I has long been in the nature of the “public” to deify its celebrities. It’s when the celebs start believing in the press, even that of their own making

Rabbi, the term: to deify, means to be treated like a god. You venerate or deify someone whom you think is perfect, and that is why a person is worshipped like a god.
You have to know human emotions to be able to comprehend why Michael’s fans still adore and love him even now with so much passion. He is not being venerated like a god like you said . He is loved by many because he was an imperfect human being who reached out, appreciated, and gave back love to his fans. He was a megastar and yet he was so humble, gentle and sweet. His childlike personality was so refreshing, even if his naivety seemed somewhat strange and considered as bizarre from the point of view of some of us mature adults acting righteous with our malicious minds. He was such a giver and reached out to the sick and the dying without asking for anything in return. He never had any qualms about expressing his love for everyone, “ I love you” was his mantra. These were only some of the reasons why he was loved and continue to be loved all over the world. We know that he was far from being perfect but all these beautiful traits and imperfections were what made him so human and so real to us. He is so easy and a joy to love.
All the things that he said in those tapes were nothing new. We know about his lonely childhood, his pains and the abuse that he suffered in the hands of his father, whom he had forgiven by the way. We know that he was insecure about the way he looked. We probably know more about his flaws more than you did in your 2 years of friendship with him. You misunderstood when you claimed that we wished he censored himself and portrayed himself as the perfect superstar. We know that he was not perfect but still love him unconditionally.
We are,however, baffled by your contradictions when you say that you are publishing this book for Michael’s sake and that was his wish because he just wanted to be loved. And yet you admonish his fans and the very few true friends that he had (like Frank Casio) for loving and caring for him at that time when he needed it. Isn’t that being two-faced? All his charity work at the peak of his career even disproves your claim that his people did not want him to do these things because he would have made less money. He was making a lot of money and at the same time already doing all these things way way back before he even met you. Charity work was not new to him. It had always been his love and passion.
Your book would have been a sweet book, reading straight from the gentle voice of Michael, if indeed, he wanted this published. But your derogatory analysis of his behavior and your preachy attitude ruined the very essence of what you were trying to convey. If Michael wanted his message heard, then you should just have let him spoken…alone,instead of squeezing in your own thoughts, which we could not care less to hear. Silence can be a virtue. We wanted his voice… only his voice.

Well, Mr. Boteach (can’t call you rabbi since you were kicked out of the orthodox rabbinate that ordained you), you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but that’s all it is. You present your sanctimonious judgments of another imperfect human being as if they were written on tablets and brought down by Moses, Jr. You presume to interpret Michael’s words as your own thoughts and then commit the ultimate betrayal of the spiritual relationship by publishing them nearly a decade later. Then you have the audacity to call them “raw and unexpurgated.” Now that’s what I call chutzpah! Oh, and you forgot one thing…why Michael kicked you to the curb in the first place: you stole money from his children’s charity to buy yourself a fancy house! You’re now claiming these are just lies. Well, welcome to the cold cruel world of media lies–from which Michael suffered his entire life and you sought to provide the “antidote.” Oh, the irony!!!

