One People

Agudath Israel spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran, is a brilliant writer and thinker with whom I often agree. Most notable among my agreements was with his seminal article in Moment Magazine several years ago assessing the then current status of Conservative Judaism. Among other things, he challenged their claim of being a Halachic movement, and invited its more observant members ‘back home’ to Orthodoxy.

He was strongly criticized by Conservative leaders at the time denying they weren’t Halachic. But as we have since seen, the movement is tending further and further away from Halachic Judaism. Rabbi Shafran’s article was prescient.

And now once again he has written a very insightful article about the Reform movement. This time, however he offers praise to them as they have completely turned around the direction of their theology. They have gone from their founding doctrine of rejecting any an all ritual to one of encouraging it as much as possible. This trend did not start yesterday. It’s been going on for years and I’ve addressed it before.

But as Rabbi Shafran points out, an important new development in that direction has taken place recently. The Reform movement has now published a Siddur. The new Siddur defies many of the original tenets if their theology of rejection. It is in Hebrew. It opens right to left and contains passages about Techias HaMeism, God’s ability to resurrect the dead. That was once anathema to the movement.

That said, Rabbi Shafran correctly points out that their Siddur “Mishkan T’filah,” 'still pointedly omits vital elements of traditional Jewish prayer (indeed of the Torah) that its editors found discomfiting'.

It is important to note that the spokesman for Agudath Israel whose creed is that they always follow the Gedolim… has nevertheless praised this effort. This is a major step forward. The Reform movement does indeed deserve credit for publishing this Siddur even though it is not Halachic. Rabbi Shafran mentions the famous words of the Kotzker Rebbe in explanation of why this event deserves praise. Paraphrasing…It doesn’t matter so much how Frum one is on the Frum-o-meter. It matters far more which direction one is going.

And certainly the Reform movement is going in the right direction. They have a long way to go, but one might say that the Reform movement is more pleasing in God’s eyes than is the Conservative movement. Because, as the Kotzker Rebbe’s wise words indicate… they are going in the right direction. The Conservatives, on the other hand, are going in the wrong direction. That is pretty ironic for a movement that began as a reaction to Reform in an effort to ‘conserve’ Judaism.

This new Reform Siddur brings back into focus the events surrounding the ban on Rabbi Yosef Reinman’s book, One People, Two Worlds which he wrote in collaboration with a Reform Rabbi. The fact that there is such a hunger for a return to tradition is once again proven by this new publication.

While there is still a battle for the hearts and minds between the old rejectioist guard and new one which embraces ritual observance (albeit only as an option) it is clear that a major portion of Reform Jewry is ripe for outreach. And that makes the loss of an opportunity even more significant.

I would think this would be a tremendous opportunity for Agudah’s Moetzes to reconsider their ban on a book that …if I understand correctly… had approbations from some of the greatest rabbinic figures of our time. A book that was written by a tremendous Talmid Chacham whose Lakewood credentials are firmly established.

As I’ve pointed out many times, Rabbi Reinman’s only regret after acquiescing to the wishes of the Agudah Moetzes and withdrawing from that book and tour was that a Kiruv opportunity was lost. What he saw in his Reform audience was a hunger for authentic Judasim. It is that, in essence, which generated this new Siddur.

There are millions of Jews who are not religious because they simply do not know any better. They are the classic Tinokos Shenishbu... raised non religious from childhood ‘captured’ by a secular culture.

There has never been a more propitious time than now to reach out to them. We ought to take this opportunity and do something with it. There are many great outreach organizations throughout the United States and Israel but they do not have access to the kinds of masses that appeared before Rabbi Reinman on his tour.

Though there are many, perhaps even most Jews who could not care less and run away from their Judaism… clearly there are millions who want something more than simple hedonism. Why write them off? American Jews are ready and the time is now. Let’s not waste another precious moment.

Rabbi Dr. David Berger

One of my personal heroes is Rabbi Dr. David Berger. And it gives me great pleasure to see that he has been appointed to head the department of Jewish studies at Yeshiva University’s undergraduate college. By reputation, Rabbi Berger is both a Talmid Chacham and scholar. But my encounter with him was neither through his Torah knowledge nor his academic scholarship. It was through his book, ‘The Rebbe, The Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference”.

That’s when he became one of my heroes. He has taken a courageous stand in opposition to Messianism that has plagued Lubavitch Chasidus ever since the passing of its charismatic leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson on June 12, 1994. This has caused many outside of the movement to now define them primarily that way. And with good reason.

I’ve written about this in the past and I don’t really want to re-hash it in great detail. Suffice it to say that the Messianists that populate Lubavitch exist in far greater number than many people realize.

Many in Lubavitch who oppose the more strident factions have gone to great lengths to deny the strength of their numbers and influence. And even those within the movement who oppose... are themselves unopposed in theory. They just think that beliefs about the Rebbe's possible Messiah-ship should be kept private and discussed quietly amongst themselves.

The evidence is pretty strong that the numbers are great and their influence widespread. That a man can be resurrected form the dead as the Messiah in a second coming is normative belief in Lubavitch. Based on my own obervations in various media reports and based on discussions I’ve had with many Lubavitchers themselves, the only differences between various factions are the extent to which it is believed.

Beliefs run all the way from believing in the possibility albeit unlikely resurrection… to believing he will definitely arise… to believing that he is still alive and will soon reveal himself as the Messiah… to believing …in extreme cases… that The Rebbe is the essence of God clothed in a body, the so called Elohists! And of course each faction cites proofs to their beliefs.

Very few if any Lubavitchers actually believe as mainstream Judaism does that the messiah will only come from the living and not from the dead. The struggle within Lubavitch is not to rid the movement of all their messianist notions. It is only to limit the extent of how far those notions go and to rid the movement of the outspoken messianists among them.

Rabbi Berger demonstrates why this belief is anathema to Judaism and that it endangers our future. His book details this phenomenon and the extent of it. He has also challenged Orthodox leadership of all stripes on their relative silence. It is almost as though they believed that if they are silent it will just go away.

Continued inaction can result in serious repercussions for every single Orthodox Jew. Lubavitch is heavily involved in Kiruv, in Chinuch, and in Kashrus. Many are Shochtim. Is it really a good idea for our Shochtim to believe that the Messiah will be resurrected in a second coming? What if he is he a closet Elohist? Though it is unlikely, it is not impossible. They do exist. That would make the product of his Shechita Assur.

And what are the Meshichist Lubavtichers in Kiruv teaching their Baalei Teshuva? Are they becoming Messianist along with becoming religious? Let us not forget that Lubavitch is the most pervasive presence in Kiruv. They have probably been Mekarev more Baalei Teshuva than any other group. By far. And they’re still doing it. Now more than ever.

Anyone who visits Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, will see quite clearly that overt Messianism is alive and well. Thriving in fact.

Some of their most learned Rabbanim located mostly in Israel actually Paskined that one must believe that the Rebbe is Moshiach! (See e.g. here and here.)

Meshichist websites are all too easy to find. This website is just another example. There are probably hundreds.

Yet, except for an occasional article by Rabbi Chaim Keller, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe, Chicago, there is virtually complete silence on this issue.

And then there is Rabbi Berger. He has picked up the gauntlet. But he has taken a lot of flak from Lubavitch and their supporters. This is understandable. People get defensive when they think they are being attacked. And that is what generated one student at Yeshiva University with connections to Chabad to ask:

“How am I, a student at Y.U., as well as someone with a strong connection to the Lubavitch movement, supposed to understand this appointment and its apparent conflict with the cultural open-mindedness espoused by the University?”

What Lubavitchers do not understand is that Rabbi Berger is not attacking them. He is attacking their mistaken belief in their Rebbe’s Messiah-ship. It is a belief that is so entrenched, and so vast, and so harmful that it may end up destroying them! …or at least marginalizing them, if it hasn’t already.

I don’t think Lubavitchers have any real idea about the extent of their rejection in the Yeshiva world. Most Bnei Torah in the Yeshiva world boycott anything and everything Lubavitch. There is also a tremendous amount of ridicule of them and their messianic beliefs in Yeshiva circles. Some refuse to even walk into a Lubavitch Shul. Some refuse to eat from any Lubavitch Shechita.

Instead of reconciling with the mainstream, Lubavitch is drifting further and further away from it. I truly do not think they realize the extent of this. And it’s probably due in part to the very silence on this issue by Orthodox rabbinic leadership that Rabbi Berger protests.

Lubavitch unfortunately does not seem to grasp that. They continue to insist that this isn’t a problem and instead will point to this or that ‘proof’ that they are indeed accepted. But based on numerous conversations I’ve had with many in the Yeshiva world… that is truly an illusion.

Meanwhile the vilification of Rabbi Berger continues as Lubavitch considers him an arch enemy. And that is simply not true.

I am happy to see that Yeshiva University will have none of that while at the same time allowing full freedom of expression to the contrary.

Congratulations to both Yeshiva University and Rabbi Dr. David Berger.

Sex Abuse in the Charedi World

There are currently two articles in Ha’aretz dealing with the issue of sexual harassment in the Charedi world in Israel. In one article, it is a question of communication.

From the article:

The Trade, Industry and Labor Ministry started a radio advertising campaign last week, calling on men and women to complain about sexual harassment in the workplace.

When the Government Advertising Bureau asked the ultra-Orthodox radio station, Radio Kol Hai, to run the ads, it realized there was a problem. It seems that the station, which caters almost exclusively to the devout ultra-Orthodox population, does not use the word 'sexual.'

