Hashem's timing can be exquisite

DVAR TORAH: Toldos

By Rabbi Baruch Lederman

SAN DIEGO–Yaakov left his father’s tent at the precise same moment that Esav entered the tent, just like two people going through a revolving door, so they did not see each other. Had the timing been off by even one second, the angry Esav would have killed Yaakov on the spot.

Hashem watches over us with amazing exactitude, as the following true story, submitted by Rabbi Refoel Levitt, Denver, Colorado, illustrates:

Reb Yaakov Kaminetzky ztz”l, was one of the gedolei hador of the 20th century.  As a young man, he learned in the famous Slobodka Yeshiva. There he excelled in his Talmudic
learning.  The depth and breadth of his knowledge was dazzling.  His insight and analytic precision was knife-like.  Even back then, people knew that he was destined to be one of
the greatest Rabbis of our time.

Torah is infinite. Even a genius of his magnitude, a giant who plunged the depths of the wellsprings of Torah is not going to know and understand ALL of Torah. Indeed there was
one particular Gemorah topic which Reb Yaakov did not know pshat (understanding), despite much effort. He tried, he toiled but he just could not fully comprehend this Gemorah. He revisited this Gemorah many times but never got pshat.

Years later, when he was a Rosh Yeshiva in America, he was told that his shiur would be observed on a certain day by the “administration.”  Sure enough the day those people
were going to observe fell on the day that that Gemorah would be covered.
 
As the day approached, he prayed to Hashem for help.  He reviewed the Gemorah from every angle, dissecting it every way possible.  He continued this day after day, but he still did not know the Pshat. The morning of the observation he seemed as far away as ever from understanding the Gemorah.  Walking into the shiur room, he still did not have pshat.
He said to himself that this was it.  Time was up.  He would tell the talmidim that he did not know Pshat and he was sure that he would be fired.
 
As he was saying over the Gemorah to his talmidim, the pshat suddenly came to him.  He expounded it triumphantly, with energy, enthusiasm, and clarity.

When he recounted the story later he explained that he did not have the zchus to understand the Sugiah on his own merits as a Talmid or a Rebbi.  But in the zchus of his parnasa
(livelihood), Hashem gave him the Pshat so he could keep his job.

When I told this story to my daughter, Sarah Baila Lederman, she told me that as she was listening she expected the end of the story to be that he got the pshat in the merit of telling
the truth, or in this case, deciding to tell the truth.

Although I do not know for sure, I believe a possible reason Reb Yaakov did not attribute the gift of pshat to the merit of his telling the truth, is because Reb Yaakov was so steadfastly and uncompromisingly committed to truth, that it would never occur to him to lie.  Hence he wouldn’t consider it anything extraordinary that he was going to tell the truth despite
the consequences.

Dedicated by Dr. & Mrs. Frank Felber in honor of the 7 Kislev Yahrtzeit of Sarah bas Shmuel.

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Rabbi Baruch Lederman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego

Berditchev rebbe learns value of persistence

SAN DIEGO–Although the Torah records many details of the lives of Abraham and Jacob, not much is known about Isaac. Isaac seems to be a transitional figure whose exploits largely duplicate those of his father, Abraham.

In Genesis 26:17, we learn that Isaac “dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death; and he gave them the same names his father had given them.”

Isaac’s servants then went on to dig two more wells. The water from each, however, was claimed by local tribesmen. Finally, they dug a third well and it was not disputed. Isaac “called it [the well] Rehoboth, saying, ‘Now at last the Lord has granted us ample space to increase in the land.” (Genesis 26:22)

Rabbi Simcha Raz says that we can learn an important lesson from this episode. Although Isaac dug two wells that were taken away from him, he did not give up looking for water. He continued digging until he succeeded in claiming his own well.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev once set off on a trip through nearby villages to collect tzedakah to rescue captive Jews. He traveled from place to place without success. He became discouraged and decided: “I have set aside my study and prayer time for nothing. I would be better off going home and studying and davening.”

He was about to turn around when someone told him about a Jew who had been caught breaking into a home and was arrested and thrown in jail.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak visited the thief in prison. “My son,” he said to him, “Look what you have accomplished for all of your work! Absolutely nothing. Remember this and don’t ever steal again.”

The thief was recalcitrant. “Rabbi,” he said. “I’ll think about it, but I’m not really worried about my failures. Even if I didn’t succeed this time, next time I will!”

