Here's the response to the one sided article that appeared in the April edition of the Jewish Voice and Opinion, that was sent to Susan Rosenbluth, editor of the Jewish Voice and Opinion. After many emails and excuses, Ms. Rosenbluth "suggested" that the article be run as a paid full page advertisement instead of as an article. When Vaad L'Mishmeres Bris Kodesh agreed to pay the $450.00 full page ad fee, Ms. Rosenbluth reneged on her offer to print the article as a paid advertisement, citing the concerns of her attorney. We can only ask, why her attorney had no concerns when her newspaper slandered Rabbi Fisher, a man who has repeatedly been exonerated of any wrong doing, and has not been connected to any of the unfortunate incidences in any way, despite Dr. Tendler's vicious smear campaign against him. Dr. Tendler, on the other hand, has repeatedly been exposed as liar. Ms. Rosenbluth and her attorney also had no qualms of about publishing the full name, along with testimony, and pictures of an alleged child sexual assault victim, both as a child and adult, in violation of New Jersey State law, in the very same issue in which she helped Dr. Tendler libel Rav Fisher. These statements along with the full legal name of the victim was once again published in the May issue, again in violation of NJ State law.The The following issues (April) of the JV&O had no less than three articles supporting Rabbi Mordechai Tendler against his accusers. The May issue had another three articles defending Mordechai Tendler.Why is Mordechai Tendler's slander deserving of your support more than Dr. Tendler's slander of Rav Fisher? Is the Tendler Family a major shareholder in your publication, Ms. Rosenbluth? Please call or write Ms. Rosenbluth, and ask for an explanation of the paper's clear double standard. She can be reached at   (201) 569-2845  or  (201) 569-1739, or you can email  susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com

While Ms. Rosenbluth seems very clear on getting the facts out to counteract the slander of Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, she has no such similar concerns about the slander or Rav Fisher, which her publication has helped to perpetuate. Here are the FACTS with which  she has chosen not to concern herself. This is the letter that was refused publication in the Jewish Voice and Opinion, even as a paid ad.


Dear Esteemed Editors,

Thank you for allowing us to respond to the misrepresentations and
inaccuracies in your article on Bris Milah.

The practice of Metzitzah B'Peh is common in most Orthodox Jewish
communities. In the bastions of Orthodoxy such as Brooklyn, Lakewood, and
Monsey it is practiced in the noticeable majority of Brissim. In 1900, a letter
mandating its continuance was signed by 230 of the leading Rabbis of that time.
It can be found in the sefer Sdei Chemed, volume eight. More recently, the
great Halachik decisor, Rav Moshe Feinstein ruled that this custom should be
continued in spite of the Aids crisis. A few weeks ago, Rav Yosef Shalom
Elyashiv issued a letter stating that after examining all the evidence in
consultation with great doctors from Israel and the Diaspora, he concluded that
the herpes concerns are false and the practice should be continued. This
opinion was also agreed to by the greatest authorities in Israel and over 100
Rabbis in America including the Deans of the Yeshivos of Mir, Lakewood and
Torah V'Daas. They also refer to the current events as an attack on Bris
Milah. Any objective observer can conclude that this practice is not limited to
Hasidim or Satmars.

Rabbi Dr. Tendler, a Rabbi and biologist, maintains in a study he published
with others that the over ninety percent of the population that are herpes
carriers are potential sources of infection. This study by its own admission is
speculation. Specialists and experts in the field of medicine dispute this
contention. Dr. Glassberg, head of pediatric urology at Columbia Presbyterian,
testified to the City Health Department that he reviewed cases of two hundred
thousand children that had a Bris Milah with Metzitzah B'Peh and could not
find a single case of infection. This assertion is confirmed by many pediatric
doctors practicing in communities where Metzitzah BPeh is almost universal.
The study has also been criticized by Dr. Daniel Berman, infectious disease
specialist at Westchester Hospital, as incomplete and scientifically
inconclusive. In short, the report is speculative and conjecture. It is lacking
scientific proof and disputed outrightly by statistical evidence. The
suggestion by Rabbi Dr. Tendler that the virus has mutated, were it true, could
be confirmed by laboratory observation. There is no record of this claim being
substantiated anywhere and therefore must be dismissed as fear mongering.

Rabbi Fischer is an extremely respected member of the Monsey community. He has
performed nearly 20,000 Brissim, with 7,000 of them in the former Soviet Union
at great personal sacrifice and for no charge. He is a member of a family and
synagogue which is proud of its Nusach Ashkenaz heritage, as is well known by
anyone who lives in Monsey. He has been tested negative for herpes and this
result is confirmed in a letter signed by over 100 Rabbis. The source of the
infection of the infant in Brooklyn is unknown. Its source can also be traced
to the many handlers of the babies including family, doctors and nurses. In
fact, Rabbi Fischer is the only one that has been tested negative for herpes.

Rabbi Dr. Tendler is currently a very unpopular figure in the Orthodox world.
The source of that, is a lecture he delivered in Yeshiva University on December
8, 2004 which is available on tape. In this lecture he does the following:
1) Repeats confidential medical information of a couples infertility treatments
and discloses their name later in the tape.
2) Mocks Rabbi Fischer as a "no-goodnik" and "a Hungarian, yuch".
3) Proudly boasts about reporting Rabbi Fischer to the health department.
4) Proudly boasts of his meetings with health department officials with the
intent of regulating and legislating Bris Milah.
5) Spews venomous hatred of fellow Jews.

Rabbi Dr. Tendler, who did not know of this tape's existence, compounded his
perfidy by sending letters to a newspaper and to local Rabbis stating that he
never contacted health department personnel, stating his personal admiration of
Rabbi Fischer, and stating that Rav Elyashiv agrees with him. These blatant
falsities undermined his remaining credibility. If Rabbi Dr. Tendler feels he
is being vilified, he has no-one to blame but himself.

Anyone interested in more information or documentation concerning this
controversy can write to Friends of Bris Milah
P.O. Box 642
Brooklyn N.Y. 11219

We thank your honorable publication for allowing us to set the record
straight.
Sincerely yours,
Vaad L'Mishmeres Bris Kodesh
Friends of Bris Milah