Emes Ve-Emunah

Kudos to a Charedi Rosh Yeshiva

2012-02-01T12:00:00.004-06:00

What a courageous thing to do. My hat is off to him. I don’t say this often enough about Charedi rabbinic leaders. Especially in Israel. But VIN has reported that one of the Charedi world’s foremost Rabbanim, Ponevitch Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Gershon Edelstein has actually agreed with things I have said on this blog about current events and the wrong attitudes on the part of some people towards secular Jews.

His words are my sentiments exactly. I don’t usually do this, but rather than excerpt what he said, I am going to publish the VIN piece in its entirety. This is the right approach to what is going on in the world of the extremists and their supporters.

Jerusalem - Following criticism of his statements last week praising even irreligious Israeli soldiers, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovitch spoke on Monday to a group of students affiliated with the Eida Chareidis in order to further clarify his words and said that those who engage in extremist behavior are making a mockery of the leading Rabbonim of our generation.

R’ Gershon Edelstein was approached by the group of students who wished to better understand his statement that even those Israeli soldiers who are not religiously observant have earned their share in the world to come by virtue of the fact that they are willing to give their lives for the sake of others.

According to reports in Israeli news source Kikar Hashabat, R’ Edelstein told the students that while there were those who felt that his words last week contradicted the Gemara, the Rambam and others, his statements were not his own thoughts but those of Gedolei Yisroel. Quoting R’ Yechezkel Levenstein zt’l and the Chazon Ish zt’l, R’ Edelstein said it is forbidden to hate the chilonim and while we must hate any sins, we must have pity on the chilonim who fall under the halachic classification of “tinokos shenishbu” and are therefore not responsible for their sins.

R’ Edelstein took to task those extremists who continue to incite animosity against the chilonim.

“There are those who go out of their way to foster hatred for irreligious Jews and ultimately all they accomplish is to make a mockery out of our great Rabbonim,” said R’ Edelstein. “There were those who lampooned the Steipler and the Chazon Ish when they instructed their followers to go out and vote in the elections, but it is clear to all that their motives were only to belittle our gedolim, not for the benefit of klal yisroel.”

R’ Edelstein concluded by making it clear that he welcomed the opportunity to further clarify his statements for anyone who had any additional questions.

Chinuch Done Right

2012-02-01T10:26:00.003-06:00

This is the time of year where parents of graduating students consider where their children will go next. When it comes to high school, there is one school that all parents should look at no matter what their Hashkafa is. And that is the Fasman Yeshiva High School of the Hebrew Theological college. There are many great things going on there. But there is one primary reason for considering this school that supersedes all others. His name is Rabbi Avraham Freidman, the Rosh HaYeshiva.

There are many Mechnchim who are spiritual giants. They are people of great learning and humility. They are not just giants in Torah, they are giants in Midos. And they are exemplars of what Chinuch is all about. Chinuch is not only about pumping a student’s mind full of knowledge. It is about character development. And it is mostly about caring for each and every student as though they were their own children.

One such individual is Rabbi Freidman. He has spent his entire adult life teaching students Torah and indeed - treating them as though they were his own children. He has never abandoned a single student no matter what kind of problems they had. Even those that were expelled.

Rabbi Friedman had good role models in his own Rebbeim. Gedolim like Rav Aharon Soloveichik, and the Roshei Yeshiva in the Mir of his era - people like Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, Rav Beinsh and Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel. And many other Gedolim of that era who populated the halls of Mir. My hat is off to Rabbi Friedman. He is a contemporary of mine. We were in the same high school Shiur. But he has grown miles high in stature in my eyes and the eyes of his many students over the course of his illustrious career in Chinuch. And I honor him.

It is because of him that I recommend the HTC high school experience to students of all Hashkafic persuasions. It doesn’t matter if you are Modern Orthodox or Charedi. Parents will not be disappointed with the result if Rabbi Friedman has anything to do with them. And as a ‘hands on’ Rosh HaYeshiva, I can almost guarantee that he will have a lot to do with them.

An Iconic Abuser

2012-01-31T13:00:00.004-06:00

When I was in elementary school back in the late fifties. I had a Rebbe that used corporal punishment. He used to actually slap boys on the back of their hands. It stung. And it turned our hands red. But he was a beloved figure. Every slap on the hand was given with great love and care and we knew it. His every action towards his students spoke of his love towards them. Eventually he stopped using corporal punishment because it was made illegal. His career in Chinuch lasted many decades. He has just recently retired. But he has left behind a legacy of literally thousands of students – including me - who remember him with great fondness and love.

