Think You're Jewish? Prove it!

What a disgrace!

I charge the heterodox movements with responsibility for it. But I also charge the current Charedi controlled Rabbinate in Israel with treating fellow Jews with contempt in the name of religion. I refer to the case of Hillary Rubin (pictured). She is a grandchild of the holocaust. Her grandparents are survivors of the holocaust.

She now lives in Israel and is an observant Jew. But when it came time for her to get married, she was told by the by the Herzliya rabbinate that she needed to bring the Kesubos (religious marriage contracts) of grandmothers going back 4 generations to prove her Jewishness.

The problem is that any such documentation was destroyed in the holocaust. She cannot provide any such proof. The fact that she brought letters of testimony from 5 people one of whom was a Chabad rabbi made no difference to them. Neither did the fact that it was impossible for her to provide documentation they asked for due to the holocaust. They just said it was her problem, not theirs.

I understand the issues involved. One must be Jewish to get married to another Jew. If there is any doubt about it it needs to be proven. In our day where heterodox movements are doing conversions that are not in accordance with Halacha and in one instance accepts patrilineal descent as equally determining one Jewishness – it can be a problem. It is quite reasonable to ascertain the Jewish status of an individual that was so defined by a heterodox movement and not born Jewish via matrilineal descent.

But how far do we go with that? When is a rabbinical court justified in insisting on impossibly draconian demands like those made upon Ms. Rubin? It would seem that it doesn’t take much. All it takes is a person raised in a non Orthodox home. I cannot imagine this woman’s outrage at this. She had parents and grandparents that were Jewish - and she had testimony from at least one kosher witness - a Chabad Rabbi.

I wonder how this type of thing will progress in the current conversion climate in Israel. Israel is trying to tighten the conversion law. By giving the Charedi controlled rabbinate ultimate authority over conversions - where will the line be drawn in the future? Whose Judaism will be questioned next? Will every non Orthodox Jew be denied the sacraments of marriage because of their inability to produce documentation going back four generations? How many descendants are there of holocaust survivors whose documents were destroyed? How dare they make those kinds demands!

And why stop with non Orthodox? There are plenty of Orthodox Jews who are children of Baalei Teshuva who were raised in non Orthodox homes. Will they now be required to prove their Jewishness going back 4 generations? And what about all the sincere conversions of parents who were converted by courts that didn’t make the cut of those approved by the rabbinate? Are all their children now suspect? Will they also be told to bring Kesuvos going back 4 generations?

And why stop there? We are all suspect, are we not? Who is to say that our parents were really Jews without proof going back 4 generations? My grandparents died in the holocaust too. My parents told me they were Frum. But that is the sum and substance of my proof. I have no clue or proof whether my maternal great-great grandmother was Jewish. Why should my children be treated any differently than Ms. Rubin was? Why should anyone’s children be treated differently?

But we are. Those of us who are raised Frum are assumed to be Jewish. I doubt that any one of us were ever required to bring any proof at all about it. But those of us who are not in this category – if things keep going in this direction – will be written out of Judaism!

This is a grossly unfair approach which serves to destroy Heterodoxy by destroying the lives of non Orthodox Jews. These are not honorable intentions. They are divisive and destructive ones. I realize there is an increasing ‘Jewish status’ problem. But prejudicial treatment of non Orthodox Jews is not the way to solve the problem.

Unless all Jews are subjected to the same standards - no one should be. Unless a serious question is raised about a questionable conversion or there is some evidence that one is not Halachicly Jewish, most Jews have a Chezkas Kashrus and should be presumed to be Jewish. The vast majority of Conservative Jews no matter how religious or secular were born of a Jewish mother.

However Reform Jews - because of rampant intermarriage and patrilineal descent may eventually lose their Chaezkas Kashrus as Jews. And they may ultimately and unfortunately be required to prove their Judaism– which is a very sad fact. But even they should not be required to go back 4 generations at this point in time.

It is grossly unfair to treat our fellow Jews this way just because they were not raised in an Orthodox home. Ms. Rubin - whose parents and grandparents are Jewish - and who had a letter from a Kosher witness testifying to her Judaism - is Jewish. And the court that rejected her Judaism – asking her to do the impossible – reveals the true motive of these rabbis. It is to eliminate ‘lesser Jews’ from our ranks. This attitude ought not to be allowed to stand.

Gay – and a Married Man

Guest Post

The following is a guest post by an anonymous individual who calls himself ‘Hope’. It was sent as a comment to my recent post about the ‘Statement of Principles’ with respect to homosexuality in Judaism. It was addressed to me but it should be read by everyone.

There is much to reflect upon in this man’s story. He is obviously a sincere man who struggles with his sexual orientation and lives a life of private emotional pain. And yet he is a devoted and committed husband and loving father. Rather than answer his questions and challenges in a comment of my own I present it here unedited (except for some minor grammatical corrections) in its entirety.

This statement (of principles) actually gives me hope. It’s too late for me. I chose to ignore my true feeling and accept the advice of some faux psychologist I saw when I was in Israel who "taught" me to sublimate my true sexual desire and convinced me to marry. Well, I'm 14 years into the marriage; my poor wife is certainly not fulfilled, neither am I.

Our kids (their conception is a whole other story in itself) are being raised by a mom and dad, but come on Harry - how different could it be if I were able to live my life with a life partner I was able to love fully, in every way? I know that my true sexual desires make you feel yuch, so to make "you" happy I married a woman.

Who won there? My wife? Me? My kids? My shul? My community? My "therapist" who had one 30 minute meeting with me 20 years ago and "cured"me? Please spare a minute to think about how many people out there are like me, sublimating our true sexual desires for the greater good of Torah observance.

No, I will not cheat on my wife my having an affair, or trawling chat rooms, etc. But I cannot fake my true desires and my heart knows what it wants. It just will never get it. My hope is that if one of my sons, or nephews, or some young man hearing of this statement feels that they can live lifestyle truer to themselves, who don't feel that they have to ruin theirs and a poor woman's life by entering into a false marriage and raising kids in that environment, then the Rabbi’s who created this can save a branch of yiddishkeit.

I really do feel jealous of those people courageous enough to live their authentic lifestyles, especially those who have managed to remain (is some ways) within the scope of halachah. Me - I'm here in this marriage in the long term. Obviously, after 14 yeras my wife knows (it took me a long time but I came clean years ago) , she's not delighted, but we are best friends (truly).

But every day I cry inside because I cannot fulfill her, and I do try, and its not impossible (the "psychiologist/ Rabbi" told me that if I can "perform" then I'm not truly gay - so, I can "perform" but my mind's desire while doing it is elsewhere if you know what I mean). Harry - I hope my "yuch" factor has gone down!

Chelsea and John

There has been a lot of angst in Jewish quarters about the upcoming nuptials of Chelsea Clinton, the Christian daughter of a former President and Marc Mezvinsky a Conservative (religious - not political) Jew. And for good reason. Intermarriage is forbidden by Torah law. The children of this marriage will not be considered Jewish since the mother is not.

There has been some speculation that Chelsea will ‘convert’ since no Conservative rabbi will perform an intermarriage. But even if she does ‘convert’ Orthodox Judaism does not accept Conservative conversions. It would therefore be considered intermarriage by Orthodox standards.

A high profile event like this can only impact negatively on the phenomenon of Jews increasingly marrying out. It will certainly make it more acceptable among secular Jews with little to no connection with their heritage that constitute an ever increasing and unprecedented number.

So this event is nothing to applaud. However even though it pales by comparison it does have a positive element to it. It is one of two events that serve to prove just how accepted the Jewish people are in America. The second is an event organized by Pastor John Hagee. More about that later.

In all the coverage I’ve seen, heard, and read about this event, the fact that the groom is Jewish is hardly mentioned at all. It is a non issue. This marriage has even been called the American equivalent of a royal marriage – as if a princess was getting married to a commoner. The hoopla is much like it was at the royal wedding that took place 30 years ago in England between Prince Charles and Diana. Although not quite as intense - that’s the way the secular mainstream media is treating it.

It is the Jewish media that pays any attention at all to the groom’s Judaism. That is the beauty of America. The vast majority of the American people couldn’t care less whether their neighbor is Jewish or not. Nor do they care whether their ‘royalty’ marries a Jew or not. It is irrelevant to them.