It also does not broadcast terms such as 'rape' or 'breast cancer,' so as not to offend its ultra-Orthodox listeners.

I’ve discussed the foolishness of refusing to use the word ‘breast’ when discussing a serious illness, in the past. The degree to which some in the Charedi community defines ‘Lashon Naki’ goes too far. It makes it more difficult understand and deal with this issue when one has to interpret every euphemism used to replace the actual word.

And this is no different when discussing sexual harassment. If the public is going to deal with this issue successfully, at the very minimum, the message dealing with it ought to be conveyed as clearly as possible. The extreme level of Lashan Naki should be trumped by the seriiusness of the issue. It is not that I am opposed to using euphemisms per se, although I personally do not see a problem saying the word ‘breast’ as long as it is not in the context of Nivul Peh. But I understand that some people have a heightened sensitivity to it using such words.

When it comes to health issues, however, whether it is physical health or mental health, it is ludicrous to use a euphemism which makes potentially lifesaving information more difficult to understand… even though it may be ultimately understood.

But as the article said, the main thing is the message be conveyed and in the final analysis it is undserstood. But still… in my view any and all obstacles to getting lifesaving information out to the public should be as free of impediments as possible

The second article is far more troubling than the first. And it seems goes hand in hand with the study done on sexual abuse in Orthodox women.

From the article:

The National Council for the Child reports a steep rise in recent weeks in the number of requests for help from child sexual assault victims and their parents. Council head Yitzhak Kadman found that 30 percent of the new requests came from the ultra-Orthodox community, which had previously almost never contacted the organization about sexual assault.

And here is another surprise:

Kadman sees the awakening of the Haredi sector as a real "breach of barriers." Contrary to expectation, the Haredim who apply for help do not want a Haredi volunteer to assist them, nor do they care whether the volunteer is a man or woman, Kadman said.

Does it really matter whether we are talking about sexual abuse of women or sexual abuse of children? One can quibble about the differences between the two. And they are different. The sexual desires acted upon by the perpetrators are different and therefore so are the victims. But I submit that sex abuse is sex abuse. And it exists among us greater numbers than anyone dared to think.

Does this not at least begin to raise questions in the mind of those who so quickly reject studies that indicate higher numbers of sex abuse in the Torah world? ...or that Charedim are more immune to it than anyone else? I think it should.

Finally, I wonder why those who apply for help after experiencing sexual abuse seek non Charedi volunteers. Could it be that they feel that because their community is so unwilling to even mention the word sex that they feel there is no one to talk to?

Administrative Request

This post marks the beginning of what I hope will be an improvement in the quality of the comments section of this blog. I am requesting that people who wish to leave a comment do so with a name other than ‘anonymous’. I am not necessarily asking for real names although I would prefer them. I truly believe that one should have the courage to sign his or her real name to their opinions. But I also understand and respect the right of people to remain anonymous. In some cases there are legitimate reasons. But using the name ‘anonymous’ has simply become too confusing since many people use it and are sometimes at opposite ends of a debate. So I ask all commenters to pick a ‘name’ and stick with it.

I don’t want to discourage open and free debate as long as it is generally respectful and follows the basic rules of this blog. But I do want to end the confusion of multiple commenters using the name ‘anonymous’.

I am not making this an absolute requirement because there are always new people commenting and they may not aware of the requirement. Also, an anonymous comment may at times be of greater value than the rule itself. So I am making this optional… a request, not a requirement. It will be a major improvement to this blog if commenter confusion can be eliminated.

The Impact of Torah on ‘Frum” Sex Abusers

It is at once commendable and tragic that so many in the Torah world believe that a Torah based society is nigh incapable of sex abuse in the high numbers presented in a recent study as reported in the Jewish Week (and dealt with here in last Friday’s post).

The Gemarah tells us: ‘Ein Apitropus L'Arayos’. Loosely interpreted one can say this means that sexual Taavos (desires) are not subject to Hashkafa restrictions. If one has a biological pre-disposition to be weak in matters of sex, one will have a lower threshold of transgression. They will often also have addictive personalities.

Sexual urges can take many forms, some of which are very abberational. And the manner of satisfying those urges will be just as varied and abberative. Put individuals like this in a scenario where opportunity presents itself… and the impulse to transgress is almost impossible to resist. Transgressions can range from the relatively harmless to the extremely harmful. And the addictive personality will transgress multiple times!

Is Frumkeit and even Ehrlichkeit a preventative in such cases? I don’t think so. At least not in all cases. It might very well depend on how ‘sick’ a person’s sex-drive is. If the urge is strong and the will is weak, even the best of us can succumb.

There is a rather famous case of an esteemed and highly respected Rosh HaYeshiva in Israel... with many loyal Talmidim over the years. Some thought of him as their Rabbo Muvhak. He was a man who was close to Gedolei Yisroel and often consulted with them. He garnered respect from students and peers alike, ...a man with an international reputation who in fact became a Noef! He had sexual relations with a married woman who was not his wife. This... as we know… is a Yehoreg V'Al Yaavor... a cardinal sin which one must sacrifice his life and not violate!

And he wasn't the only one. There are other famous cases of sexual abuse. They were people in positions of power who found ways to get around Yichud restrictions that were observed in their communities. Some were MO. Some were Charedi. ..and some were everywhere in-between. It doesn’t much matter what the Hashkafa is. It matters more how impaired the libido is.

It is therefore incredilbly naïve to suggest that a Charedi society makes it more difficult to transgress these kinds of violations.

When an urge to transgress a sexual taboo exists in a human being, some human beings find it almost impossible to resist… no matter how Frum they are... no matter how Charedi they are.

The sex drive is not a quantitatively fixed urge in all people. It is as varied as is individual differences in the desire to eat: Some people eat to live... and other live to eat. When it comes to sex the problem is exacerbated because of all the various taboos involved and all of the social and religious restrictions involved.

I will grant that we do not yet know the real extent of the problem of sexual abuse in the Torah world. But at the same time, I think it exists in far greater numbers than anyone ever thought. That is the lesson to be drawn from that study. At the very least.

Sex abuse comes in many forms. It can involve just about any normal or abnormal sexual scenario one can imagine. The Jewish Week article did not go into detail about what the criteria of that report was but I expect that the journal article does.

In any case, those who continue to insist that the study is worthelss should pay attention to what a commenter posted on the subject.

This is not an isolated case. The reason we don't hear more about cases like this is because of the shame and embarrassment of the victims, fear of repercussions such as the impact such information would have on Shiduchim for the abuse victim and other members of her family…and many other reasons. For anyone to use a counter argument of : ‘If the number were that large…we would know’ is therefore quite inaccurate. The fact is... we would not necessarily know.

So in the final analysis, one must take this study seriously. Indeed there should be more studies. But to discredit this study as ‘bogus’ because the numbers are unexpectedly high, is to discourage further study. And that would be tragic.

The Bullies in Our Midst

There are bullies in our midst. No not school bullies, although I know that they are a problem. I’m talking about bullies with a bible in their ‘hands’. These are otherwise known as Kaanaim who take matters they see as counter to their Hashkafos into their own hands… ‘in the name of God’.

They claim to be L’shma. And they believe it. But is that the real motive? …or are they just plain bullies? In my view… whether we are talking about Tznius Patrols or rioters in Jerusalem or in Ramat Bet Shemesh, these people are nothing more than bullies.

What is worse in my view is that on some cases there otherwise decent people who tend to blame the victim. This was the case with Mrs. Miriam Shear who was severely beaten by such bullies. That was unconscionable. Yet, every time I wrote about this and similar incidents, the victims are blamed by good and well intentioned people. But blaming the victim only perpetuates the problem, even if lip service is paid to condemning the bullies in the process.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. In a column discussing the issue of bullying, so does Rabbi Yakov Horowitz:

As I was reading the responses to Miriam Shear’s Enough is Enough!, column which I posted on my website, it struck me how many similarities there are between the phenomenon of school bullying and the actions of the criminal ‘tzniyus-patrol’ thugs who are assaulting our women. (For the record, I condemned their actions in the strongest terms in my essay They Don't Represent Us).

What is equally striking is how the reactions of many decent people to Mrs. Shear is similar to how well-meaning adults often mistakenly treat children who are victims of bullying – telling them to ‘just ignore it’ and questioning if their behavior provoked the attacker. (FYI; this is a also a classic response to victims of domestic abuse – implying that it is the fault of the victim and suggesting that they ‘ignore things’ and they will improve.)

If you feel, as I do, that there are parallels, engage in a serious cheshbon hanefesh and think carefully if the time has come for ALL of us to say as Miriam Shear has said. “Enough is Enough!”

I couldn’t agree more. But I would go a step further and say that the bullying does not only stem from the type misguided youth in the above mentioned examples. Bullying can take a more subtle form as it does with the Kanaim who are Rav Elyashiv’s Askanim. When one manipulates a Gadol into taking actions that have negative consequences for Klal Yisroel, that is perhaps the worst bullying of all, even if it is done L’shma where the goal is legitimate. Because this form of bullying impacts negatively on tens of thousands of people. And so I would say that the next time anyone has the urge to defend these people they should do the same Cheshbon HaNefesh and say that here too, enough is enough!