Corporal punishment was a more or less accepted method of discipline back then. But as I said it has become illegal. And for good reason. It was abusive in most cases. Some children suffered severe injuries when teachers who were not as kind and as caring as that elementary school Rebbe I had would paddle a child on his bare rear end until it would bleed! There were various and sundry other methods of physical beatings that took place under the guise of discipline. Now all forms of corporal punishment have been outlawed. Good riddance.

Which brings me to an article in the Jewish Week about Rav Aharon Bina, a popular Rosh Yeshiva of Netiv Aryeh (prior to which he ran the program for the foreign students inf Yeshivat HaKotel). This 63 year old Mechanech has been around for a long time too. Over 3 decades according to the article. But his story seems to be a bit different than mine. Apparently he still uses corporal punishment. But in his case it is on students that come to him post high school for their ‘year in Israel’. Perhaps even worse than the physical pain of corporal punishment is the psychological punishment he uses on some of his students. From the article:

A significant minority of former students, employees and colleagues maintain that Rav Bina is controlling, manipulative and emotionally coercive in ways that would never be accepted in other schools. In what has become known throughout Israeli yeshivot as “Bina Stories,” he is said to regularly yell at, humiliate and insult students in public; threaten to expel them for seemingly no reason (and make good on that promise with a few every fall, sometimes without first notifying the parents); press psychologists he hires to share private information about the students he has sent them; and tell those in disfavor that they are cursed.

With this kind of behavior going on in a school by its leader it doesn’t matter how many people praise him. And I’m sure that there are many. When a Mechanech abuses even one child, all his ‘good deeds’ become worthless in my mind. People can go and do Off the Derech (OTD) with this kind of treatment.

I know the type. This is the kind of individual who pegs you. If he thinks your trouble – you are out with a capital ‘T’. You will be cast to the dogs. Going OTD means little to this man because in his myopic mind he already thinks the student he expels is already there. He is therefore not going to put up with him and will expel him immediately – so that he can influence and indoctrinate the remaining ‘good boys’ without the danger of these ‘abominable outcasts’ negatively influencing them.

Public humiliation is not a legitimate disciplinary method. It in fact has the opposite effect causing even more rebellion and even hatred of not only the Mechnech – but of what he represents and is trying to teach.

There are those who will say that the Jewish Week article is nothing more than a smear campaign by some disgruntled students of a wonderful and successful Mechanech – a man who was a positive influence in a great many students.

Hearing good things about him - I actually thought that might be the case and did not want to comment on the story – giving him the benefit of the doubt. Until I spoke to a former HaKotel student - someone I have known for a long time – dating back to his early childhood. He is now a very successful and accomplished professional in a very difficult field. He is as honest as the day is long. He is a kind and caring person who would not hurt a fly and would certainly never say a bad word about anyone if it wasn’t true. He corroborated the Jewish Week story. And he told me that R’ Bina is the only reason he will never donate a penny to any Yeshiva he was ever associated with - past or present. That inspired me to write this post.

Every student should be treated with dignity and respect even if he breaks the rules. No student deserves to be publicly humiliated. The way this article describes Rav Bina’s behavior I should think he has a lot of introspection to do about just how many young men he turned off of Yiddshkeit. That he possibly inspired may others is no saving grace in my view.

I say this with a heavy heart. I don’t like hurting people who have devoted their entire lives to Chinuch. But if - as I suspect - what this article says about Rav Bina is true he ought to be fired. And if he is not under the control of a board of directors, then his yeshiva ought to be boycotted. If I were a parent contemplating sending my son to a yeshiva in Israel, I would certainly cross Netiv Aryeh off my list.

Sifrei Torah - How Many Do We Need?

2012-01-31T10:14:00.004-06:00

The financial crisis facing Orthodoxy today is the greatest it’s ever been in my lifetime. Almost any parent who has children in a religious day school, high school, post high school Yeshiva or seminary can tell you just how difficult it is to pay their bills these days. Very few parents pay full tuition. Most parents are being squeezed to the max for funds to pay the teachers, who are nonetheless underpaid in many cases.

Many schools are underfunded and operate on annual deficits – and are constantly borrowing on a line of credit from a bank. This was true even before the current recession where a good number of parents have lost their jobs, or have had to take pay-cuts, or even have stayed even while expenses including tuition has gone up.

This is not really news. I have discussed this problem many times in the past. But there is one thing that I have just seen at Aish.com that reminds me of a pet peeve I have had of late. And that is the current ‘craze’ of writing Sifrei Torah. Aish.com has a fundraising drive involving the writing of yet another Sefer Torah.