The thief’s answer inspired Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. As he left the jail he thought to himself: “If this sinner is not worried about his failed attempt at illicit gain and plans to steal again, how much more should I not allow my failures to slow me down as I try to do a mitzvah!”

With that, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak set off on the road again until he collected enough money to fulfill his mission.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is the spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego

West and Clark to probe Fort Hood massacre

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) –The Department of Defense on Friday released a statement by Togo West and retired Adm. Vern Clark, co-chairs of the DoD independent review related to Fort Hood:

“In light of the shooting at Fort Hood, Secretary Gates has asked us to lead a department-wide review to ensure the safety and health of DOD employees and their families.

“The secretary has given extensive guidance on areas to be examined – areas that cover a broad range of issues, programs, policies, and procedures. Considering the scope of this review, its short deadline, and its importance to the Department of Defense, we will be focused intently on our work during this time. At the end of this process, we will be more than willing to discuss our findings. 

 “This task is a solemn responsibility, and one that we undertake with humility and a firm commitment to fulfill the department’s – and the nation’s – obligation to keep our troops, their families, and all DoD employees safe.”

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Proceeding provided by U.S. Department of Defense

 

U.S. welcomes U.N. human rights resolution on Iran

WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)–The following statement was issued Friday by U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood:

“The United States welcomes the resolution passed today by the United Nationscalling upon the Government of Iran to respect its human rights obligations fully. In addition to longstanding concerns about the human rights situation in Iran, the resolution expresses deep concern about the brutal response of Iranian authoritiesto peaceful demonstrations in the wake of the June 12 election.

“It calls on the Government of Iran to abolish torture and arbitrary imprisonment,as well as any executions, including stoning, carried out without due process of law. The resolution also calls on Iran to cooperate fully with and admit entry to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance.

“This resolution demonstrates that the international community is deeply concerned over the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and the government’s failure to uphold its obligations under its own constitution and international human rights law. Those in Iran who are trying to exercise their universal rights should know that the world continues to bear witness and their voices are being heard.”
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Proceeding provided by the U.S. State Department

Eye-opening Elderhostel course examined history of Crypto Jews in New Mexico

By Janis Colton

CHEVY CHASE, Maryland– Over the past few years, I had glimpses of the world of Sephardic Jewish history that streamed from the period of the Inquisition, but no real knowledge about these Jewish ancestors.

Finally, this past summer (July 2009), my husband Bob, another couple and I signed up for an Elderhostel trip in New Mexico to learn the Converso/Crypto- Jewish story. In my most enthusiastic expectations I could not have imagined what an extraordinary and deeply emotional experience awaited me. My three travelling companions were just as moved and surprised.
We arrived in Albuquerque on a Sunday afternoon, emerging into the heat and dust of the arid climate. The scenery was, to my surprised eyes, bleak and uninviting, not the exciting vista others had described to me. For the next five days I listened to the surprising story, to envisage in amazement how the Converso families who fled there managed to not only survive in such a hostile climate, but to deal with the everyday tensions defending their Converso status.
Two women led our group of 14; Norma Libman was the lecturer/ teacher. Her scholarly depth of knowledge, dedication, and enthusiasmfor the subject sparked similar feelings in all of us. Karen Long, our group leader, provided, with similar enthusiasm, not only a perfectly planned and executed schedule, but knowledge about New Mexico, the Native Indian and Spanish heritages, and even the climate, flora and fauna, and current social and demographic background.
I’m sure the people who read the Kulanu newsletter know much more about the Converso/Crypto experience than I could absorb in five days. So, I will resist telling you the whole story as it unfolded for us, the significant place of Jews in the history both of Spain and of early Mexico and the United States.

In the interest of emphasizing the novelty of the subject for us, I will list some “factual” items that some of my companions told me know that Jews were ever noted as sailors or navigators, let alone dominated the field in the 14 and 15 hundreds.”

“I didn’t know these Jews were so numerous in the settlement of New Mexico and other areas of the southwestern United States.”

“I didn’t know that at the time of the Inquisition Conversos accounted for 40% of the Spanish colonization of the area now known as New Mexico.”

“I didn’t know the Inquisition was active in Mexico and even in the then Spanish held parts of America.”

“I didn’t know the Office of the Inquisition in Spain was not closed until the 1900’s and then only in response to

Spain’s desire to have the Olympics held there.”

And so on!