So as I said, this event is nothing to celebrate. The damage done by glorifying intermarriage is far greater than yet another proof of our acceptance. But there is that element of true equality that is reflected here. And that is something to celebrate and be grateful for.

And so was the event that took place in Washington DC last week.

A recent study has shown that support for Israel by the American people is at an all time high. This - despite the best efforts of some mainline Protestant Churches to undermine that support. But this pales in comparison to the support of Israel and the Jewish people of the Evangelical Christian. There are over 50 million Evangelical Christians in this country. The vast majority of them are more pro Israel than most Jews are. That was reflected last week when over 5000 Christians showed up in the nation’s capital to lobby for Israel. They were invited by Pastor John Hagee’s organization, Christians United for Israel (CUFI).

This is one of the reasons oft cited why congress is so pro Israel. The Jewish vote is less than 2% of this country and most of those tend to be far more critical of Israel than supportive lately. Hardly worth thinking about for a politician. But 50 million Christian voters with strong pro Israel feelings cannot be ignored. These Christians make alternative J-Street type Jews look like members of the Palestinian Authority by comparison. Here are some excerpts from a JTA article that highlights the CUFI’s ‘Night to Honor Israel’ that demonstrates the kind of support we get from these great Americans:

Many (attendees) were like Shelby Shelton, 68, from north Florida, who said, "The Bible says the time for Zion is now and it’s very clear that we should support the Jewish people." Her husband, Ron, 72, sporting a flowing white beard, nodded.

(Randy Neal a senior official with CUFI said) "We believe Israel has the right to defend herself, we need to increase pressure against Iran to get it to abandon its nuclear program," Neal said. "We don't believe, recognizing Israel as a sovereign nation, that we can dictate where they can and can't build."

CUFI is the largest organization representing what are believed to be tens of millions conservative evangelical Christians who support Israel. They do so because of what they believe is Israel’s biblical mandate and, they say, because supporting Israel is aligned with U.S. interests.

In words and donations, Hagee has backed West Bank settlement, but also says he will support whatever peace solution Israel's elected government backs.

Onstage last week Hagee, who launched the first Night to Honor Israel in 1981 at his San Antonio church, riffed on President Obama's famed election slogan "Yes we can!" by asking the crowd to join him in warning, "No, we can't!" "Can we support any treaty that does not allow Israel to defend itself?" he boomed, leading the crowd: "No, we can't!"

The political message of the evening, and of the entire event, was that Obama had turned on Israel although he now seems to be correcting himself. "It's particularly unsettling for the people of Israel that the relationship between Israel and its most steadfast ally has been troubled this last year," U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), a CUFI stalwart, told the crowd.

Lieberman said he now would "hope and pray" that the relationship was on an upswing in the wake of the positive meeting earlier this month between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The message, that Obama administration pressure on Israel to halt settlement expansion is unwelcome, trickled down to the rank and file.

"We are not here on earth by accident," Lieberman said, sparking one the biggest rounds of applause of the evening. "We are here as a result of a conscious and intentional act of creation of the almighty…

There are those who say that Evangelicals are really our enemies and have a sordid past with respect to Jews. They say that their goals have always been – and still are – to convert the Jews to Christianity. That used to be the case. But it is not the case now – with perhaps the exception of Southern Baptists and a few splinter groups - the vast majority are content to leave us alone and at most pray for our salvation as they understand it. I’m not even sure they do that! They certainly do not actively seek converts among us. Why do they support us:

Thomas, the Florida pastor, spoke of discovering the "Judeo" in his Judeo-Christian heritage. "When I discovered the Judeo aspect of my Christian faith, it was the most natural response to pray for Israel," he said. "To stand for her, to support her." It was a theme repeatedly invoked by conference-goers.

"Our book that we read says, ‘Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed,'" said Jacqueline Ulmer of New York, repeating a passage from the Bible that spilled from everyone's lips.

If Evangelicals are our enemies - who needs friends?

A Statement of Principles

A statement of principles about homosexuals has been floating around the internet. It was written by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot - a Talmid Chacham of note who is currently on the staff of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT). He has also had the benefit of input from many other Rabbanim and Roshei Kollel who signed on to the document. After reading it a couple of times I basically do not see anything in there with which I would vehemently disagree. I do however have a minor quibble with a couple of things. The first is the following:

We do not here address what synagogues should do about accepting members who are openly practicing homosexuals and/or living with a same-sex partner. Each synagogue together with its rabbi must establish its own standard with regard to membership for open violators of halakha…

I do not see promoting the idea of acceptance of an openly practicing homosexual (…emphasis on openly practicing) as a good idea. Stating this as a principle is has the appearance of accepting the forbidden act itself. Proclaiming that in principle it’s basically up to the synagogue is wrong in my view.

I also have a slight problem with the following:

But communities should display sensitivity, acceptance and full embrace of the adopted or biological children of homosexually active Jews in the synagogue and school setting…

While I agree with this statement in principle, I object to the implied imprimatur this places upon homosexual couples who adopt children. With rare exception I am opposed to promoting adoptions by parents that do not have a male and female parenting role model. A child that has two parents of the same sex is being shortchanged in my view - even if they are celibate.

At best it is a B’Dieved – just like a single parent family would be. If one has no choice that is one thing. But to suggest that less than the ideal should be ‘fully embraced’ is not something I can support. And although the above statement does not exactly say that – it implies it. That said I want to re-emphasize that I agree that children in such circumstances should indeed be fully embraced.

There has been much made of the lack of any right wing rabbis on the list of signatures. I hope that is corrected. It is even worth a little more tweaking through their input in order to get them on board. I think we ought to have a unified approach in how Orthodoxy treats fellow Jews - and every human being - no matter what tempts them sexually.

There are some who would vehemently oppose this kind of document. One person I know has suggested that such a document is the result of the overly permissive general society we live in which has turned what is considered morally acceptable behavior on its head. In the past there could never have been a document like this.

They will cite what some call the ‘yuck factor’ as inherent in the Torah prohibition of the male homosexual act by its use of the word Toevah – an abomination - in forbidding it. (Female homosexual behavior is not mentioned in the Torah but is nevertheless forbidden by rabbinic law and the word Toevah would not apply.) Some will cite that as proof of what our attitude should be and that such documents counter that attitude.

But the truth is that you don't have to be Jewish. Most heterosexuals are naturally repulsed by the homosexual act. We don’t need the Torah to tell us to be repulsed. Toevah must therefore mean something else. For example there is Devarim 25:16 with respect to the prohibition against using false weights in business. The Torah considers that a Toevah too. How many people are repulsed by that?! They should be - but recent history has unfortunately shown that it isn’t even on the radar screen for some of us!

Unlike those who believe the Torah commands us to be repulsed by the homosexual act - it is my personal belief that we must overcome our personal revulsion when it comes to homosexuals. Overcoming revulsion is indeed a Torah value. If someone has a physical defect that makes their appearance physically repulsive – are we not required to overcome that?

The Issurim in the Torah are Assur because the Torah says they are Assur. Not because they are personally repulsive. We are required to treat all of mankind with human dignity - to be Mechabed Es HaBriyos. This includes homosexuals. It may be difficult for heterosexuals to overcome their revulsion. But that does not absolve them of that responsibility.

As long as homosexuals don't flaunt it or advocate it as a legitimate lifestyle we should have compassion and accept them fully into the community. It is not our business what they do in private. As I’ve said many times - we are not God's accountant. And we currently have no Halachic mechanism to enforce any form of earthly punishment even in those rare cases where the Torah would mandate it.

It is therefore up to God to mete out Divine justice for those who succumb to forbidden desires - whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. If we don't know for a fact that they are violating Halacha - we are required to be Dan L'Kaf Zechus and judge them favorably.

If on the one hand – as I said above - two male homosexuals openly proclaim that they are engaging in forbidden sexual activity - then in my view accepting them would be tantamount to accepting the forbidden act itself. If on the other hand they don't proclaim it and are discreet – I believe that we are required to be Dan L'Kaf Zechus - even if they live together.

The truth is that as a society (both general and Jewish) we are far more accepting of forbidden heterosexual sex even in suspected Yehoreg V'Al Yaavor cases. There are people I know who over the years were strongly suspected (via overwhelming circumstantial evidence) of cheating on their wives with other women. In at least one case I can think of it was with the wife of another man.

