Jonathan Braun
NY - The spiritual advisor for the Willowbrook synagogue
scheduled to host an “aufruf” Saturday for convicted Staten Island Orthodox
Jewish drug kingpin Jonathan Braun says “it’s a very big question” on how to
properly handle the unique situation.
SILIVE.com reports that Braun and his pregnant fiancé are
scheduled to feted at an aufruf at Young Israel synagogue during this coming
Saturday’s Sabbath services after Braun’s lawyer convinced a federal judge last
month to loosen the terms of his home confinement based on the couple’s deep
commitment to the Orthodox Jewish faith.
Rabbi Yaakov Lehrfield, Young Israel’s spiritual advisor,
says his dilemma stems partly from the fact that there’s a possibility the
wedding may be postponed, but mostly from “backlash” he is receiving from
members of the congregation.
“The synagogue is
very not sure exactly what to do in this situation, and therefore the synagogue
doesn’t know exactly how to pursue it, and it’s a very big question,” Lehrfield
said.
Rabbi Lehrfield added, “The backlash that I get… is should
the synagogue have this public ceremony for him? The board of the synagogue,
which is elected every year by the members, is trying to figure out what is the
right thing to do. There’s no right, there is no wrong. It’s very confusing
because the whole family is here.
Do we punish the whole family?…”
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