The Eternal Jewish People

The recent prediction by Dr. Norman Lamm about the demise of non Orthodox movements has been challenged by prominent Orthodox Jewish historian, Dr. Jonathan Sarna. He attacks Dr. Lamm on two fronts.

First this caveat. I’m am not going to address the Reform movement because they are so cut off from Judaism that they will eventually self immolate. Innovations like patrilineal descent will destroy them as Jews. Calling yourself a Jew does not make you a Jew although I’ve heard Reform rabbinic leaders define being a Jew exactly that way.

The more difficult category is the Conservative movement. They started out calling themselves Halachic and many still believe themselves to be so. Their founding fathers were well versed in Halacha. Some, like Dr. Louis Ginzburg were outstanding in this regard and recognized as Talmudic Scholars – even by some of the most Charedi rabbinic figures of their time. When Dr. Ginzburg helped Rav Eliya Meir Bloch – famed Rosh HaYeshiva of Telshe – publish a Sefer, Rav Bloch acknowledged his help in the that Sefer referring to him as HaGaon R’ Levi Ginzburg!

Given that Dr. Lamm makes his prediction following a linear track, his view is not unreasonable. It is logical to deduce that since the Conservative movement is losing members it is going the route of ultimate extinction.

But as Dr. Sarna correctly points out in an article in the Forward, linear historical projections rarely happen. Things can dramatically change to make any prediction look foolish.

Dr. Sarna points to the founding fathers of the Reform movement in America predicting the demise of Orthodoxy. They based that prediction on the minuscule numbers of observant Jews. Most American Jews were signing on as either Reform Jews or opting out of any religious affiliation entirely for the ‘prize’ of complete assimilation as Americans.

Who would have predicted then the major successes of Orthodoxy today?!

The second point Dr. Sarna makes is that triumphalist proclamations about the success of Orthodoxy are premature. He points to five major problems that can easily impede future success:

First, Orthodox Judaism in America has had trouble retaining its members.

Second, Orthodoxy in America is suffering from a severe leadership crisis. The greatest of its 20th-century leaders — Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Moses Feinstein, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and others — have all passed from the scene.

Third, American Orthodoxy is experiencing a significant brain drain. It sends its best and its brightest to Israel for long periods of yeshiva study, and unsurprisingly, many of them never return.

Fourth, American Orthodoxy remains deeply divided over the issue of how to confront modernity.

Finally, American Orthodoxy is facing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

He elaborates a bit on these factors in the article and I think he is for the most part correct. These are all issues I’ve addressed here many times. And they do endanger the ‘species’.

But the counter to this is Jewish history itself.

Historically the odds were always against us. The existence of Torah Jewry has always been challenged by various different hardships – some of them over-whelming. What people can survive over two millennia of persecution replete with murder and torture the way the Jewish people did? We have defied all odds. This prompted British historian Arnold Toynbee to concede that the Jews were an exception to his thesis about the rise and fall of civilizations. (A concession attributed to Dr. Eliezer Berkovits's great philosophical work - God, Man and History. I believe it was in fact written in response to Toynbee.)

We have survived mighty civilizations who have conquered the world. And in every historic period we had movements that challenged Halachic Judaism. Some of them also claimed to have Halahca on their side. The Sadducees were meticulous in their observance of non Rabbinic Judaism. They were the dominant movement during the 2nd Temple era even controlling the priesthood! They were far more influential upon Israel than the Conservative movement is now. Where are the Sadducees now?

Halacha is the defining characteristic that perpetuates the Jewish people. This is what kept us going against all odds. It is what makes us unique and gives us our identity. It is the common denominator that spans all of Jewish history. The only question that remains is what form Halachic Judasim will take. That’s where Dr. Sarna’s 5 points come into play.

I have made my own predictions in this regard. I still believe them to be the best estimate of the future - if you factor in the problems raised by Dr. Sarna. There will be a new middle class of mainstream Jews that will eschew the extremes of the left and the right. The extremes will continue to push the envelope of Orthodoxy so far out of the mainstream as to be unable to put together enough of a critical mass to sustain themselves over the long term.

That said I think even these movements will - in the near term - continue to impact the mainstream in some way. In just what way remains to be seen. But as independent movement that can sustain themselves into the future …highly unlikely for both extremes in my view.

As for the future of Conservative Judaism and similar movements - like Dr. Lamm - I think the handwriting is on the wall in their present incarnation.

True - there are some contra-indications. Just this weekend the Chicago Jewish News (print edition) published a congratulatory list of graduates of all Chicagoland Jewish schools. The Conservative Solomon Schechter elementary and high school eah had a sizable number of graduates. As large or larger than any other single Orthodox school. This phenomenon could – in theory - change things if those graduates can be motivated to live as religious Conservative Jews. On the other hand – Conservative Judaism of the future may not resemble what Conservative Judaism is now. It may very well become just another version of Reform.

I don’t think they can perpetuate themselves into the future if they continue to liberalize Judaism into unrecognizable proportions. As they continue to change they are morphing into something entirely new – something that the founders of Conservative Judaism would hardly recognize. They can call themselves Conservative. But a rose can only be a rose if it not a tulip.

Shavuos - For God and for Man

The Tanna R’ Yehosua teaches (Pesachim - 68b) that one is required by to have Simcha on Yom Tov. This is cited in a Braisa which teaches that one has no obligation on Yom Tov other than eating and drinking – and/or learning Torah.

R’ Yochanan says we need to do both and derives this Halacha from the following:

There is one Pasuk (verse) (Devarim 16:8) that says ‘Atzeres LaShem Elokecha’ – there should be an assembly toward God. That is fulfilled by learning Torah.

And one Pasuk that says Atzeres Tihiyeh Lachem ((Bamidbar 29:35) – there should be an assembly for you. That is fulfilled by eating and drinking.

R’ Elazar argues that one may choose to do all of one or all of the other.

The Gemarah then tells us that all authorities - even R’ Elazar - agree that in the case of Atzeres (Shavuos) we require both. The reason given is that this is the day that the Torah was given to Israel.

The question arises - why is that the only cause for celebrating Yom Tov via the act of eating and drinking? Doesn’t the Exodus from Egypt qualify for that as well? Furthermore why is eating and drinking - a physically self satisfying act - the way to celebrate Matan Torah - God giving us the Torah? Wouldn’t learning Torah be a more appropriate way of celebrating that event?

An answer is provided by the Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveichik – The Beis HaLevi.

Malachim (angels) requested of God that they be given the Torah. Moshe Rabbenu argued against them for Israel and won.

His primary point was that Malachim have no Guf (corporeality) and can therefore not do Mitzvos that involve the body. So on Shavuos which celebrates Matan Torah we are required to fulfill the ‘Lachem’ of eating and drinking - which require a Guf. If we just did ‘LaShem’ - angels could do a far better job of it than man because serving God is their entire existence.

The Beis HaLevi adds that this is one reason why we eat a dairy meal first on Shavuos after which we eat a meat meal. This enables us to do more of the Mitzvos of Lachem and thereby demonstrate to the advantage we have over Malachim.

Good Yom Tov to all!

Taken from Torah L’Daas

Sex in the City

Sigmund Freud was perhaps one of the few singular geniuses of the modern era. The importance he attached to the sex drive and its impact on all human behavior was revolutionary. One could say that his insights single-handedly changed the way modern man thinks about sex.

Though much of what he taught us has been discredited - I don’t think anyone can deny that the impact of his thinking remains. He opened the door to the present era of sexual freedom and promiscuity that is so prevalent in our world today. His theories combined with the advent of oral contraceptives contributed mightily to the sexual revolution of the sixties.

Religious Jewry has not escaped this phenomenon – no matter how much our rabbinic leaders have tried to isolate us from it.

Rabbi Dovid Landesman in defending the proposition that there may not be ‘a greater level of promiscuity’ today than in the past made the following point:

As an educator who has had literally hundreds of conversations with teens on the subject, I can only tell you that the change that I have noticed - and most of this is in the last decade - is an increasing willingness to admit to being non-shomer negiah. The bushah factor is no longer present in many sectors of our communities, but I am not sure that this indicates a greater level of promiscuity.