Everyone eventually got divorced and remarried... and all is forgiven and forgotten - even among the right wing. Had there been similarly overwhelming circumstantial evidence of any of those men having a gay affair - they would have been completely ostracized. In the former one could say we are being Dan L'Kaf Zechus. Why not in the latter?

Murder K’Hilchasa

Rav Yitzhak Shapira, Rosh HaYeshiva of Od Yosef Hai was arrested yesterday for writing a book that describes when it is permissible to kill non Jews. It is entitled ‘The King’s Torah’. But based on the description in Ha’aretz it sounds like it should be called ‘Murder K’Hilchasa’ – Murder in Accordance with Jewish Law.

I don’t think he should have been arrested for that. Free speech is the hallmark of any democracy. But I do think he’s playing with fire by writing things like that. I consider it to be highly irresponsible and frankly an embarrassment!

What exactly does he think he accomplishes? …even assuming he’s technically right which I do not necessarily concede. Granted there are situations when killing another human being is justified. Such as in self defense or in preventing a murder. Aside from being the Halacha that is also common sense.

But this not about that. It is specifically about killing non Jews. What he does by teaching these laws is that he provides cover for murderers like Baruch Goldstein who mass murdered Arab worshippers in Ma’aras HaMachpela. Does he think that was a good idea? Is he a fan of Baruch Goldstein’s?

I don’t think it matters if in theory he would deny that his rulings would apply to Goldstein - unless he said so specifically in his book. Goldstein’s supporters would certainly use this book to justify it.

And it further justifies turning Baruch Goldstein into a martyr instead of the mass murderer he was (although I’m told Goldstein was otherwise a nice guy. Of course Ted Bundy was a nice guy too when he wasn’t serially killing college coeds.)

There is also the possibility that some misguided settler zealots will use this as justification to attack nearby Arab villages on the West Bank because they are perceived as threat to the settlements. If some Arabs are killed in the process - so what? Rav Shapira said it was permitted!

Doesn’t Rav Shaipra realize what could result from books like this? Is it that he doesn’t care? Or is he actually advocating it?

The Jewish people are not a violent people by nature although it is getting harder to prove that these days in places like Meah Shearim and certain settlement areas. Many of these kinds Halachos are about self preservation – both personal and national. Otherwise killing any human being is forbidden according to Jewish law.

Even though Rav Shapira provides that disclaimer – it is the height of irresponsibility - and in my view it is a Chilul HaShem for a religious leader like a Rosh HaYeshiva to write a book wherein he teaches how one can kill a non Jew according to Halacha.

A Brazen Dirty Convert

Hutzpedicke, schmutzedicke giyoret - a brazen dirty convert. This is the epithet given to a righteous convert by members of the Edah HaCharedis. Not yesterday but over 45 years ago. It was directed at Ruth Ben David (pictured) who was born a Catholic, worked in the French Resistance during the holocaust, and later took a strong interest in Judaism - finally converting in 1952 after divorcing her first husband.

This is yet another reason to treat the Edah HaCharedis with great contempt. That they can say this about a righteous convert convinces me that they do not deserve even a modicum of respect. In fact I question the very Jewishness of the soul of anyone who can say things like that.

But that isn’t the only reason o treat them this way. The following is a partial list of their activities in recent years. .

It was pointed out to me by a freind who is a Charedi Rav that much of the Edah’s focus is on issues dealing Erva (sex). Through their surrogates and sympathizers they have torched a store that sold clothing that did not meet their Tznius standards. They have thrown rocks at female passersby who do not dress according to their standards. They have spilled acid on a female jogger in Beitar. They have beat up a religious Zionist teenage girl in Ramat Bet Shemesh. They have beat up a woman they saw speaking with a man in public. And they have bullied and hit women seated in the men’s section of a gender segregated bus.

It is my freind's contetntion that not only is the Edah obsessed with sex - Neturei Karta’s founder Rabbi Amram Blau (pictured) was too!

The woman they called a dirty convert was Ruth Ben David, the second wife of Rabbi Blau. He was the grand daddy of Israel haters. The Edah HaCharedis was Neturei Karta’s governing religious body during his era. Although they have since severed their relationship with Neturei Karta - the Edah’s obsession with sex has not gone away.

Ha’aretz has published a story about an upcoming biography of Rabbi Amarm Blau. The biographer has delayed completion of the book because he does not know how to handle this taudry episode in Rabbi Blau’s life.

Briefly here is what happened. The Edah had some sort of rule preventing Rabi Blau cfrom marrying a convert. (This is in fact a disgusting rule on their part which has nothing to do with Halacha.) But when at age 70 Rabbi Blau’s first wife died he was somehow ‘set up’ by a Shadchan with 44 year old female convert Ruth Ben David. And as my Charedi friend put it - this was before his first wife’s body was cold in the grave . The Edah didn’t like that at all. Long story short the Edah fought him and ended up throwing out and putting him into exile.

One might say ‘a plague on both their houses’. I am inclined to agree with the sentiment that both Rabbi Blau and his Edah are condemnable.

It might surprise people to know that these are not my sentiments alone but are a paraphrase of what a Charedi Rav told me. Had I said these things alone - I would be accused of Charedi bashing. Understandably so. But when a Charedi Rav says it – it is an entirely different story. It cannot be dismissed as Charedi bashing. Those who continue to defend the Edah HaCharedis – in my view do so only because they see them as a more right wing version of themselves.

I suggest that this kind of thinking be banished from anyone's minds and replaced with the thoughts of a respected Charedi Rav whose wisdom on various issues in Judaism has gained him much respect by his peers. For obvious reasons I cannot reveal his identity. Don’t try guessing. It is probably not who you think it is. Most of you would be very surprised at his identity.

I have suggested a boycott of products with the Edah Hechsher. My Charedi friend actually sympathizes with this and told me that he personally does not use any Edah backed products.

Lest anyone think this post is just another anti Charedi rant by a typical Charedi basher - think again. If you are Charedi - consider the tremndous amount of Chilul HaShem they are responsible for, their obsession with sex, the sentiments of a respected Charedi Rav and the title of this post!

The Edah may be a force with insurmountable power but they deserve to be exposed for who they really are to the entire world! They are a disgrace to Judaism and should be boycotted in every way possible. Even if it doesn’t succeed – it is nevertheless the right thing to do.

Another Kind of Discrimination

“It is crystal clear to me that “sheltered” communities have higher drop-out rates than heterogeneous ones. Don’t believe me? Just ask anyone who works with teens at risk, and drop me a line if they disagree with that statement. I also find that kids who are appropriately sheltered by their parents and raised in “mixed” communities are more tolerant and better prepared to maintain their Yiddishkeit when they inevitably encounter the world at large.”

Those words are not my own. They are the words of Rabbi Yakov Horowitz which I excerpted from his website.

This is not news to me. But those who defend the sheltering and isolationism would certainly argue the point. They would probably say that the benefit of sheltering their children from the outside world far exceeds the benefits of allowing a more open environement. After all - the dangers of the outside world are greater than at any time in history and if there was ever a need to protect their young from it - that time is now.

But let us look at what kind of world that has wrought. The most extreme example of it is Israel’s Meah Shearim neighborhood. They are as sheltered as can be. The results are there every day for the entire world to see with one violent protest after another - irrespective of what other segments of Orthodoxy say about them. External condemnations - if they hear them at all - are meaningless to them.

The legitimate Chesed they have among their own or those who are not threatening to their Hashkafos - is beside the point. Their isloation is so complete that - when it suits their purpose - the more ambitious among them have no compunction about behaving in ways that most people would consider a Chilul HaShem - all the while believing that they are making a Kiddush HaShem.

Of course not every Charedi community shelters to the extent that Meah Shearim does. But the idea is the same. Many such communities have developed school systems that operate on the same isolationist principles. They have been indoctrinated to consider everything in the outside world detrimental to one’s spiritual health. Entry into that world should only take place when absolutely necessary for ones safety or health.

Being raised that way can only lead to intolerance and condescension.