You mischaracterise MJs supporters as you have MJ. I’ve been through news articles at the time you were taping MJ and can’t find any reference to a “tell all” biography ghostwritten by you. I find reference to a parenting book. You can fool many, but some of us are checking the facts and will continue to post them on the internet, no matter how many times you demand they be taken down. MJ would not have wanted you to play those private sessions for the public. Those were his thoughts and fears from a decade ago, and as we all know, he had grown and evolved, even forgiven his father since that time. Misogynst? Admired Hitler? MJ hated Madonna? All you’ve succeeded at doing is starting a new round of salacious tabloid media. Why not play the Oxford speech to promote your agenda? Geeze, then you couldn’t claim he still had issues with his father.
We resent your ongoing mischaracterization of MJ as the loneliest, isolated human being on the planet. In fact, he had many projects in the works when you entered his life, even in exile he was working and creating and forming new relationships. Long before you entered his life he was doing exemplary, record breaking work for children and parents. How dare you attempt to take credit for that.
You and Geller gave the one-two punch. Brashir came in with the KO. And even though MJ distanced himself from you and Geller, you both continue to exploit him in death for your own gain and agendas. Be honest, you’ve been pushing your “make the world more Jewish” agenda since before you met MJ- Friday Night Family Night (Shabbat). You used him to further that agenda.
While you’re bankrupting the Charity, Geller is selling MJ to Bashir for $200,000. Do you have no shame? I feel certain you’d have the support of Millions for your Friday Night agenda if you recall all copies of this book and STOP MAKING MJ YOUR POSTER BOY FOR ALL THE ILLS OF SOCIETY. You didn’t have to malign MJ to further your agenda. Instead, you couldn’t chosen to present to the world what an incredible parent he was, in spite of his abusive childhood. But, you needed him to be a wretched, broken soul to further your other agenda, the Anti-Celebrity agenda. Yes, yes, we’ve heard you say it, all your celebrity, all the attention directed at YOU is actually directed at Judaism. LOL We know you Boteach. We see right through you. Soon everyone else will.
Al Sharpton was right, “There wasn’t nothing Strange about your daddy, it was Strange what he had to deal with.” That would be syncopaths like you, Boteach and your buddies Geller and Bashir. Do you think he would want his children to read your book? Your lame analysis of their father? Do your children know what you’re doing? If it’s possible for the MJ Estate to sue you, I pray that comes to pass. Let’s see how long this is allowed to remain on this site.

PS You conveniently left Judas out of your list of “flawed” men in the bible. Could you not bring yourself to think of his shortcomings? It’s unethical to malign Celebrities out one side of your mouth and use their Celebrity out the other, in order to promote your agenda. You speak with forked tongue, Boteach.

MR. Boteach (I will not give you the honor of calling you Rabbi, you’ve lost that honor in my eyes) you are quite simply out to exploit Michael. This book was not put out by you for any higher calling or positive benefit for Michael.You put this book out for yourself, and for your own selfish purposes. Isn’t it interesting that you put this book out AFTER Michael dies, now that he has NO voice in the matter? Shameful.I wish someone had asked you where the signed release form is from Michael that gave you permission to print his private thoughts and spread them all over the airways. Obviously you never got his permission or his name would be as co-author of this book! Gotcha! Also, I want to ask you why, of the may hours of tape, you chose the negative quote about Madonna to air? How is that constructive or helpful to express “Michael the man” to the public? It is quite obvious to me that you are using Michael to further your own agendas. For some reason you wanted to zing Madonna, probably because you do not approve of her lifestyle or the fact she is a high profile advocate of Kabbalah perhaps? Too much competition? Who knows, whatever the reason, it was wrong of you to air that after Madonna gave such a lovely tribute to Michael. You obviously wanted to hurt her and make her feel foolish for her sweet, stirring speech about Michael. Mr. Boteach, you are crafty,clever and self-serving and that is not what a Rabbi should be. You betrayed Michael’s confidence and exploited him for your own gain. You are a shameful man and you will answer to God one day for your deceipt. I really think you are much worse than Bashir, because YOU were supposed to be Michael’s friend, Bashir never was. You give no thought to how this book and your accusations that Michael could have been guilty of heinous crimes, you’re not certain of his innocence, (who asked for your opinion anyway?) will hurt Michael’s children. And to me that is your greatest sin of all. You claim to care about children with this family night thing, but if you truly cared about children you would have thought of the consequences to Michael’s children of this book and all your negative opinions of him and the gossip you have begun to propogate in the media about him. I believe you never considered his children and their feelings for a moment in your quest for fortune and fame. Michael deserved better and so do his kids. Shame on you Mr. Boteach. SHAME!

