[This Open Letter to Ben Ammi was read before him and an audience of about 100 people in an Israelite Temple in Brooklyn.]
OPEN LETTER TO BEN AMMI
November 19, 1996
Ben Ammi,
We go way back. I have known you since 1966. I kept my very first Shabbat at your temple, Abata Israel, in Chicago, and your second wife, Tikvah, stayed with me before we left for Liberia in 1967. We all went on to Israel, not at the same time, but in various
stages. I have said this to emphasize that we are very well acquainted with each other, and to show that I am indeed informed of what has taken place within the group that left for Liberia and moved on to Israel.
It was the Holy One of Israel who pressed upon me to leave your group, and when I didn't, HE caused something to happen to my youngest son who at the time was just a baby. Then, without delay, I wrote you a seven page letter denoting exactly why I had to leave your congregation.
I left for a number of reasons. I went through hell being a member of your group, Ben Ammi. When we left the States, our focus was to be the God of Israel and His Law, but in Israel, you permit people to call you "Jesus, Savior of the World, God of Gods, the
Messiah, Father, King of Kings" and only the Most High knows what else. I did not leave the States to go to Israel to serve man, but rather to worship the God of Israel and to keep His Law.
I grew confused and distressed at watching you and the others manipulate and control families. I hated your separating husbands from wives, taking children from mothers, shaving women's heads, telling grown men how to run their families, taking appliances from homes and putting them where you wanted them to be, "Crown Whippings," and above all disregarding the Tanach and forcing the group to embrace Shaleach's doctrine.
I even recall quite vividly once speaking before the sisters telling them that we cannot depend on Ben Ammi to save us, that we must look to the God of Israel for deliverance. Several days later, I was told that only a select few could speak before the sisters. I was not one of them. You see, Ben Ammi, I saw the need to stress belief in the Holy One of Israel - not man, and you quickly silenced me because your intention was to direct the group to accept your doctrine, to worship you, and prove their loyalty to you by kissing your feet.
I have no problems with having leaders who worship and fear the God of Israel and who stress the importance of the fact that we must keep God's Law and walk in HIS Truth. Actually, I welcome them. This is the type of leader we must all seek - one who will guide us and demand that we glory ONLY in the God of Israel. You must know that the Holy One has provided us with the necessary criteria to determine who should lead us:
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20
How can we, the Nation of Israel, turn to God with our whole hearts if people are taught to worship and serve you, Ben Ammi???
Had you been a righteous leader, you should have turned my people from their evil way (Jeremiah 23:22). Young sisters would not have left the group to prostitute in the streets of Israel. Brothers would not have left the group and returned to the States. They did not believe in, "Do as I say - not as I do." Had you been a righteous leader, my people would have listened to you. But rather you established a foundation built on corruption: Brothers committing crimes and murder in the name of the God of Israel, lying in the name of the God of Israel, stealing and cheating in the name of the God of Israel, involving themselves in credit card scams in the name of the God of Israel, committing adultery and incest, and profaning the Shabbat in the name of the God of Israel. When we, God's Chosen, are supposed to be a light of the Gentiles
(Isaiah 42:6).
You had the chance and the position to be a righteous leader, but power, money, and authority stood in the way of your being a God fearing man. The Most High God of Israel and HIS Law was not your total focus and because of that, you have lost all direction and knowledge of God's Truth.
You tell the group to have no salt week. Salt is not good for the body, and most people know this, but you cannot force people to not use salt. This is not God's Law. You tell people to have raw-food days. Again, most of us realize that salads and fruits are healthy for us, but you cannot force people to not eat cooked foods. This is not God's Law. You tell people to fast on the Shabbat. Sure, fasting has been known to be good for the body, but you cannot force people to fast on God's Shabbat. This is not God's Law.
The Most High gave us a MASTER PLAN to follow: Righteous Laws, statutes, judgments, and dietary laws that just so happen to include fish and meat. We cannot go beyond the Word of God to do less or more (Numbers 22:18). And you, Ben Ammi, cannot arbitrarily make the decision to force your philosophy upon others. The reason is that if you insist that the group do one thing against God's Law, you will insist that the group do other things against God's Law which is exactly what you have done.
The Shabbat is a sign between the Holy One of Israel and HIS People "throughout our generations." You have no right to ask that the group work or fast on God's Shabbat. There is no justification for you to suggest such a sin against the Most High God. Ben Ammi, you know better. No one needs to tell you that we must keep God's Shabbat. No one needs to tell you that we must worship the God of Israel and NONE ELSE and keep HIS Law. But families were made outcasts because of speaking out against the wrongs that existed.