There is a Mitzvah for every Jew to write a Sefer Torah. Most of us cannot afford the $50,000 or so that it costs to pay a Sofer (scribe) to write one. That is usually reserved for the wealthy philanthropists among us. The way in which the rest of us participate is by being given the honor of writing a letter at the end of it during its completion in great ceremony. Sometimes this is used as a fundraiser where people can buy a letter.

All well and good. Except that I am beginning to question whether we have not gone over-board on this Mitzvah to the detriment of the community. I think we may have.

Are there not enough Sifrei Torah in the world yet? It seems that every Shul I attend - even the small ones - there are many Sifrei Torah in their Aronei Kodesh. And almost every Shul has at least one new one. Some have more than one new one. How many do we need? Those who commission the writing of one will store it in a Shul upon its completion. With such a ‘glut’ of Sifrei Torah is there not a better use for that money for those who can afford to spend $50,000 on it?

It seems like every Monday and Thursday some Shul is having yet another Hachnasas Sefer Torah to great pomp and circumstance. That usually happens when a new Sefer Torah is completed and it is being transported from the home of the owner to the Shul in which it will be kept. It is usually a fun event involving a parade and a band with lots of dancing and singing. The entire community is invited to participate. But is that worth the $50,000 dollars given to a Sofer that can be better used by a school?

In this time of financial need in the observant Jewish community spending money to add to the vast numbers of Sifrei Torah that already exist is a questionable enterprise in my view.

There seems to be such a skewed sense of priorties now-a-days about where philanthropic funds should be going. Whether it is the seeming unending flow of new Sifrei Torah being produced or the building of new Shuls whlie those that already exist with a wide variety of Hashkafos have plenty of room to accommodate everyone. It seems a little ridiculous for philanthropic dollars to be diverted from Rebbeim and teachers that are underpaid and parents that are struggling to pay their tuition.

There was a time when it was deemed a necessity to write new Sifrei Torah. Many of them were starting to deteriorate beyond the point of repair. So rabbis would suggest to their wealthier members that they perform the Mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah and hire a Sofer to be their Shaliach. It was a great idea and it worked. But I think we have long ago filled the community need.

Now it is true that in some cases writing a Sefer Torah is done as a fundraiser. Philanthropists are sought to underwrite the costs. Sponsorships are sold and individuals are asked to buy letters to raise revenue. One might say that writing Sifrei Torah can thus be justified. Especially if schools are the beneficiaries of the funds. Perhaps.

But I would argue that even there, it might be over-kill. How many Sifrei Torah does a community need? Is there no better way to raise philanthropic dollars? And for those who simply want to write it for themselves and not as a fundraiser – I would say take that money and instead give it directly to a day school, Yeshiva high school, girl’s high school, Yeshiva Gedolah or women’s seminary. They need the money now.

Parenting in the 21st Century

2012-01-30T21:02:00.005-06:00

I don’t usually post this kind of video on my blog. But I am making an exception because I believe this is a must view for every Orthodox Jewish parent no matter what their Hashkafa. In fact I will broaden that to include all Jewish parents. Even non Jewish parents can benefit from the wisdom here.

It is just short of 25 minutes long and I don’t think you can spend 25 minutes any better as a parent than by watching this video. Needless to say I fully agree with its content. It was sent to me by an anonymous but alert reader - for which I thank him (or her). It is produced by Yitz Brilliant.

Update

I have no idea why this video no longer exists and apologize to those who haven't seen it. It was in my view a valuable tool for parents in dealing with the digital age. I will leave up the post for those who wish to read the comments.

Throwing Money at Shadchanim

2012-01-30T12:05:00.008-06:00

I thought the NASI program was dead. Apparently not only isn’t it dead it has the support of many Charedi Rabbanim and Poskim as reported on Matzav.com.

I have written about NASI before. Breifly, NASI is a project created to help find suitable mates for older young women. How old is ‘older’? About 22 years of age. I kid you not.

This is what has happened in the Torah world today. If a girl reaches 22 years of age, she is seen as an old maid by Shadchanim – who apparently think that their male clients thinks so too. What is to be done about them? Well obviously the answer is to throw money at the problem. Lots of it. The idea behind the NASI Project is to incentivize Shadchanim to not give up on ‘older’ young women by paying them enough to make the extra effort worth their while.

The reason often given for these 22 year old ‘old maids’ is the dating gap. This means that women are ready to date at about age 18 while men usually don’t start dating until they are about 23. That makes the female pool of women pretty large – by about a 5 to 1 ratio!

Shadchanim will always look to the ‘Fresh crop’ coming out of seminary for their prospective male clients. The older a young woman gets - the less likely she will be looked at.

