This is just to give you a background of what I have termed “the Frank Series.” My original format was to send out my articles by email to family and friends. On the Saturday night following the Merkaz HaRav terrorist attack, I wrote a bitter article titled “Yes, I’m O.K.” Within several minutes, I had received a response from a distant cousin Frank. In this letter, titled “Frank’s First Letter to Me” I felt that he accused Orthodox people of causing most of Israel’s problems and not serving in the military. I immediately wrote an infuriated response, entitled “My First Response to Frank,” unable to believe that this was how he responded to my expression of sorrow following a terrorist attack. Suddenly dozens of people were tuned into this heated debate of America vs Israel, Orthodox vs Secular, young vs old…
Note: Throughout the exchange I use the terms “Orthodox” and “religious” interchangeably, in line with modern Israeli terminology. I apologize to anyone who finds this confusing and/or offensive. Content that was deemed unrelated to the subject matter was removed for the sake of brevity and clarity, with Frank’s permission.