What he is in effect saying is that not only is it a problem today - it is not only widespread but it has been that way for a long time. I agree but I also believe that it isn’t only the willingness to admit it that has increased. Incidences of it that have increased as well. Permissive societies are conducive to that whether one isolates oneself from society or not. That value (or lack of it) seeps in. But as Rabbi Landsman also says, "Those who engage are not talking about it!" Except anonymously on the Internet. Getting accurate statistics are therefore difficult if not impossible.

But I think there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that non marital sex in the Frum community is huge! How huge is impossible to determine - but huge nevertheless. Furthermore violations of Hilchos Erva – forbidden sexual practices - isn’t only common in modern Orthodoxy.

Here is some of that anecdotal evidence:

We find Chasidim involved with prostitutes in enough numbers to put them in the background of a brothel scene in a popular television show. This phenomenon was first revealed decades ago by Sidney Biddle Barrows, the ‘Mayflower Madam’.

One does not have to dig too deeply on the Internet to find sites that cater to people interested in Frum extra marital affairs.

And what about the Posek who Matir’d mistresses (Pilagshim) in our day? And the fact that some single women are going to the Mikva so they can be prepared to have casual sex without the severe consequences of violating Issurei Niddah?

That leads me to the following guest post which is more anecdotal evidence of widespread non marital sexual activity in the Frum world. It was written and sent to me by someone involved with Shadchanus (matchmaking) for over 20 years. She allowed me to publish it if I did it anonymously. If this doesn’t tell the story – nothing does.

I have been very active in making shidduchim for the last 20 years. In fact, I've made 10 - all, B"H, very successful. This affords me the position to hear all sorts of things of what goes on in dating.

In my mind that there is A LOT of premarital sex going on. I don't think, for the most part, it is "casual" sex, but rather in more "serious" relationships albeit not committed to marriage yet type relationships.

The issue is simple: The hormones are raging. Singles living alone in a place like the Upper West Side of Manhattan have all sorts of opportunity.

I believe that the single biggest reason why Modern Orthodox singles are having difficulty getting married is because there is no incentive to do so. The women are way too willing to give in to their own hormonal needs. There is also the "competition" factor: Not unlike public high school kids, a young woman starts to feel pressured that if she does not "go along" then the guy will find someone else to date. There is the fear (and many times rightfully so) that by not allowing the relationship to progress along sexual lines, the young lady is depriving herself of a potential marriage partner.

The solution? Singles should be encouraged to live at home with their parents whenever/wherever possible; alternatively (a poor 2nd choice but it does offer some protection) - lots of roommates.

The guy is not bringing his Tefillin unless he is relatively sure he can "score". The young woman has some how sent signals that she would be willing. If this is something as simple as she allowed him to hold her hand or give a good night kiss, the guy knows it's just a matter of time.

This is definitely not just an OU phenomenon. Without going into too much graphic detail, I can tell you that the latest "Bais Yaakov craze" is intensive foreplay sans the "final act".

After hearing what I've heard over 20 years, I am convinced that the solution is to marry them off as young as possible - literally 18 yrs old. It's what I will encourage my children to do. The hormones are just too strong and it defies nature to expect healthy young people to hold off until their mid 20's while they get college, Smicha, whatever out of the way.

Just my opinion based on what I’ve heard so many times.

Teffilin Dates Or Shiddach Dates?

The Teffilin date.

This is a term used by some to denote what they believe is the behavior of many a Yeshiva University student. What it refers the soused phenomenon where young modern Orthodox men seek to date young modern Orthodox women for the ultimate purpose of getting them into bed. Being religious Jews, however they always take their Teffilin along on every date just in case they ‘make it’ with the girl. I doubt that this ever happened but it wouldn’t surprise me if it did. Not any more than it would surprise me that a young Charedi man might succumb to that temptation. I know people where this has happened and pregnancies resulted.

But the fact is that many Jews believe this to be a widespread phenomenon among young college age modern Orthodox men. I doubt that it is. It is an urban legend. And yet certain people believe it as gospel. Why is that the case?

An article in the Yeshiva University student newspaper, The Commentator, cites some interesting statistics about how young modern Orthodox Jews date – even after their year in Israel:

In a recent poll of the undergraduate student body (see "Student Pulse" on dating), 42.6% of respondents felt that his or her year(s) in Israel affected how he or she views dating and interaction with the opposite gender. 23.7% of respondents - including 14% of female respondents and 30.9% of male respondents - started being "shomer negiah" after their Israel experience. (The current online Observer poll, which is open to all voters on the site, reports that only about 4% of respondents became "shomer" after Israel.)

Being Shomer Negiah means that there is no touching between the sexes. Frankly I’m not sure what these numbers represent. Just to pick one statistic: about 43% said their year in Israel affected how he or she views dating and interaction with the opposite gender. This does not tell me what the over all percentage of those who were Shomer Negiah before or after. It only tells me that 43% students attitudes were in some way affected.

What a survey like this does tell me is that the very concept of Negiah is subject to choice - as if touching a member of the opposite sex was a permitted option on a date. That is of course not permitted. And yet it is treated as though it were a legitimate option – a Kula as it were. This explains why that urban legend about Teffilin dates exists.

The question is why this is the case? Why is touching the opposite sex treated so casually in modern Orthodox circles?

The answer can be found in a comment made by Rabbi Yosef Blau in the YU article:

The fact that American society is much more open to sexual, physical contact and sexual expression has made it more difficult for someone who is Orthodox to simultaneously identify with that society…

It is the culture wherein modern Orthodox Jews are raised. Living in a culture that glorifies sexual conquest makes it very difficult for a young man to resist temptation. He perceives any such activity as normal and does not think about the seriousness of such actions. Or he might trivialize their significance and even resent efforts to change his attitude about it.

I happen to believe that the vast majority of serious modern Orthodox young men and women observe these Halachos when they date.

But in a world gone mad with Chumros there has been a stark reaction by the right against the cutural permissiveness by forbiding any intermingling with the sexes - almost to the point of recoiling from it! This attitude is promoted in the Charedi world so as to avoid any possible stumbling blocks that would lead to violating Isurei Erva – forbidden sexual activity.

But as is the case in any matter - going from one extreme to the other is never a good idea. That’s because of the law of unintended consequences.

And this article points to many such consequences that hinder the potential for marriage. We have a Shiddach crisis for a reason. The result of all this separateness is that the idea of a normal date is disappearing even in modern Orthodox circles as the entire world moves to the right including modern Orthodoxy. This is made plainly evident in the opening paragraph of this article:

When one YU junior showed up to a first date, he was looking forward to a satisfying meal, an animating conversation and a relaxing night out. Instead, the young woman came armed with a 70-question "test," grilling him on his ideology and family history. Unfortunately, he failed the test. Not surprisingly, neither of the two expressed interest in a second date.

This is not good. But it is an inevitable result of over-focusing on Tachlis and over-reacting to the fear of violating Halacha on a date.

That young people are focused on the Tachlis of getting married is a good thing. That should be the primary purpose of dating. But when one turns dating into a mathematical and sterile exercise reducing it to a test consisting of 70 questions, you know that things have gone too far. Not that these kinds of questions aren’t already being asked by some Charedi Shadchanim and foolish parents. (Some of these questions are really stupid - ala the famous question about the color of the family’s tablecloth on the Shabbos table)

Not that many of these questions aren’t important. Many of them are. But dating cannot be turned into sterile acts of taking tests. Dating is about much more than that. It is as much about compatible personalities as it is about matching Hashkafos.

So what is the right way to go about it in my view? Glad you asked.

Just like everything else in life there is a happy medium. First of all one must follow Halacha. That obviously means being Shomer Negiah. But one must also develop a rapport on a date that allows for compatibility and comfort. Hashkafa questions need not be the very first thing discussed. That can wait until a third or fourth date. The idea on a first date is to have fun in a permissible way.