This was recently illustrated in an article in the Jewish Press by a young women who by Frum standards was ‘Oiver Batul’ (senile). She was about 30 years old. When she called a Shadchan recommended to her by a friend she was told something to the effect that: ‘You are 30 and not married yet?!’ ‘Obviously you are not a beauty queen and yet you are too choosy’. ‘I don’t think I can help you’. The Shadchan told her this without ever having met her or spoken to her. She made a snap judgment based simply on age.

Of course if her fee were to be quadrupled – so the argument made by NASI goes - the Shadchan will drop what she’s doing and find that ‘old maid’ a Shiddach!

This is what is happening in the Charedi world of dating. How sad it is that they have come to this. The problem isn’t only the age gap. There are numerous problems. Not the least of which is money to support full time learning. For example Shadchanim for the ‘better Bachurim’ demand huge gaurantees of future support from potential in-laws just to allow their daughters the privilege of dating that ‘Metzia’ (great find!). That of course does not reflect the price the Shadchan charges if the Shiddach is successful. It is a problem created by a system that increasingly separates the sexes to the greatest level they can.

Then there are the ridiculous questions asked by a Shadchan of the potential parents. Like the infamous ‘What color is your tablecloth on Shabbos’ question.

And then there is the thinness issue. No woman can be thin enough to a potential Yeshiva Bachur. Even a Charedi one. Size 2 or smaller. That’s it. Of course the guy can be 20 pounds over-weight but that doesn’t matter. He’s the one with the ‘dating list’! No such thing for a young woman! I recall one fellow back in the early 90s (who is now a Rosh Yeshiva in Israel) who said he would never date anyone who didn’t have a model’s figure.

There are so many impediment placed between potential dates it’s a wonder that anyone ever gets married!

In Charedi circles there is now a pool of virtually dateless young women who are desperate to get married but with no one to turn to for help. So how is the Charedi world helping them? By cleaning out their bank accounts (or those of their parents). The justification is that these women are so desperate that they would would certainly give every penny they own to get married! Thus they prey on the ‘older’ single woman. And of course NASI gets their cut as the ‘Shadchan for the Shadchan’.

Even if I conceded that this scenario might work to get older single women out of singlehood, it is at best a band aid. The Charedi world is treating the problem superficially and not attacking the disease. Instead of allowing natural interactions between the sexes at a younger age where relationships can develop over time and lead to marriage - they are doing the exact opposite by closing every possibility of interaction between them. Apparently they are afraid that Charedi young people will not behave and form relationships before they are ready for marriage. Which of course might lead to mixed dancing.

This is one area that the modern Orthodox world has more common sense. There is a legitimate concern about situations in which there is too much casual contact between the sexes. Nonetheless there is a much better chance that 2 young people of the same age will get married if they know each other sooner. I know many successful married couples who met in high school. In some cases they were Charedi and met ‘under the radar’.This does not mean that there ought to be co-ed high schools. I am opposed to that for reasons that are beyond the scope of this essay. But I am in favor of limited social contact among responsible young adults that can - and often does lead to marriage.

Not that Modern Orthodoxy doesn’t have its own share of problems. There is an entire and fairly large community of modern Orthodox men that have commitment phobia. And never get married. That can be just as frustrating to a single MO female as it is to her Charedi counterpart. And in MO circles where there is an entire culture of singles, the pressure for unmarried sex is probably pretty great. Which is why I have heard that some single women actually use a Mikva!

There is no foolproof dating system that will take care of all issues of both communities. But n my humble opinions - the answer lies somewhere in between the extremes of Modern Orthodoxy Charedism. I’m not suggesting any particular modus operandi.

But the way things are turning out in both worlds- it shows that the system is failing for far too many good people. There has to be a happy medium whereby young people do not rely exclusively on Shadchanim and yet are not put into positions of temptation by being over-exposed to the opposite sex at an age where they are not ready to get married.

As for NASI – well it’s a sad day when the only solution seems to be throwing huge sums of money at the problem.

Anti Charedi Media Bias - Paranoia or a Reality?

2012-01-29T11:31:00.008-06:00

In this week’s edition of Ami Magazine - editor Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter takes the ADL’s Abraham Foxman to task for not tackling the issue of anti Charedism in the media. As the director of the premier organization that combats anti- Semitism he feels that this an outrageous omission on Foxman’s part. Rabbi Frankfurter had written Mr. Foxman several e-mails challenging him as to why he and his organization seems to at best be indifferent to this problem. He awaits a response (other than a more or less formal ‘thank you for your concern’ type response).

I am neither a supporter nor a detractor of Abe Foxman. There have been times that I have whole heartedly agreed with him and other times that I thought he was almost paranoid in what he saw as anti-Semitic.

