An Orthodox rabbi has attacked the recent United States Supreme Court decision that the possession or exhibition of pornographic material in the privacy of one’s home is not illegal. The decision has been hailed by many who otherwise oppose the free circulation of pornographic books and films. According to Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, executive vice president of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, an organization headquartered in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, the high court’s ruling opens the way to “a flood of pornography that will make Noah’s flood look like an overflowing brook and will soon engulf the United States.”
Rabbi Hecht believes that “by telling everyone that pornography in the home is permissable, the Supreme Court is not only sanctioning dirty movies and lewd books, it is actually promoting them. The home of the future will consider pornography as commonplace and necessary as a color TV or dishwasher,” he said. He urged “action for decency” by school authorities, the clergy and lawmakers.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