Furthermore the method of meeting should not be limited to Shadchanim. Shadchanim should only be one of many ways to meet. Social interaction is important too. And so too is learning how to interact with the opposite sex. That’s why I support group social settings where young people can meet and interact. I’ve said this before. Volunteer organizations like NCSY or HASC can be a marvelous example where young people can meet and learn how to interact with each other - all while fulfilling a great Mitzvah.

The one thing we don’t need is the further Talibanization of Judaism where the sexes are so separated that a first date becomes a terrifying experience. It is not an either or situation: No exposure at all - or Teffilin dates. There is a happy medium where meeting members of the opposite sex should be encouraged and where normal dating follows.

There are no guarantees in life. The unexpected can easily happen. Even under the most ideal of dating circumstances a divorce or worse can result. But in my view the best chances of a successful relationship between a man and a woman happens when extremes of behavior are avoided.

Skokie - Back to the Future?

Today something wonderful happened at my alma mater that has not happened in a great many years. It is something that I did not expect to ever happen. Yeshiva University (YU) was invited onto the Hebrew Theological College (HTC) campus in the person of Rabbi Reuven Brand, Rosh Kollel of the YU Kollel.

He gave a public Shiur in the HTC Beis Hamedrash followed by Rabbi Yaakov Sussman an HTC Rosh Yeshiva who is a senior Rebbe there. Two brilliant minds talking Torah to the same people - both Baalei Batim and students. Each bringing with them their own perspective. Rabbi Sussman came to Chicago via the Lakewood’s Chicago Community Kollel and has Lakewood Hashkafos. Rabbi Brand is a YU product and has strong Centrist Hashkafos.

Unfortunately I did not attend. Frankly - it just plain slipped my mind. My grandchildren are here and I was totally preoccupied with them. No excuse, I know - but fact nevertheless.

In my view this was a landmark event of major significance. It shows a tremendous degree of tolerance and acceptance by a Yeshiva that has taken a huge ‘right turn’ over the last couple of decades. The thrust of the Yeshiva in those years was decidedly in a Charedi direction. To that end, the YU Hashkafa was unofficially looked upon as unacceptable. This is ironic considering its roots as a Religious Zionist Yeshiva and the makeup of the board. But so it was until today.

I believe it was in part for this reason that a YU Kollel was invited to be established in Chicago. And it was given strong financial support.

I was happy about their arrival here but a bit disappointed that we even needed it. And we did need it because of a void created by a Yeshiva that - though successful for many years - abandoned its roots. It should have been my alma mater that created this Kollel. But it didn’t. YU had to create it and send it here.

Perhaps this signals a change of direction. Not so much away from a Charedi perspective but towards a direction of more inclusiveness. Perhaps this is a harbinger for the much needed change that I believe the Yeshiva needs to have if it is to grow to fulfill its potential for greatness.

It would be very helpful, in my view if the YU Kollel were to merge with the Yeshiva. This would send a loud and clear message that HTC is not going to be a monolithicly Charedi yeshiva.

It will instead be an inclusive Yeshiva wherein both Charedi and Centrist Hashkafos can be found and promoted freely. The truth is that the seeds are already in place to begin fulfilling that potential. There is a wonderful and growing fully accredited college program there under the Centrist leadership of its Dean - Rabbi Michael Myers – a true Talmid Chacham, a strong religious Zionist, a brilliant thinker, and an expert in Navi who studied at the feet of Nechama Leibowitz,. The Rebbeim there fully represent moderate Charedi Hashkafos.

A YU type Kollel there will create a renewed image of Centrism - going back to roots it long ago abandoned. And it will do so without sacrificing the moderate Charedi Hashkafos represented by its Rebbeim.

It is a win/win for everyone. Will it happen? Can it happen? I don’t know. But it should.

Centrism, Charedism, and Emes

If I believe that the wave of the future is with moderate Charedim how can I believe that my own Centrist Hashkafa which includes Torah U’Mada (TuM) is the Emes of the Torah? How can God direct the world away form His own Emes?

This is a difficult question with which I am constantly grappling. I believe both statements are true: Centrism is the closest thing to Emes and yet we are moving toward becoming a moderate Charedi Torah world.

In order to answer this question one must first understand the issues. I base my belief in Centrism in part on the Rambam’s ‘Golden Mean’ – the Shvil HaZahav. Extremes on both ends of the theological spectrum of Judaism are rejected.

It is true that the Rambam’s ‘Golden Mean’ refers to character traits. When it comes to Mitzvah observance it behooves us to be as careful as humanly possible to make sure we observe those Mitzvos as correctly as possible. Centrists obviously agree with that proposition. Extremes in pursuit of those goals are anathema to Centrists - as I beleive they are to moderate Charedim. To play on the immortal words of Conservative Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 – Extremism in the pursuit of religiosity IS a vice!

The real question is Hashkafa. That’s where the dichotomy between Centrists and moderate Charedim lies.

I think this dichotomy can be summed up in the differences in approach to secular studies and participation in secular culture. Centrism - both Torah Im Derech Eretz (TIDE) and TuM versions - has a positive attitude about secular studies and secular culture.

Personally I believe Torah U’Mada is the most correct approach. I arrived at that conclusion after much thought and analysis of that Hashkafa. Am I absolutely certain beyond any doubt about that? No. I can be bought. TIDE - in theory - can win me over. The one thing I am relatively convinced of though is that Charedism is not necessarily the primary way in which God wants His people to serve Him.

The reason that I think moderate Charedim will win the day is not based on my belief that it is the preferred approach by God. I can never be absolutely what God's preferred approach is. I can only believe that it is the Centrist one. The basis of my prediction is based on my being a realist. I observe and I conclude. I recognize the direction that Orthodoxy is going.

Why is it going that way? Many reasons. Here are some of them.

It is in the nature of Charedism that it is more likely to self perpetuate than Centrism. They have a preponderance of Mechanchim in the world. Charedim also tend to have larger families than Centrists. Charedim are also much more reliant on other people’s thinking than their own. They subjugate themselves to what their Gedolim think and negate their own thinking on matters of Hashkafa. They deem themselves unworthy of challenging the Hashkafos of people greater than themselves.

This attitude tends to produce a more monolithic and narrower Hashkafa than that of Centrists who while honoring those same Gedolim also include a much wider range of Hashkafic thought by a greater universe of Gedolim. Centrists combine that with the use of logic and reason to arrive at their Hashkafos.

Centrists now tend to gravitate to a moderate Charedi lifestyle – one which is not significantly different than what they are used to. They tend to send their children to a moderate Charedi school given the choice between that and a left wing modern Orthodox school. Even schools that are not really Charedi often hire Charedi Mechanchim because the pool of potential Mechanchim is mostly comprised of Charedim.

That’s why a wonderful school like Arie Crown Hebrew Day School that is decidedly not Charedi has drawn a majority of its Mechanchim from Charedi circles. Yes they are mandated not to promote their own Hashkafos. But it comes through. They are all wonderful people and great role models for the kids. That inevitably influences many of the children toward a Charedi point of view.

There are many other reasons – all discussed here in the past. The point is that all indicators seem to point toward a growing moderate Charedi Judaism and diminishing Centrist one. My belief that they are the future is therefore not based on what I ideologically believe. It is based on an honest evaluation of the factors in play.

How is it possible that God allows what I believe to be the Emes - to fall by the wayside? Does He really want the Jewish people to abandon a primary Centrist approach in favor of what I consider the secondary Charedi approach that negates or minimizes secular studies and secular culture?

One can always ask that question. But why start with me? How can Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch’s TIDE have been abandoned by God? Certainly Rav Hirsch was just as certain about TIDE as I am of Torah U’Mada! To claim that he meant TIDE as only a B’dieved is clearly not true. Anyone who truly studied Rav Hirsch and his Hashkafa of TIDE will tell you this.

And yet TIDE as envisoned by Rav Hirsch is decidedly not the wave of the future

I can’t know why God chooses to lead the world in this way. Why is my Hashkafa not the one God is allowing to prevail? I don’t know but I am not prepared to say that it is not the correct one any more that Rav Hirsch would say that his was not the correct one.