When leaders start forming their own laws and disregarding the Laws of the God of Israel, we must seek new leadership for our own sakes so that we may obtain grace and mercy from the Most High.
Ben Ammi, too many babies are dead in the desert of Dimona. Too many young adults and grown folk are dead in the desert of Dimona. The Most High might have saved them, but death, contention, confusion, cholera and malnutrition are just some of God's obvious punishments upon the group to show others that you were doing something wrong and that you, being the leader, must change. I cried too many tears while with the group, Ben Ammi. I had too many sleepless nights and worried too much about what would happen next.
Scripture teaches that we shall "return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy." This was not the case when I returned home to Israel under your leadership. My prayer to the Holy One intensified and the reason is that I knew within my heart that we
were not doing God's will. I, personally, left the States to seek my God to serve HIM and to establish His Kingdom, but instead, we were directed to worship a man - even to this day!!! Thus, you teach my people to blaspheme God and HIS Holy Name. You once stated that we would keep walking across graves (and you did not lie). I do not remember in what context you made that statement, but, for obvious reasons, that was my last meeting in Dimona.
I have been there under your leadership, and my husband, my children and I, all praises due to the Holy One, have gotten out alive, and I still believe in the God of Israel when many others who have left your group do not.
Finally, Ben Ammi, after leaving the group and your pronouncing me to be an outcast, I feared greatly for my children and for myself. I prayed that the Most High would watch over us. Because I feared you and what you might do to us, The Holy One showed me Isaiah 51st Chapter. After reading that, I was all right and could function and go about worshipping my God and enjoying life in Israel without fear of you or what you might have done to me and my children.
I cannot be a member of your group again. We do not see eye to eye as it is written in God's Law or the Tanach. I want to establish God's Kingdom in truth and in righteousness with my people who desire to exalt the Most High God of Israel, worship HIM, and keep HIS Law. Therefore, I seek a leader who chooses to give ALL Glory to the God of Israel and to keep His Law as it is written and will teach my people to believe and to hope in the One and ONLY God of Abraham.
All that I have said is truth and is really not purposed for discussion, but is rather a message for you and for all who hear these words that I have spoken to beware.
ALL PRAISES DUE TO THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
OPEN LETTER TO BEN AMMI
November 19, 1996
Ben Ammi,
We go way back. I have known you since 1966. I kept my very first Shabbat at your temple, Abata Israel, in Chicago, and your second wife, Tikvah, stayed with me before we left for Liberia in 1967. We all went on to Israel, not at the same time, but in various
stages. I have said this to emphasize that we are very well acquainted with each other, and to show that I am indeed informed of what has taken place within the group that left for Liberia and moved on to Israel.
It was the Holy One of Israel who pressed upon me to leave your group, and when I didn't, HE caused something to happen to my youngest son who at the time was just a baby. Then, without delay, I wrote you a seven page letter denoting exactly why I had to leave your congregation.
I left for a number of reasons. I went through hell being a member of your group, Ben Ammi. When we left the States, our focus was to be the God of Israel and His Law, but in Israel, you permit people to call you "Jesus, Savior of the World, God of Gods, the
Messiah, Father, King of Kings" and only the Most High knows what else. I did not leave the States to go to Israel to serve man, but rather to worship the God of Israel and to keep His Law.
I grew confused and distressed at watching you and the others manipulate and control families. I hated your separating husbands from wives, taking children from mothers, shaving women's heads, telling grown men how to run their families, taking appliances from homes and putting them where you wanted them to be, "Crown Whippings," and above all disregarding the Tanach and forcing the group to embrace Shaleach's doctrine.
I even recall quite vividly once speaking before the sisters telling them that we cannot depend on Ben Ammi to save us, that we must look to the God of Israel for deliverance. Several days later, I was told that only a select few could speak before the sisters. I was not one of them. You see, Ben Ammi, I saw the need to stress belief in the Holy One of Israel - not man, and you quickly silenced me because your intention was to direct the group to accept your doctrine, to worship you, and prove their loyalty to you by kissing your feet.
I have no problems with having leaders who worship and fear the God of Israel and who stress the importance of the fact that we must keep God's Law and walk in HIS Truth. Actually, I welcome them. This is the type of leader we must all seek - one who will guide us and demand that we glory ONLY in the God of Israel. You must know that the Holy One has provided us with the necessary criteria to determine who should lead us:
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20
How can we, the Nation of Israel, turn to God with our whole hearts if people are taught to worship and serve you, Ben Ammi???
