The New Berlin Wall

The Chabad movement emissary in Berlin has fundraised $8.2 million for the purpose of building a replica of the Kotel (the Western Wall) in the Berlin Jewish Center. He sees this as a clear message that Berlin Jewry is only getting stronger.

Great.

Let's all give ourselves a round of applause for rebuilding our presence in the city that
The concept of 12,000 Jews living in Berlin is disturbing enough.
was the world headquarters of modern Judaism's darkest years. But listen, the concept of 12,000 Jews living in Berlin is disturbing enough. I don't have to sardonically sing the community's praises. I'll leave it to all of you to scratch your own heads trying to figure out how a Jew could want to live there.

What I want to talk about is this new "Berlin Wall" that Chabad has decided to erect. First, the details:

$8.2 million was raised for the project.

More than 19 tons of genuine Jerusalem stone was excavated and shipped to Berlin for the wall.

A photo of the real Kotel was taken, and this Berlin Wall will be an exact replica of that portion of the Kotel, including the plants that burst forth from the real Kotel. It will be a miniature Kotel.

The rabbi behind it has a name that may sound familiar to all of you out there in Aliyah-Land - Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal.

Now, let's take them one at a time.

How can anyone be okay with $8.2 million being dedicated to building a fake wall anywhere? I mean, even $1 million is excessive for what will ultimately just be a piece of "art" in the entryway of the Berlin Jewish Center.

Imagine what can be done with $8.2 million. And I'm not even talking about all the Aliyah-related work that can be done.

But I'm just getting started. Now it gets serious.

They thought it would be a good idea to take more than 19 tons of genuine Jerusalem stone, remove it from Eretz Yisrael and ship it to Berlin for this project. 19 tons. This is not taking a little rock from Israel and bringing it to your children as a souvenir. This is amputating a significant piece of Eretz Yisrael and sending it away to Germany.

Who gave Chabad the right to remove such a large piece of our Land?

But then again, who can blame them? After all, we have a track record of doing these kinds of things, of having this philosophy about Eretz Yisrael in general, and Jerusalem specifically, especially in connection with Germany.

You may know the story of Ezra, who returned to Eretz Yisrael as a prelude to the building of the second Temple. He sent a letter to the Jews of Worms - in Germany - suggesting that maybe they should hop on the bus and come with him. Their
Who gave Chabad the right to remove such a large piece of our Land?
response?

"Peace unto you, Ezra the Scribe! May you be successful in establishing the grand Holy Temple in the grand Jerusalem. We, however, will remain here in our 'small Jerusalem' and with our [miniature] Temple."

So, times haven't really changed much. The only difference is that the second Temple has since been built and destroyed and the modern community in Germany has not built a miniature Temple - just a miniature Kotel.

And then there's the rabbi behind the operation. Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal. Now, I'm sure he's done a lot of good things for the Jewish people. In fact, I'm a major fan of Chabad, in general. But did he stop to think about what his grandfather, Rabbi Yissocher Shlomo Teichtal, z.tz.l., H.y.d., the author of Eim HaBanim Smeicha, would say to him today if he was here?

Like I said, I'm literally sick to my stomach.