But I do not think this is a legitimate issue at all. It is certainly not one that Mr. Foxman should be criticized for. I for one do not see the kind of anti-Charedism in the media that Rabbi Frankfurter does. Certainly it does exist in some cases. Most recently in an article in Ha’aretz where among other things columnist Gideon Levy sees Jewish belief in the chosenness of the Jewish people as arrogant and destructive.

But more often than not what Rabbi Frankfurter sees as anti Charedi bias is nothing more than citing facts about the Charedi world – like Charedi poverty, the lack of secular education, the unwillingness to serve in the army, and the fact that Charedim in Israel by their very growth are increasingly taking larger pieces of the budget pie in the form of welfare. These things are real and not pejorative… things that many Orthodox Jews have noted and criticized too, including yours truly.

Rabbi Frankfurter is not alone in this feeling. It exists primarily in the Charedi world. (And lately in the extreme right of the religious Zionist world although they are not the subject of this essay.) Much of the criticism is based on a paranoid perception of reality. They see a world against them that does not really exist. A lot of this attitude is a carry-over from the battles of the past dating back to the 30s. a phenomenon eloquently described by Dov Krulwich in a Cross-Currents article. That era had some anti religious leaders that may have done things to undermine religion or to spite Charedim. Whatever the case then, this is not the case now.

What has generated the recent ‘anti Charedi’ attacks by the media stems from the fact that some of the most disgusting behavior comes out of their community. There is no point in denying that.

Rabbi Frankfurter and many like-minded people in the Charedi world go to great pains to separate themselves from the miscreants of Bet Shemesh and Meah Shearim – going so far as to say that they cannot be real Charedim because real Charedim would never do what they do. Some Like Yehuda Meshi Zahav have even compared these extremists to Palestinians who throw rocks at us. What difference - asks Meshi-Zahav - is there between the Jewish rock throwers in Meah Shearim and Palestinian rock throwers in the West Bank?!

But you can’t run away for the fact that these people are indeed Charedim. The “No true Scotsman’ argument does not work. There are Scotsman who do not eat haggis! You cannot define non haggis eating Scotsman out of being Scotsman.

Of course the vast majority of Charedim are disgusted by these people. Even members of their own Meah Shearim community do not support their means. But no one can deny that their motives are shared by their own more civilized members. Nor can anyone even question that even more moderate Charedim outside of Meah Shearim that condemn that behavior - still support their supposed objectives of Tznius. This was evident in the Agudah condemnation of those extremists.

The secular world does not necessarily understand the nuances between one type of Charedi and another. They see what looks like a duck - and they call it a duck. Those disgusting extremists look like any other Charedi. To many secular Jews all Orthodox Jews look like that or something close to it. And certainly think like that.

When the media is filled with images of Charedim spitting on women, or even roughing them up, or calling an 8 year old a whore, what does Rabbi Frankfurter think is going to be the reaction in the media? Furthermore condemnations that contain the word ‘but’ in them do not help matters. Nor does the constant paranoid refrain about how anti Charedi the secular media is.

Puff pieces on communities like Squaretown where the devout nature of their residents; their joy and elevated level of their observance of Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Makom does not detract from the underbelly of violence that is done in the name of God by some of its members. It is their distorted belief in what God wants of them that leads to this kind of behavior. A religious philosophy like that of the Satmar Rebbe that glorifies the haters of the State of Israel and vilifies its supporters can only fuel such activity.

The fact is that many religious Jews, myself among them have made the same observations and criticisms of the Charedi world as have secular media outlets that he criticizes have. But in my case and in the case of most of the secular pieces like that – we are not motivated by an anti Charedi bias. We just see the reality, we are disgusted and angered by it, and make our feelings known.

I do not believe for a moment that there is any intrinsic bias by the secular Israelis. At least not yet. Although if the kind of thing going on in Bet Shemesh isn’t stopped Rabbi Frankfurter’s accusations of innate bias may become a self fulfilling prophesy. The fact is that a recent survey (cited by Marty Bluke on his blog The Jewish Worker) shows that to be far from the case. The vast majority of Israelis actually believe in God, observe at least some of the Mitzvos, and are not anti religious even if they don’t observe any Mitzvos. According to this survey only 3% are anti religious!

The issues facing the Charedi community are real. Especially in Israel. The criticisms I mentioned earlier are legitimate. In fact many of those criticisms are corroborated by Charedi columnists like Jonathan Rosenblum who has written many articles about these problems – although even he seems to be somewhat paranoid from time to time.

If Rabbi Frankfurter really wants to stop what he perceives as an Anti Charedi bias he would do well to stop writing editorials like this one. And he would also do well to not try and counter negative stories with irrelevant puff pieces about a Chasidic city.

