Correcting the Record

A friend and dedicated reader passed along the following, which relates to my earlier comments concerning a Rabbi as TV Consultant:

Dear Cleveland Jewish News,

I saw the article you ran in today’s paper entitled “Anatomy of a prime-time smear” by Rabbi Avi Shafran. I happen to be the rabbi in the episode of “Gray’s Anatomy” to which he referred to in his story. I just wanted to go on record saying that I too was angry at the way the Orthodox girl was portrayed on “Gray’s Anatomy” as well as how Reform Jews were portrayed as “not even knowing the 10 plagues.” I agree with Rabbi Shafran’s frustration. In addition, the way the episode milked the issue of using a pig valve was absurd. I told the writer before hand that it’s use was a non-issue, that any rabbi would support the use of a pig value if it came down to pikuach nefesh (saving of a life), but she didn’t want to listen to me. It’s too bad that the one time a woman was selected to be a rabbi on T.V., the episode was so misleading.

Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh
Temple Israel of Hollywood

Rabbi Shafran was right — it wasn’t up to the Rabbi. I wish she had stated these objections in her initial comments to the Forward, rather than portraying the show as a positive look at Jewish life — but she clearly says that she warned the writer beforehand, and her comments were disregarded. I appreciate the correction.