Who know what the future ultimately holds. It may very well be that in the future Centrist Hashkfos will somehow prevail. Maybe new light will be shed on Charedi thinking that will push it in a different direction that it is being pushed now.

In the meantime I still believe that a Centrist Hashkafa is the correct one. And I advocate it for all of Jewry. I strongly believe that ultimately God does not want His people to live in the world of 'Torah Only'. So I promote Centrist Hashkafos as much as I can and urge those who agree with me to do the same.

We are now witnessing the successful melding of Centrists into moderate Charedi society. Part of the reason for this Charedi success story is that our lifestyles are virtually identical. Hashkafos are not really debated and discussed. But those differences are real. They exist – for now.

It is my hope is that in any dialogue that may take place between Centrists and Charedim that that we can sway them a bit in toward our way of thinking – be it classic TIDE (not the new revisionist version) or TuM. The more we can influence them the truer we will be to what I believe God wants of the Jewish people. Because if we don’t at least try, powerful influences form the extreme right will find their way into our lives and take us even further away from that Golden Mean.

Yom Yerushalyim and the Future of Jerusalem

Har Habayit Beyadenu.

For those of us old enough to remember - who can ever forget that heady day forty two years ago when those words were uttered by then Israeli General Mota Gur as he re-captured Har HaBayis – the Temple Mount.

That was one of the most inspiring moments of my life. Since 1948 up until that very moment Israel existed as a state without Har HaBayis – without the Kotel.

The Kotel was not accessible to any Jew since Israel was declared a State and the Arabs went to war with us. The holiest place in all of Judaism was closed off to us. But in one shining moment, God smiled upon His people and allowed the Israeli Army to take it back.

I will never forget that day. It was a moment in time when being a Jew meant something to everyone. Even secular Jews who were interested only in assimilating took pride that day. A new day for Jews had dawned in the world.

No longer were we seen as sheep to the slaughter – the completely unfair image of Jews created during the holocaust. We were seen in a new light as conquering heroes - winning a war against enemies who threatened to annihilate us. The new found image of a hero was that of the young Israeli soldier. The underdog Israelis proved to an admiring world how ingenious and brave they were by winning a war in 6 days against great odds.

This event changed everything for the Jewish people – especially secular Jews. Almost instantly Jews trying to hide their Judaism in a melting pot society went from that - to ethnic pride.

This is when outreach exploded. Formerly indifferent secular Jews were now taking pride in their Judaism and were trying to learn more about it. Jewish outreach organizations began to flourish. A lot of people became Frum because of a war which resulted in taking back the Temple Mount.

For this reason and so much more I celebrate Yom Yerushalyim today. Today is the anniversary of the six day war. I do as my Rebbe did. I did not say Tachanun yesterday at Mincha nor this morning at Shachris.

But as much as it pains me to say it Har HaBayis is not in our hands. Not really. It is in the hands of the grand Mufti of Jerusalem. True – it is technically in Israel's jurisdiction. But Jews are not in charge. On the very location where most Poskim say the Mizbeach stood, there is a Muslim mosque. It is protected by the Israeli government. Muslims are allowed to worship there freely.

Jews must stay away even if there were no mosque. We cannot Halachicly go to that area of the Temple mount. We are all in a presumptive state of spiritual impurity that can only be removed with the ashes of the red heifer (Parah Adumah) – which we do not have today.

It is the hope of every religious Jew that this will change very soon – with the advent of Moshaich. But as of right now, things seem to be going in another direction – a direction that no one would have dreamed of back in 1967.

Which brings up an entirely different subject and takes any euphoria I ever had about the 6 day war out of me. On this day of Yom Yerushalyim pressure from Israel’s closest ally, the United States, is being brought on Israel to make peace with Palestinians via a two state solution.

The fact is that Israel already played its hand here. It already told the Arabs that they were willing to divide Jerusalem – giving them formal control over the old city where most of them live. And of course it is in the old city that Har HaBayis is located.

I am sorry to inform all those who think otherwise - if there is ever any peace deal reached with Palestinians, Israel will end up with an Oslo type agreement. It may not be exactly Oslo. But it will be a version of it. Of course we are a long way off from any peace deal. Palestinians have thus far shot themselves in the foot every time they had an opportunity to create their own state.

Who knows if they will ever be able to take the leap to true peace with us. As long as there is a Hamas and radical Islam - with an Iran lurking in the background - we have nothing to fear. Israel cannot afford to concede an inch under these circumstances. But if that dynamic ever changes - there will be two states. Israel and Palestine. Like it or not. Har Habyis will be in the Palestine – probably until Moshiach arrives. This does not mean that Jews will not be able to Daven at the Kotel. That was already agreed to by the Arabs at Oslo. But Har HaByis will not be Beyadenu.

This is unfortunately the reality. There are those who simply refuse to acknowledge it. But I have not seen any realistic alternative ideas that would change the dynamic being pursued by Israel’s critical ally. The United States government- both Republicans and Democrats - fully supports a two state solution. We have no choice but to face reality here. Because this is an ally that Israel cannot exist without.

But... for the time being Hamas and friends will do their best to destroy any chances of peace.

So for those who reject the idea of any part of Israel going to the Arabs, especially Jerusalem, don’t worry. Hamas and friends will see to it that it won't happen.

Gender Separation and Sex Abuse

Is the Charedi and religious world more vulnerable to sex abuse than secular society? One would not think so. After all very few societies are as gender separate as is the Charedi one. And very few are as sheltered from erotic images as they are. But according to rape center manager Debbie Gross it is exactly that gender separation that makes it more vulnerable. It seems there is no real difference between secular society and the religious one other than the vulnerability factor.

Ms. Gross was interviewed by Ynet about her new program designed to help the religious community learn how to prevent abuse and better deal with it - should it happen.

It seems like educators in Israel are taking some positive steps in addressing the issue of sex abuse in the Torah world. But her comments revealed that Charedi and religious Jews are indeed more vulnerable. She called what is happening there an epidemic. Here are some key excerpts from the Ynet article:

'Sexual assault is made much easier in haredi society, because kids are separated from their mothers at a younger age.

"There's an epidemic of sexual abuse of children in Israel," said Debbie Gross, who runs the center. "This epidemic exists in all the sectors, including the religious and haredi ones. We are talking about a very serious phenomenon, which I believe can be substantially reduced through these workshops.

"The only difference (between secular and religious society )is that in the religious and haredi society abuse is made much easier, because of the gender separation. A predator would go to places where there are no mothers to protect their children. For instance, a haredi mother can't take her son to the swimming pool from the age of 8-9. So the kids sometimes go with an older brother, who doesn't always keep an eye on them.

Additionally, in our education system we have men teaching children from the age of three. This doesn't exist in the secular system, where one can graduate from high school without ever having a male teacher. We know that an attacker usually seeks a profession that allows him to be close to kids.

Is there anyone that would argue with any of this? I think she is right on target. And I applaud her concrete efforts here in changing the dynamic of sex abuse in the Torah world in Israel. I just hope she isn’t thwarted by some overly zealous Askanim who fear the very mention of the word sex in a classroom.

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Disagreeing with my Rebbe

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow - also known as the Novominsker Rebbe - was an important figure in my life. As stated in my bio he was one of my Rebbeim in the primary Yeshiva I attended - the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie. Specifically, he was my 12th grade Rebbe. He was a great Rebbe and Baal Masbir – clearly explaining the Gemarah and Rishonim he taught us.

My class was in fact his very first one. He remembers every one of us and never fails to say hello and remind me of that when he encounters me on his visits to Chicago – which are fairly frequent.

My contact with him was not only as a Talmid. Late in his tenure in Chicago – after I was married - he became the Rebbe of a Shteibel where my father was the Baal Teffilah. In short he lived here quite a number of years and was a significant influence in my life.

Interestingly we both had the same Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik. When Rabbi Perlow came to eulogize him at the Sheloshim, he metioned that it was Rav Ahron who taught him how to learn his first Rambam.