Gedolim Cards – Rabbi Shmuel Jablon Responds

My recent post on Religious Zionist Gedolim Cards generated many comments, some of which raised questions that could really only be answered by the creater of this set, Rabbi Shmuel Jablon. As an occasional reader of this blog, he was pleased to read about his project, and sent me an e-mail responding to some of those questions. He has graciously allowed me to share them with my readers. So here now, Rabbi Jablon:

1- I created these cards to teach my students about some key Religious Zionist greats. I also happen to give out lots of baseball cards during the year, take children to baseball games, and use baseball in many educational ways (See here ) . My attempt was to use this very familiar and enjoyable "style" (cards) to teach the children about our true heroes. I can report to you that many, many students have started to ask for these cards instead of baseball cards!

2- This set does not include every Religious Zionist great. The cards are expensive to produce (over $1 each), as well as being very time consuming. The focus, as is evident, is clearly on Israeli Religious Zionists. I hope, in the future, to make cards of Rav Chaim David HaLevi zt"l, Rav Avraham Shapira zt"l, Rav Yaakov Reines zt"l. Among Americans, certainly ones of Rav Aharon Soloveitchik zt"l and yblch"t Rav Herschel Schachter shlit"a also would be excellent. Again, though, time and cost are huge considerations.

3- These cards are all of Religious Zionist Torah Giants. I don't like to do "comparative Gedolim" as that tends to be a bezayon to the Torah itself. HaRav Shlomo Riskin shlit"a is certainly a Torah giant. He has started numerous Torah institutions with thousands and thousands of talmidim, built up an Israeli city, been responsible for hundreds (at least) of Olim, brought many Jews to Torah, etc, etc, etc. Though some may be uncomfortable with some of his positions, from where I sit he is clearly a living Torah giant. He also- by the way- has a strong kesher to the Cleveland Jewish Commuinty (where I've worked for the past 8 school years as Head of Lower School at Fuchs Mizrachi School) and has visited here a number of times. Thus, my desire to strengthen the kesher between him and my students is clear and quite le'ma'aseh.

4- Naturally, I selected Rabbis (though clearly not every Rabbi) who I wish to teach about...There are others, of course, that I discuss with my students. Not all of these are Religous Zionists. However, clearly- as a Torah educator who is a Religious Zionist- I want (without apoligies or excuses) to hold certain Rabbis up as the pinnancle to which our students should aspire. This is no different that "Right Wing" Torah educators do. We all have a right to reach our hashkafa...so long as Ahavat Yisrael and "Eylu VeEylu" respect for all Torah haskafot are part of that teaching.

5- There is a companion set that I've produced for students of "Heroes of Religious Zionism." I've started with six men and women, none of whom are Rabbis. You're welcome to see here. I maintain a web site, and appear often on the Lookstein Institute's (LookJed) email list. Thus, I am not too hard to find and am happy to correspond with any and all interested in discussing Jewish Education---particularly in the Religious Zionist-Modern Orthodox Community.

With all best wishes, Rabbi Shmuel Jablon

Giving Voice to the Unspeakable

It’s about time we face the truth. Orthodox Jewry is not immune from sexual abuse. This should be obvious by now. There are so many cases reported in the media that one would have to be completely lobotomized not to know that. But what is not so well known is the extent of it. How does Orthodox Jewry fit in to the overall societal picture? How do we compare with society in general?

Not very well I’m afraid. At least as it pertains to married women. From an article in the Jewish Week:

A report in the November issue of the journal of the American Psychiatric Association says that Orthodox Jewish women suffer as much of it as other American women do. Twenty-six percent of respondents in a study about the sexual lives and attitudes of married Orthodox Jewish women — 55 percent identifying as Modern Orthodox and about 45 percent as fervently Orthodox — indicated that they had at some point suffered sexual abuse.

What is even more incredible is the comparison between ultra Orthodox and modern Orthodox. Here are some of the numbers:

The new article also says that fervently Orthodox women are more likely than Modern Orthodox women to have experienced sexual abuse, to have experienced it multiple times and to have experienced it the first time before age 13.

Fifty-eight percent of fervently Orthodox women who participated in the study reported experiencing sexual abuse multiple times, according to the article, compared to 39 percent of Modern Orthodox women.

Overall, 16 percent of respondents said they experienced their first sexual abuse at or before they were 13 years old, which is less than the approximately 22 percent of American women who have reported in other studies that they were sexually abused at that age.

Among the ultra-Orthodox respondents, 20 percent said they had experienced abuse by the age of 13, while among the modern Orthodox respondents it was 12 percent. “It’s very important to note that this is just a slice,” said Rachel Yehuda, a professor of psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, and one of the paper’s lead authors.

This is quite a revealing study. Of course I can see all the naysayers already... coming out and condemning the report as flawed or biased. And there will be the predictable put-downs of the Jewish Week as anti Charedi. But all of that will simply not fly in the face if a serious study published in one of the most respectd psychiatric journals.

How, one can ask, is it possible that the Torah world which is supposed to reflect the highest standards of sexual conduct are no better than the average non Jew? And How could it be that more women are sexually abused in segment of a community that is the strictest about sexual matters?

I have no ready answers. I would have not predicted these statistical numbers. At worst I would have said that abuse exists perhaps more than we think but not to the same extent as the general population. And I would certainly not have expected the community with the largest percentages of abused women to be the Charedi one. But that is in fact the case according to the study.

One would think that exposure to the popular culture would invite more abuse… and sheltering from it would help prevent abuse. Western culture after all idealizes sexual prowess. The vast majority entertainment in our day has tremendous sexual content. Sex is glorified. You see it everywhere… on TV, in the movies, in books ,on billboards in magazines... you cannot escape it.

If you are secular you are immersed in it. And most people emulate their heroes… heroes like the fictional James Bond, whose biggest claim to fame is how many women he’s had. Additionally one can barely avoid seeing images of female pop stars in various states of undress these days. So the sexual stimuli are there… and people emulate their heroes. So why is it that those of us who are the most sheltered from the sexual stimuli are the ones who are the guiltiest of sexual abuse?

One can only speculate at this point. Perhaps it is the over-sheltering that is at fault. Maybe a little exposure to the culture is a good thing. Maybe sheltering causes too much pent up frustration. Who knows?!

But one thing is certain. It does exist and in far greater numbers than most people think. That we aren’t as aware of it is probably a function of the shame victims have in reporting it. I’m sure sexual abuse is underreported by married women, especially in the Torah world. And those that do report it, do not advertise. Women are abused in silence. Thank God there are Torah oriented women’s shelters like Shalva. But that Shalva has to exist at all is not a compliment to us.

Gedolim Cards

I have never been a fan of “Gedolim” cards. I view them as a bit demeaning to the people they represent. I understand the purpose. But as I do in many cases I question whether the ends justify the means.

True... the primary reason for this particular enterprise can be seen as educational. It makes use of a modality common to young people. They seem to be attracted… in some cases even addicted… to collecting baseball (or other sports) cards. They learn about stats from all these cards which contain information about the player pictured on the front.

Why not utilize that propensity in youngsters for purposes of learning about the great religious leaders of our time and the recent past? Some entrepreneur obviously had that thought… and ‘Gedolim’ cards were born. The Gadol’s photograph is on the front and a personal little bio or other stats is on the back.

But, as I said I find it a bit demeaning to ‘collect’ Gedolim as though they were nothing more than celebrities. Once you have a photo of a Gadol on a card and your start trading doubles… the person on the card loses a bit of his luster.

Another thing that bothers me is the fact that this phenomenon seeks to replace the hobby of collecting baseball cards altogether. Not that I think that it is all that beneficial to learn about how many home runs Barry Bonds hit last year. But I don’t really see the harm in it either. Why can’t a child have a hobby that is a diversion from his day to day learning? Must every moment of his or her life be Torah, Torah, and more Torah? Isn’t it just possible that a young child can be over-dosed on it a bit? Shouldn’t a child be allowed to just be a child?

So what if he knows who Barry Bonds is or what he does? It relaxes the child and rejuvenates him for more learning. Doesn’t the recent violence by Meah Shearim and Ramat Bet Shemesh children teach us anything about giving a child some positive distractions in his or her leisure time?

Do we need children 8, 9, and 10 years old saying when asked about why they are torching vehicles in the middle of a major intersection in Jeruslaem to answer, “Because it’s fun!”? Wouldn’t collecting baseball cards (or soccer cards in Israel, I suppose) be a bit more constructive than spraying bleach on passers-by in Meah Shearim?

But I digress. We have Gedolim cards. And now that we do, it has become quite political as to who gets to be a Gadol. Obviously it is the Hashkafos of the manufacturer that will determine that (maybe in consultation with certain “Gedolim’ themselves).

In the case of the current set of cards it is only the right wing ‘Gedolim’ who get a card. And apparently it doesn’t take that much to get one. I’ve been told that there are some pretty obscure names on these cards in addition to the obvious names that one would expect.

But there are some pretty big names that aren’t. Like the Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. If I understand correctly, my Rebbe made it. Rav Ahron got a card.

But it isn’t only the Rav who didn’t get a card, not a single Modern Orthodox, Centrist, or Religious Zionist made it. (Although I guess Rav Aharon is considered right wing enough by them even though he said Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut. Maybe they didn't know that about him.) But that is about to change. A new set of Religious Zionist cards have come out.

I applaud this development. As I say I generally don’t approve of Gedolim trading cards but it is a fact of life today. And there are worse things in the world. One has to choose which hill to die upon and this one isn’t it for me. So, if you can't beat 'em ...join 'em.