As a fairly literate Jew, I have read and heard much history.

How could such a dramatic part of Jewish and American history havebeen omitted from my education? We Ashkenazic Jews rightfully hold the Holocaust as the loss of a significant portion not only of our population, but also of our culture and heritage. So, too, was the loss of that cultured and large community wiped out by the Inquisition. Its tattered remnant also fled to our shores and deserves to have its proud tale enrich our study of history. Perhaps the parallels between these two events are too ominous to integrate into our thinking.

The new scholarship being done on our Southwestern Jewish history is quite amazing. ( I thoroughly recommend New Mexico’s Crypto-Jews: Image and Memory, Cary Herz’s wonderful book of photographs, interviews, and essays. And I learned much from Stanley Hordes’ To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico.) As more and more unfolds, it will be fascinating to see if any Crypto-Jewish community survives as such or if it is absorbed into the existing community. Either way, we can all be grateful to have the opportunity to learn about these courageous people.
We are very grateful to the Elderhostel for providing this course.
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This story previously appeared in the fall 2009 edition of the Kulanu newsletter.  http://www.kulanu.org/newsletters/2009-fall.pdf Janis Colton is  a retired Clinical Social Worker, specializing in Adult Psychotherapy. She is enjoying this phase of her life exploring new places, people, skills and ideas.  She lives in Chevy Chase, MD.

Young actor to shave head for role and cancer victims

BEFORE—Joey Landwehr and Daniel Myers with hair intact; both plan to shave their heads to aid cancer victims.
______________________________________________________________
By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO—Daniel Myers, a junior at High Tech High School, always took pride in his hair, which at one point he wore in what some called a Jewfro.  As an actor with the J*Company, he had to trim it to portray Lt. Cable in South Pacific, the first in a series of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals the youth theatre company put on this season.

The upcoming second play in the series, opening Dec. 3, is The King and I –and Myers was selected by J*Company Artistic Director  Joey Landwehr to portray  King Mongkut of Siam.  As famously portrayed in the movie by actor Yul Brynner, King Mongkut was – gulp—bald!

Myers hesitated at first about cutting his hair.  That’s okay, director Landwehr told him, there’s nothing that says an actor must be bald to portray the king.  Coincidentally, Myers received an email from some “very close family friends in Alberta, who shaved their own heads to raise money for cancer.”  The fund-raising letter had a pronounced effect on Myers.  Cutting his hair could not only be for his art, but also could help others.  The actor said he thought of his grandfather, Jim Myers, who is battling cancer in Houston, Texas;  a godfather, Alfie Rich, who succumbed to cancer in San Diego, and also about his role model,  Yul Brynner, who died of cancer after making television commercials ruing his life-long smoking habit.

Myers decided that he would indeed shave his head, while coupling it with an appeal for people to donate money to help cancer victims at the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego – which can be done via the website www.lfjcc.org/miracle  “The money raised will benefit the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children’s Hospital,” according to  Shelley Borree, annual giving officer of the Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The Rady Children’s Hospital has had various associations with the Lawrence Family JCC, home of the J*Company, Myers noted in an interview.  “A few of the Rady children perform at the JCC,” he said, and on one occasion, he recalled a traveling troupe of J*Company actors performed for patients there.  “We specifically chose the hospital because of the cancer research that they are doing.”

Landwehr said when Myers told him about his desire to use his role to help kids with cancer, “tears welled up in my eyes.  I said ‘I want to do it with you.’  I wanted him to know that I appreciate him so much!”

The two haven’t decided where or when they will cut their hair, except that it will be prior to the December 3-10 production to be staged at the Lawrence Family JCC. There is a chance that the hair-razing experience will become a publicity event, with television cameras present.

Landwehr, not wanting to take anything away from Myers, minimized his own decision to shave his head.  “I’m sort of balding a little; it’s not such a loss,” he said.

Myers, son of Jeff and Perla Myers, told this interviewer he doesn’t worry about teasing from classmates at school when he suddenly shows up for classes bald. 

“I’ve been talking to some of the students about it, and they are very supportive,” he said.  “I may inspire them to raise money.” 

Myers also moves in other circles, including Congregation Beth Israel, where his family belongs, and the San Diego Shakespeare Society.

Landwehr told San Diego Jewish World he chose to produce a series of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals not only because the songwriter-composer team were Jewish, but also because recently, when he talked to J*Company actors about the “Golden Age of theatre, some of them didn’t know what I was talking about – so I thought how better to educate them than to immerse them.”