This brings me back to the Slonimer Chasidim of Emanuel. For purposes of this essay let us concede that the Slonimer parents were not guilty of ethnic prejudice and indeed – as they claim - only trying to filter out students from less observant homes. Let us even grant them the right to do that. Are the extreme standards that Slonim sets for admittance to their schools something to applaud? Rabbi Horowtiz re-published a Mishpacha article by Jonathan Rosenblum which suggests that it does not.

Jonathan makes a point very similar to that made a few years ago by Telzer Rosh Yeshiva Rav Avrohom Chaim Levine at an Agudah convention where he decried the overly strict standards of so many schools . Rabbi Levine’s point was that it is wrong to set standards so high that they exclude children from perfectly good homes.

He pointed to a few gentleman sitting in the audience who were Talmidei Chachomim but would have never been accepted into one of those schools today. They attended Yeshivath Beth Yehuda in Detroit. Beth Yehuda did not have those standards. They had to fight for just about every child they got – many of whose parents were not observant at all including the parents of those men in the audience.

In many of the more Charedi enclaves schools are about exclusion - not inclusion. That too is discrimination. Not allowing the Sephardi students into the Slonimer Schools because of their lesser religious standards than their own extreme standards is almost as bad as discriminating against them because of their ethnicity.

Here is how Jonathan put it. He describes a conversation he had with a friend from Detroit:

"When I grew up in Detroit," Max told me, "there were barely enough kids from Shomer- Shabbos families to support one day school. We all went to school together. I remember Rabbi Avrohom Abba Freedman, a devoted disciple of Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, going from bed to bed in hospitals asking people if they were Jewish. If they were, he would beg them to send their children to Bais Yehudah. Many important talmidei chachamim from that era came from non-shomer Shabbos homes."

I think Aharon Leib Rav Steinman put it in stark relief:

Avrohom Avinu would not be accepted in our schools today because of his father, but Yishmael and Esav would be.

More from Jonathan:

Another defense of schools limited to students from one chassidic group or who meet a long checklist of criteria is the desire to transmit a particular mesorah. The challenge, however, is finding ways to instill pride in one's own traditions, without becoming contemptuous of everyone else's. Such contempt is a natural by-product, however, when the mesorah can only be transmitted by excluding everyone with a slightly different one.

Jonathan is right on the money with this. People who believe in sheltering their children to the point of isolation are harming their children and jeopardizing the future of Judaism. This is what the Slonim parents have done by insisting on their extreme standards. But their goals of protecting their youth come at a very high price. As Rabbi Horowitz points out they tend to drop out in far greater numbers than those who are more integrated.

Integration breeds tolerance. Isolation can only breed hatred of those different from themselves.

This doesn’t mean that one must allow a free for all. Of course there has to be some sheltering from harmful influences. It’s all about balance. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

The best way to do that is in a school setting. When it comes to religious standards it can truly be counterproductive to do what Slonim did. Exclusivity in a school may mean that higher standards of religiosity are being assured. But by excluding others they will inevitibly stifle tolerance. And worse they may even end up excluding their own children out of Orthodoxy.

A True Meilitz Yosher

I was amazed to see a Matzav.com report about the hoopla over a Hakomas Matzeva - the unveiling of the gravestone of Martin Grossman.

For those who suffer from short term memory loss... In 1984 a Jewish man by the name of Martin Grossman brutally murdered Margaret Park, a young Florida wildlife officer. He beat her and he shot her with her own gun to avoid being reported for violating the terms of his parole. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. While in prison he found religion and ultimately regretted his act. Under the guidance of a Chabad Chaplain he apparently began a process of Teshuva.

Late last year many mainstream Orthodox organizations united in common cause to try and commute his sentence to life without parole. This became a celebrated cause in the Torah world.

But it was to no avail. He was executed on February 25th of this year by lethal injection.

I too had hoped for a commutation of his sentence. But that was because of my general opposition to the death penalty and a sense of mercy. I felt that justice would be equally served by a life sentence without parole. But not because he was any kind of hero or victim of the system. He was in fact a cold blooded murderer that deserved no praise. And he was executed because he committed a capital crime in a country that has a fair system of justice.

And yet he has been referred to as a martyr in some circles – who died Al Kiddush HaShem. A victim of a government led blood libel - executed because he was a Jew. Even now there are comments on the Matzav.com post that treat him as a near Tzadik. Or at least a victim of a vicious government sanctioned murder!

Here is the first comment there right out of the box:

Baruch Hashem, this is a true kiddish shem shmayim. May Michoel Yechiel hy’d serve as a malitz yosher (a petitioner to God in His abode on behalf of the Jewish people) for all of klal yisroel.

There are more than a few like that.

Well… I started thinking about it and you know what? That commenter is right. In fact I think an injustice was done by not burying him in Bnei Brak next to the Chazon Ish or Rav Shach. On the other hand - since it was Chasidim who arranged for this event and attended it in large numbers - perhaps burying him next to the Satmar Rebbe would have been even more appropriate.

Are they not all Tzadikim who can be Melitzei Yosher? …especially R’ Grossman who died Al Kiddush HaShem - HY’D!

I’ve been such a fool.

The Homosexual Capital of the World

Homosexual Tel Aviv. How’s that for a moniker? Pretty bizarre if you ask me.

Of course that isn’t then name that publicists hired by Israel’s Tourism Ministry and the Tel Aviv’ municiplaity are using. They are using the term ‘Gay Tel Aviv’ in an ad campaign to brand Tel Aviv as one of the homosexual capitals of the world.

That sounds a bit more palatable – even inviting. Kind of like Gay Paris (French pronunciation - and Paris's moniker before the homosexual community co opted the word gay for themselves making them sound less threatening and just - happier!)

But it shouldn’t be inviting or even acceptable. In fact it is a shocking and abhorrent development.

Not that there is anything wrong with being gay. Whether through nature or nurture - people cannot help who they are sexually attracted to. That’s why I have always advocated an attitude of tolerance and understanding of people whose sexual orientation is homosexual. But that does not mean I approve of homosexual behavior. I do not.

The Torah declares that Mishkav Zechor – male homosexual acts - are an abomination and forbidden by Jewish law on a biblical level. But to mistreat someone with such tendencies is itself an abomination in my view. They should be loved and embraced as fellow Jews - fully accepted and integrated into the Jewish community. No one should be judged because of their sexual orientation. Judging fellow Jews is not our department. It’s God’s.

To brand a city as gay goes a lot further than mere tolerance. It actively encourages this behavior and advertizes it as the destination for those who wish to have the ultimate gay experience. That not only legitimizes the behavior – it extols it! Tel Aviv despite its secular character still retains its holy status – Kedushas Eretz Yisroel. This should not only upset heterosexual Jews - it should upset gay Jews. In fact it should upset every human being that ascribes any religious significance to the land of Israel.

This not only sexualizes the city - it sexualizes it to a segment that actively seeks to violate Halacha, inviting homosexuals all over the world to come to the holy land and participate in Toevah – an abomination.

I cannot tell you how upsetting this is to me. It should not only upset straight people – it should upset gay people too. Anyone with any religious sensibilities should be outraged by an attempt to sexualize a city at all – let alone in ways which promote behavior that is clearly forbidden. If there was ever a reason to have a 100,000 man protest – this is it. And it should include all people of faith, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim - no matter what their sexual orientation is.

Barbarians at the Gate

Is one picture worth a thousand words? Often one picture can tell you far more about something than words ever can. Such as describing how someone looks. Certainly one picture surpasses any number of words. But that common expression is not a universal truth. Often a picture can mislead.

The picture above (from the Charedi website Chadrei Charedim) is a case in point. It was taken at a protest against the desecration of graves at a construction site in Yaffo.

Lest anyone think I am in favor of desecrating graves I am not. I oppose it as does Halacha. There are times when Halacha permits moving graves. Whether this is one of those times is not the issue. This post is not about that. It is about the claim of police brutality that occurred against those who were protesting the desecration.

The picture shows a protester being subdued by the police and pinned down on the ground. There was apparently some metal on the ground there that was heated by the sun. As a result the protesters hand was severely burned as it was being held down. I am told by someone I know that the person pinned down is not a hooligan but a Rosh Kollel by the name of Rothchild who was not doing anything particularly wrong except vocalizing protest. There is no question that Rabbi Rothchild was severely burned.