Had you been a righteous leader, you should have turned my people from their evil way (Jeremiah 23:22). Young sisters would not have left the group to prostitute in the streets of Israel. Brothers would not have left the group and returned to the States. They did not believe in, "Do as I say - not as I do." Had you been a righteous leader, my people would have listened to you. But rather you established a foundation built on corruption: Brothers committing crimes and murder in the name of the God of Israel, lying in the name of the God of Israel, stealing and cheating in the name of the God of Israel, involving themselves in credit card scams in the name of the God of Israel, committing adultery and incest, and profaning the Shabbat in the name of the God of Israel. When we, God's Chosen, are supposed to be a light of the Gentiles
(Isaiah 42:6).
You had the chance and the position to be a righteous leader, but power, money, and authority stood in the way of your being a God fearing man. The Most High God of Israel and HIS Law was not your total focus and because of that, you have lost all direction and knowledge of God's Truth.
You tell the group to have no salt week. Salt is not good for the body, and most people know this, but you cannot force people to not use salt. This is not God's Law. You tell people to have raw-food days. Again, most of us realize that salads and fruits are healthy for us, but you cannot force people to not eat cooked foods. This is not God's Law. You tell people to fast on the Shabbat. Sure, fasting has been known to be good for the body, but you cannot force people to fast on God's Shabbat. This is not God's Law.
The Most High gave us a MASTER PLAN to follow: Righteous Laws, statutes, judgments, and dietary laws that just so happen to include fish and meat. We cannot go beyond the Word of God to do less or more (Numbers 22:18). And you, Ben Ammi, cannot arbitrarily make the decision to force your philosophy upon others. The reason is that if you insist that the group do one thing against God's Law, you will insist that the group do other things against God's Law which is exactly what you have done.
The Shabbat is a sign between the Holy One of Israel and HIS People "throughout our generations." You have no right to ask that the group work or fast on God's Shabbat. There is no justification for you to suggest such a sin against the Most High God. Ben Ammi, you know better. No one needs to tell you that we must keep God's Shabbat. No one needs to tell you that we must worship the God of Israel and NONE ELSE and keep HIS Law. But families were made outcasts because of speaking out against the wrongs that existed.
When leaders start forming their own laws and disregarding the Laws of the God of Israel, we must seek new leadership for our own sakes so that we may obtain grace and mercy from the Most High.
Ben Ammi, too many babies are dead in the desert of Dimona. Too many young adults and grown folk are dead in the desert of Dimona. The Most High might have saved them, but death, contention, confusion, cholera and malnutrition are just some of God's obvious punishments upon the group to show others that you were doing something wrong and that you, being the leader, must change. I cried too many tears while with the group, Ben Ammi. I had too many sleepless nights and worried too much about what would happen next.
Scripture teaches that we shall "return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy." This was not the case when I returned home to Israel under your leadership. My prayer to the Holy One intensified and the reason is that I knew within my heart that we
were not doing God's will. I, personally, left the States to seek my God to serve HIM and to establish His Kingdom, but instead, we were directed to worship a man - even to this day!!! Thus, you teach my people to blaspheme God and HIS Holy Name. You once stated that we would keep walking across graves (and you did not lie). I do not remember in what context you made that statement, but, for obvious reasons, that was my last meeting in Dimona.
I have been there under your leadership, and my husband, my children and I, all praises due to the Holy One, have gotten out alive, and I still believe in the God of Israel when many others who have left your group do not.
Finally, Ben Ammi, after leaving the group and your pronouncing me to be an outcast, I feared greatly for my children and for myself. I prayed that the Most High would watch over us. Because I feared you and what you might do to us, The Holy One showed me Isaiah 51st Chapter. After reading that, I was all right and could function and go about worshipping my God and enjoying life in Israel without fear of you or what you might have done to me and my children.
I cannot be a member of your group again. We do not see eye to eye as it is written in God's Law or the Tanach. I want to establish God's Kingdom in truth and in righteousness with my people who desire to exalt the Most High God of Israel, worship HIM, and keep HIS Law. Therefore, I seek a leader who chooses to give ALL Glory to the God of Israel and to keep His Law as it is written and will teach my people to believe and to hope in the One and ONLY God of Abraham.
All that I have said is truth and is really not purposed for discussion, but is rather a message for you and for all who hear these words that I have spoken to beware.
ALL PRAISES DUE TO THE GOD OF ISRAEL.