Rodgers and Hammerstein “were the first team to put messages into their musicals, about racism and classism and about how we should treat each other,” said Landwehr.

Alluding to Myers’ efforts in behalf of cancer victims, he said of Rodgers and Hammerstein: “They’re still relevant.”

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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World

Israeli commentary on Obama increasingly views him in Palestinian camp

By Ira Sharkansky

JERUSALEM–There has been a worrisome shift in Israeli commentary on President Obama’s efforts to force peace between Israel and Palestine.

 

A prominent emphasis had focused on the President’s naivete, what one called a ”childish” assumption that his engagement could bring the parties to positions they had not taken on their own.

 

Now there is a concern that the president may actually be advancing the prospect of violence.

 

The possibility comes from only part of a sentence, but it was a presidential sentence that received wide media coverage. Obama said that construction in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo makes it harder to achieve peace, and embitters the Palestinians in a way that could be dangerous.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD9C23HQ80

 

It took less than a day for the media to note that a prominent Palestinian–one who was a leader in the 2000 intifada and muted as a possible successor to Mahmoud Abbas– was urging the launch of popular campaigns to achieve statehood.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129348.html

 

Is it too much of a stretch to see “popular campaigns” as code for mass demonstrations, likely to produce violence and the start of another intifada, and to see the Palestinians finding an endorsement for their actions in Barack Obama’s mention of Israel’s contribution to their dangerous embitterment?

 

To those who say we should not rest expectations on phrases expressed by an American president and a prominent Palestinian, it is appropriate to take another look at history. Palestinian statements and actions going back to the 1930s indicate a deep seated feeling that they have a monopoly of justice in this bi-national dispute. Moreover, they have gone the route of violence on several occasions. Recent statements by several prominent figures provide some justification for Obama’s conclusion that prolonging their lack of satisfaction could produce another round.

 

Was the President simply expressing his worry? Was he careless in overlooking what his comment could add to existing tinder already smoldering? Could he possibly have intended to provide justification for violence, either by way of punishing Israel for not accepting his dictates about freezing settlements, or as an effort to achieve something that would save him the embarrassment of failure?

 

The intensity of American concern with micromanaging the city that Israel considers its capital is apparent in reports that the Consul General in Jerusalem (de facto ambassador to Palestine) meets frequently with Abbas and other Palestinians on the subject of where buildings are to be constructed in Jewish neighborhoods and where they are destroyed in Arab neighborhoods for having been constructed illegally. Daniel Rubinstein came to the position of Consul General in September, after a career in the State Department dealing with Arab, Israeli, and other issues. http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/con_gen.html

 

I can remember when the State Department was a WASP preserve, and more narrowly the place for those who had degrees from Harvard, Yale or Princeton. When Jews began making an impression on the Foreign Service, they were restricted from any placements in the Middle East other than Cyprus or Turkey. The Arabs did not want Jewish American diplomats in their countries, and the State Department did not want them in Israel. Rubinstein is not the first block buster. There have been Jews serving as American ambassadors to Israel, Jews representing the United States in Arab countries, as well as Henry Kissinger. Rubinstein is one more indication that equal opportunity prevails at the upper reaches of the United States Government. One should applaud, but may also wonder if his appointment is the Administration’s way of easing a tough policy on Israel through its Jewish constituency.

 

Whether the President’s statement about dangerous embitterment came by design, clumsiness, or lack of sensitivity, any violence that comes even partly as a result of the President’s comments is not likely to end well for the Palestinians. Arab rejection of the United Nations 1947 partition and going to war in 1948, and another effort in 1967 produced major territorial losses. The first intifada that began in 1987 brought on the partial success of the Oslo Accords, but the second intifada that began in 2000 produced the security barrier as well as a considerable destruction in the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas’ rocketry caused the disaster of Gaza earlier this year, with closures still preventing international aid and construction supplies from rebuilding the damage. If yet another effort to win via bloodshed comes from Palestinian feeling that they have the President’s endorsement, the blood of Israelis and Palestinians will be his to explain. 
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Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University

Christian legal group tells ‘rules’ for Christmas in schools

SAN DIEGO–The Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville, Virginia-based-group which defends Christian religious practices in First Amendment cases, has issued “The Twelve Rules of Christmas” opining for Christians what kind of Christmas activities U.S. courts have found to be legal.