I don’t have to repeat what others have said before me. I would like to add that maybe you should stop inserting your analysis of Michael and let his words speak for themselves. I have no problem with hearing Michael’s words. I do take issue with your “analysis.” Where are your credentials?
By the way I also think having a bobblehead of yourself for sale on your website really doesn’t promote the humble man of God image. You seem more along the line of the Catholic priests of the 1500′s who sold Indulgences. Just my honest opinion.
We call for complete vindication of Michael Jackson by mainstream media. Michael Jackson was exonerated by a jury of his peers in 2005. Not good enough for his fans. For his children’s sake, mainstream media must become more responsible. We discuss how truth can compel mainstream media to publicly admit it wrongly accused Michael Jackson of despicable crimes. Many people still believe Michael Jackson was guilty of these crimes. People were influenced to believe the allegations were true by a biased mainstream media.
This group is NOT about vilifying the boys who falsely accused Michael of these crimes. They were kids who were easily manipulated by their parents. Our desire is that these boy accusers (now young men) will summon the strength to come forward and vindicate Michael. This group is about supporting these two young men, so they can do this. Please join us.
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Vindication_Better_Than_Tributes

Dear Rabbi,
I have some questions for you.
1) Do you have a signed release from MJ authorizing you to publish the book based on his tapes?
2) Are the tapes part of MJ’s estate or do they personally belong to you?
3) What percentage of the proceeds from the book are you giving to “Heal the World Foundation” and MJ’s estate and what percentage are you keeping for yourself?
4) I watched the Uri Geller videos on YouTube and I found Uri’s insistent fawning over MJ to be downright annoying and very creepy. Why was it so necessary for Uri Geller to give his wedding ring to MJ to hold so MJ could transfer his aura into the ring. Totally bizarre stuff!
5) Why do you consider MJ having a child sleep in his bed to be immoral? After all, MJ said he gave his bed to his guests and he slept on the floor. Are poor people that share one room also immoral?
6) I was also totally creeped out to find out the connection between you, Uri Geller and Martin Bashir. Uri Geller introduced Martin Bashir to MJ and that was the beginning of the end of MJ. I now understand why MJ cut you and Uri Geller out of his life. Perhaps, if he had never met you, Uri Geller and Martin Bashir, he may still be alive and kicking today!
7) Why do you consider the fan adulation of MJ to be “deification” and why does that bother you so much? Did you seriously believe that MJ had “messianic” tendencies and is this something that bothered you, Uri Geller and Martin Bashir? As far as I am concerned most fans know that MJ is human but they are still very much in awe of his music, dancing, performance skills, humility and kindness. It seems to me that you only negatively focused on his weaknesses and not his strengths.
8) It also appears to me from the Uri Geller tapes that you were mere acquaintances and not the great friends that you make yourself out to be. You all knew MJ for a relatively short time and as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. He cut you and Uri Geller off following the betrayal by Martin Bashir who was introduced to MJ by Uri Geller. I think most rational human beings would have done the same — i.e. distance themselves from people that cause them grievious harm. Can you understand why MJ did a rationale thing and distanced himself from you?
9) Were you, Uri Geller and Martin Bashir jealous and envious of MJ’s fame and success. It seems to me that you can hardly hide your contempt of MJ and you are desperate to latch on to his coattails.
10) I have not read your book and have no intention of reading it. I just want clarification about why you portrayed MJ as wanting his father dead when his Oxford University speech was also about forgiveness and understanding of his father. You attended and helped arrange the Oxford University speech so you know that he had forgiven his father.
11) Finally, if you really wanted to help MJ why did you not refer him to a real therapist who could have helped him to cope better with his isolation and fame. Your insistence that he become an ordinary person was not necessarily the right approach. It seemed to be tinged with a lot of envy, spitefulness and jealousy. I am not sure how many professionals have lauded you for your approach. I presume that the jury is still out on that subject!
Thank you.

You call your self a rabbi? How dare you make private tapes so public. You where in a role of adviser to Michael in a spiritual/counseling session. You are a disgrace to clergy as a hole.
This tapes where private for a reason. It was MJ’s most inner thought of 9 years ago something that does not make since to put out there for the public to hear right now.
People evolve and MJ did as well. In his Oxford speech in 2002 he said that he had forgiven his father and now you are opening a new can of warms that we did not need to hear about.
Where is the signed consent for this “PRIVATE” conversations to be heard? right you don’t have one!
You should be ashamed of the way you are pimping yourself for profit at MJ’s cost. You do it for the “MONEY”
I share the opinions of most here and hope that the MJ estate sues your sorry ass!