Rabbi Perlow is now the sitting head of the Agudah Moetzes. He is a man for whom I have great deal of respect. And he deserves it. To say otherwise is to not know him. I know him and he is a brilliant Talmid Chacham. Perhaps more importantly he is a kind and caring individual who only wants to serve God and the Jewish people. He deserves to be where he is – in a leadership position. He earned it.

A few days ago he addressed the Agudah dinner and spoke about one of the most important and divisive issues of the day: Sex abuse in the Torah world. He made some very revealing comments.

I agree with him on most of what he said. I also agree that one must read carefully the words of the recent declaration by Agudah and Torah U’Mesorah opposing the Markey Bill. That bill would extend for one year the window for filing suit against Yeshivos for old claims of sex abuse by its employees.

If one reads those words carefully one can only conclude that there was absolutely no nefarious intent in them. There is nothing but a caring attitude expressed for the victims. All the strong and sometimes even disgusting rhetoric against Agudah, Torah U’Mesorah, and their leadership is unwarranted and unfair.

My position is clear. I support the bill – reluctantly. Not that I know better then Rabbi Perlow and other Agudah Moetzes and Torah U'Mesorah members do. But that I see both sides of the argument as I know they do and I favor the bill - as does the RCA and other rabbinic figures.

Of course as Rabbi Perlow points out - the Torah must always be our guide on every issue. But sometimes it is not so clear what direction the Torah tells us to take. This is one of those times – I think even the members of the Moetzes would concede that point. They ultimately made their decision based on what they truly believe the Torah would mandate. One cannot fault them for that.

One cannot fault the critics of Agudah either. They understand that the victims of abuse feel betrayed. Their hurt continues unabated. They see rabbinic leadership as once again missing an opportunity to do something concrete to help heal them.

But one must look at this objectively and see the merits of Agudah’s arguments too. One should not gloss over the words of encouragement offered by them even while they oppose the Markey Bill. They clearly would not stand in the way of better legislation that would address the victims needs toward the healing process. Here is the way Rabbi Perlow put it:

"A serious issue" has arisen in our community… "Individuals have been hurt and deserve redress, acknowledgment and empathy." There is a need for tikkun ha'ovar" - correcting the past - and for addressing the future, "creating means to guide against wrongdoing to children."

Not many people, Rabbi Perlow noted, know of the countless hours spent by the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel and the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah over the past two years discussing the many complex facets, including the implications "for mosdos haTorah."

"No one really knows the sensitivity that went into this entire process," over the course of many meetings regarding "this painful parsha."

These do not sound like the words of an uncaring individual who is indifferent to the pain of abuse victims.

The reasons for their opposition are by now well known. The fear is that good Yeshivos could be destroyed because of old claims against them about incidents by people who are no longer involved with the school in any way. Entire faculties, administrations, and boards could have changed since then. The school would still be vulnerable. They feel this is an existential threat to the entirety of Jewish education. These are the very same arguments put forward by Rabbi Yakov Horowitz a champion of abuse victims rights!

It is unfair to dismiss these concerns out of hand as insincere. They are legitimate. But I nevertheless disagree because I have confidence – as does the RCA and other rabbinic leaders - that Yeshivos that do not deserve to be destroyed will not be. That is coupled with my sincere desire to see the victims get justice – any justice no matter how small. We have to start somewhere. This is the best we have now. It may be an unsatisfactory bill but it is better than nothing. And it will show the victims in a tangible way that the Torah world does care.

Rabbi Perlow also said the following:

What makes Agudas Yisroel special is that "it seeks the truth of Torah" and discerns it in the understanding of Gedolei Torah. That determination to divine what is proper for Klal Yisroel "resists even well-meaning daas baalei batim," Rabbi Perlow proclaimed, and certainly "the bloggers and the picketers, presumptuous promoters" of the notion that "they know better what is good for the Jews."

I think that this is a misreading of what the more responsible bloggers have been saying. True - there are some who seem to jump at every opportunity to bash rabbinic leaders who spend their lives dedicated to serving Klal Yisroel. But the more responsible bloggers are not saying "they know better what is good for the Jews." We are saying that we think that the victims deserve better than what they have received thus far and that - for a lack of an alternative - this is the way to start.

Normative Judaism or Taliban Judaism?

I was forwarded (by someone that I am not sure wants attribution) a letter that appeared in the Yated which reads in major part:

Recently, certain Bais Yaakov schools have changed their policy in regard to both high school and elementary school graduations. Whereas fathers and zaides were previously allowed to attend, now they are herded into a separate room and only allowed to enter the auditorium at the end of the ceremony for the handing out of diplomas.

These schools might as well forbid males to attend the entire ceremony. It is demeaning and insensitive to treat fathers and zaides this way.

On the day when they want to shep nachas from their daughters and granddaughters, they are treated like second-class citizens. If the administration feels men shouldn't listen to girls' valedictorian speeches, they should ban them from coming outright. One is either given a proper invitation or not invited. Becoming "frummer" should never be at the cost of hurting another's feelings.

I sympathize with this Charedi parent. She expresses what I am sure is a normal Charedi reaction. It is in fact a normal human reaction. But I am equally sure that her complaint will fall on deaf ears.

Even though I have predicted that the two worlds of moderate Charedim and right wing modern Orthodoxy will merge - this does not mean there aren’t forces in play from the far right! This letter is evidence of that.

Bais Yaakov is the mainstream Charedi school system for girls. For most Charedi parents - whether they are moderate or very right wing - their daughters attend that school system. While these schools vary based on community standards they do have baseline policies. It looks like this is the start of a new one.

One of my problems with the more right wing type of Charedism is its eagerness to adopt ever increasing modalities of Frumkeit. For that they look eastward. Israeli Charedism is the model for this behavior.

In this more right wing segment of the Charedi world secular subjects in the schools are at best tolerated and - if possible - eliminated from the curriculum. There are some Charedi schools already like that. And now in a policy that mimics Israeli Charedism Bais Yaakov has taken fathers another step away from their daughter’s lives.

The current standard in Israel is that Charedi fathers do not participate in any way with their daughters in their schools. They do not go to parent-teacher conferences. They do not attend graduations. To the best of my knowledge they do not attend any school functions. Only mothers do any of that.

I don’t think this type of separation was ever the case in non Chasidic American Charedi schools. Not even in the most Charedi of Bais Yaakovs. Fathers and grandfathers could go and enjoy the achievements of their daughters and granddaughters freely. If someone’s daughter happened to be valedictorian, one could be there and ‘Shep Nachas’.

What an honor and joy it is when a father can attend a life cycle event of a child. This is how I felt when my 3 daughters graduated from both elementary and high school. I truly felt proud on those days. A milestone was reached and I was there to witness it. I wouldn’t have missed any daughter’s graduation ceremony for a million dollars.

But even a million dollars can no longer buy such Nachas in some Bais Yaakov schools. Not anymore. Nope. Israeli Charedism is creeping further into American Charedi culture - taking a new step in a series of steps towards a Taliban like lifestyle. Oh… fathers can still attend the actual handing out of diplomas at the end of the ceremony. For now. But it is only a matter of time before that is banned too.

I don’t get it. Why the need to do something like that? What is gained? What lessons are learned? Do we really achieve greater holiness with that? Do we really need this steady sinking into an abyss of Taliban style Charedism? How far is this going to go?

One might ask why I care about how extreme the Charedi right becomes. The answer is that they do not live in a vacuum. Their move to the right affects us all. When the extreme right moves to the right, it pulls ‘the whole’ right along with them. We are all connected. This means that at some point, even moderate Charedim will see this as the right thing to do.

Some may say, what’s the big deal?! So what if you don’t attend a boring graduation ceremony? That’s fine - if you don’t want to attend. But what about the father who does want to attend? Why should he be denied?

But that isn’t even the point. The point is that a perfectly permissible way of Shepping Nachas today is being turned into an impermissible way tomorrow. It is not so much about this one thing. On the larger scale of what is truly important in Judaism this seems like relatively minor point. But it isn’t just about this one point. It is about a direction we are going. A direction that is not normal.

I truly do not believe that this is what God wants of His people. And yet this is the direction we are going.

