Morris Pollard z"l, Jonathan Pollard's father, a longtime professor and award-winning microbiologist at the University of Notre Dame, passed away at the age of 95 on Saturday evening. Morris spent much of the last 24 years seeking clemency for his son. Earlier this year, he said Jonathan's sentence is "such an overwhelming miscarriage of justice" that at night he keeps "waking up fighting with people" in his imagination.
Morris was particularly vocal about the role of former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger in Jonathan's sentence. Last year, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb wrote in a letter to Obama:
Based on the knowledge that I have firsthand, I can confidently say that the punishment was so severe because of lack of sympathy for Israel by the U.S. Secretary of Defense at the time, my boss, Caspar Weinberger.
The Pollard family has sent an urgent plea to Obama asking him to allow Pollard to attend his father's funeral. After authorities refused to allow Pollard a 24-hour leave to visit his sick father, MK Aryeh Eldad issued the following statement to Pollard:
The people of Israel will not forget President Obama's cruelty in ignoring all the requests to free you. A president who lacks the basic human feeling that would allow a son's visit to his dying father should not wonder that the Jewish people will make every effort to prevent his re-election.
A petition initiated by MK Nachman Shai of Kadima to allow Pollard to visit his father had been signed by 75 MK's and was to be handed to Obama's VP Biden any day now. [Achieveing justice for Pollard is a rare cause that has proven to unite Jews across the Israeli political and religious spectrum]. Please G-d the petition will be reworded to request that Pollard be entitled to attend the funeral and be submitted to Biden with no delay.
Last week Razi Barkai of Galei Tzhal radio asked a question relating American and European policy regarding daylight savings time, referring to those countries as the 'enlightened' world. May the enlightened world please stand up? (And don't expect to find sympathizers even in the 2012 Republican camp.)
Kudos to the San Francisco Chronicle for publishing a press release on the launching of Humanity for Pollard, a new organization dedicated to achieving clemency for former US Navy intelligence officer Jonathan Pollard, who is now serving his 26th year in prison. Pollard was convicted on one count of providing classified information (the threat of Iraqi biological and chemical weapons) to an ally (Israel) -- a charge which has never before led to a life sentence.
According to the press release, the new organization "seeks to reignite social awareness of the issue, and through public support, encourage President Obama to commute Pollard's sentence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds."
The organization's launch features the ba'al teshuva (in the true sense of the word) rapper Shyne of Def Jam records:
In a video message to President Obama, Shyne, an artist with Def Jam Records, spoke out in support of Jonathan Pollard, saying, “As a human being, we've all made mistakes, and we've all done things that we regret... but I think we, as human beings, have to be given the opportunity to atone, and to redeem ourselves, and to be forgiven, be given a second chance... He has paid his debt to society.”
The press release maintains that public awareness of Pollard's plight is essential is bringing about a resolution under Obama's presidency. It also highlights the participation of delegated figures such as Henry Kissinger, John McCain and Barney Frank in public calls for his release.
Eager to join the new effort? From the group's website, you can call Obama, send a letter to the White House, email Humanity for Pollard and have them send a letter on your behalf, or agree to be filmed.
Last June, after the former chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu z"l passed away, Jonathan Pollard's wife Esther the following about the significance of Jonathan Pollard's release from captivity:
Over time, the Rav shared with us and with a few others who were very close to him that Jonathan’s release is the key to the redemption of all of Am Yisrael.
In 2006, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu z"l, who had a special relationship with Jonathan Pollard, compared his captivity to that of biblical Joseph. Below is a video in Hebrew, followed by an English transcript of his words.
This week, we read in the weekly Torah portion about the actions taken by Avraham Avinu to save a captive, to save Lot who had gone to Sodom. He went to Sodom and he was undeserving (of rescue); yet Avraham Avinu spared no effort to save him.
There is a Jew - a very dear Jew - who did so much for the Nation of Israel all over the world and who did so much for the Land of Israel, to save us from some very harsh things --the worst that could happen!
This Jew is named Jonathan Pollard.
His wife, Esther, has worked endlessly to try to get him out from where he is held in prison. I myself have appealed to several Presidents of the United States: to Regan, to Bush, to Bush's father, to Cardinal Law and to a host of others. To whomever I could turn, I have appealed to them, asking that they act to take him out of there and bring him here to The Land.
And I told them - also told them here in The Land - if they what they are afraid of is that he will talk, then I will be his guarantor that he will not say a word. He won't say anything. On the contrary! He will praise everyone; he will praise the presidents.
In any case, what we want is this: He is our brother! He must come home to the Land of Israel - and at once!
Many have pointed to the Pollard case as a cause that unites Jews across "divisions" of denomination (Reform/Conservative/Orthodox), nationality (American/Israeli), political persuasion (Israeli left/Right). Only last week, Meretz Youth, a (far) left-wing Israeli political organization issued a statement on the eve of Shimon Peres' upcoming meeting with Obama.