The fact that the current Gedolim cards leave out certain Gedolim for political reasons is a tremendous wrong in my view. These new cards correct that. It is my hope that the Religious Zionist cards are identical in format to the other ‘Gedolim’ cards (I’ve never seen one). And I hope the market is flooded with them. And I hope children of all stripes try and collect the entire set, RZ rabbis included.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Because Their Rebbe Had Let Them

The following is a first hand account of an incident that a woman witnessed during last year's ‘Gay Pride’ protest:

Every night, yeshivas were letting their students out to riot in the streets. Garbage cans were dumped and strewn in the streets and their contents set on fire. Many people, particularly the elderly and small children, had been rushed to hospitals suffering from respiratory difficulties due to the toxicity of the smoke that was belching throughout residential neighborhoods. Public health officials were warning that the carcinogens in the air were at dangerous levels. I personally was in bed for 3 days with a severe respiratory infection caused by being forced to inhale these fumes every day. Almost every morning, our bus would have to stop and carefully navigate around burning piles of rubbish. Sometimes, people would have to get off the bus to remove these burning piles so the bus could get through and soil their hands and clothes in the process. I stood at Kikar Shabbat one evening and watched boys as young as 8 and 9 running through the streets setting anything within their reach on fire. A white van made the big mistake of traveling through Kikar Shabbat. The van was pelted with objects. When the driver stopped and got out of his van, it was overturned and torched. Nobody even knew if this driver was “for” or “against” the very thing the rioters were rioting about! I asked one of the boys – about age 10 – “do you know why you’re doing this?” His answer: “Because it’s fun!” The following Shabbos, an acquaintance of mine told me that her sons were “not going to shul today, they need to sleep in and catch up on their rest because their rebbe had let them out to go rioting almost every night this week.”

That woman was Mrs. Miriam Shear. It is part of a longer narrative explaining what led up to her beating in a public bus by a Charedi thug. It was part of her explanation of why she insisted on keeping her seat on a bus. The rest of her story can be found at Rabbi Horowitz’s website.

Reading this latest from Rabbi Horowitz’s gives me tremendous hope. It reflects my very deepest feelings. I truly feel vindicated for the many times I have presented almost identical views. I again applaud the courage of this man for giving Mrs. Shear a platform to tell her story. And what a story it is! Thanks to Mrs. Shear and to Rabbi Horowitz for telling it like it is. The Torah world needs people like you. A lot more.

Worse Than We Think

I have never met Rabbi Daniel Mechanic. I have heard his name mentioned in passing but do not really know much about him. But what I do know from single comment he made is pretty impressive.

I recently wrote a post dealing with the specific problem of young people who drop out, not because of any dysfunction in their lives. ...but because of unanswered or poorly handled questions about matters dealing with Emunah.

Rabbi Mechanic responded with a rather lengthy but important comment. The fact that it was at the end of a somewhat lengthy comment section it may have been missed. As I said I think it is important so I post it here in its entirety:

I would like to bring to the attention of the readers that a program already exists dedicated to addressing this very issue. Ten years ago, with the Haskamos of numerous Gedolim and Roshei Yeshiva, I founded Project Chazon. Our staff presents comprehensive Hashkafa seminars on the Yesodei HaEmunah to Yeshiva and Bais Yaakov high school students throughout the United States, Canada, and England. To date, over 1300 programs have been presented to over 125,000 students in 265 schools. These multi-series seminars cover a wide range of issues basic to Yiddishkeit including the classical approaches to Metzius Hashem, Torah MiSinai, Torah She’Bal’Peh, Tzaddik Verah Lo, Tachlis Hachaim, Bechirah, etc. The unprecedented success of these seminars can be measured by the letters and calls arriving daily from school principals, parents and, most significantly, the students themselves.

After speaking and listening to the questions --and sometimes doubts-- of thousands of Yeshiva students, I can attest to the fact that this problem is broader and deeper than we tend to think. I recently invested a great deal of time analyzing correspondence received from over one thousand Yeshiva high school boys and girls and found the following question to be the overwhelming favorite: “How do we know that we are right?” It would seem that the challenge of growing up in a society increasingly driven by science, technology and all manner of newfangled “modern sensibilities,” demands that we provide our children with the ability to effectively articulate to themselves, and to others, the truth and relevance of Torah.

After a recent three hour Hashkafa presentation in a well-known Bais Yaakov, the valedictorian of the class wrote me a long letter wherein she shared some of her, and her classmates, feelings about the program. Here are some excerpts from the letter - and this is after she and her entire class were exposed to years of fantastic teachers and the necessary and high quality chomer and curriculum of the school.

"Very infrequently has anyone in the Frum world spoken to us as directly as you have. Most just pass over those questions they do not feel earn a response, disregarding the truth that answers are badly needed – and it is not just a matter of several unstable and therefore argumentative adolescents looking for conflict. There is a fair amount of insecurity in our grade. About religion, about Hashem, about life, history, and the world at present. Most of our feelings about the above issues have been hushed up, one way or another. Either it is not appropriate, or it is shocking that such a thought would enter a “Yiddishe Maidele’s” head, etc. And with responses such as the above, our unease and discomfort builds, and perhaps we begin to feel we should not be asking these questions, and that it’s wrong to think such thoughts".

"Never before have I seen so many kids so enthusiastic about Yiddishkeit as there were after you had spoken. Please continue, the impression made upon us is incredible, and it is necessary that other young teens feel the same".

My friends - I am not so talented. Really. But what I did accomplish apparently was validation - validation for their frum lifestyle and mesiras nefesh. Something that, unfortunately, our kids desperately need today. And all I did was answer their Hashkafa questions.

Project Chazon is not in the business of being meorair shailos (awakening doubt). We are there, however, to provide the reassurance of direct and compelling responses to the crucial Hashkafa questions of today’s Yeshiva students.

Hopefully, with great siyata dishmaya, Project Chazon will continue to assist the schools in reinforcing and strengthening the Shmiras Hamitzvos and Avodas Hashem of their students.

Updated: 10/24/07 - 7:17 PM CDT

A Fishy Story

There has been a story floating around over the last few days about an anti-Semitic incident on a United Airlines flight. And it sounds pretty fishy to me. Apparently an Orthodox Jew and his family were embarrassed by flight attendants and the pilot. They were told that they could not eat the kosher fish they bought in restaurant on the plane. They were told to trash it and were humiliated in the process.

I truly feel bad for the way in which this passenger was treated.

My antennae are always up for incidents like this. And on the surface it sounds pretty bad. But I have to ask if there is more to the story. Is it possible that the incident was not sourced in anti-Semitism but in smelly food? This story is totally incongruous to my own experiences on any airline I’ve ever flown.

I hate airline food and I always bring sandwiches from home. Usually tuna with lots of onions. (Yes…I’m an onion-aholic.) And lots of good sour pickles. (I’m a sour pickle-aholic too.) I have never once had anyone ever say anything about it. Not the flight attendants, not the pilot, and not a single passenger. They have always been nothing but friendly and accommodating to me.

Isn’t it just possible that the fish this passenger brought onto the plane was indeed foul smelling? And that this was the real source of the complaints by passengers and crew which resulted in their rather strong reactions? I note that the televison newscast about this story did not include an interview with anyone other than the Orthodox passenger. I have to believe that there is another side to the story.

On the other hand United Airlines issued a complete apology and conceded they were totally wrong, and that the behavior of the flight staff was completely inappropriate. There was not a single word in defense of that flight staffs behavior. But still, I have to wonder if there isn’t more to the story.

That said, I agree that the way in which the flight staff dealt with the problem was entirely wrong, even if it was not anti Semitic. It is very insulting and humiliating to be told:

'I don't want the food on the plane. If you don't trash the food, I'll trash you. You'll get off the plane, you and your wife and your kids,'

and

'are you going to give us any more trouble because I have to worry about 220 passengers smelling your stinking food?

It’s possible the food had such a strong ‘fishy’ aroma that they just wanted to come down hard and fast to eliminate the problem. I don’t know. But it was still wrong. And I’m glad they apologized.

But it is my considered opinion that people who bring food onto a flight make sure that it not overwhelm the plane with its odor. It just isn’t worth it. Even if no one says a word, it doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking it.

And if they identify you as a Jew, it may even be a Chilul HaShem. As a result of this incident I am never going to take any food on a plane again that has any chance of offending anyone.

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

There is a legal concept known as ‘Fruit of the Poisonous Tree’. If I understand it correctly, it means that any evidence illegally obtained cannot be presented in a court of law, no matter how true or beneficial to the case. And that seems to be the basis of a ban envoked by the Agudah Moetzes several years ago.

An article by Eytan Kobre in cross-currents references an event which I believe was one of the biggest blunders made by the Agudah Moetzes in recent times. It was their forcing Lakewood trained Rabbi Yosef Reinman to withdraw a book written in collaboration with Reform Rabbi Amiel Hirsch. And to withdraw from an accompanying book tour promoting it. Rabbi Reinman had one appearance before he was forced to do so. And by his own description, he found it a wonderful opportunity to meet and educate Reform Jews about the Torah.

The Agudah Moetzes argued that no matter what the benefits of such a tour, standing on the same stage with a Reform Rabbi was in effect a tacit endorsement of the Reform Movement. Any good resulting from it was ‘fruit of the poisonous tree’. The ‘poison’ was legitimizing in any way a heretical movement in Judaism. And they invoked a long standing ban on co-operating with heretical Jewish movements in any way.

I argued at the time that since Rabbi Rineman clearly stated in the book and on the tour that he did not recognize Reform Judaism, it could not be misconstrued that he did and the ban shouldn’t apply.

