Mr. Molinsky's assertion that Orthodox Jews are not allowed to flush the toilet on the Sabbath is totally baseless and inaccurate. Had Mr. Molinsky bothered to check this fact with any competent rabbinic authority, he would have confirmed this. This erroneous assertion leaves a most disturbing impression about Orthodox Jews, and certainly, Mr. Molinsky's intonation of this sentence in the piece doesn't help matters either.

(Orthodox Jews in fact do not turn on lights on the Sabbath, but instead rely on timers. (I can only imagine what some of the listeners to this piece must think: that Orthodox Jews sit in the dark on the Sabbath?!) Mr. Molinsky certainly could have clarified this. To be sure, he could have mentioned other more accurate prohibitions observed by the Orthodox, including abstaining from cooking, driving, etc.)

That this piece aired on Weekend America without this assertion being caught by editors is most unfortunate. It should be corrected, and the editors should issue an appropriate correction.

Mordechai I. Twersky
Producer - Israel