Meanwhile what about this new entity of moderate Charedim and right wing modern Orthodoxy that is evolving? How do they fit in to all of this?

I don’t know. Maybe what we have here is the new divide. Perhaps instead of Modern Orthodox and Charedim - the future will give us normal - and Taliban!

Do We Really Need the Agudah?

One of the most brilliant and dynamic figures in the Torah world is my former Daf Yomi Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer. His knowledge of Torah combined with his attention to Machshava – Jewish thought - and worldly knowledge makes him quite unique in the Torah world.

His words have been published in many Orthodox publications including the Jewish Observer and Jewish Action. He has also written several books in English on Halacha, was a contributor in translating the ArtScroll Shas, and the ArtScroll Tanach – among many other such projects. And at a very young age he published a Sefer on Mesches Bava Basra – The Bigdei Shesh.

What he brings to the table – few people are able to bring. Chicago had an immeasurable loss when he and his brilliant and talented Ezer Kenegdo, Dr. Shani Bechoffer left.

There are few people in this world whose words carry as much weight with me as Rabbi Bechhofer’s words do. Not that I always agree with him. But the vast majority of the time I do. I am truly awed by this man’s knowledge, influenced by his thinking and his sense of Emes. If you want to understand where I am coming from just listen to any of his recorded Torah Shiurim - especially the series on the 'Age of the Universe' which I heard him give live and from which the recordings were made.

So when he makes a public statement – I pay attention. This is what he wrote in the comments section to my post on the demise of the Jewish Observer:

In axing the (Jewish Observer), the (Agudath Israel) has lost much of its raison d'etre. Sans the JO, they are just a shtadlanus organization. They no longer can lay claim to advancing the thought of Torah-true Yahadus, nor to boldy confronting the burning issues of the day, nor to clarifying what the Torah has to say on matters of the day and matters of eternity, nor to educating the generation. True and saddening folly.

I actually disagree that the Agudah loses justification for its existence. Shtadlanus - by which I assume he means working for the Jewish people - is a very important task. Very few Jewish organizations are as organized and as effective as this one is in getting things done for Orthodoxy. They have a long history of successes in this regard. I don’t always agree with their policy decisions, but the vast majority of the time I do. If their voice in Washington were lost, it would create a tremendous void.

What is most surprising is that this statement by Rabbi Bechhofer has by implication negated the significance of the Agudah Moetzes. That is no small statement. The Agudah defines itself through their Moetzes. They listen to the Gedloim. Their every move - their every utterance is premised on what the Gedolim say. They will never contradict them. The Moetzes leads and the laity follows. And yet Rabbi Bechhofer thinks this organization has little justification – not without the Gedolim – but without their mouthpiece, the Jewish Observer.

I find that to be an incredible statement coming from someone who I know has profound respect and reverence for Gedolei Yisroel. Rabbi Bechhofer does not make statements like this lightly. He is a man of high intellect, moral character, and Yiras Shamyim.

I suspect that he may feel that these Gedolei Torah do not need the Agudah. The Agudah needs them. I have pretty much felt the same way.

I personally think we need an organization like Agudah. What we don’t need is an selected body of Gedolim called the Moetzes. I do not need an organization to tell me who is a Gadol and who isn’t. I have no problem with the laity in Agudah consulting with Gedolim for guidance and following their advice. That is important and necessary. We need advice from great rabbinic figures on many issues. But we don’t need a committee of selected people who by dint of belonging to the Moetzes are deemed Gedolim.

Rav Moshe Feinstein did not need Agudah to tell him he was a Gadol. The world accepted him – Agudah or no Agudah. He earned that distinction all by himself. The same is true for other members both past an present.

What is not true is that there are no other Gedolim besides Agudah Moetzes members. Nor is everyone on the Moetzes necessarily a Gadol. There are members of the Moetzes that are there for political reasons. By having a Moetzes created in this fashion it belittles the very definition of what a Gadol is. It reduces the stature of a true Gadol when others are invited to be his peers - just because they belong to a particular group.

I have profound respect for some members of the Agudah Moetzes. I do not feel that way about others of them. And there are still others that I think are greater in Torah knowledge than many of the current members and have at least as much Yiras Shamyim as they do - who are not members. And never will be! I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

Perhaps this is what Rabbi Bechhofer meant. Of course he can speak for himself and probably will. But even if I am wrong about this being his view, it is definitely my view and I believe it to be the truth.

Kind and Caring - or a Cancer?

Once again Chilul HaShem raises its ugly head. It was described in a letter to Rebbetzin Jungreis in the Jewish Press. It's about a scenario that I am unfortunately all too familiar with. I have written about my own experiences along these lines in the past. Apparently I am not alone.

There are people who have a certain sense of entitlement among non Jews that creates a huge Chilul HaShem. What do I mean? Here is an excerpt from that letter.

Usually, we stay at home for Pesach - our family likes it that way, but this year, events compelled us to go away. I was aghast and ashamed at what I saw. Among the passengers on our plane was a group of 150 people, all headed for the same resort. Their behavior was embarrassing - true, just a few were guilty, but they gave a terrible impression of our people. I overheard flight attendants saying to one another, "What a night this will be with them on board...those people!"

‘Those people’!

That sounds almost anti Semitic. The problem is that I feel the same way. That's because when I see what was described here I see a major Chilul HaShem.

‘Those people’ are an embarrassment. They are a living breathing Chilul Hashem. I have observed exactly this kind of behavior on flights to Israel before. It happens when there is a large enough group of them traveling together. The first time I saw it I was shocked!

Let me make one thing clear. Though it is true that usually only a few act this way - they were not some sort of exception to the rule. They were families with children. They were an integral and accepted part of that group. They were not outcasts. They were not the delinquents of Meah Shearim with too much time on their hands. Nor were they Kaanaim out to force their standards on others. These people were mainstream Satmar type Chasidim with families - just being themselves.

I could not believe how they treated the flight attendants and other passengers. The flight attendants were ordered around as though they were their own personal servants - making all kinds of demands and requests. Boarding passengers trying to get to their seats were blocked while these Chasidim were taking their time - making themselves comfortable while standing in the aisles. They acted as if they owned the airplane. I was truly embarrassed to be wearing a Kipa.

I tried apologizing for the behavior of my coreligionists to one of the flight attendants. She was very gracious and said she was used it. She realized that not all Jews acted this way. Very gracious. Very understanding. Much more so than I was.

This letter writer goes on to describe additional objectionable behavior by the people beyond just the flight. I will focus on what happened on the airplane because of my own experiences there - which matches what the letter writer describes. And though not identified as Chasidim - my guess is that they probably were.

It is of course possible that they weren’t Chasidim. But I have never seen this kind of behavior on an airplane by any other segment of Jewry. Not modern Orthodox, not Charedi, not Religious Zionists, and not Chabad. Only Satmar type Chasidim. It seems as though whenever there is a large enough group of them together on a plane - you will find rude behavior towards flight attendants and an uncaring self centered attitude towards other passengers.

Don’t they realize the massive Chilul HaShem they are creating? Apparently not. Either that - or else they just don’t care.

How does one explain this disgusting phenomenon? One that seems to be getting worse with time as that community grows?

Let me suggest that it is at least in part due to the overall negative attitude about non Jews. One that is ingrained in them -imparted to them from the earliest ages by the parents, grandparents, and teachers.

A line from a ‘Torah’ tape I heard from illustrates this. It was made by - what sounded like a Chasidic Rav. After explaining that one must try to have good relations with Goyim he said in an increasingly louder voice - 'one must nevertheless hate them'!

If you take this kind of ‘Chinuch’ and combine it with their legendary insularity it should not be unexpected to see this kind of behavior result!

I think that they take the ‘admonition’ to hate Goyim to a new level. They are really Machmir on it. Lifnim Meshuras HaDin. They may think it doesn’t show. But it does. ‘Those people’ are guilty of a Chilul HaShem that makes whatever Chesed they do pale in comparison.

I don’t know what can be done to change their attitudes. It is apparently so ingrained in their thinking that it might be impossible for them to change at this point.