The picture is being circulated by people sympathetic to these protesters as proof of just how brutal the Israeli police are when it comes to Charedim.

But does it prove that? Does that picture actually reflect the truth? Or does it reflect only part of it?

I suppose that it is possible that these police are brutal sadists who go out of their way to hurt Charedim. But I suspect that this is far from the truth. In order for me to believe that the police in Israel are brutal thugs out to beat up Charedim whenever possible I would have to believe that those who serve and protect its citizens are all by nature brutal barbarians who hate Charedim and go out of their way to do them harm. I don’t believe that.

I would need more than this picture or the word of the protesters that were there. This picture does not tell us anything about what happened before they pinned down Rabbi Rothchild or any of the circumstances of that moment.

There is far greater evidence that the police are not brutal sadists but simply peace keepers who are trained to react to violence with force when they have to. When there is no violence or threats of violence -there is no police reaction to it.

Last month there was another Charedi protest. Over one hundred thousand Charedim participated. Not one Charedi was injured by the police. It was in fact touted by Charedi world as an example of how to protest peacefully. I’m sure the police were out in force then too. Where were police thugs then? Why was no one beaten up? Where was all the police brutality?

It didn’t happen. Not one police officer touched one Charedi. Although I was not on the side of the protesters on that issue - I fully supported their right to protest and applaud the way they did it.

Why then did this happen here at the protest in Yaffo? I have to surmise that the police saw a threat that caused them all to subdue this fellow. That they pinned his hand down and it got burned by the sun heated metal was incidental to their need to subdue him. Could they have avoided it? I don't know but I tend to doubt that the whole purpose was to torture him by burning his hands. And yet this is what people who sympathize with these people believe and they point to this picture as proof.

Does the picture really prove the police are brutal thugs? One need only look at Rodney King and the Los Angeles police department. Many will remember the video of police beating him to a pulp during a routine arrest. That led to accusations of police brutality which was followed by a trial.

What many people may not remember is that the police were acquitted. That led to one of the most violent episodes of mob violence in LA history. They blamed a racist court for acquitting white police who clearly (according to the video) beat a poor helpless black man for no other reason than that he was black.

But a longer version of that video tells an entirely different story. They did what they felt they had to do to subdue him and followed standard police procedure in doing so. The two passengers in his car complied with police immediately and they were not touched. But Rodney King who was a convicted criminal out on parole resisted arrest and made threatening moves. The police reacted in a completely appropriate way. But the media never showed that part of the video. All they showed was what looked like a group of police ganging up on a lone black man and beating him to a pulp.

I submit that there is something similar afoot here. While this ‘Rosh Kollel’ may not be a criminal in the sense of a Rodney King it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that he provoked the police. I highly suspect he did.

I realize of course that police brutality exists everywhere and Israel is no exception. A Chicago court just convicted a decorated retired police commander of it. He often beat confessions out of criminals in his custody. But I do not believe anything like this happened here. Just like the vast majority of police in Chicago are not like that I have to assume that those of the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob are no worse.

I have to ask why these people feel the need to protest so strongly? Why only the ‘gatekeepers’ – the Charedim of Meah Shearim (100 gates)? And why is the Edah HaCharedis leading the charge here? Where are other Roshei Yeshiva and Roshei Kollel – like those from Mir and Ponevitch? Do they not oppose desecrating Jewish graves? Why were they not there?

I suggest that the Edah HaChareids and Meah Shearim type Chasidim have an underlying agenda that has nothing to do with grave desecration. I believe that this about only one thing - their venomous hatred of the Jewish State. The grave desecrations are just another convenient excuse. I believe they use Halacha based pretexts like these in order carry out their real agenda and gain sympathy for their anti State views from the rest of the Charedi world.

To that end they will taunt the police – daring them to react. When the police answer their call and one of them gets hurt they are thrilled to trumpet it to the world. They use images like the above picture to ‘prove’ how Nazi-like (a favored term) the Israel government is via the police.

If one will step back and look at all the events where protests were called for by the Edah HaCharedis one will see a pattern of taunting the police which often escalates to violence (rock throwing and the like) against them and when the police react as they were trained to do – they cry Nazi!

I submit that all this talk about these people being hooligans not reflective of the peace loving Meah Shearim community is belied by the photo above. If a Rosh Kollel gets the Rodney King treatment – he probably behaved in a Rodney King fashion.

Do I know this for a fact? No. But please let us not be fooled by pictures like this in the same way people were fooled by the Rodney King video. Let us recognize that it is hatred that fuels the violence.

I will conclude with a paraphrase of Rav Moshe Sternbuch’s condemnation of the violent protesters: They are not from our camp. But unlike Rav Sternbuch I include his own Edah HaCharedis who – although not directly involved in the violence - has certainly incited it by their continued call for protests even while decrying the violence it inevitably brings.

Perhaps the leaders don’t want to see violence. But when it happens to them you can be sure that someone with a camera will be there to record it and they will certainly put it to good PR use.

Chilul HaShem and the Jewish People

How unique and important is God’s relationship with the Jewish people? How exalted are we? If the Jewish people are denigrated in any way - is it a Chilul HaShem? The answers to these questions can be found in a phrase written the Kinos as explained by the Rav. The following was taken form the Koren Mesoret HaRav Kinot.

The first Kina of the day is Kina 6 – composed by R’ Eliezer HaKlair. Therein is the following phrase: Sechi U’Maos Hashimuni B’Edrei Chaverai – They called me repulsive, worse than all my peers.

Rabbi HaKalir is not talking about the physical destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. He is referring to the Kavod – honor - of Israel. When Israel is dishonored it is a Chilul HaShem. The 2000 year exile constitutes a Chilul HaShem and the final redemption is the antithesis of that - and presupposes Kavod Yisroel. And is therefore a Kiddush HaShem. In effect God is telling the Jewish people that even though they are not deserving He will bring them back to Israel and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash – because God’s Name has been desecrated by the exile of His chosen people.

The fact is that God’s name cannot really be desecrated by human beings – no matter how powerful they may be. It s only desecrated by the fact of our exile. Yechezkel says (37:27-28) that one of the reasons Moshiach will come is not because Israel deserves it but because while they are in exile the holy name of God is in exile. It is desecrated, profaned and treated with contempt.

Yechezkel later says (39:27) that God will b e sanctified when God’s prophecy to the Nevi'im are correct and true - applying only to the Jewish people and no others.

During various periods in history this type of Chilul HaShem was amply demonstrated. There is no better demonstration of this than during the holocaust when certain Christian clergymen said that God had abandoned the Jews and that the words of their bible were being fulfilled. Rav Soloveitchik was confronted with those words and he used to cry – not for the Churban – but for the terrible desecration of God’s name that these arguments represented.

One of the significant things about the creation of the State of Israel is that it put an end to talk like that.

The Churban led to the denigration of God’s chosen people: ‘They called me dirty and repulsive’. This epitomizes the disdain the nations of the world had for the Jewish people. That too is a desecration of God’s name. The enemies of the Jewish people are the enemies of God. They do not only want to persecute and kill Jews. They want to deny the extra quality of Bechira – chosenness.

Jewish Tragedies

Tisha B’Av as all observant Jews know is a day that we mourn for the destruction of the Batei Mikdash -the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem. In addition to fasting for a full 24 hour period -beginning tonight and ending tomorrow night - we also do (or don’t do) many of the things that apply to the Shiva period of a lost parent or child etc.

For example we are not permitted to learn Torah except for the Halachos pertaining to the day; subject matter that deals with the destruction of the two Temples; or other tragedies. We sit on a floor or a seat low to the ground and we do not wear leather shoes. But there are a couple of things we do that are specific to Tisha B’Av.

At night we read Megilas Eicha - The Book of Lamentations - written by Yirmiyahu ( the prophet Jeremiah) which laments the destruction of Jerusalem in the first Temple era and the suffering of its inhabitants - the Jewish people. It is also a somber confession of the sins of the Jewish people and its leaders that Yirmiyahu held had been the cause of it all.

During the day we read Kinos - a very lengthy set of poems which were mostly composed in the middle ages by R’ Eliezer HaKalir and includes sections written by R. Yehuda HaLevi and R. Shlomo Ibn Gabirol, as well as R. Meir of Rotenberg.

