Atlanta, GA - January 23, 2012 Like so many in our community, the Atlanta Rabbinical Association was appalled that the Atlanta Jewish Times published an editorial suggesting that Israel should consider assassinating the President of the United States. As individuals across the religious spectrum we have united in condemning not only the column itself but the hyperbolic antipathy behind it. The suggestion raised by Andrew Adler - the paper's owner - in his column, taken from any perspective, hypothetical or not, was an egregious breach of civil discourse and a monstrous betrayal of the trust placed in a communal institution such as a Jewish newspaper of a major city.
Ultimately, this story is out of our hands like the feathers carried by the wind in a famous parable about the impossibility of undoing evil speech. The story has reached major news outlets from CNN to Haaretz making a mockery of the values we hold dear and providing fodder for every anti-Semitic fantasy about Israel and her American supporters.
In the past few hours, we have learned that Mr. Adler has resigned and is seeking to sell the paper. While we are gratified that this step is being taken, we still feel it is important to make clear that the ARA has suspended our relationship with the Atlanta Jewish Times, including advertising, rabbinic commentary on the weekly Torah portion, and providing communal news.
Jewish tradition places great importance on Teshuvah, the heartfelt recanting of past actions and commitment to make amends. Mr. Adler has apologized and now resigned. We take him at face value that his transgression was not committed with malicious intent. Still, in our opinion, Teshuvah in this case will require more concrete measures to redress the damage.We sincerely hope that there are lessons learned from this incident and that something positive can come of it.
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