But there ought to be something. Maybe if we scream loud enough them via media exposure they might hear us. As insular as they are they can’t possibly want to be defined by this behavior.

But if nothing changes and their population continues to grow at the present rate it cannot but increase instances of Chilul HaShem. Their current image as devout Jews who are interested in serving God – and as kind and caring Baalei Chesed who go out of their way to help a fellow Jew will cease. It will be replaced with an image as disgusting self indulgent Jews whose actions are a cancer upon the Jewish people.

Extremism Wins Again

I’m not sure what Agudah is thinking. It is almost as if they had a death wish. First they announce the closure of their magazine, the Jewish Observer - understandable in light of the diminished readership. And than in an inexplicable move they pull one of their premiere columnists from a paper that tries to appeal to a broad spectrum of Orthodox Jews.

An editorial in The Jewish Star has announced that their regular column by Rabbi Avi Shafran will no longer be published. Agudah has decided to instead give exclusive rights to another competing paper. If Agudah is trying to win friends and influence people, they have a funny way of doing it.

If the competing paper is a more Charedi one (and I have no way of knowing if it is) they will be preaching to the choir. What will they gain by doing so? Isn’t it more worthwhile for them to try and sell their message to a broader audience? Especially one that is Orthodox? That is the audience that Jewish Star is geared towards. And yet, Agudah is silencing its voice to them.

Some people may be pleased at this development. Rabbi Shafran is often vilified by them – usually in matters dealing with sex abuse in the Orthodox world. Undeservedly so in my view. While I do not necessarily agree with some of his views on this issue - which reflect the Agudah point of view - I nevertheless think that he firmly believes in the correctness of those views. He is a fine and decent man of high principle and not anti victim in the slightest. But that is the subject of another post.

The point is that his voice to Orthodox Jews other than Charedi ones has been stilled by Agudah’s own people.

To those who may rejoice at his departure, I would ask, what good is having a paper that publishes only what one wants to hear? Isn’t it better to know what the other side says directly from one of them. In this case one of their most articulate communicators? Very few Agudah writers are as talented as Rabbi Avi Shafran is in promoting the Agudah message.

One does not have to agree with everything he says. I don’t. But I certainly respect his views and even agree most of the time.

So it is a loss for the Orthodox community of the Five Towns where this paper is distributed. And to the rest of us who receive it via the internet.

Mayer Fertig, the editor of this paper indicates what he believes happened. Pressure – it seems - was brought to bear upon Agudah leaders to do this:

Last week Agudah claimed ownership of the column and, unfortunately, indicated that perhaps it doesn’t handle criticism too well, either from within, or from elsewhere. I was informed that at the insistence of unnamed local constituents of Agudath Israel, Agudah would henceforth grant exclusive rights to Rabbi Shafran’s column to the other local Orthodox paper, which I gather they deem to be more pliable and eager to please.

I suspect he’s right. Agudah does not have a good track record when it comes to their Askanim. And it seems they haven’t really done anything to change that.

I am reminded of the time many years ago when I asked a very fine Charedi rabbinic leader that I truly admire - why Rav Hershel Shachter was not ever invited to be a scholar in residence at one of his organization’s annual ‘scholar in residence’ weekends. His answer was basically that he would love to do it – but he did not want his organization to be boycotted by certain powerful Askanim in Agudah.

I guess that Agudah leadership itself is intimidated by those very same or like minded people. Rabbi Shafran’s weekly column has thus been pulled - seemingly due to pressure by Askanim. Extremism wins again. And Agudah, The Jewish Star, and all of its readership lose.

Benedict and the Jews

The one thing about the recent visit to Israel by Pope Benedict that really bothers me the most is all the criticism he’s been given about what he did or did not say. Specifically at the Israeli Holocaust memorial - Yad Vashem. Some of those who have criticized him are people for whom I have great respect. But in my view, they were wrong.

The way some Jewish leaders have sounded, it is as if he is suspected of being some kind of closet anti-Semite …as if he was an unknown entity on the subject of the Jewish people …and we are waiting eagerly to hear his real position on the Jewish people.

But we do know his position. He clearly articulated his desire to have reconciliation with the Jewish people. His actions toward that goal speak louder than words. He has for example ordered any proselytizing in Israel by members of the Catholic Church to stop. And then there was the historic and unprecedented visit last year to an Orthodox Shul in New York where he addressed a mostly Orthodox Jewish audience.

The Jewish Press made an excellent point about that in their editorial this week. They referred to an earlier editorial they wrote just after his visit to that synagogue:

We cannot avoid a "what if" moment here. What if Pope Pius XII had visited a synagogue in the 1930s or 40s? Would such a gesture of friendship and solidarity not have put the Germans on unequivocal notice that atrocities carried out against Jews would be perceived by the Church as atrocities carried out against Catholics? Would it not have given second thoughts to the fiercely Catholic Eastern Europeans who eagerly facilitated the Final Solution together with the German military? Would it not have given pause to those Poles who murdered the pitiful Jewish survivors of Hitler's death camps who'd managed to make their way back to Poland after the war?

I totally agree.

I realize there will always be some people who will not trust the Church at all. There are those who say that anything positive coming out of the mouths of a Catholic or any Christian leader is a ploy to win our confidence so that they can convert us. Perhaps that was largely true in the past. But I do not think this is any more the case. Of course they would like it if we would convert. They believe they have the Truth.- just as we believe that we do. But ever since Vatican II they recognize Judaism as a legitimate religion.

I take the Pope at his word. He wants to befriend and improve relations with us. I do not think we should micro analyze his every utterance. I also do not think it necessary that he makes a mea culpa for the Church’s actions during the holocaust. He may see that era in a different light and judge the Pope of the time favorably as many in the church do.

I don’t really know the truth about the Curch during that era. I only know what the accusations were and I have heard the defenses. Even though we may see that pope in a negative light - it shouldn’t surprise us that this pope sees him in a positive light. We do not have to agree with him on every issue.

My impression of this pope is that he is a decent man who devoutly believes in his religion. He has as one of his goals to have reconciliation with the Jewish people. I think we ought to step back and let him try and achieve it. Because it can only be to our benefit if does.

Faces of Israel

I have just had the opportunity to see a wonderful documentary by producer/director Amy Beth Oppenheimer called Faces of Israel. This low budget film is an educational tour de force of views by the wide spectrum of Jews spanning virtually all segments of Israeli society.

Among the issues addressed are those that are frequently covered here and include: the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, marriage, single sex unions, conversions, heterodox movements in Israel, and the inter-action between secular and religious Jews - among many others.

Those interviewed were all members of Israel society. They included Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, A female Mesorati (Conservative) rabbi, a Reform rabbi, a Sephardi rabbi, and various Israeli citizens of different stripes: Charedi, Daati, secular, and homosexual.

It also included lengthy interviews of the leaders of Itim – an American led organization and Tzohar, and Israeli one. These two organizations were created to deal with people unhappy with the Israeli Rabbinate – mostly in matters of marriage.

There was a lot of discussion of the Israeli Rabbinate, and the disagreements between it and Itim and Tzohar. All seemed to agree that the Israeli rabbinate was lacking in matters of interpersonal relationships. They act in a far too functionary an impersonal, cold way. Some of the members of the Rabbinate interviewed seemed to concede this fact. This caused a great many people to be disaffected with the rabbinate. Which seems to be why Itim and Tzohar were created.

I found it fascinating to hear their views although I was not really surprised by what they said. It corroborated many things I have said here. For example the secular couple said that they thought buses and private cars should be permitted to operate on Shabbos in cities that had sizable secular populations - but that secular Jews should respect religious sensitivities and not go into religious neighborhoods.

There was no animosity or hatred by them against Charedim at all. There was an attitude of respect - and a belief in their right to be religious and live in religious environments – as long as their lives would not be unduly inconvenienced. So if a street in a Charedi neighborhood was closed for Shabbos, that was fine with them. But if an entire city was closed to traffic, that would be unfair. Almost all of them expressed the desire to keep the character of the State Jewish.