Rabbi,
Okay, I found part of the response to my questions from a Slate Magazine article.
So Rabbi himself was considered to be the “Messiah” after his mentor passed. Read the extract from Slate Magazine below.
Then MJ comes along and starts creating ethereal and spiritual images in his videos and performances – a Christ-like figure with white billowing shirt, outstretched arms, gospel music and an angel Gabriel enveloping him in his arms while a child looks up lovingly to him!
Wow!!! That must have ticked off the Rabbi royally! Now it is all beginning to make sense.
“Shmuley learned his talent for outreach from the experts. Though he had been brought up in a modern Orthodox home in Miami and Los Angeles, as a teen-ager he became increasingly involved in the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch, or Chabad, movement. Founded in 18th-century Russia as an offshoot of Hasidic Judaism, the Lubavitch are dedicated to making Jewish ritual accessible to even unlearned Jews. When Chabad moved its base to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, after World War II, its emphasis on outreach to secular Jews intensified; the group founded schools throughout the country and outposts around the world, all in the belief that when all Jews embraced their religion, the Messiah would arrive. (The guys with the beards and dark suits who stop you on the street and ask, “Are you Jewish?” and then hand you a pair of phylacteries are Lubavitchers.)
When Shmuley was 13, he met the movement’s charismatic leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whom some considered then to be the Messiah and still do today, even after his death seven years ago. The Rebbe, as Schneerson was called, bestowed upon Shmuley a generous blessing—friends joked that perhaps Shmuley was the Messiah—and later dispatched him, at age 22, to Oxford to serve as a religious emissary. There Shmuley founded the L’Chaim Society, which he quickly turned into the university’s second largest club by recruiting high-profile speakers to address topics often only tangentially related to Judaism. Boy George spoke about redemption after drug addiction, and Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona told of praying at the Western Wall in preparation for the World Cup.”
Source: http://www.slate.com/id/103323/

Rabbi,
Okay, I found part of the response to my questions from a Slate Magazine article.
So Rabbi himself was considered to be the “Messiah” after his mentor passed. Read the extract from Slate Magazine below.
Then MJ comes along and starts creating ethereal and spiritual images in his videos and performances – a Christ-like figure with white billowing shirt, outstretched arms, gospel music and an angel Gabriel enveloping him in his arms while a child looks up lovingly to him!
Wow!!! That must have ticked off the Rabbi royally! Now it is all beginning to make sense.
“Shmuley learned his talent for outreach from the experts. Though he had been brought up in a modern Orthodox home in Miami and Los Angeles, as a teen-ager he became increasingly involved in the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch, or Chabad, movement. Founded in 18th-century Russia as an offshoot of Hasidic Judaism, the Lubavitch are dedicated to making Jewish ritual accessible to even unlearned Jews. When Chabad moved its base to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, after World War II, its emphasis on outreach to secular Jews intensified; the group founded schools throughout the country and outposts around the world, all in the belief that when all Jews embraced their religion, the Messiah would arrive. (The guys with the beards and dark suits who stop you on the street and ask, “Are you Jewish?” and then hand you a pair of phylacteries are Lubavitchers.)
When Shmuley was 13, he met the movement’s charismatic leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whom some considered then to be the Messiah and still do today, even after his death seven years ago. The Rebbe, as Schneerson was called, bestowed upon Shmuley a generous blessing—friends joked that perhaps Shmuley was the Messiah—and later dispatched him, at age 22, to Oxford to serve as a religious emissary. There Shmuley founded the L’Chaim Society, which he quickly turned into the university’s second largest club by recruiting high-profile speakers to address topics often only tangentially related to Judaism. Boy George spoke about redemption after drug addiction, and Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona told of praying at the Western Wall in preparation for the World Cup.”
Source: http://www.slate.com/id/103323/