Instead he should urge the same thing I urge. And that is for the entire Charedi world to join in unequivocal condemnation of the extremism without any ‘buts’. He should not divert attention by calling media reports anti Charedi bias. He should be supporting Charedim like Rabbi Dov Lipman who has championed the cause of religious Zionists in Bet Shemesh even though he is not one of them. He should be urging all Charedi rabbinic leaders to join together with the religious Zionists in that neighborhood in protests when they are called.

And finally he should recognize that much of the problem is generated by an over-all anti secular bias based on obsolete attitudes still attributed to secular leaders. There is a reason for all that criticism and 97% of the time – it isn't anti Charedi hatred.

To Life, To Life - L’Chaim

2012-01-27T11:16:00.007-06:00

Suicide. That is what comes to mind when I read what the torment of being different does to some people. It is my understanding that the suicide rate among homosexuals is much higher than it is among the general population.

That point, among others, is made in a Jewish Press article by an openly homosexual Jew by the name of Chaim Levin (pictured). And I salute his courage in telling it like it is. In my view it explodes the myth that Orthodox homosexuals have an agenda to change or redefine Halacha perverting it to permit acts that are explicitly forbidden in the Torah.

I’m sure there are some who try and do exactly that. Some do actually celebrate the lifestyle as simply an alternative but legitimate one. But in the vast majority of cases, Orthodox homosexuals just want to be a part of the world in which they were raised. They do not seek radical change at all. They only want to be accepted for who they are... and not made to feel like the scum of the earth.

Much of what Mr. Levin wrote corroborates my own view which I have written about many times. I don’t see how any religious Jew can find fault with it.

His article was written in response to a video that he made (and featured on this blog) that spoke directly to young homosexuals telling them that ‘It gets better’. This is an obvious reference to the pain of rejection and hopelessness that many young homosexual Jews feel when they realize just how cruel people can be towards them. Which has in some cases has led to suicide.

That video was harshly criticized by some in the Orthodox world as having an agenda to normalize homosexual behavior and make it as socially and even Halachicly acceptable as heterosexual behavior. I did not see the video that way and as Mr. Levin points out, that was never his intent.

Another very valid point he makes – again one which I have made – is that reparative therapy is not the answer for everyone. And in some cases that too can lead to suicide. I can only guess at the depression this causes in those who when motivated to change their attraction, join a reparative therapy program and if they fail are told it is their own fault. Because they just aren’t willing to put enough effort to succeed at change.

Just to reiterate my own view, which I think Mr. Levin would agree with – Those who wish to try reparative therapy ought to do so. But at the same time they should not become despondent if they don’t succeed. One thing is certain. Any organization that does this kind of work ought to have trained mental health professionals doing it and be licensed by state government.

What Mr. Levin went through illustrates why. He too was motivated to change:

This organization had endorsements from a wide range of rabbanim and I was sure that it was the answer to all my problems. The organization’s executive director told me that he believes everyone can change if they simply put in the hard work. I would have done anything to change, and this message was just the hope I was looking for. I spent two years attending every group meeting, weekend, and individual life coaching sessions they offered. My parents and I paid thousands of dollars. Every day, every session, I was working and waiting to feel a shift in my desires or experience authentic change.

That moment never came. I didn’t change, I never developed any sexual desire for women, and never stopped being attracted to men. Instead, I only felt more and more helpless because I wasn’t changing. The organization and its staff taught us that change only comes to those who truly want it and are willing to put in the work. So if I wasn’t changing, I was seen as someone who either really didn’t sincerely want it, or would not put in the necessary work. In other words, there was no one to blame but myself.

The worst part of my experience in reparative therapy came at the end. In a locked office, alone with my unlicensed “life coach,” I was told to undress, stand in front of the counselor and do things too graphic to describe in this article. I was extremely uncomfortable, but he said that I must do this for the sake of changing and that if I didn’t remove my clothing I wouldn’t be doing the work it takes to achieve change. I would do anything to change, and so I did what he asked me to do. It was probably the most traumatizing experience of my life.

There are two things that this article makes clear. Rabbinic endorsements of places like this as the only solution for help are dangerous. Here is an excerpt from a recent rabbinic statement on this issue:

We emphatically reject the notion that a homosexually inclined person cannot overcome his or her inclination and desire. Behaviors are changeable. The Torah does not forbid something which is impossible to avoid.

Yes. Behaviors are changeable. But it is extremely presumptuous to say that every homosexual can overcome their same sex attraction – implying that a loving and compassionate God would never give someone a condition that would lead to a life of despair. There is ample evidence that God did indeed give some of the greatest figures in the Torah a life full of despair. The patriarch Jacob comes to mind.

