However one characterizes the group photo that was used, the point is that Prof. Feldman sensed that he was ostracized from the community for marrying a non-Jew. Instead of spending time and energy debating the merits of the photo, or exactly HOW the photo was described, or the semantics of "the" vs. "a", why isn't the Orthodox community responding to the crux of the essay? My sense is that the reason for the focus on minutia here is because the real response would have to be, "yes, intermarriage is the most grievous breach of the Orthodox social contract, and there is no tolerance for it in the community". Look for responses to the Feldman essay on Aish's website, and you'll see what I mean.
So the real question is about tolerance, and I believe Prof. Feldman is totally on-target when he senses that there is little or none within the Orthodox community.
Anonymous
missing the point
However one characterizes the group photo that was used, the point is that Prof. Feldman sensed that he was ostracized from the community for marrying a non-Jew. Instead of spending time and energy debating the merits of the photo, or exactly HOW the photo was described, or the semantics of "the" vs. "a", why isn't the Orthodox community responding to the crux of the essay? My sense is that the reason for the focus on minutia here is because the real response would have to be, "yes, intermarriage is the most grievous breach of the Orthodox social contract, and there is no tolerance for it in the community". Look for responses to the Feldman essay on Aish's website, and you'll see what I mean.
So the real question is about tolerance, and I believe Prof. Feldman is totally on-target when he senses that there is little or none within the Orthodox community.