The Kinos reflect our suffering as a people throughout the ages beginning with the destruction of the two Temples.

One of the problems I have with Tisha B’Av is saying the Kinos. Although well intended by its authors to properly mourn what happened this day and other tragedies in Jewish history it has become impossibly difficult to understand the words. Yet we spend hours on that day reciting them.

I have discussed this with various Avreichim I know and they privately confided that they have this feeling too. One of them actually said to me a while ago words to the effect of ‘I can’t believe this is what the Eibishter (God) really wants the Jewish people to do on this day.’

I really appreciated his honesty.

This brings me to a new publication by the OU Press: the Koren Mesorat HaRav Kinot. It is a new translation of the Kinos by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb, Executive Director Emeritus of the OU. It is described in a press release as focusing less on the literal translation and more on the expression of feeling of the Kinos.

This beautifully designed volume includes the Teffilos of the day as originally translated by Lord Jonathan Sacks and most importantly includes the many Drashos and insights of Rav Soloveitchik.

According to the press release Rav Soloveitchik spent the better part of the day on Tisha B’Av explaining the Kinos to his students. This book represents the results of culling all the taped lectures he gave between 1970 and 1984 – in which he he interspersed his insights between many of the Kinos as they were recited. It also contains a section on the lectures he gave on the Halachic and Hashkafic aspects of the 3 weeks, the 9 days and Tisha B’Av itself.

There are also forwards written by editor Simon Posner, publisher Mathew Miller, Rabbi Menachem Genack – and by Rabbi Haskell Lookstein, to whom this volume is dedicated.

Rabbi Lookstein gives a marvelous introduction to Rav Soloveitchik’s approach to Tisha B’Av in his forward which bears repeating here.

He had visited Israel in 1967 a couple of months after the victory of the six day war. He arrived very close to Tisha B’Av. And yet he noticed the spirit of near euphoria permeating the public at that time. The miracle of victory against all odds was fresh on everyone’s mind. And it was almost impossible to get into the spirit of the day. Though it was understandable - he was nonetheless disturbed by the euphoria in the air whichwas hardly dampened on the day of Tisha B’Av itself.

Ten months later Rav Soloveitchik gave a Shiur that spoke to his feelings on that day. The Rav asked the question that is on the minds of many people when it comes to Tisha B’Av: How can we mourn for events that took place two millennia before? These historic events are long gone from memory. How can we sit Shiva for events that happened 20 centuries ago?

The Rav proceeded to explain why in our day – even in the aftermath and euphoria of the six day war we should be conscious of the loss we suffered back then.

First he compared it to Pesach. The Haggadist tells us: BeChol Dor Chayev Adam Liros Es Atzmo K’elu Hu Yatza MiMitzrayim. ! Just like we are required to see ourselves as actually leaving Egypt on Pesach – So too are we required to see ourselves as experiencing the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash and Jerusalem right now! The Rav quotes the Jerusalem Talmud that uses a phrase about Tisha B’Av that parallels that of the Haggadist: Kol Dor SheLo NIvneh Beis Haikdash B’Yamav K’Elu Necherav B’Yamav – Any generation that does not rebuild the Temple in their day it is as though it were destroyed in their generation.

The Rav also asks the question about whether Tisha B’Av was observed between the period between the two Temples. After much discussion he concluded that it was. But then he asked how was it then possible to mourn the first Temple in the presence of the 2nd Temple in all its glory? It would have been absurd to go through the daily Temple service on that day and yet mourn its destruction? He answered that they observed it not in morning but in prayer that it should never happen again. The spirit of the First Temple destruction was in the air. As it applied to the time of the six day war, our attitude should also reflect the prayer that it should not happen to us a third time.

The Rav also offered another perspective on the mandatory observance and meaning of Tisha B’Av in our day. He pointed out that over the centuries Tiisha B’Av has been the day devoted to mourning all tragedies that befell the Jewish people. Our historic existence has been punctuated with many periods of despair and tragedy - one long experience of Eicha. Why have we suffered so much? When Moshiach comes the question mark of that day will be turned into a period. As long as Eicha has a question mark after it – we must observe Tisha B’Av.

I have not gone through all the Shiurim and commentary of the Rav in this new edition of Kinos. I plan to do so tomorrow. But if this forward is an example of what is contained therein - I will have a far better appreciation of what Tisha B’Av is all about.

An easy and meaningful fast to all.

Power in the Hands of the Few – a Prescription for Disaster

Defining who is considered a Jew is an issue that goes to the very heart of Judaism. It has gripped our national consciousness and touches the very soul of every single Jew.

So… Who exactly is a Jew? Anyone born f a Jewish mother is a full fledged Jew. And anyone converted according to Halacha is considered a full fledged Jew. That sounds like a pretty simple definition. So what’s all the angst about? The answer of course for those who have been paying attention for the past few years is determining exactly what the Halacha about conversion is.

The controversy erupted when the Israeli government in an attempt to maintain Israel as a Jewish State mandated a conversion authority specifically created to deal with the many Russian immigrants whose Judaism was in question. Many of those immigrants were products of mixed marriages where the mother was not Jewish or not properly converted.

The number was so great that it was feared that their numbers would soon overwhelm the very Jewish character of the State. And since these ‘questionable’ Jews considered themselves Jewish, were serving in the army, and in every other way integrated into Israeli society a quick Halachic Conversion using the minimum Halachic standards was created and led by a revered Religious Zionist Rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Druckman. He proceeded to convert hundreds if not thousands of such converts.

The problem was that many of them were not observant of Halacha and accused of never intending to do so – a requirement of conversion according to most opinions. Charedi members of the Israeli rabbinate proceeded to invalidate wholesale all conversions done by Rabbi Druckman’s conversion authority – including any conversion ever done by him. That event resulted in a push by Charedim to establish a uniform standard for conversion not only for Israel but for the entire world.

The idea for setting a uniform standard is a good one. I am in favor of that. What I am not in favor of is what is currently happening in Israel. From the New York Times:

On Monday, a Knesset committee approved a bill sponsored by David Rotem, a member of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, that would give the Orthodox rabbinate control of all conversions in Israel. If passed, this legislation would place authority over all Jewish births, marriages and deaths — and, through them, the fundamental questions of Jewish identity — in the hands of a small group of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, rabbis.

I understand their argument and even agree with it. They are afraid of the Jewish people becoming unidentifiable as Jews. Jews converted illegitimately will become so integrated into society that it will be impossible to know who is a Jew and who isn’t without a genealogical investigation. Getting married will become a formidable task of unprecedented proportion - requiring a genealogical investigation in many if not most cases. It is forbidden for a Jew to marry a non Jew even if he or she was raised in the most Orthodox of Jewish traditions.

The legitimate goal of standardizing conversions is not best achieved through the current legislation in my view. Even the best of intentions can pave the way to unintended and unacceptable consequences. Although their fears are well founded I have to question their heavy handed tactics. I question whether the very standards they use will be fair. To put the fate of all conversions in Israel in the hands of a few Charedi Rabbis invites an abuse of power that enables them to effectively politicize Judaism itself.

By allowing only their own standards to prevail they will be able to invalidate conversions that were long ago accepted as valid by simply rejecting all converts of a past Beis Din they don't like. If for example they decided that a Beis din was guilty of a few conversions that they deem unacceptable that may very well invalidate all their other converts no matter how sincere those converts were during the conversion process or how religious they are now!

This can go back many generations where families were created and there are now hundreds if not thousands of offspring that will now question their own Judaism. Even worse is that bill effectively changes the attitude from one that assumes a a convert’s legitimacy as a Jew - to one of questionable status. Again -The New York Times (quoting from Ynet):

“Even if you didn’t go to register for marriage, and even if you didn’t go to a rabbinic court for any reason, and even if you didn’t pass by a rabbinic court when you walked down the street — the rabbinic court can summon you, conduct a hearing about your Jewishness and revoke it,” she wrote. “In effect, the entire nation of Israel is presumed to be Not-Jewish — until proven otherwise.”

I therefore am opposed to this new bill. It is an example of good intentions going all wrong. There is no way that all conversions should be in the hands of a few Charedi rabbis. Even though they have already approved and accept converts from non Charedi rabbinic courts – it is only upon acceptance of their Charedi standards. The baggage and level of control given to Chardi rabbis that this bill entails far surpasses even the most stringent requirements of Halacha. Witness Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein’s invalidating a court - and thereby all their converts - if one of its Dayanim believes the universe is older than 5770 years old!