Should civil marriage be sanctioned in Israel? Should the Israeli Conservative and Reform Rabbinate be permitted 'a say' in life-cycle events? What about Halachic conversion or marriages performed by a Conservative rabbi? A Reform rabbi? Is there really a need for three separate Orthodox rabbinic organizations: the Israeli Rabbinate, Tzohar and Itim? How should homosexuals be treated? Same sex marriage?

All these questions are asked and discussed at length in this fine documentary. If one really wants a picture of what is on the minds of Israeli Jews this is your film. It is well worth the price of admission.

I am told it has the endorsement of many religious figures including leaders of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements. I can certainly understand why. Kudos to director Oppenehimer on her first major project.

The Jewish Observer, Zichrono Livracha

According to Yeshiva World News - the Jewish Observer, a magazine that represents the views of Agudath Israel of America is going to stop publication - at least for the time being and certainly in its present incarnation. One might think that this would be a moment of celebration for me. But it is not.

It is true that I have been very critical of many of the positions taken by many of the contributors to their pages - and of its editorial policy. None greater than that infamous obituary of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, ZTL. That particular piece caused many sincere religious people to cancel their subscription – a point that should not be lost on them at this particular moment in time. It is the declining readership that is cited as the primary reason for its decision to close.

I in fact thought about canceling my subscription when that happened. But in the end I didn’t. That’s because I believe that the Jewish Observer was the best source of Charedi thinking on any given matter.

Now it’s true that there are many fine Charedi publications that present a Charedi view of the world. In fact one of them, Mishpacha Magazine is a wonderful example of what can be done by Charedim that truly serves its entire constituency – and beyond. They do it without sacrificing any of their Charedi principles -or feeling the need to bash other Hashkafos.

But in the end, Mishpacha is a family magazine that carries many features some of which are unrelated to Hashkafic issues. It is not a journal of Charedi thought. Neither are any of the other English language Orthodox Jewish publications that I am aware of.

The Jewish Observer was the Charedi world’s Tradition Magazine. At least in recent years. It was the Charedi Journal of Jewish thought.

True - they were not as scholarly as Tradtion. Far from it. But the quality if their writing had improved in recent years. And they discussed major Hashkafic issues regularly from the Charedi perspective in both America and Israel.

The Jewish Observer also demonstrated that Charedi thought is not monolithic. I often even agreed with them on various issues. There were often articles where different Charedi writers - moderate to extreme - reflected a wide disparity of view. Sometimes in the same issue.

I sometimes used the Jewish Observer as a springboard for my posts - especially (but not always) when I disagreed with them. I could almost always count on finding at least one article in every issue that spurred a post.

I do not think there was a better source than the Jewish Observer of knowing what Charedi thinking was on any given subject. And for that, they will be missed. At least by me.

So even though I have had many differences with them, some of which outraged me, I nevertheless salute their achievement of over forty years of publishing Charedi Jewish thought.

Rabbi Dr. Lamm’s Predictions

In a recent interview in the Jerusalem Post, Yeshiva University Chancellor Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm made an incredible prediction about the future of Reform and Conservative Judaism. In predicting their demise he said:

"With a heavy heart we will soon say kaddish on the Reform and Conservative Movements,"

"Reform is out of the picture, because they never got into the picture, and the Conservatives are getting out of the picture,"

I tend to agree with him about Conservative and Reform Judaism. They will end up in the dustbin of history. It’s already happening – despite the protestations of their leadership. Numbers tell the story in the Conservative movment. They are decreasing. It should be no surprise to anyone with a sense of history. All ancient movements that have veered away from Halacha have gone down the path to extinction - or near extinction. That is just the nature of movements where Halacha is not binding. It never was binding in Reform. It has only become acceptable to practice as non binding in the recent past.

The Conservative movement has slowly moved away from its claim of being Halachic and now some of its leaders acknowledge and even advocate that the movement drop that claim.

No matter how much observing Halacha is advocated it will not be observed if it is considered non binding. Inconvenience and expediency will ultimately dictate observance - or lack thereof - to the majority of its members. It can only therefore ultimately be abandoned. Those Jews who are its members now are generally only nominally so.

Their children will be less so and ultimately will assimilate and intermarry out of Judaism. That is the sad truth. I used to wonder if at least in the Conservative movement whether their Solomon Schechter Schools would save them. There seemed to be an increase in attendance there.

But I think that demographic has changed and there has been a decrease in numbers. They may yet turn things around.. But I am skeptical. If parents are unobservant in the home, children will generally not veer to far from their parents - even if a school teaches otherwise. There will be exceptions. But my guess is that they will ultimately turn to Orthodoxy. As for perpetuating the movement it may just be a case of too little too late.

But what about Dr. Lamm’s other comment? He said:

"The future of American Jewry is in the hands of haredim and the modern Orthodox. We have to find ways of working together."

One of my oft stated predictions for the future of Orthodoxy is that it will be perpetuated by moderate Charedim. I say this with no great joy since I happen to believe in the tenets of a Centrist Orthodoxy. Moderate Charedim simply do not buy into Torah U’Mada – or even Torah Im Derech Eretz in its original Hirschean form.

Centrism will eventually meld into the Moderate Charedi fold - which as I’ve said many times - is the true wave of the future. The extremists in both camps will in the end become marginalized. Charedi extremists on the right cannot – must not – win. They may be strong willed and use strong armed tactics. But their ideas are weak and in the end will not prevail. Their path is suicidal. Judaism cannot and will not die.

The same is true about the left wing of modern Orthodoxy. They are strong willed too. But they are not strong armed. Their ideas will not meld into the Charedi world. Their views and actions are just too radical a departure form the norm. While their ideas may not technically violate Halacha, they are nonetheless culturally unacceptable by moderate Charedi standards or even by Centrist standards.

Additionally the left wing of modern Orthodoxy does not contain enough of a critical mass to propel themselves into the future without going ‘off the reservation’ – meaning crossing Halachic lines. Though the numbers of left wing modern Orthodox Jews is fairly large - there exists a tendency among its membership - if not its leadership - to push the envelope as far to the left as possible. I foresee an eventual crossing of lines that will take much of its membership outside of Orthodoxy. I may be wrong. But I can’t help but see it that way as the envelope is pushed further and further to the left as time goes on.

So in my view it is this new entity of Centrists and moderate Charedim that will carry Orthodoxy forward. It will be Charedi in Hashkafa. But in practice it will be a melting pot of religious Jews whose will live and look pretty much the same. In practice – if not Hashkafa - both communities influence each other. Moderate Charedim have joined the ranks as professionals via college and professional school educations. Centrists who look for a more traditional environment tend to move into moderate Charedi neighborhoods – like Flatbush in Brooklyn.

They also tend to send their children to moderate Charedi schools rather than the more liberal modern Orthodox ones like Yeshiva of Flatbush. One can easily find many black hatted Centrists with trim beards in this community making them indistinguishable from their moderate Charedi counterparts. They participate in the same Shiurim with them and even learning together B’Chavrusa.

So in essence I agree with Dr. Lamm that the future of Judaism lies in the hands of Charedim and modern Orthodoxy (in its Centrist incarnation - which is what I think he means – being a Centrist himself and actually coining the term). But I do not see it as a co-operation with separate identities. I see it as a melding of the two worlds into one. I see the ultimate demise of Centrism as a unique an independent Hashkafa.

At this point the best we Centrists can hope for is to influence Charedim as much as possible towards our views. Right now it is about respecting one another’s Hashkafos. But in the future our differences will not be so clear – as Centrists will continue to send their children to moderate Charedi schools and live their lives in those circles. This cannot but result in a subtle but steady move toward Charedi Hashkafos and away from Centrist ones.

This where public discourse and debate comes in. One of my goals here is to influence moderate Charedim to understand and accept as legitimate the Hashkafos of Centrist Orthodoxy - and hopefully to adopt as much of it as possible. I know that it is unlikely to happen to any significant degree. But one can hope. To paraphrase John Lennon ‘I may be a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.’ We may not succeed as much as we’d like. But it is important to try.