Rabbi Pruzansky asserts (“In Defense of the RCBC,” February 14, 2019) that opponents of the RCBC bylaw sanctioning one of its members for employing female interns “pretend that there is still room for further clarifications, negotiations and conversations.” One wonders if Rabbi Pruzansky includes among the pretenders the distinguished rabbis, members of the RCBC, who voted against the bylaw. Rather than conceding that a fair number of his highly accomplished rabbinic colleagues opposed the bylaw, Rabbi Pruzansky chooses instead to repeat, over and over throughout his letter, that the matter is “settled,” as if repetition strengthens his argument. One wonders if repetition is employed to evade an undeniable reality – many Torah scholars feel differently about the issue than does Rabbi Pruzansky. When the bylaw is renegotiated or repealed, as it undoubtedly will be, one would hope that Rabbi Pruzansky opts for thoughtful discussion as opposed to perfunctory repetition.
Harold HoffmanEnglewood