As an adherent of the Charedi version of Daas Torah, which they define as ‘listening to the Gedolim’ he gracefully and contritely withdrew from promoting the book and from the book tour. But he did have one regret. He had seen the interest in Torah by a population of Jews with which he would otherwise never come into contact, if not for the tour. He was connecting with them in an unprecedented way. And this would be a missed opportunity.

I agree with his assessment that it was a missed opportunity. It was forever lost. I also disagree with the assessment of the Agudah Moetzes. They carried the ban of avoiding interactions with other movements too far. Their insistence on Rabbi Reinman withdrawing was not in the true spirit of the original ban on such activities. Nor does the original ban have the same meaning today that it did then.

When the ban was made many decades ago, the Reform (and Conservative) movements were not clearly understood by most people as heretical. People just thought the three streams were equally legitmate and it was just a matter of how religious one wanted to be. It had to be pointed out that they were not legitimate and in fact heretical. The dangers of appearing to endorse them then were far greater than they are today.

So, I was sorry to see Rabbi Reinman withdraw and lose such a wonderful opportunity. One that he will not likely see again.

In his statement of contrition, Rabbi Reinman said that he saw the wisdom of the Agudah Moetzes. He saw that there are always strings attached and that indeed they were right that along with the Kiruv opportunities came a sort of tacit recognition:

“So why did I withdraw? And even more important, why was this opportunity for an Orthodox rabbi to meet non-Orthodox people such a rare phenomenon? Ammi offers the answer: “The Jewish world needs you . . . . We should see ourselves as allies in our common struggle to sustain and ensure Jewish continuity.”

“You see? There are strings attached to these wonderful opportunities. So Reform laypeople want to hear and learn from Orthodox rabbis? Fine, but only if those Orthodox rabbis acknowledge Reform rabbis as allies. It is like a parent using the children as pawns in a marital struggle. If the Orthodox rabbi stands on a stage side by side with a Reform rabbi, then he can speak to the people. Otherwise, no visitation.”

I’m sorry. I have to strongly disagree. There was no string at all attached to this book and tour. It was merely the Metzius… the way things were. The book was a collaboration. Rabbi Hirsch’s appearance on the stage was not a pre-condition.. And it was that ‘Metzius’ that enabled any contact at all.

There was no debate about religion. There was nothing from Rabbi Hirsch that countered Rabbi Reinman’s interaction with these people. There was only warm support. When Rabbi Hirsch said that they should be allies, he meant it exactly how he said it… in the ‘common struggle to sustain and ensure Jewish continuity’. In no way can this be construed as an endorsement of Reform… even a tacit one. Nor was there any endorsement of Reform as a precondition.

So a wonderful opportunity was lost. And Rabbi Reinman in his desire to understand exactly why the Agudah Moetzes made him withdraw ‘spun’ a positive situation into a negative one that ‘proved’ the Agudah Moetzes to be right.

With all the problems of both children and adults dropping out of observance, it would be nice to see the other side of the spectrum… those wanting ‘in’ …to be given greater opportunity to do so And not reducing those opportunities with bans that are possibly outdated and in any case not applicable to cases like rabbi Reinman’s book and tour.

Is the Agudah Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah the sole source of Daas Torah? Isn’t it just possible to say they are not the sole source? Isn’t it possible to say… even if you are Charedi… they might just be wrong this time?

Had this tour gone on as scheduled, the Torah would not have been undermined. But a better understanding of it would have been transmitted to hundreds if not thousands of Reform Jews. Respect for it would have been enhanced tremendously. Who knows what fruit would have been born of that.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Increasingly I have come to see Jonathan Rosenblum as a hero in the world of Charedim. He has once again written an article in Mishpacha Magazine (republished at cross-currents) that has dared to do something that is currently seen as anathema in the Charedi world. He has given public Hakaras HaTov to the Israeli Defence Forces.

In the same article he crossed another taboo line. He actually praised a group of National Religious rabbis for some excellent outreach work they are doing. Two daring declarations in one column. I am both amazed and pleased. Jonathan shows us that the world of Charedim is not a one dimensional one. And this is only the latest of such articles by Jonathan.

Of course, I am not saying that he has turned into a Centrist. Far from it. And that is precisely why he deserves so much credit. He stands by his Charedi princlples. He stands opposed to my Hashkafa of Torah U’Mada and is fully prepared to debate against that philosophy. He is a Charedi. And he is a role model for all Charedim.

But there are two different worlds of Charedim. And Jonathan’s Charedism is a far cry from that other world of Charedim. A world that has become ugly!

Both Ha’aretz and The Jerusalem Post are reporting that a group of Charedi hooligans have just beat up a Charedi woman and an IAF soldier sitting next to her. His sin was trying to protect her. And her sin was sitting in the front section of a bus going to Bet Shemesh. So they beat her up and beat up her defender, a soldier in the Israeli armed forces.

Just as Mrs. Miriam Shear was attacked attack last year on a Jerusalem bus. And just as a 70 year old mother was attacked in Ramat Bet Shemesh last summer while holding a baby.

At this point I am beyond angry. I am beyond disgusted. But I have come to expect this type of behavior from this type of Charedi.

As I have said in the past, the hooligans who did this are a tiny minority. They are no better than any of the street gangs one might find in some of our more seamy American ghettos. While they may stop short of murder, they are not that far from it with such violent actions.

But as I have also said, the people of the mentality that produced them is no a small minority. The community they come from is probably just as upset by the behavior of the woman on the bus as were the criminals who beat her up. They are probably more outraged that a woman would dare sit in the front of ‘their’ bus than they are by the violent acts of their young hooligans. They are incensed that she has the Chutzpah to challenge their little world… a world that places such a high value on Tznius.

Their world is one that is so afraid of ever encountering a woman in any way that they go to great lengths to avoid it …lengths such as making opposite sides of a street male only and female only …lengths like forbidding women to buy clothes that make them look too much like a woman …lengths like banning even separate seating concerts because of the possibility that a man may actually see or even talk to a woman …lengths like making certain that women go sit in the back of a bus so that men will not God forbid have to look at them.

These ‘rules’ are seen as legitimate means toward an end. That some hooligans take it too far… well, the community’s leaders certainly don’t condone that, but they understand it. And they sympathize with the plight of the poor Charedim who are subjected by ‘low lifes’ who dare to challenge their extreme value system.

These hooligans know that. They probably believe that their leaders silently approve but must officially condemn. And that’s why we keep seeing it happen. Over and over again.

Of course all mainstream Charedi leaders strongly condemn these hooligans. But that is not enough. I’ve said it before. That entire community has to be condemned and ostracized, not just the hooligans produced from it. The ‘winking’ and ‘nodding’ by their leaders who pay tepid lip-service of disapproval must be as condemned as are the vicious hooligans who perpetrated the violent crimes.

I realize that most if not all members of that community don’t really care about what Gedolim other than their own say. But that does not lessen the obligation of rabbinic leaders of all stripes to not only forcefully condemn the perpetrators, but the community that produces them as well.

If Rav Elyashiv would come out and say that this community’s Hashkofos are responsible and are therefore to be condemned as much as the criminals are, I think it would have an impact. Rav Elyashiv is considered the Gadol HaDor by tens if not hundreds of thousands of people. If he can get all those people on board it would go a long way toward ending this kind of violence. If Charedi rabbinic leaders would put half the amount of effort into that as they do attacking modern Orthodoxy, it would make a difference. This community would be come so marginalized it would end up being thought of like Neturei Karta is. That is what is needed here.

But… that isn’t going to happen. In part because the Kaanaim who surround Rav Elyashiv are themselves not that far off from the Hashkafos of these hooligans. These Kaanaim are probably most responsible for all those foolish bans of late. These Kaanaim may very well have the same apologetic mindset that do those Charedim that produce these hooligans.

Perhaps I’ve been barking up the wrong tree. Maybe the bans are a good idea after all. In fact, I’ve just thought of the ultimate ban that will solve all those problems.

Let’s just ban women. Wow… the ultimate ban… the removal of all Michshol. Of course Parannasa situations will be made more difficult but… not to worry. There is always Kupat Ha’ir.

Not ‘Buying’ the Torah

One of the most serious issues of our time is a phenomenon that has had precious little attention paid to it. I’m talking about young, religious Jews from good families with absolutely no problems simply not accepting what Judaism teaches. There seems to be a significant number of young people who simply aren’t ‘buyng’ the Torah that we are ‘selling’. And if my intuition is correct the numbers we now see refects only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. To put it the way Rabbi Yakov Horowitz did in a recent column ( …and I urge everyone to read his entire piece):

‘No anger, no drugs, no promiscuous activity. They are just not buying what we are selling. Some have decided to ‘go public’, while others are still ‘in the closet’. In some of the cases, their educators have no idea of what is really going on.’

I am not talking about the ‘kids at risk’ problem. That is well known by now and is beginning to get the attention it deserves... attention that was sorely was lacking a few years ago. That phenomenon is related to issues having to do with dysfunctional family situations or children with learning disabilities or emotional problems… or other such problems. While that phenomenon happens in good families too, it is not really what I am talking about.

I am talking about the good kids, the bright kids, the socially integrated kids… in other words they are normal and not mal-adjusted in any way. There are far too many young people that just refuse to believe what they are being taught. And it cuts across the board. There is no religious segment that is immune form it.