Because church and state issues frequently affect the Jewish community, San Diego Jewish World  here reprints the ”rules” as a matter of interest to our Jewish community.  We do not take any position on the accuracy of these “rules.”

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The Twelve Rules of Christmas®

(Compiled by attorneys for The Rutherford Institute)

Unfortunately, Christmas has become a time of controversy over what can or cannot be done in terms of celebrating the holiday. In order to clear up much of the misunderstanding, the following twelve rules are offered:

1. Public school students’ written or spoken personal expressions concerning the religious significance of Christmas (e.g., T-shirts with the slogan, “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season”) may not be censored by school officials absent evidence that the speech would cause a substantial disruption.1
2. So long as teachers are generally permitted to wear clothing or jewelry or have personal items expressing their views about the holidays, Christian teachers may not be prohibited from similarly expressing their views by wearing Christmas-related clothing or jewelry or carrying Christmas-related personal items.2
3. Public schools may teach students about the Christmas holiday, including its religious significance, so long as it is taught objectively for secular purposes such as its historical or cultural importance, and not for the purpose of promoting Christianity.3
4. Public school teachers may send Christmas cards to the families of their students so long as they do so on their own time, outside of school hours.4
5. Public schools may include Christmas music, including those with religious themes, in their choral programs if the songs are included for a secular purpose such as their musical quality or cultural value or if the songs are part of an overall performance including other holiday songs relating to Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or other similar holidays.5
6. Public schools may not require students to sing Christmas songs whose messages conflict with the students’ own religious or nonreligious beliefs.6
7. Public school students may not be prohibited from distributing literature to fellow students concerning the Christmas holiday or invitations to church Christmas events on the same terms that they would be allowed to distribute other literature that is not related to schoolwork.7
8. Private citizens or groups may display crèches or other Christmas symbols in public parks subject to the same reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that would apply to other similar displays.8
9. Government entities may erect and maintain celebrations of the Christmas holiday, such as Christmas trees and Christmas light displays, and may include crèches in their displays at least so long as the purpose for including the crèche is not to promote its religious content and it is placed in context with other symbols of the Holiday season as part of an effort to celebrate the public Christmas holiday through its traditional symbols.9
10. Neither public nor private employers may prevent employees from decorating their offices for Christmas, playing Christmas music, or wearing clothing related to Christmas merely because of their religious content so long as these activities are not used to harass or intimidate others.10
11. Public or private employees whose sincerely held religious beliefs require that they not work on Christmas must be reasonably accommodated by their employers unless granting the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.11
12. Government recognition of Christmas as a public holiday and granting government employees a paid holiday for Christmas does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.12

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    Preceding provided by the Rutherford Institute

Anti-gun group seeks ban on Belgian weapon used by Nidal Hasan

WASHINGTON, DC–In a letter sent Thursday to the White House, America’s six national gun violence prevention (GVP) organizations–the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Violence Policy Center, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, and States United to Prevent Gun Violence–as well as 21 state and regional GVP groups strongly urged President Barack Obama to use his executive powers to ban the import into the U.S. of the FN Herstal Five-seveN armor-piercing semiautomatic pistol. [See http://www.vpc.org/obamaletter.pdf for a copy of the letter.]

A Five-seveN was used in the Fort Hood attack earlier this month that left 13 dead and 34 wounded. The Belgian-made weapon, widely available on the U.S. civilian market, is also a favorite of Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs), who refer to it as the “mata policia,” or “cop killer.”

In the letter, the 27 organizations state:

“While we urge you to join us in pushing for other much-needed policy changes to help reduce America’s epidemic of gun violence that were also relevant to the Fort Hood shooting, such as gaps in the federal background check system that allow suspected terrorists to legally buy guns and the ready availability of high-capacity magazines (including the 20-round magazines used by the Fort Hood shooter), preventing the importation of any more Five-seveN handguns is an important step that can be accomplished immediately through administrative action by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)–without the need for any action by Congress.

“Under longstanding federal law, ATF has the clear authority to prohibit the importation of any firearm or ammunition unless it is ‘generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.’ This provision of the 1968 Gun Control Act has historically been used to exclude from import many non-sporting firearms, including so-called ‘Saturday Night Special’ handguns, ‘Street Sweeper’ shotguns, and many foreign-made assault weapons. The FN Five-seveN handgun is clearly the type of firearm to which Congress intended the import restrictions to apply.”