In fact, as I write this sentence, Peres is meeting with Obama in Washington. Before his departure, Peres had what was reported as a very emotional meeting with Esther Pollard. Following their meeting, she made a special plea to all of Am Yisrael:
Please dedicate at least part of this time to prayer, hope and thinking about Yehonatan ben [son of] Malka
Prayers for Jonathan Pollard's release are available here. A prayer to insert at the end of the amidah is available here in Hebrew, and is reprinted below in English:
May it be Your will HaShem, our G-d and G-d of our forefathers, that with the might of the twenty-two letters of Your Holy Torah, which we received at Mount Sinai, that You open the Heavenly Gates for Yehonatan Ben Malka: the Gates of Healing and Cures; the Gates of Health; the Gates of Joy; the Gates of Redemption; the Gates of Freedom; the Gates of Splendor and Glory; the Gates of Merit; the Gates of Compassion; the Gates of Gladness; the Gates of Goodness; the Gates of Salvation; the Gates of Atonement; the Gates of Good Heartedness; the Gates of Forgiveness; the Gates of Pleasantness; the Gates of Reliance; The Gates of Assistance; the Gates of Liberty; the Gates of Righteousness; the Gates of Holiness; the Gates of Mercy; the Gates of Happiness; and the Gates of Return. May all of the righteous deeds he has done for the Nation of Israel be remembered before You and may they rise before Your Throne of Mercy to plead for good for him; and may he be granted the merit, along with his wife, Esther Yocheved bat Rayzl Bracha, to build a Faithful Home in Israel; and may they be blessed with whole and healthy sons and daughters, and Your Name will be Sanctified publicly! May the verse "Take me out of confinement to praise Your Name" (Psalms 142) be fulfilled for him! Do so for the sake of Your Right Hand; do so for the sake of Your Righteousness; do so for the sake of Your Holiness; do so for the sake of Your Divine Presence; do so for Your own Name's Sake; do so for the sake of Your Torah. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your Presence, Eternal! my Rock and my Redeemer!
May Hashem hear your prayer and bring about the speedy release of Yonatan ben Malka, Gilad ben Aviva, Sholom Mordechai ben Rivka and all captives, and may their release herald the redemption of all of Am Yisrael.
The amazing middot (character) of 12-year-old Tamar Fogel, the orphan whose parents, brother and sister were murdered by Palestinians last Friday night, are coming to light. Last week, she said she would be strong and overcome, and be the mother of her brothers.
In the video above, Tamar Fogel speaks in her first interview, hardly mentioning herself and her own pain, but speaking with all of her heart about the importance of unity between all parts of the Jewish people, settling the entirety of the land of Israel, and justice for Jonathan Pollard.
The Jerusalem Post reports on Tamar's special plea for Pollard:
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni made a pledge to 12-year-old orphan Tamar Fogel on Wednesday to work to bring about the release of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard.
Pollard's wife Esther visited the shiva house earlier and presented teddy bears from her husband to Tamar and her two surviving siblings. Tamar showed the bear to Livni and asked her to take action on behalf of Pollard, who has served more than 25 years of a life sentence.
Livni responded that she has worked to bring about Pollard's release and would continue to do so. She commended Tamar for her selflessness.
"Despite all your pain, you are thinking about the pain of others,” Livni told Tamar. “This is heartbreaking and amazing.”
Amazing indeed. May Hashem comfort and protect this extraordinary young woman and may her emunah and middot be an example for all of am yisrael.
See here for a commentary on the contemporary manifestation of Amalek-Haman.
A day after Netanyahu submits a historic letter asking Obama to free Pollard, Obama gets another Free Pollard letter, this time from his friend and mentor, the Jerusalem Post reports:
US President Barack Obama received yet another letter asking him to release Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard on Wednesday, but unlike other pleas for clemency, this one came from a man he knows and respects, Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree.
Ogletree, who directs the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard, was Obama's professor and his wife Michelle's and the president still considers him his mentor and friend. "I have written President Obama seeking a pardon for Jonathan Pollard," Ogletree wrote. "I hope the president grants the wishes of many who have supported a pardon for Mr. Pollard."
Former chief rabbi of Israel Harav Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l was very close with Pollard. After his passing, Pollard's wife Esther shared: " Over time, the Rav shared with us and with a few others who were very close to him that Jonathan’s release is the key to the redemption of all of Am Yisrael."
Let's pray for Pollard's release in a way that is untied to any settlement freeze, as Pollard himself would want.
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 252:3 Every moment that one delays in freeing captives, in cases where it is possible to expedite their freedom, is considered to be tantamount to murder.
Rambam: "The redeeming of captives takes precedence over supporting the poor or clothing them. There is no greater mitzvah than redeeming captives for the problems of the captive include being hungry, thirsty, unclothed, and they are in danger of their lives too. Ignoring the need to redeem captives goes against these Torah laws: “Do not harden your heart or shut your hand against your needy fellow” (Devarim 15:7); “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed” (Vayikra 19:16). And misses out on the following mitzvot: “You must surely open your hand to him or her” (Devarim15:8); “...Love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18); “Rescue those who are drawn to death” (Proverbs 24:11) and there is no mitzvah greater than the redeeming of captives."
For Bernie Madoff, living a lie had once been a full-time job, which carried with it a constant, nagging anxiety. “It was a nightmare for me,” he told investigators, using the word over and over, as if he were the real victim. “I wish they caught me six years ago, eight years ago,” he said in a little-noticed interview with them.
And so prison offered Madoff a measure of relief. Even his first stop, the hellhole of Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), where he was locked down 23 hours a day, was a kind of asylum. He no longer had to fear the knock on the door that would signal “the jig was up,” as he put it. And he no longer had to express what he didn’t feel. Bernie could be himself. Pollard’s former cellmate John Bowler recalls a conversation between Pollard and Madoff: “Bernie was telling a story about an old lady. She was bugging him for her money, so he said to her, ‘Here’s your money,’ and gave her a check. When she saw the amount she says, ‘That’s unbelievable,’ and she says, ‘Take it back.’ And urged her friends [to invest].”
Pollard thought that taking advantage of old ladies was “kind of fucked up.”
“Well, that’s what I did,” Madoff said matter-of-factly.