On the other hand, though I have no statistical evidence for it, I have been told by several knowledgeable people that the most affected community is the Chasidic one. If this is true perhaps it is because they are the most sheltered and the most vulnerable. In that community an adolescent is strongly indoctrinated in a believe that everything in the outside world is Sheker. If he or she is suddenly exposed to an outside world that isn’t... and learns about things that raises these questions, skepticism is not an unreasonable reaction. Such a person will feel he has been deceived by his parents, teachers and community.

Be that as it may there seems to be an overall flaw in the entire approach to teaching Judaism in the Torah world. Something is lacking. It seems apparent from this that many if not most teachers are unprepared to deal with serious questions touching upon Emunah. When asked, the response can often be, “We don’t ask such questions”. Or worse.

When an adolescent child has a serious question such as the one about the Mabul, the unprepared teacher may castigate the child for even asking it saying the question and even call the question itself heretical. In some cases the questioner may be called a heretic just for asking it.

That can only have one consequence, reinforcing the doubt. That can easily result in skepticism. With the advent of the internet, the scientific information that generated a child’s question is available for him to read at the click of a mouse. To then tell a child that his question is Apikursus, is a one way ticket for that child out of belief.

Why should an adolescent trust any Mechanech about anything he teaches if any serious question goes unanswered? If on top of that the question is treated as heresy or the child is made to feel badly for even thinking it the only response one can expect form that child is anger? Anger at the Mechanech, anger at the school, and anger at the entire religion! That is a prescription for the really bright and thoughtful children (i.e. the ones who ask the questions) to walk away from the entire enterprise of Torah in disgust and disbelief.

I think it is incumbent upon all Mechanchim in the Torah world to first realize that there is a problem and to better learn how to deal with it.

There are some who would day that this phenomenon justifies banning the internet and the solution is to strengthen the ban. But, that is foolish. All that does is delay the inevitable. At some point a curious adolescent will find a way to access the information that will generate the questions and doubts in his or her mind. The internet is so pervasive it is impossible to completely eliminate it from your life. And it is becoming even more pervasive every day.

So, when an adolescent come up with difficult question about Emunah based on information they received on the internet, our Mechnchim better be able to answer them…. honestly! No brush offs. No lies. No fudging. Just a truthful response from a caring and understanding teacher that does not disparage a child for asking the question.

There ought to be a serious program in all segments of the Torah world to educate teachers in how to answer these questions. Instead of discouraging questions, children ought to be encouraged to ask a Rebbe anything that is on his mind without fear of being branded a heretic. Because if this problem isn’t dealt with soon, we are going to lose some of the best and brightest Jews in our ranks. We have already started losing children. The only question is how we stop it and how soon.

Allegorizing the Flood

Last Shabbos we read the Torah portion about Noah and the flood. A few days later I was posed a question in a private e-mail about my perspectives on that. I avoided the question at first because that is one of the more difficult theological questions I have. And I have no good answers for it. I received a follow up e-mail today that said the following:

'Looks like the general approach taken is the "all miraculous" route. I forwarded one of the responses I got on this issue with the chazzal perspective on the matter. The "naturalist within" loves to resist, but Hashem creating all from Ex-Nihilo creation can redirect the natural world as He desires.'

That generated the following thoughts.

By using answers like this we rely on Emunah Peshuta, simple faith. We say that God’s actions in the world as described in the Torah (e.g. the Mabul) are made to look contrary to the natural order for His own reasons.

To the rational mind, that immediately presents a problem. The Torah did not say the Mabul was unnatural. Without attributing the Mabul to some sort of miracle, it should be taken as an act of nature that God initiated to destroy the world.

Yet there is no evidence in nature that it ever occurred.

When an event of that magnitude is undetectable in nature it tends to force one to the ‘Emunah Peshuta’ answer. If we do not resort to that, there should be some geological evidence somewhere… anywhere… everywhere! Thus all we can say is that we don't know why God made it look as though it never happened, but we know that it did because the Torah tells us so.

This is Emunah Peshutah and there is nothing wrong with such thinking. But it is very unsatisfactory to those of us who see the lack of evidence of a Mabul. Just as it us unsatisfactory to say the universe is only 6000 years old.

It is not necessarily resort to Emunah Peshuta when it comes to contradictions between the Torah narrative and the age of the universe. The evidence of an ancient universe is overwhelming. We can therefore say that the Torah's narrative of creation is not literal. The six days of creation were not 24 hour days. It is acceptable to believe that the universe is ancient.

But… the same should be true for the Mabul. And in fact Rabbi Shubert Spero had postulated that very thing… that the Mabul in the Torah is an allegory. But that too is problematic as we shall see below.

There are differences between allegorizing the six days of creation and allegorizing the Mabul. The question is whether they are significant.

One difference between the age of the universe and the Mabul is the magnitude of the evidence about an ancient universe. It is pretty massive. Also, the case to be made against the Mabul is the opposite. There is a total lack of evidence about it. And what about existing cultures that can trace their heritage back for more than 10,00 years… if all of humanity was destroyed about 5000 years ago?

Another difference between the Mabul and the age of the universe is that there is rabbinic precedent for allowing the allegorizing of the days of creation and thereby allowing for the conclusion that the universe is ancient. There is no such precedent for saying the Mabul is just an allegory.

Yet, the reasoning is more or less the same.

That's the problem. My Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, said that Rabbi Spero’s theory that the Mabul is only an allegory and never really happened is very close to heresy! (Although he did not say it crossed that line,)

If you use Emunah Peshuta to explain everything, then observing what nature tells you is discounted. All questions are irrelevant. God can do whatever He wants and if He wants to make us see the world as 15 billion years old even though it is only 6000 years old, that is His business. We must believe that the six days of creation were literal days and that it is 6000 yeas old!

Pure Emunah Peshuta doesn’t work for me. And therefore this is one of the most difficult theological problems I have. It makes no sense for God to tell us one thing is truth and place a multitude of facts before us that say the opposite. Why would He deliberately fool us? Why say the world is even 6000 years old? Say it is 5 minutes old and that he created us with memories, a sense of history, and evidence to make the universe look 15 billion years old!

The same argument should be able to be made about the Mabul. Yet there is no precedent and saying something like that is considered almost heretical!

I can understand rejecting the allegorization of the Mabul to a point. Once you start saying that every narrative in the Torah that is contradicted by evidence to the contrary makes it an allegory, you may as well just throw the whole Torah out. Maybe the events at Mount Sinai didn’t happen either! Saying that IS heresy!

So that is the problem I have.

Emunah Peshuta solves all these problems but it does not satisfy logical conclusions made by a rational mind based on empirical evidence. One must suspend rational thought completely and just… believe!

So how do I solve this conundrum? I don’t. I simply remain with a question.

A Semblance of Justice

Justice. That’s an elusive thing to achieve sometimes. Nowhere is that more evident than in cases of child molestation in the Jewish community. And even if there is some semblance of justice achieved eventually, it is often delayed for many decades. Justice delayed is justice denied. But at least there is a semblance of it. Some perpetrators do eventually pay for their crimes.

One might say that whatever punishment sexual predators, receive it is not enough. Their victims will have lifelong serious psychological issues to deal with… that will negatively impact their lives and those of their families. In fact many sexual predators have themselves been molested as children. So the problem is perpetuated. Victims become predators. So damaging... is the act of a sexual crime against a child!

There is no way to undo that. Multiply that by the numerous victims of the long ‘careers’ of these abusers and the belated punishment hardly seems just. But at least there is something.

The three most prominent Orthodox Jewish cases of delayed justice are those of Rabbis Lanner, Kolko, and Mondrowitz.

The first two have finally met their fate… at least in part. After committing years of sexual abuse in his postion at NCSY, Rabbi Baruch Lanner was convicted and sentenced to prison. After decades of committing sexual abuse to young people in his postion as a Rebbe at Yeshivas Torah Temmimah, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is now under indictment.

And now, finally, after 23 years, Rabbi Avrohom Mondrowitz is being extradited to New York from Israel where he fled to avoid facing charges of child sexual abuse.

To say what they did is reprehensible doesn’t even begin to describe the gravity of their offences. Many people’s lives have been ruined by them. These sexual predators deserve what they get from the criminal justice system… if not more. Much more!

Yet, while many people might have a sense of glee about the extradition of Avrohom Mondrowitz, I cannot help but have a sense of sadness about it too. I know his elderly parents who are holocaust survivors. They are among the finest people I know. And then, there is his wife and his own children. They are paying a price too.

While the victims of his crime are clearly of paramount concern as they are the ones most seriously hurt, there are other victims, all of them innocent. And though they have suffered in silence for all these years, they are now about to suffer even more. They will be dragged down with him… through the mud… again! How incredibly difficult it must be for a parent to have to witness this!

How sad it is that this sick individual has caused so many problems to so many people.

So my attitude is a more sober one. A man who has committed unspeakable sex crimes to young children will now face justice… of sorts. That’s good. But his innocent family will pay a price too… a very high one. And that’s bad. It makes the tragedy even greater.

That leads me to make the following observation. Mostly our community is now in a protectionist mode: What can we do to protect our children from being molested. That was the substance of a Jewish Observer article I wrote about recently. And that of course is a very important discussion.

But a far more important one in my mind is to figure out why some people have this sickness and how to treat them before they ever act on their impulses… while they are still very young. We need to be able to learn what the causes are. We need to know how to spot abberative behavior in our children so that they can be treated by professionals early... if that’s even possible. I’m told that pedophiles cannot be cured. But… perhaps if we get them young enough…

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to solve any problem is to prevent it from ever occurring. And that should be our ultimate goal.