Rabbi,
Okay, I found part of the response to my questions from a Slate Magazine article.
So Rabbi himself was considered to be the “Messiah” after his mentor passed. Read the extract from Slate Magazine below.
Then MJ comes along and starts creating ethereal and spiritual images in his videos and performances – a Christ-like figure with white billowing shirt, outstretched arms, gospel music and an angel Gabriel enveloping him in his arms while a child looks up lovingly to him!
Wow!!! That must have ticked off the Rabbi royally! Now it is all beginning to make sense.
“Shmuley learned his talent for outreach from the experts. Though he had been brought up in a modern Orthodox home in Miami and Los Angeles, as a teen-ager he became increasingly involved in the ultra-Orthodox Lubavitch, or Chabad, movement. Founded in 18th-century Russia as an offshoot of Hasidic Judaism, the Lubavitch are dedicated to making Jewish ritual accessible to even unlearned Jews. When Chabad moved its base to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, after World War II, its emphasis on outreach to secular Jews intensified; the group founded schools throughout the country and outposts around the world, all in the belief that when all Jews embraced their religion, the Messiah would arrive. (The guys with the beards and dark suits who stop you on the street and ask, “Are you Jewish?” and then hand you a pair of phylacteries are Lubavitchers.)
When Shmuley was 13, he met the movement’s charismatic leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whom some considered then to be the Messiah and still do today, even after his death seven years ago. The Rebbe, as Schneerson was called, bestowed upon Shmuley a generous blessing—friends joked that perhaps Shmuley was the Messiah—and later dispatched him, at age 22, to Oxford to serve as a religious emissary. There Shmuley founded the L’Chaim Society, which he quickly turned into the university’s second largest club by recruiting high-profile speakers to address topics often only tangentially related to Judaism. Boy George spoke about redemption after drug addiction, and Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona told of praying at the Western Wall in preparation for the World Cup.”
Source: http://www.slate.com/id/103323/

Knowing how Michael needed his privacy, I find it so difficult to believe that he would want these tapes for public airing, particularly so if they were not flattering toward Madonna. I wouldn’t want my deepest, darkest thoughts out there for everyone to see. I wonder how Michael’s family feel about this…perhaps he should have consulted Michael’s family before publishing….but no, I dont think so. Just another “schmuck” making money out of Michael. It may very well come back and bite schmuckles on his rear end!

Rabbi,
My advice to you is to stick to your mission of opening up Judaism to Gentiles, and improving family relationships and leave MJ out of your business.
I would also like to see a day when all Gentiles make it a point to regularly worship at temples with Jews so they can understand Judaism — the root of Christianity. I have experience a Jewish worship service so I highly recommend it for all.
I would also like to see the day when families make it a point to set aside a day each week to bond over dinner and intimate conversation.
Unfortunately, you have done a pretty good job of bungling up your otherwise good message by entangling it with disclosure of MJ’s most private thoughts that he shared with you.
Please leave MJ alone!
Shalom!

Support Initiatives Of The Estate As This Benefits Michael’s Children But Boycott Shmuley’s Book As This Does Not new
Wed, 10/07/2009 – 17:54 —
” We, the worldwide fan community who love, respect and honour Michael Jackson are united in their defiance of Shmuley’s act of betrayal. We do not support this book in any way. It is a total violation of Michael’s right to privacy, and we believe the publication of the content of these tapes to be a breach of thetrust Michael placed in Shmuley. We, the members of the worldwide fan community will not join Shmuley in his betrayal, and we will not help him profit from his
deception of Michael. Not only will we not buy the book, we also send a clear message to all others who seek to attack the truth, beauty and integrity of Michael’s memory. This statement is a declaration of our intent. We as a community will not support or tolerate any such attacks on Michael’s name, memory or legacy in any way, and we actively protect Michael’s legacy and rights
- not only for Michael and his children who survive him, but for all of us who choose to honour what Michael achieved, endured and gave here. He lives whenever and wherever he is remembered. And we choose to remember him with love. ”
This is a worldwide call to all the fans: Please paste this ‘ Declaration of Intent ‘ everywhere on youtube, facebook and every Michael Jackson site worldwide. Shmuley will be attempting to sell this book worldwide. We, the fans can limit his effectiveness by letting everyone know this book is available for download. We, the fans support the products and initiatives Sony and the Estate’ produce as this benefits Michael’s estate and his children. That is why the fans community supports this site, but we will not allow Shmuley and other opportunists to profit from Michael’s death and, more than that, we will not let the beautiful memory of Michael to be dishonoured and taken away from us.
Please paste this everywhere and note that the book this statement refers to is available for audio play free at youtube and download free at the Forum part of this site and other public access sites. If you have already bought Shmuley’s book, why not return it and get your money back.

