Quoted By:
January 4th, 2024
Two days of torment have passed, and Naomi has recovered from the emotional shock of speaking to her parents. She now waits in the lobby of John F. Kennedy International Airport for their arrival, nervously reading the newspaper. An old man, dressed in a long black coat and hat, approaches her with his wife, who is wearing a modest black dress and holding his arm. He hands his luggage to Naomi.
"Father, Mother," she says in Yiddish. "It’s been a long time."
"Is what you said on the phone true? You are investigating the community of Chabad-Lubavitch?"
"Yes. I’m investigating a case that involves a missing child and the murder of a reporter. I need your help and guidance."
"And on which rabbi’s authority are you acting?"
A question she did not expect. "I-I haven’t consulted with any rabbi."
The man slaps her across the face. "Your behavior is not kosher. Only a rabbi can investigate a Jewish community, and no one else. I can’t believe I have spent so much money on your education, only for you to turn into a stupid little cunt."
They walk outside, where a limousine is waiting for them. "Step in. We are going to the synagogue to make up for this mess."
After a silent drive, they arrive in Crown Heights and enter the synagogue located at 770 Eastern Parkway. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky stands near a carved ark, his back turned to them. The air is thick with solemnity, and Naomi feels terrified.
"Rabbi, we are here," her father says.
"Explain to me."
"My daughter, Naomi, has brought shame to our family. She has been investigating the synagogue without permission."
"A reporter has been making noise about us lately. I thought his untimely death would have put an end to this foolishness, but I suppose others have been replacing him."
"We are sorry about this. We seek teshuva."
Teshuva is the process of repentance and returning to righteous behavior in Judaism. The rabbi turns around and looks at Naomi from head to toe. "It is your responsibility to punish her. Your family must resolve its internal issues before you can seek teshuva. I can't punish her for you, because a rabbi cannot have sexual intercourse with a girl who is more than three years old. Is her orifice still obstructed by a hymen, at least?"
"Yes, rabbi. It is the case."
"You have caused great trouble. You are causing me to worry about the synagogue, and I’m ready to seal off the entrance to the tunnels so that the goyim can't cause trouble. If I do that, the synagogue will be cut off from its roots and perish. I suppose, if she spends a night underground, the problem will be solved. Whatever happens or does not happen to her, this will be the judgment of Molech, and I will not go against it."