The Askanim Must Go!

No matter how many times I address this subject, it probably isn’t enough. But this time I address it with a sense of hope that things are truly changing. There is silence no more. People are finally noticing that the emperor has no clothes. I am referring to the latest of a number of articles written by prominent Charedim decrying the way ‘the Gedolim’ are handling problems.

To be sure, they still venerate their Gedolim and reiterate the requirement to listen to their every word. But that disclaimer aside, the message is very clear: The Gedolim are being manipulated by zealots. And this hurts them. Their authority becomes increasingly undermined every time that happens.

This time it is Jonathan Rosenblum. Just to repeat what I’ve often stated, I am one of his biggest fans. Not that we always agree. But we do agree a lot. And on the primary point of his article, we are one.

In an article in Mishpacha magazine (re-published on cross-currents) he basically rips apart the Askanim. And he does it masterfully. Askanim are those people who surround Gedolim like Rav Elayshiv. They shield him from the public, and feed him information filtered… and often distorted… through their own biases.

Had this article been written by me, I would have been ripped apart by my detractors… as I often am when I write about these things. I would be called a ‘Gadol basher’. Or a Charedi basher. But this time it isn’t me. It is Jonathan, who has for quite some time now been part of a group of dedicated prominent Charedim who call a spade a spade. And they do so without fear of consequences. I think this is his strongest piece yet. And I honor him for writing it.

Here is some of what he said. I hope that ‘those responsible for all the new Takanos are paying attention.

A talmid chacham once explained to me the rare, but not unknown, instances of wives of kolleleit dressing inappropriately. When they were in seminary, he said, they were told that certain colors of stockings were forbidden. When they noticed that competing seminaries had different forbidden and permitted colors or that the forbidden colors changed from year to year, they concluded that nothing they were taught about tznius was really halacha.

Rabbi Aharon Feldman, Rosh Yeshivas Ner Israel, told a group of new chasanim how he had called a certain husband to make an appointment to discuss the latter’s shalom bayis problems. The man replied that he could not come that night because he would be baking his matzos one at a time, in a private kiln, far out of the city. “He was trying to impress me,” Rav Feldman said. “He would have been shocked to know that I viewed him as a murderer – someone who was killing his wife and children with his stringencies.”

THE DANGER OF UNDESIRABLE, long-range consequences is even greater with respect to communal-wide bans than with respect to individual stringencies, which can, at least, be tailored to the spiritual needs of a specific individual. When applied to a large public, the danger of unforeseen and negative long-range consequences is multiplied many-fold.

With respect, to any particular ban issued by the collective Torah leadership of the generation, there is only one response: We must follow. It is not for us to debate the propriety of this ban or another.

At the same time, very few bans are initiated by the gedolim. Most often the initiative starts with well-meaning askanim. And with respect to them, it is possible to discuss, in general terms, some of the long-range consequences of a multitude of bans.

Well-intentioned askanim may often view a letter signed by the gedolim banning a particular activity as the quickest and most effective way of handling a problem. But that may be a short-sighted approach, especially if the ban takes the place of chinuch. The late Rosh Yeshivas of Chaim Berlin, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, used to say that one does not educate with issurim. Issurim may be necessary, but they are at best a very rough chinuch tool.

When bans are widely ignored, the negative consequences are twofold: the authority of the gedolim is diminished and those who do not obey are endangered. As a community, our most precious resource is the deference and respect accorded to our gedolim. There are many communal problems that can only be resolved through the direct and forceful involvement of the acknowledged Torah leaders – i.e., finding places in high school seminaries for all our daughters.

But like any precious resource, the authority of the gedolim must be carefully husbanded. Too frequent reliance on that authority can lead to its declining force. Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, once convened a conference of yeshiva principals and demanded that they all make space in their institutions for newly arrived Russian immigrants. “And if we don’t?” one asked. Rav Yaakov replied that anyone who did not would be read out of the community. Like all threats, the effectiveness of that one depended on being infrequently invoked.

The dangers involved when the explicit words of the gedolim go unheeded impose a tremendous responsibility on all community activists who press the gedolim to sign on to their pet projects. They must be careful to provide the gedolim with only absolutely uncontestable facts, without a trace of exaggeration. And among those crucial facts would be: How will the community respond? Will it, for instance, boycott a particular bus line for weeks, in order to force the bus company to install separate seating buses on that route?

Of course I can’t tell ‘the Gedolim’ what to do. Compared to them, I am a peon. And despite the popular conception about me, I would never have the Chutzpah to do so, anyway. But were they to ask my advice, here is what I would tell them: Get rid of your Askanim! They may mean well but do not serve you well and may destroy you... and Klal Yisroel in the process.

Frum Atheism

If there was ever a contradiction in terms, it is in the term ‘Frum Atheist’. Yet it is undeniably a growing phenomenon. I have written about this in the past.

There are atheists, raised in Frum families, who have learned in Yeshivos, gotten married, have children, send them to religious day schools and living as Frum Jews. No one knows that they do not believe in God. They are integrated well adjusted members of the Frum Community.

Since most people are in the closet about this, it is impossible to tell what the numbers really are. But the following letter from a fellow who calls himself Mikeskeptic seems to tell it all. He has commented here in the past, although not in a long while. His comment was made on Rabbi Yakov Horowitz’s website dealing with the Jewish Observer article, ‘Adults at Risk’, (the subject of yesterday's post):

It's nice to see this topic being touched on by a mainstream frum publication, even if the JO is just tiptoeing around it. I wonder how many readers of this article realize what is really at stake here. To be blunt, I am an Apikores living an outwardly frum life in a mainstream frum community. I wear a black hat and still learn daf yomi, but I don't believe in God anymore. My Rav doesn't really care about me, he is focused on bigger things like making sure his congregants avoid eating bugs. But maybe he should care...

Even if I remain frum for the rest of my life, which is uncertain, my children will grow up apikorism, that is, if they remain frum at all. My wife is no longer a believer and my closest friends already have or will soon become apikorism as well. This is not a topic that is discussed openly in our community, so it's hard to know how unusual my situation is. But consider this: just one internet group for frum skeptics has nearly five hundred members, nearly all of whom joined in just the past two years. And there are many more groups out there. Obviously, I am long past the stage of caring whether the frum community is able to address this issue. In fact, I'm kind of hoping they will fail to do so.

Just watch out for those bugs. After all, it's the things you can't see that you most have worry out.

Does this not distress anyone? What can be gleaned from this comment?

This particular issue is all but ignored in the Torah world and I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps it is thought that the numbers are not significant enough. Or perhaps there is just no real way to deal with someone who is bright and after much thought and analysis has come to the conclusion that there is no God. Many of those leaving are very bright and can cite chapter and verse as to why they have become atheists.

Obviously there Jews who were once Frum, become atheists, go off the Derech and are no longer observant. That is not a new phenomenon. But as Mikeskeptic’s comment shows the danger lies with those who are outwardly observant. His atheism spread to his family and friends.

And another thing. I wonder why a family would continue to be outwardly Frum while being closet atheists? Is there any benefit to remaining in one’s social circle if one is living a lie? What is gained? I think this issue is one of the most perplexing problems facing Torah Judaism today. Yet, I don’t think there has been any discussion about it in a public forum.

It’s about the Money

It is so interesting that the Charedi world has taken this turn. Apparently telling lies is now acceptable as long as ‘the goa’l is achieved. That is what happened in the Jewish Observer article, ‘Adults at Risk’.

But that is small potatoes (...OK, maybe not so small) compared to what the Charedi newspaper Yated Ne’eman did. Remember that this is the newspaper founded by Rav Shach. It is a newpaper that represents the views of ‘the Gedolim’. What did they do? They actually featured racist cartoon that insulted every Sephardi in Israel including… and perhaps most importantly… Rav Ovadia Yosef.

“The cartoon showed a man dressed in shorts and sandals wearing a skullcap and trimmed black beard, representing a Shas follower, in cahoots with a secular person representing Kadima. Wearing a big grin, the two were dumping a rock labeled "2008 cuts" on the head of a Haredi man.”

“The symbols appear obvious, lacking sophistication, and according to Shas, loaded with anti-Semitism and racism of the sort Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox feel about Sephardi Haredim. MK Yakov Margi, chairman of the Shas faction in the Knesset, said Ovadia Yosef was deeply offended.”

Of course Charedi representatives dismissed it claiming no racism was intended and that they were just protesting Shas’s involvement in the current Kenesset… and thereby complicity with the government’s new budget cuts... cuts that virtually halve the allotments given to Charedi institutions. That’s pretty upsetting to the Charedi leadership in Israel. Their very existence is dependant on outside financial sources. But that doesn’t excuse the cartoon.

Shas resigned from the religious lobby in the Kenesset. And I don’t blame them one bit. Shame on the Yated and on those who authorized that cartoon!

But the fact is that the core issue IS the money. Charedi institutions can barely survive as is. Budgetary cuts will strangle them. Charedi charity organizations are already maxed out and using questionable tactics in fundraising. Knowing this, Charedi leaders strike out at anyone who they feel has contributed to their misfortune.

In the meantime Charedim are seen by secular Israelis as a bunch of parasites that extort money form the government in exchange for their votes. And while in power they shove religion down everyone’s throat.

What has this achieved? They have not only NOT increased funding, they have lost funding. And in the process, have become hated and vilified by many Israeli citizens.

I have maintained in the past that the fault is in the Charedi system of education and on the reliance of political clout.

