20 July 2017

Dear Rabbi Blumofe:

I moved to Austin and joined CAA in 1991. Over the years I have seen a number of Rabbis
serve our community. From the moment you arrived, I was a Neil fan. You connected with
the members and you connected with the members kids. No one could ask for anything more
than this. With the passing of years, the vast majority of the community supported you in your
transition from Hazan to Rabbi.
I am writing you today because somehow the train has jumped the tracks.
Few in the community would know this but I lived on a Kibbutz in Israel for several years after
high school. I arrived on Kibbutz Maayan Tsvi in the fall of 1977. Maayan Tsvi sits next to
Zichron Yaacov on the Hof Hacarmel and with the Kibbutzs fields stretching from the base of
the Carmel Mountains to the Mediterranean.
Each spring, millions of birds migrate north from Africa passing over Israel towards Europe. As
they migrate, Maayan Tsvis fish ponds make a nice place for millions of birds to eat their fill of
fish. In the spring of 1978, an American photographer, Gail Rubin was hanging around the
Maayan Tsvi fish ponds taking photos of the dozens of the species of birds. Gail was the niece
of the US Senator from CT, Abraham Ribicoff. We used to chat with her as she wandered
around the ponds and on several occasions, she ate breakfast with us in a little field kitchen that
we used down by the ponds.
On Saturday, March 9, 1978, 13 PLO terrorists came ashore at our beach in two inflatable boats.
Their plan was to land in Tel Aviv and attack the beach front hotels, but the seas were rough and
they ended up on our beach some 40km north of their target. Armed to the teeth, they first ran
into Gail who was taking photos by the fish ponds. After murdering her, they cut through a
chain link fence and started shooting at vehicles traveling on Israels main north/south highway
connecting Tel Aviv to Haifa. They hijacked a bus full of Egged Bus Company employees who
were returning to Tel Aviv. As they headed south from Maayan Tsvi towards Tel Aviv, they
were indiscriminately shooting at the vehicles heading north on the other side of the highway.
By the time all the terrorists were dead or incapacitated, 38 people, including 13 kids were
murdered.
The following day, Yasser Arafat was celebrating the event. A town square in some West Bank
town was named in honor of the one female terrorist who participated. Ive lived my life
knowing that only a slight twist of fate saved me from the fate that ended the lives of these 38
murdered souls.
This is but one of dozens of terror attacks which were organized by Arafats PLO. The blood of
hundreds of murdered Jews still drips from his dead hands.
Today I learned that you are planning on leading a group of CAA members on a trip to Israel in
June of 2017. Included in the itinerary is a visit to Yasser Arafats tomb. I, for one, feel that

your visit to Arafats tomb is beyond the pale. To me, its no different than were you to travel to
Germany to pay your respects at Adolf Hitlers tomb, if one existed. Somehow your priorities
have become completely perverted. Apparently you dont seem to understand that your place is
with the victims of his murderous actions. Not with the murderer himself.
Dont misunderstand me. You are free to do as you please. Your politics are your own business.
And you have every right, as an American, to make common cause with the Palestinians and to
pay homage at the tomb of Yasser Arafat. But you are not free from the consequences of your
actions. You are the Rabbi to an entire congregation, not to just some faction that agrees with
your personal politics. And to be absolutely clear, the problem here is not the politics of your
Palestinian tour destinations. Whats at issue here is what is in your head and what is in your
heart. You have revealed yourself to be a man of poor judgment and little common sense.
Sadly, your moral compass is completely broken.
Paying homage at the tomb of Yasser Arafat while touring Israel on a CAA affiliated tour,
disqualifies you completely and absolutely from being the moral and spiritual leader of a
Conservative congregation of Jews.
Let me repeat myself. As the leader of our community, your place is with the victims of his
murderous actions. Your place is most definitely NOT with the murderer.
I believe that we have come to an impasse. I cannot understand nor can I condone whatever
thought process has led you to believe that its a good idea for you to pay homage to this mass
murderer of Jews. The harsh truth is that there is no reason to wait until you actually visit his
tomb. The fact that you believe that its reasonable for you to do so, is enough. Its more than
enough.
You are entitled to your own politics. But this is a bridge too far.
Its time for you to resign. Depart and let us be done with you. In name of G-d, go!
Signed

Richard Brook
CC: Caroline Legatt (by email)
Enclosed: Agudas Trip Itinerary