The following from that same rabbinic statement is equally troubling:

G-d is loving and merciful. Struggles, and yes, difficult struggles, along with healing and personal growth are part and parcel of this world. Impossible, life long, Torah prohibited situations with no achievable solutions are not.

Yes God is loving and merciful. But to say that lifelong prohibited situations with no achievable results are impossible is also a dangerous presumption. It can cause despair in the very people they are trying to help. Because once they have put in the maximum effort and fail – they will feel so worthless that suicide may become an attractive way out. Al Tadin Chavercha Ad Sheyagiya Limkomo. Unless one is in someone else’s shoes, one ought not make these kinds of blanket judgments.

Both Mr. Levin and I applaud the compassionate and reasoned RCA statement that neither endorses nor rejects reparative therapy. In myview reparative therapy should be an option. But in no way should it be seen as the cure for everyone. Which that rabbinical statement implies:

Abandoning people to lifelong loneliness and despair by denying all hope of overcoming and healing their same-sex attraction is heartlessly cruel. Such an attitude also violates the biblical prohibition in Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:14 “and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind.”

I do not believe that everyone can ‘overcome’ it. And to imply that is very dangerous in my view. If anything violates the biblical prohibition of Lifnei Eveir Lo Sitain Michshol (Do not put a stumbling block before a blind person) promoting that kind of certainty does.

Grease

2012-01-26T11:28:00.016-06:00

Last year immediately after the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, a photo was published of the President and other government officials including 2 women - one of whom was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - watching that event unfold on a closed circuit TV. One Charedi publication thought that picture was important enough to show their readership. The problem was that they did not publish pictures of women. So they photo-shopped the two women out of the picture.

For that they were strongly criticized. I was among those critics. The gist of my problem was that it was an insult to the Secretary of State. There was absolutely no need to photo-shop a modestly dressed woman out of a picture like that. If they don’t publish pictures of women, that picture should not have been published at all.

But I also criticized the very idea of not publishing pictures of women. It is an unnecessary Chumra that had no Halachic basis and no historic precedent outside of Chasidic circles. ArtScroll publications publishes pictures of women. They have the approbation of many of the members of the Agudah Moetzes. Clearly there is no Halachic prohibition of it.

And yet the practice of photo-shopping women ‘out of the picture’ is increasing in prominence. Not only in non Chasidic Charedi publications such as the Mishpacha and Ami but lately even in religious Zionist publications – with the blessing of one of the foremost leaders of Religious Zionism, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner.

This came to light recently when a publication by a religious Zionist organization – the Meir Institute - blurred the image of Mrs. Ruti Fogel. It was in a family photo taken prior to the family’s massacre by young Palestinian terrorists. Meir Institute head Rabbi Dov Bigon has since apologized and blamed it on human error. But that does not explain why Rav Aviner thought it was indeed a good idea to blur her face out of the picture. He called it a m atter of respect.

Why is it more respectful to blur a woman out of the picture than a man? Dare I say that its because they are increasingly being seen as sex objects and therefore require respectfully eliminating them from public view?

But this should not really surprise anyone. Many Religious Zionist leaders have a condition I would call ‘Charedi Envy’. They have therefore taken upon themselves many of the trappings of the Charedi world. It is not uncommon to find Religious Zionists with long beards and long Peyos. Nor is it uncommon to find them wearing their Tzitzis out and sporting giant Kipot Seruga (crocheted Yarmulkes). Some may be surprised to learn that many of these religious Zionist youth use the same exemption that Charedim use to stay out of the army as full time Yeshiva students.

Walk into Merkaz Harav - the flagship Yeshiva of Religious Zionism and you will see a mirror image of Mir. The only difference being that instead of a big black velvet Kipa, you will see a big Kipa Seruga. There students there learn with the same fervor that do the students at Mir or Brisk. The intensity of learning, the level of commitment to Torah and Mitzvos is the same as any Charedi Yeshiva. Not that there is anything wrong with any of these customs. Certainly I have no objection to intense Torah study. It’s just that it seems like a copycat syndrome to follow in exactly the same foosteps as their Charedi counterparts.

There is a name for this type of Religious Zionist. They are called Chardalim. A sort of combination of the word Charedi and Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist). I would say that these people have more in common with Charedim than they do with the rest of Religious Zionists. Ironically the two worlds never interact. And as I understand it, the typical Charedi yeshiva student has absolutely no use for the typical Chardal student doing virtually the same thing. They practically don’t even acknowledge their existence. That’s politics at its worst. But I digress.