The letter details the fact that despite a voluntary agreement between FN Herstal and ATF to restrict the civilian sale of potentially armor-piercing ammunition for the pistol, “a quick search of the Internet identifies several sources for supposedly banned ammunition.”

Noting that when “the Five-SeveN’s availability is combined with the easy accessibility of complementary armor-piercing ammunition it becomes not only a direct threat to law enforcement, but a potential national security threat as well,” the organizations urge that the President “act today to prohibit the importation of the FN Five-seveN handgun as well as any 5.7X28mm ammunition that has armor-piercing capabilities….”

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Preceding provided by the Violence Policy Center

 

Senate committee begins Ft. Hood massacre probe

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (Independent, Connecticut), and Ranking Member Susan Collins (Republican, Maine) Thursday opened their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder of 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, with testimony from witnesses expert in the military, Islamist extremism and self-radicalization, and federal intelligence collection and information sharing.”We will look at the Fort Hood murders not as an isolated event, but as part of a larger pattern of homegrown terrorism that has emerged over the past several years,” Lieberman said. “Our purpose is to determine whether that attack could have been prevented, whether the federal agencies and employees involved missed signals or failed to connect the dots in a way that enabled Hasan to carry out his deadly plan. If we find such errors or negligence we will make recommendations to guarantee, as best we can, that they never occur again. “After acknowledging the intelligence information-sharing improvements made in the wake of 9/11, Collins said, “the shootings at Fort Hood may indicate that communication failures and poor judgment calls can defeat systems intended to ensure that vital information is shared to protect our country and its citizens. The case also raises questions about whether or not restrictive rules have a chilling effect on the legitimate dissemination of information, making it too difficult to connect the dots that would have allowed a clear picture of the threat to emerge. U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is charged with killing 12 of his fellow soldiers and one civilian on November 5. When asked, four of the five panel witnesses agreed that, based on available evidence, the incident was a terrorist attack. The fifth witness, a member of the New York City Police Department, declined comment because of the ongoing federal criminal investigations. In addition, Retired Army Vice Chief of Staff General John Keane testified that he was not aware of any U.S. Army guidelines to help commanders, officers, and soldiers identify behavior that could be categorized as Islamist extremism. Keane, who commanded the Fort Bragg, North Carolina, army base shortly after the murder of two African American civilians in 1995 by white supremacist soldiers, said the Army subsequently developed guidelines to identify white supremacist behavior. Lieberman began the hearing by recognizing the thousands of Muslim-Americans who serve in our military with honor and stressed that the Committee investigation would respect them, and every other Muslim resident of our country. But he said, “we do no favor to all of our fellow Americans who are Muslim by ignoring real evidence that a small number of their community have become violent Islamist extremists and terrorists.” Lieberman also said he had had discussions with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder about the Administration’s cooperation with the Committee investigation with regard to document and witness production. Both said they respected the Committee’s authority to conduct an investigation as long as it did not interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation. “We are off to a good cooperative start,” Lieberman said. “I am optimistic that we will work out a way for both investigations to proceed without compromising either.” Collins added: “Our ongoing investigation will also seek answers to questions specific to the Fort Hood case. For example, how did our intelligence community and law enforcement agencies handle intercepted communications between Major Hasan and a radical cleric and known al Qaeda associate? Did they contact anyone in Major Hasan’s chain of command to relay concerns? Did they seek to interview Major Hasan himself? When Major Hasan reportedly began to openly question the oath that he had taken to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, did anyone in his military chain of command intervene? When Major Hasan, in his presentation at Walter Reed in 2007, recommended that the Department of Defense allow “Muslim soldiers the option of being released as ‘conscientious objectors’ to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events,” did his colleagues and superior officers view this statement as a red flag? “Were numerous warning signs ignored because the Army faces a shortage of psychiatrists and was concerned, as the Army Chief of Staff has subsequently put it, about a ‘backlash against Muslim soldiers?’ These are all questions that we will seek to answer.” In addition to General Keane, witnesses were Frances Fragos Townsend, former Assistant to President Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Mitchell D. Silber, Director of Intelligence Analysis at the New York City Police Department; Juan Carlos Zarate, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism; and Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor at the RAND Corporation. Since 2006, the Committee has held 10 hearings and issued a report on the phenomenon of violent Islamist extremism and self radicalization in the U.S., and the role the internet plays in both.

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Preceding provided by Senator Lieberman