on the Sabbath or holidays. When two-day holidays fall on Thursday and Friday, as Passover did last week, it means three days off the grid. But when the peaceful three-day holidays drew to a close on Saturday night, I was filled with a sense of dread. I knew my inbox…
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