Uri Geller, Shmuley Boteach are on Michael Jackson’s ‘list of enemies’
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Michael Jackson, Enemy List
Michael Jackson kept an “enemy list” which included famed Israeli illusionist Uri Geller and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the renowned U.S. broadcaster, as revealed this week by the star’s former manager Dieter Wiesner.
The alleged list contained names of people who Jackson believed were out to destroy his life, as Wiesner told British tabloid ‘The Sun’ on Friday.
I’d ask him, ‘Michael, what are you doing?’ said Weisner, ‘These people are after me and they want to destroy my life.’”
After Jackson’s sudden death in June, Geller admitted in several interviews that his relationship with the star had been severed in 2002 after Martin Bashir made a controversial documentary on Jackson. Jackson accused Geller of the whole state of affairs, as Geller had initially introducing the star to Bashir.
Read more:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115648.html

Uri Geller, Shmuley Boteach are on Michael Jackson’s ‘list of enemies’
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Michael Jackson, Enemy List
Michael Jackson kept an “enemy list” which included famed Israeli illusionist Uri Geller and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the renowned U.S. broadcaster, as revealed this week by the star’s former manager Dieter Wiesner.
The alleged list contained names of people who Jackson believed were out to destroy his life, as Wiesner told British tabloid ‘The Sun’ on Friday.
I’d ask him, ‘Michael, what are you doing?’ said Weisner, ‘These people are after me and they want to destroy my life.’”
After Jackson’s sudden death in June, Geller admitted in several interviews that his relationship with the star had been severed in 2002 after Martin Bashir made a controversial documentary on Jackson. Jackson accused Geller of the whole state of affairs, as Geller had initially introducing the star to Bashir.
Read more:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115648.html

Hello all,
The extract below shows that MJ and the Rabbi collaborated on a book before they became estranged from each other. Therefore, MJ is part owner of the book that the Rabbi has published.
“Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is the most successful recording artist of all time. With Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of several best-selling books, including “Kosher Sex” and “Dating Secrets of the Ten Commandments,” and winner of the Times Preacher of the Year 2000, he is currently launching a child awareness and prioritization campaign called Heal the Kids, of which Mr. Jackson is founder and chairman. The pair are also working on a book about what parents and adults can learn from children and how men and women may recapture lost, yet virtuous, childlike qualities.”
Please scroll down to read more:
Dec. 07, 2000: My Childhood, My Sabbath, My Freedom…
What I wanted more than anything was to be ordinary. The Sabbath was when I could be.
Childhood
“Have you seen my childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne…”
Written and Composed by Michael Jackson
In one of our conversations together, my friend Rabbi Shmuley told me that he had asked some of his colleagues – writers, thinkers, and artists – to pen their reflections on the Sabbath. He then suggested that I write down my own thoughts on the subject, a project I found intriguing and timely due to the recent death of Rose Fine, a Jewish woman who was my beloved childhood tutor and who traveled with me and my brothers when we were all in the Jackson Five.
When people see the television appearances I made when I was a little boy – 8 or 9 years old and just starting off my lifelong music career – they see a little boy with a big smile. They assume that this little boy is smiling because he is joyous, that he is singing his heart out because he is happy, and that he is dancing with an energy that never quits because he is carefree.
But while singing and dancing were, and undoubtedly remain, some of my greatest joys, at that time what I wanted more than anything else were the two things that make childhood the most wondrous years of life, namely, playtime and a feeling of freedom. The public at large has yet to really understand the pressures of childhood celebrity, which, while exciting, always exacts a very heavy price.
More than anything, I wished to be a normal little boy. I wanted to build tree houses and go to roller-skating parties. But very early on, this became impossible. I had to accept that my childhood would be different than most others. But that’s what always made me wonder what an ordinary childhood would be like.
There was one day a week, however, that I was able to escape the stages of Hollywood and the crowds of the concert hall. That day was the Sabbath. In all religions, the Sabbath is a day that allows and requires the faithful to step away from the everyday and focus on the exceptional. I learned something about the Jewish Sabbath in particular early on from Rose, and my friend Shmuley further clarified for me how, on the Jewish Sabbath, the everyday life tasks of cooking dinner, grocery shopping, and mowing the lawn are forbidden so that humanity may make the ordinary extraordinary and the natural miraculous. Even things like shopping or turning on lights are forbidden. On this day, the Sabbath, everyone in the world gets to stop being ordinary.
But what I wanted more than anything was to be ordinary. So, in my world, the Sabbath was the day I was able to step away from my unique life and glimpse the everyday.
Read more:
http://www.michael-jackson-trader.com/news/2000/December/My-Childhood-My-Sabbath-My-Freedom.html

