A note to my readers

Dear Friends,

I asked Amshinover to join the team of guest bloggers covering for me during my vacation because he's funny, freakishly knowledgeable and a whiz at Google. Like the blog, Amshi makes his points provocatively and there's a bit of the Gonzo about him. He and I don't agree about everything, but that's part of what makes knowing him so entertaining.

A few weeks ago I, and many (if not all) of my readers, were deeply offended when Toby Katz told us that the Holocaust was, in part, a punishment for the Reform movement. For a few days we yelled at her, criticized her, poked holes in her specious reasoning and turned her into a bit of a punching bag. Yesterday Amshi chose to open those old wounds by publishing private correspondence he exchanged with Toby during those events. Many of you have expressed disappointment and even disgust with Amshi's decision to publish that correspondence.

In private email I apologized to Toby for this violation of her privacy, an apology she graciously accepted, and I asked Amshi to remove the post. He has done so, and I consider the matter closed.

Amshi's tenure as a guest blogger ends on Thursday. During his remaining time I (like you, I hope) look forward to more of the the sort of funny, unrestrained, barely comprehensible posts that have made him a favorite commenter in the Jewish blogosphere.

DovBear