There is a disturbing video at Matzav that deserves attention. It is a video of Rabbi Joshua Maroof participating as a speaker at the ‘ordination’ ceremony of Rabba Sara Hurwitz. What is disturbing is not Rabbi Maroof’s participation. He explained that to what should be everyone’s satisfaction.
It is the end of the video is so disgusting. It asks some very pointed questions about Rabbi Maroof’s views and the RCA’s acceptance of his membership with ‘dark and insidious’ music playing in the background.
Matzav went the extra mile here to embarrass not only Rabbi Maroof, but also RCA president Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, and the RCA itself.
Why they are doing this is beyond me. Who do they think they are speaking for? Certainly not members of the Agudah Moetzes. They don’t need anyone to speak for them. They are quite capable of speaking for themselves. They do not fail to respond immediately to any event in Klal Yisroel that they see as problematic.
They did not waste a minute ‘kicking’ Rabbi Avi Weiss out of Orthodoxy for ordaining a woman. Nor did they waste a minute praising the RCA for threatening to do the same with respect to his membership in the RCA if he didn’t promise to never do it again.
But for Matzav, that is not good enough. The feel the need to bury not only Rabbi Maroof, but Rabbi Kletenik and the entire RCA if at all possible.
I know Rabbi Kletenik. He is from Chicago. His brother is the 7th grade Rebbe and the English principal of Yeshiva Tifferes Tzvi one of the prime Charedi day schools here. They are both as honorable and as Ehrlich as they come. Both are Musmachim of Rav Ahron Soloveichik and loyal adherents of his Hashkafos.
I do not know Rabbi Maroof. But I have come to know his character via a couple of personal correspondences and in reading some of his writings. It is impeccable. His views on women’s religious studies mirror my own. As they do Rav Soloveitchk’s. He says that he is opposed to ordaining women. I believe him and so should Matzav. But they are going out of their way to try and show otherwise.
What exactly is Matzav trying to accomplish here? Who do they represent? In my view they represent no one here but themselves. There is no purpose to this except to smear Ehrliche people. If there is any other purpose to it, I’d like to know what it is.