Jacko’s ‘Ex-Rabbi’: Did $100,000 Go to Charity?
Friday, April 02, 2004
By Roger Friedman
Jacko’s ‘Ex-Rabbi’: Did $100,000 Go to Charity?
The list of con men and hustlers who’ve taken advantage of Michael Jackson continues to grow, especially where charity causes are concerned. Jackson has been in Washington this week talking about raising money for new charities, but his old ones are still dogging him.
You will recall that Jackson was involved in something called Heal the Kids with Rabbi “Shmuley” Boteach. I’ve told you before that the most recent filing for Boteach’s charity, L’Chaim Society, under which Heal the Kids fell, listed as one of its directors James Meiskin, a man currently in trouble with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for extortion.
But it now turns out that when you call the number for the L’Chaim Society, all you get is a recorded message that says the charity is gone and so is the rabbi. There are no forwarding numbers, according to the message. There is an old, non-working number listed in Boston for the man who signed the last L’Chaim Society tax return, one Arash Farin, and no listing anywhere for its other director, Avri Vantman.
You can always hear or see Boteach on TV or radio giving his opinion about something or other and plugging one of his books.
But one thing he doesn’t seem able to opine is where all the money went from the short-lived charity. And one person who might be interested is Denise Rich, who wrote Boteach a check for $100,000 in the fall of 2000 for the L’Chaim Society right around the time Boteach and his then pal Michael Jackson came to two of her own fundraising events.
That $100,000 shows up in the L’Chaim Society’s 2000 tax return. The same return shows no money whatsoever was spent on anything remotely charitable, just salaries and expenses.
Rich, who is the victim in this case, thought she was giving the money to one of Jackson’s charities at the time. But a source of mine who was with Jackson at the time says Jackson never saw the money or the check. It went straight to Boteach and the L’Chaim Society.
Now, there is an even more interesting connection between all these people: Boteach’s American benefactor is famous stock trader and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt. Steinhardt has been one of the staunchest supporters and business associates of Rich’s ex-husband, Marc, a financier convicted of tax evasion and racketeering who was then pardoned by President Clinton in January 2001. Steinhardt lobbied hard for the pardon.
Like Michael Jackson, Steinhardt — whose father was the famous criminal “Red” Steinhardt with heavy ties to the mob and Meyer Lansky — has his own zoo, too. Steinhardt financed Boteach’s mortgage for a $1.5 million home in New Jersey four years ago. Somehow, he managed to get him a cash loan from a local bank. Why did he do it? According to my sources, Boteach may have saved one of Steinhardt’s sons from involvement in a cult, and Steinhardt was grateful. I mean, really grateful.
Yesterday when I spoke with Steinhardt, he denied that either of his sons had had problems with a cult. He said, “I financed Shmuley’s mortgage.” Why? “Because I liked him. And he needed a big house for socializing.”
“He’s an odd figure, Shmuley,” Steinhardt said. “He has good and bad qualities. He’s done things where his judgment is not so good, like being involved with Al Sharpton and Michael Jackson. But his intentions are good.”
Steinhardt voiced surprise that Boteach had been running a L’Chaim Society here in New York for the last several years. And that was kind of interesting since he was one of the forces behind the Boteach/L’Chaim fundraiser in February 2001 at Carnegie Hall that featured a panel discussion on children starring Jackson, game show host Chuck Woolery, and others. The money made from ticket sales that evening has never been accounted for. The organization that hosted it — the Seminar Center — folded soon after.
Boteach — who is banned by the United Synagogues in Great Britian from having a pulpit — is best remembered for a quote he gave the London Independent in 1996. He said there is an 11th, unwritten Commandment: “Thou shalt do anything for publicity and recognition.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115965,00.html