That said I want to clearly state once again my view that all conversions need to be Halachic. As an Orthodox Jew – I believe that only Orthodox conversions should be valid. But I side with the non Orthodox movements in opposing this bill. The pall this bill casts on all Jewish converts and their families far surpasses the gain they think they are achieving in retaining Kedushas Yisroel.

In this period where one should not be fostering baseless hatred this bill is doing exactly that! And worse it violates the clear Torah prohibition against ‘torturing’ the legitimate convert by presuming ‘guilt’ rather than ‘innocence’. No convert will feel safe. They will always second guess their status. What if…?

Like I said – I do think there ought to universal standards of conversion set up. But they should not be determined by a few Charedi Rabbis whose agenda may stretch beyond this issue with an eye to destroy all other Hashkafos by using their conversion powers to do so.

If any legislation is to be enacted – and I wonder if it really does need to be at this point – then I would like to see the broadest based legislation which considers the views of all segments of Orthodoxy. More importantly it ought to include peace of mind for all current converts restoring their Chezkas Kashrus – considering them all legitimate Jews. At most - examining them should only occur if and when their conversions are seriously challenged by cold hard facts.

That would make sense. But then again we are talking about a group of zealous Jews who purport to represent various Rabbinic Charedi leaders and whose ideas about what makes sense – often don’t.

Bashing Charedim

I have often been accused of focusing on the negative aspects of Charedim in the vast marotiy of my writing. I’m afraid I have to plead guilty to that. Many would call that bashing Charedim. To that I plead not guilty.

One might ask how I can reconcile the two. The answer is that by definition one must hate Charedim in order for it to be considered bashing. That usually entails an attitude of venom that permeates the essay and goes beyond the area of critique. And it would also include broad brushstrokes – tarring and feathering all of them for the actions of a few.

I do not so that. I do criticize – sometimes very harshly. But if I were a Charedi I would be doing the same thing. That I look within the overall Hashkafos to try and find explanations for this negative behavior in one or more of their members is only an honest attempt to find the truth and thereby seek a solution. My goal is never to separate but to unite.

But I fully admit that no matter how much I try to be honest and fair – my emotions sometimes get the better of me. I hope that it doesn’t happen too often.

I received a correspondence from a Charedi attorney by the name of Baruch Cohen. He is a very fair minded individual who was raised in a modern Orthodox background. I have spoken with him on several occasions and find that his views on issues that I write about are not all that different than my own. But he takes great exception to the tone of some of the other blogs that are critical of Charedim which he feels go overboard. His thoughts are worth considering and reflecting upon by all of us – including me.

He begins by quoting a recent post by a fellow blogger that said the following about Charedim:

"Some charedim are creating a new religion. A religion that embraces the criminal of the week, that hates working for a living and that condemns anyone who tries to help people make a parnasa. They see schnorring as the optimal way to make a living, they believe in cover ups and lies in order to protect rabbis and riots and violence have now become part of the mainstream. The Avos would not recognize the chareidi religion. Hashem Yerachem."

Mr. Cohen responds:

There are so many things wrong with these kind of statements that it's hard to figure out where to begin. My religion, like yours, does not embrace criminals, does not condemn us professionals who work for a living, does not extol the life of the schnorer, does not cover-up and does not lie to protect anyone, and does not support riots and violence.

He is right. It is unfair to say that Charedim are like this – even if it is qualified by the word ‘some’. I t is obvious from the context that he meant ‘most’. I do not believe that at all. Most Charedim are as Mr. Cohen describes.

Although I often agree with my fellow blogger - his critiques sometimes go too far and cross the line between honest criticism and actual bashing. I say this without any malice in my heart toward him. I accept this critique for myself as well. We should all strive to have a more civil and respectful l tone in our critiques.

Here are some more of Baruch Cohen’s observations - followed by my responses:

Anonymity: One of the checks and balances of good writing, is accountability. An anonymous writer such as yourself has no such checks and balances and can say whatever you want without any fear of reprisal. As a result, you're not bound by fact and evidence, and can take whatever liberties you want. I choose not to consider the viewpoints of people who hide behind the curtain of anonymity, pandering to an anti-Orthodox animus. I would respect your views a lot more if you stopped hiding and made your name known.

I agree. But I also allow for the fact that in certain cases anonymity may be for other legitimate reasons not having to do with a desire to ‘hit and hide’. Nonetheless – it does offer the writer the ‘freedom’ to be as disgusting as he wants with personal impunity.

Second Class Citizen Mentality: You write with a major chip on your shoulder that the MO community is somehow less of a Kehilah than the Yeshivish /Chareidi community, and as a result of such an inferiority complex, you lash out and engage in slanderous generalizations such as the above quote.

I have to part company with Mr. Cohen here. I do not think that serious MO Jews feel inferior to Charedim. The reason many of us are upset and lash out is because we feel a sense of rejection from our Charedi brothers. They consider us to be second class citizens. A little more kindness and acceptance from them would go a long way toward inducing a more civil tone of discourse among us.

Arrogance: You propagate the myth that the MO community is the vanguard of Halacha while the Chareidi/Yeshivish community are the sinners and charlatans as reflected in the above quote. In Viduy we say: "... for we are not so brazen and obstinate as to say before You 'Tzaddikim Anachnu Velo Chatanu' - that we are righteous and have not sinned - rather, we and our forefathers have sinned." Last time I checked, this Tefilah is said universally by all of Klal Yisroel, including the MO kehilah.

It is true that we all do our share of Aveiros – although not necessarily the same ones. I for one do not see Modern (Centrist) Orhtodoxy as ‘the vanguard of Halacha’. Although I am a strong proponent of my Hashkafos and believe them to be the best way to serve God – I fully admit that there are other legitimate Hashkafos who feel the same way about their Hashkafos as I do about mine. Neither is necessarily superior in the eyes of God. It is a matter of Elu v’Elu. We are both L’Shem Shomayim

Condescention: A condescending tone about the Yeshivish community is just an attempt to discredit Charedim as if to say that the MO level of Orthodoxy is the ultimate expression of Yahadus and any religious expression that exceeds or goes beyond the MO level is extremist, phony and fanatical - and should be disregarded. We should all be growing in Yiddishkeit in whatever way we can, and never grow complacent with where we are.

Condescension is never a good idea. And he’s right about growth. But condescention goes both ways.

There are definitely distinctions to be made between real growth and fanaticsm. The question is where to draw the line. Our individual Hashkafic perspectives may draw the lines differently. But there ought to be mutual respect between us. The bottom line is that we could all do better. Whether Bein Adam L’Makom or Bein Adam L’Chavero.

Hypocrisy: The MO community has its shares of criminal convictions for criminal behavior and scandals and it is not immune from Gezel or other wrongdoings. When an NCSY official was convicted of sex crimes, you didn't see the Yeshivish community sensationalizing off the tragedy demanding and preaching reforms. Yet, when a Charedi gets caught doing the exact same thing doing, it becomes the rallying cry by the MO blogger and it fuels your anti-Yeshivish animus.

Wrong-doing by anyone of any Hashkafa needs to be called out. That the Charedi community was silent about it was wrong. They should have been just as critical of it as the MO community was. Heads rolled after that affair. And new precautions were put in place to prevent that from ever happening again.

To the extent that many of us focus only on Charedi sex offenders we too are wrong. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call out Charedi wrongdoing just because we are MO. Sex crimes are sex crimes. It doesn’t matter to the victim what the Hashkafa of his or her attacker is. Any time it happens we should all call it out no matter what our personal Hashkafos are.

Toeles: Please show me where in the Sefer Shmiras Halashon is there a Heter to criticize Yiddin and Rabbonim in public (by name) in a blog?

I get this all the time here. I have responded to it in the past and do not wish to belabor the point again. Suffice it to say that there is a Toeles to make a Mach’ah against public Chilul HaShem. And if the individual’s name has been widely publiczed, there is no additional information being given by mentioning it. By mentioning the name it gives the Macha’ah more force. And that may get other people to reflect on their own behavior and thus prevent future Chilul HaShem.