There are two things that ought to happen.

One is that there should be an end to the religious parties. Instead religious Jews in Israel ought to adopt the very successful American model of lobbying. American Jews have accomplished much here that way, without breeding the kind of enmity the religious parties in Israel do. Religious Jews who want to serve in the Kenesset can run for office in the major parties. That would strengthen the Israeli political system itself, and give religious Jews influence, without being perceived as parasites that extort money for votes.

The other thing is to stop treating every Charedi child like he is the next Gadol HaDor. Secular programs, both academic and vocational, ought to be introduced into the Charedi educational system so that young people will be given choices. That way a Charedi society will develop that will actually be able to contribute to their own material well being. Those with ‘Gadol potential’ will find their niche. They will not be ‘lost’ or distracted by the new system. On the other hand those who do not have ‘Gadol potential’ will have real choices. They will be trained to contribute to Klal Yisroel in ways that are unique to them. The Charedi Hashkafa about Torah learning will not be destroyed. It will be enhanced.

Are either of these options ever going to happen? The way things are going now, I doubt it. I wonder what the next political cartoon will be like...

Skeptics and Dropouts

There is an important article in the Jewish Observer (...aside from the child molestion problem in the Jewish community which I discussed in a previous post) that addresses many of the issues discussed on this and many other blogs.

The perspective of that article is pretty much the same as my own. It should be noted that many of the criticisms made about my perspective on this issue can be made against this article as well. And I invite those critics to do the same here. If they believe what they say when opposing my perspective than it stands to reason that they should equally oppose the perspective presented in the pages of Agudath Israel’s official magazine.

It should also be noted that nothing gets published in this periodical without the official approval of the Agudah Moetzes. How do I know? It should be obvious from the stated editorial policy of the Agudah about the requirement to ‘listen to the Gedolim’. But I have also been told explicitly by an insider at Agudah that the all or most of the articles published in the Jewish Observer are read and approved by the Yoshev Rosh (head) of the Agudah Moetzes, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow. As such, I think I can safely say that the article represents the Moetzes thinking on the matter... or at least Rabbi Perlow’s.

The article is excellent except for one caveat which I will address below. It is a description of a growing problem among religious adults. This subject has been a staple of the blogging world. For those who read this blog regularly the following excerpts will sound very familiar.

One of the things that I have stated time and again is that the Yeshiva educational system falls short. In Right wing Yeshivos especially, it does not prepare students to encounter the secular world. So when exposed to it, some can in go off the Derech.

I think that many Charedim who have become skeptics are victims of that. This is not to say that they all would have remained believers. But had they been given half a chance to be better prepared at least some of them would have remained believers and Frum as the article points out:

If Yeshiva graduates were better equipped from a philosophical, Hashkafic and Emunah perspective, they would not become unglued and de-stabilized when they face challenges to their beliefs, questions about Torah, or just the inevitable bumps in life’s journey.

One of the greatest mistakes one can make is to reject a question or questioner out of hand. Our experience has shown us that for a frum person who is experiencing doubts and questioning an axiom of Torah, nothing is worse than being made to feel abnormal or crazy or to be told “don’t ask questions”, or “what are you? An apikoros!’

On the contrary, a person suffering from a spiritual existential crisis is in tremendous pain. They need to feel validated and encouraged to ask whatever questions are causing them confusion. Our prime directive is to listen to and accept without prejudice or criticism (or even reaction) any question at all on any topic.

This phenomenon is exacerbated by ineffectual teachers who suffer from burnout:

The phenomenon of a burnt out teacher who is not able or willing to relate to his students and disseminate the rich beauty of Torah in a manner that will build a deep foundation is often the catalyst for an “Adult at Risk time bomb” that ticks softly until a full blown crises detonates it.

(Some) have attributed their problems to negative experiences during their formative Yeshiva years for us to believe that such cases are anomalies.

I often get harangued from the Charedi world about the evils of the secular world. Here is what the article and by definition the Agudah Moetzes says about that:

Continuous negativity toward everything in “the outside world” sows the seeds of destruction. A plethora of studies in the fields of psychology and education underscore the importance of positive reinforcement and of building students’ self-esteem of students in order to ensure an all-round balanced and happy individual.

A recent story shared by a bitter, former-yeshiva student with one of the co-author’s makes the point about the consequences of being over-critical:

A yeshiva student was happily dancing at his former room-mate’s wedding, and pushed his way “to the middle of the circle” to entertain the chosen and kallah (successfully, we should add) with a break-dance (ask your teenager if you don’t know what this is). He was in a great mood, full of Simcha, full of love for his fellow Jews, and feeling good about himself, until his Rosh Yeshivah pulled him aside at the chasanah and strongly criticized him for a dance step “from the street.”

What will the Rosh Yeshiva say after 120 years when he learns that his comment was one of a series of little pushes, and perhaps even “the last straw,” that eventually sent this promising student “out of the circle completely” and out of Torah observance?

The following is the one instance where I believe that the Jewish Observer is guilty of a either a blatant lie or a gross distortion. Here is their editorial insertion:

(The authors do not, of course, condone a ben Torah break-dancing or engaging in any other behavior derived from secular culture that isn't consistent with Torah value.)

But that is untrue. In the comments section of Rabbi Horowitz’s website where he posts the article as originally written, the author, Rabbi Mordechai Becher responds:

The JO placed it there without consulting me. Breakdancing does not bother me in the least. No "blatant hypocrisy," just some "frum" editing by JO.

Why must the Jewish Observer resort to tactics such as this to make an Hashkafic point? If they disagree they should say so and not imply that the author of the article does not approve of a ben Torah break-dancing.

As a poster on Areivim put it:

The editors unaccountably sides with the Rosh Yeshiva who nudged the boy in the wrong direction, even as they print an article which offers it as an example of what not to do and a diagnosis that such an incident was indeed a cause in nurturing the phenomenon this issue is trying to counter.

I could not agree more.

But that aside, the points in the article are well made and the Agudah Moetzes agrees with them. And for that they deserve much credit.

Dividing Jerusalem

According to media reports, the Olmert Government in Israel is currently discussing plans to give Arab occupied parts of the ‘old city’ to Palestinians as part of a final peace settlement.

Nothing new here. This is nothing more than a reshuffeling of ‘Oslo’ and the resultant peace offer by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Yassir Arafat... who rejected it.

What is new here is R. Elyashiv’s participation. He has apparently for the first time joined forces with Religious Zionists and others in public protest:

The leader of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, joined the call for protest under the slogan "Over Jerusalem they cast lots," urging the public to rally at a demonstration against the government's diplomatic platform.

I am not sure what changed exactly that makes the current situation any different from the last one. At that time the recognized leader of the Yeshiva world in Israel was Rav Schach. He basically ignored the whole thing. He may have opposed it but in no way did he believe that the Bnei Torah should join in a mass protest. And if I recall correctly he did not oppose it in theory had it led to a real peace treaty.

Just to be clear about my own position. I agreed with Rav Shach. If there could truly have been peace between Palestinians and Israelis that would end all hostilities including and especially suicide missions against us, I would divide Jerusalem. As much as I believe that Jerusalem is ours… indeed the essence of Eretz Yisroel is the Makom HaMikdash… I would rather see a time where there is no more bloodshed than I would a united Jerusalem. In our time of pre-Bayis Shlishi and Para Adumah, the Makom HaMikdash is off limits anyway. Even those who permit certain portions of Har Habayis to be entered all agree that the more important parts of it are off limits until the advent of Moshiach Tzidkenu. Of course if we could achieve true peace and retain sovereignty I would prefer that. Who wouldn’t?!

At this time, however, I am firmly opposed to dividing Jerusalem. As long as there is an Ahmadinejad… a Hamas… and all those other Islamic fundamentalist entities that ‘love death more than we love life’ … as long as there is an enemy who has sworn to destroy us and anything else that gets in their way toward achieving a Palestinian State and Islamic government over ALL of Eretz Yisroel... there can be no peace treaty at all. It seems to me that even an inch of territorial concession is dangerous to us.

If I am not mistaken this was the ‘official’ position of Charedi leadership too. I recall Rav Ovaida Yosef had a similar position about Oslo. Of course he has since retracted for (I think) the same reasons I have. But the Hashkafic and Halachic position seems clear. Pikuach Nefesh trumps retaining land… including even portions of Jerusalem.

And that’s what makes R. Elyahsiv’s position seem so difficult. He seems to be changing the Charedi mindset on this issue.

If one examines the article closely, however, there emerges a somewhat different story. And it sounds vaguely familiar:

On the eve of Sukkot earlier this month, just before his death, former chief rabbi Avraham Shapira protested the plan to transfer Jewish holy places to foreign control.

"The Land of Israel belongs to the Nation of Israel and was granted to us as an inheritance by the Creator of the World. Neither the prime minister nor anybody else has the right to give away areas, or even a grain of sand, of the Holy Land of Israel," Shapira wrote. He signed the document along with former Sephardic chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.

Both Shapira and Eliyahu signed the declaration at the request of MK Uri Yehuda Ariel from the National Union-National Religious Party.

It seems Rav Elyashiv was convinced to join the boycott and did not in any way originate it. Now it could very well be that he has had a change of heart, or that circumstances are different now than they were with Rav Shach. But in light of the fact that it has been shown that Rav Elyaishiv is often manipulated by his Askanim, I question the accuracy of his actual involvement here. Who knows what he was told and/or how it was presented to him.

So I take this story with a huge grain of salt. For now.