Rabbi, get some counseling and get over your anger and disappointment. We’re all grieving. We lost a kindred spirit. There is one less light shining in a dark world. Life is not certain. We all die. You could die tomorrow in a plane crash- while jetting around the country maligning Michael and providing the tabloids more fodder- leaving your own children fatherless. How would they feel about that?
On the one hand you argue that there are no perfect men and that Micheal wasn’t a messiah and should give up his celebrity and become “normal”. On the other hand you refuse to allow him to be “normal”- expected him to be perfect, without flaws, without weaknesses, without fears, without “addictions”. Do you see the obvious contradiction?
Without his celebrity- which raised his whole family out of poverty, without the opportunity to share his inherent gifts with the world, he may have experienced a more painful existence and died even more “prematurely” as many of his black peers born in the 50s. What’s prematurely anyway? He packed a lot of living and loving and giving into 50 years; and used his celebrity to Change the World for the better. God had a plan for Michael. He accepted the challenge and flourished in the time he was with us.
Yes, he was human like the rest of us, just a few rungs higher than most on the Stairway to Heaven. THAT’s why it was so easy for him to tell people he loved them, and mean it. Let that soak in.
How Michael chose to go is between him and his god. It’s not for you to say he “threw away his life”. He lived a beautiful life, in spite of the pain, in spite of the numerous extortions, in spite of the media’s relentless stalking. He did more to evolve the collective consciousness than anyone I know. That’s the book that should be written. He gave so much to so many, and gave far more than he ever received. He never stopped loving and giving. That inspired hope in all of us. “Every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in. Michael never stopped. Michael never stopped. Michael never stopped.”~~Rev Al Sharpton
Listen to Sharpton’s eulogy and you might grok why so many loved and appreciated MJ. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail?entry_id=43284
There is nothing inherently evil or wrong with sleeping in close proximity to children. I think you have misplaced anger, which would be better directed at the rigid mores of our culture that Michael refused to submit to. “There’s a time when you’re right and you know you must fight.” He was exhonorated, there should be no more speculation. As his friend, that should be your message. If there is anything left for him to answer for, then that too is between him and his god.
“Everyday create your history” Your legacy, as it stands, is just another in a long list of people who betrayed him. For his children’s sake, recall this book. It serves no godly purpose. Michael would never analyze and mischaracterize you to the world, and would do everything in his power to sheild your children from hearing such hurtful things. Stop acting out your anger (hurt) and disappointment. You have disappointed many and are bringing further harm to MJs legacy and his children.

Whether you loved or loathed Michael, most people would regard it as a basic human right to be able to speak freely, share one’s innermost feelings about horrendous abuse, be rational or otherwise in a therapeutic setting without fear of being ridiculed or quoted out of context. This book is not Michael’s true voice but clearly that of a man in therapy, being prompted for reasons Michael was not aware of – into answering questions from Shmuley that had nothing to do with Michael’s personal growth or healing. Michael did not intend these tapes to become public or he would have published them, and now when he cannot speak for himself, his most private thoughts and feelings are being flogged on the open market. Despite Shmuley’s claims that this was a consensual effort with Michael, I am certain most people will recognize this book for what it is: – a shameless act of exploitative betrayal with staggering greed at its heart. If you want to listen to the tapes go to youtube or Facebook, this disgusting book has been uploaded. Just please don’t buy it. We, have the power to refuse to be a part of ‘ enabling’ Shmuley to profit from Michael’s death. I am hoping there are enough people who still believe there is such a thing as common decency. Because what Shmuley has done amounts to nothing less than abuse.

I’ve come to the conclusion, from reading postings on the internet, that hardcore Michael Jackson fans are basically deluded and occasionally evil. Shaped are they in the image of their god.

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