I appreciate R’ Baruch’s thoughts here. I have not included all of them because of my general distaste for lengthy posts. I chose the ones that I believe are most significant as a means for all of us to reflect upon in an effort to improve the relationships between Jews of different Hashkafos - and ultimately to make us all better Jews.

Baruch Cohen's new blog: http://attorneysdefendingisrael.blogspot.com/

Two Views on Charedi Education

There are a couple of articles published in Ynet that are separated by a couple of days. But they are separated by light years in both philosophy and the perception of reality.

The primary issue in the first article is state funding of religious elementary and high schools in Israel. Should they make funding contingent on whether they teach mandated basic subjects like math, science, and English? My position on that is clear.

I have consistently said that they should. And according to the article that is in fact an existing pre-condition for funding. The level of funding is directly related to the percentage of those subjects being taught. An 80% curriculum should receive 80% of the total allocation.

But what seems to be happening is some sort of scam. According to a Ynet investigative report those standards are not being enforced:

It appears that many of the schools have continued to receive full funding while neglecting to teach the required hours of basic subjects, and according to the ministry's calculations at least $38 million have been distributed unlawfully to the religious education networks.

However Yedioth Ahronoth's report was dubious regarding this sum as well, saying that reporters investigating the various schools discovered that in many instances the inspectors changed the data they reported on to benefit the schools.

This, the report says, is unsurprising, considering the inspectors are themselves members or affiliates of the parties to which the schools belong.

If any of this is true – it once again shows that Charedim seem to believe that fraud may be employed when it comes to funding the religious institutions. That was need a constant refrain I heard from defenders of the Spinka Rebbe for his fraud: He did it for his schools - no excuse of course but understandable and forgivable.

The government is no less culpable here if they know this is going on and still fund their schools:

Altogether, the (education) ministry knows of 51 schools consistently violating the education law, yet they continue to receive full funding from the State.

But they do no one any favors by doing so. Keeping their students ignorant of basic skills is a major contributor to Charedi poverty in my view and the view of many. With a 65% Charedi unemployment rate - as the percentage of their population continues to increase the entire economy of the Jewish State will suffer.

While I am normally not inclined to agree with comments made by Reform rabbis - I have to agree with this one from Uri Regev:

"It's time we understood that after the security threat Israel faces, the refusal of the haredi population to implement basic subjects in schools and its absence from the job market is the greatest threat. It is a dooming process, or so say senior economists, including President of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer, who recognize the unemployment problem in the haredi sector as one of the market's major ailments"

This is not a religious issue. It is an existential one that Charedi leaders seem to completely discount. Their surrogates in government do everything they can to perpetuate it including scamming the government. It doesn’t matter that the government themselves know and fund them anyway. The whole thing is a scam with willing participants on both sides.

A rebuttal of sorts (not dealing with the fraud issue) was made in a separate op-ed by Menachem Gsheid in a later edition of Ynet. Here is what he claims:

Most students in the independent and religious education system – roughly 100,000 students – study the entire core curriculum. Tens of thousands of other students study 75% of the core curriculum.

I do not find that statement to be very credible considering that Rav Shach famously attempted to put one Charedi high school into Cherem precisely because it taught secular subjects. His view was very clear. Yeshiva learning may not be contaminated with any other form of learning other than Torah learning. If what Mr. Gsheid says is true then how does he square this with Rav Shach? He was the nearly universally acknowledged Charedi Gadol HaDor. Did these schools ignore him in such huge percentages and implement English, math, and science into the curriculum? I doubt that.

He then does an about face denying the need for any secular studies at all implying that Charedi schools don't teach any secular subjects: ‘none of these people needed seven years of schooling’. This contradicts what he just said about the high percentage of Charedim that study the core curriculum. Which is it, Mr. Gsheid?

This is followed by something quite disingenuous. He points to thousands of Charedim who earned advanced degrees and a Charedi conference he hosted that was comprised of executives, business people, and public opinion leaders. There were 2,000 people in attendance. He said the following:

All the dignified speakers who chose to tour the exhibit spread across several halls encountered a culture shock. For a moment they rubbed their eyes with astonishment. …At one stand after another they saw haredi businesspeople who employ many other haredim.

He cites the fact that all these successful people were trained in various programs outside of their Yeshivos (probably after they got up from learning full time). And then he asserts this as proof that one does not need to study the basics to do well in the workplace. Why? Because – he says - there is nothing like studying the Talmud, which is based on answers and questions, for sharpening one’s mind.

As I have said many times. Post Yeshiva specialized training programs may be a solution for the few. The very bright can even catch up to their secular counterparts and get advanced degrees. But it is not a solution for the many. Studying Gemarah does sharpen the mind – but it does not teach the skills necessary for the work place. If it did there wouldn’t be so many Charedim who are unemployed. 65% encompasses a large number of Charedi Jews. I think he probably knows that.

And yet he insists that all of this proves the viability of the current Charedi paradigm of rejecting all secular subjects from the curriculum. He concludes with a harangue about how ‘racist’ seculars are against Charedim. Maybe so. But before he rests on his laurels he should talk a bit more with some of the 65% of Charedim who are unemployed - and their wives. He might just get a different perspective.

We Really Mean it This Time!

The well publicized incident in Israel last week where two motorcyclists were injured when they slammed into obstacles placed in a major super highway near Jerusalem by protesters has finally resulted in a reaction from the Edah HaCharedis. They are the rabidly anti Israel rabbinic body that is responsible for most of the anti government protests there. The most recent protest was against government desecration of grave sites in construction areas.

Until recently their admonitions to not act violently during these protests have pretty much fallen on deaf ears. So they have now ramped up their opposition to such violence. They have come out with a Kol Korei - a posted message intended to be read by all. From Yeshiva World News:

The Kol Koreh which is signed by Gaavad Hagon Rav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss Shlita and the rest of the Eida leadership, was released this morning.

The first warning is that it is now forbidden for any children or Bochrim to participate in any Hafganos (against Chillul Shabbos & Chillul Kevarim).

The Kol Koreh also warns against any acts of violence, such as stone throwing – because it can cause serious injury, and warns against making fires – since it can cause various types of damage.

The Kol Koreh ends off with a stern warning that everyone must abide by these new rules.

This is the first Kol Koreh which specifically mentions stone throwing and making fires to ever be released by the Eidah Charedis, and they are hopeful that this will stop the violence witnessed by Hafganos.

(wink wink)

OK - maybe I’m being too cynical here. I realize that the leaders of the Edah are not really in favor of violence. But I have to ask why they think this warning is going to be any different than previous warnings. True - this is the strongest warning they have come out with to date. But frankly they have been crying wolf too long. It’s almost as if they were saying, ‘This time if you’re violent - we’re really going to be mad!’

You’ll note that there is no teeth in this Kol Korei. It is just a stern admonition. They say nothing about consequences to those who get carried away and throw a couple of rocks at the police or at innocent by-standers.

I will only begin to take them seriously if they build in some consequences into such warnings. If they had said that violent protesters of any kind will be turned over to the police – I would believe them. But they don’t even remotely hint at that. They are just saying, ‘Come on guys – we really mean it this time!’

If they had decided to cancel all future protests that too would have been convincing. But they in fact refused to do so – leaving open the possibility of future violence. What does a protester lose if he throws some rocks? If he is arrested by the police, will the Edah come to his rescue? There-in lies my problem.

I have been informed by an Israeli contact that the Hebrew edition of Mishpacha Magazine reports that some of the more responsible supporters of the Edah actually approached them to call a halt to all future protests. They refused. This Kol Korei is a compromise.

From this it seems that had they not been approached at all – they may not have said anything. They are more interested in carrying out anti Government protests than they are in preventing violence. Unlike other more responsible Charedi rabbinic leadership that shuns such protests – the Edah consider it a valuable tactic that is worth the risk of violence.

Last time the Edah said something like this it was followed by a relatively peaceful protest. I’m sure the same thing will happen next time. But just like it didn’t take long for later protests to become some of the most violent to date – I expect the same thing to happen again – perhaps even surpassing the violence of the last one.

So maybe they are serious about stopping the violence. I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this wasn’t just a ‘wink wink’ phony baloney Kol Korei designed to give the Edah deniability if violence occurs. But it sure feels like it.