Many of the problems I’ve had with the insular world of Charedim in Israel are in fact being dealt with by this a magazine whose success is quite encouraging. An article in Forgien Policy sent to me via Joey Fried's e-mail list makes that quite clear.
What’s unique about Mishpacha Magazine, is that it is written by Charedim themselves… Charedim who apparently have the same problems with their own community that I have.
I recall reading a while back about an attempt by one of the Charedi newspapers, I believe it was Hamodia, attempting to close down Mishpacha by suing them in a Beis Din. They claimed that the Torah world can’t trust Mishpacha since they they are independent and do not pass their articles before Gedolim for their approval. The Beis Din consisted of Rabbanim who are very supportive of Hamodia and the Yated. But they lost. The Beis Din Paskin’d that Mishpacha can continue.
And this it has done… in spades, creaming it’s competition. If I understand correctly they now have the biggest share by far of the Charedi market. Bigger than Hamodia and the Yated combined.
As I understand it, both the Yated and Hamodia are basically the newspapers whose articles are approved by Charedi Gedolim or their representatives. .. and that nothing gets published in those papers without their specific approval.
Why is Mishpacha so successful? I think it is largely because of their ability to be independent and their freedom to choose content. While their Hashkafos are Charedi and generally follow Charedi guidelines and they do have a “spiritual advisory board” …they never-the-less feature content that includes such Charedi issues as: education, poverty, women in the work world, secular studies, and kids at risk. And they also have within their pages subjects like art, fiction, and leisure. Mishpacha even deals with controversial science. “I don’t see any problem with evolution as long as we know who sparked it,” says Moshe Grylak, the magazine’s editor in chief.” As well Mishpacha has published articles on “positive figures from non-Jewish cultures, such as Martin Luther King”.
That Mishpacha won a lawsuit in a Charedi Beis Din shows that there is at least an awareness that all is not perfect in the world of Charedim and a realization that things need fixing… and that public discussion about them do no harm. Perhaps it can even do some good and give rise to suggestions for improvement from thoe very people who need them.
By allowing Mishpacha to publish without any direct editorial control shows that they deem permissible public discourse and that not everything under the sun needs a Psak from a Gadol. … and that there are things outside of Torah knowledge worthy of our time, including art and leisure.
Mishpacha… the Emes Ve-Emunah of the Charedi world.