The point is that the move to the right affects every segment of religious Jewry. And I protest it. There is no reason to go off the deep end and incorporate every Chumra possible into your life just so you can say ‘So am I’ to those on your right. It doesn’t matter if it is the non Chasidic Yeshiva adopting Chasidic customs or religious Zionists adopting Charedi ones. If all of observant Jewry were to go down this path we would end up like the Jews of Meah Shearim. Those of us who would refuse to go along would be seen as Shkotzim who cling to a past that was far too involved with the Tumas HaOlam instead of the brave new world of living our lives Al Taharas HaKodesh.

Fortunately that is not the case. At least not in America. As I say the world of sociological Centrism is on the rise. But that is not for lack of the forces right pushing very hard. I object to those forces and refuse to become a part of the world of Chumros that serve to further isolate the Jewish people from the real world.

This was not the way of our fathers. Nor our grandfathers. They lived in the real world. They had productive lives and raised generations of religious Jews. They read secular newspapers. They valued secular studies. They participated in the general culture. They worked for a living. And they took pictures of women too.

I have a picture of my very Frum aunt sitting next to her Chasidic husband at a table with other men and women. The picture was taken in the thirties. Hanging on my den wall is a picture of my great uncle, a man with a long white beard with direct Yichus (ben Achar ben) to one of the great Chasidic masters, R’Shimon M’Yaroslav - standing next to him – arm in arm is his wife!

We can all be Ehrliche Jews without chasing down every single Chumra to the right of us. When are we going to have a religious leader who instead of justifying every Chumra - will finally stand up and say, ‘Enough grease already!’

When Frumkeit Replaces Mentchlichkeit

2012-01-25T10:40:00.007-06:00

I wasn’t going to write about it. It is just more of the same. What more can I say then simply repeating myself? But after reading Rafi’s post, I have changed my mind. In fact reading this makes my blood boil. As it did his. Which is why he didn’t write about it at first.

I am referring to an article in Ynet about Natalie Mashiach, a woman (pictured) who was assaulted by a group of Charedi men. What was she doing? Hanging posters about the national lottery in Ramat Bet Shemesh B - home of the ignorant and primitive Jew. Primitive - because they reject modern technology, and live in virtual isolation from the rest of the world. Ignorant - because they refuse to read anything that is tainted by outside influences. Including any secular media. They only read media sanctioned by their rabbis. Media that censors anything negative about their community.

One of the things that bother me about a story like this is that the Charedi world tends to do the same thing that the extremists of Bet Shemesh do with respect to the secular media. They too reject any negative story about the Frum world. The refrain is: You can’t believe anything those Reshaim write. They are anti religious. So when Ynet reports on a true story that involves so called ‘Frum Jews’ doing harm to another human being… they say: ‘Don’t’ believe it!’ ‘Ynet is a secular paper with an agenda.’

This attitude reminds me of a post written by a Charedi young man a couple of years ago who was sexually molested by a Frum member of his community. He eventually went Off the Derech (OTD) because of it. When he finally worked up the courage to tell a community Rav about his abuse by that man, he was rebuffed. Why? Because he is no longer Frum and therefore has no Ne’emanus! You are not Shomer Shabbos and you are being Motzie Shem Ra on a Shomer Shabbos Jew. He turned his back on that young man.

The inability to see reality because of Frumkeit is why things like child sex abuse are still around.

It does not help when stories like the one in Ynet are not believed for the same reason. And what does their Frumkeit make them do once they do believe the story? They may condemn it but they find excuses like saying the victim provoked them.

NONSENSE!

Here is my message to the Charedi who thinks like that: STOP BEING SO FRUM AND BE A MENTCH!

Unfortunately, I’m no longer sure that the Charedim in Israel are capable of doing that it anymore. As per Rabbi Addlerstein’s post in Cross-Currents. And I include American Olim who are Charedi. They have bought into the Israeli mindset. At least those who have lived there a while.

But I’ll say it anyway. You must do more than shake your head, say tsk tsk and then add excuses!

What can you do? Rafi has some ideas. But rather than paraphrase, I will excerpt what he said:

This is not a haredi issue, it is not a dati leumi issue, and it is not a secular issue. This is a Bet Shemesh issue. Bet Shemesh, the people of Bet Shemesh, the elected officials of Bet Shemesh and the police of Bet Shemesh all together, has to solve this problem.

This is also a national problem. While it is happening in Bet Shemesh, it is also happening in Jerusalem. It is also starting to happen in other places, such as Elad and Modiin Ilit, they are fighting in Rehovot about similar issues and it continues to spread.

Locally, all good people of Bet Shemesh need to put an end to this, and nationally it must be dealt with as well, with support and activism at the highest levels. This is not a gang of teenagers, and that 50 people can stand around and watch 6 hooligans attack a defenseless woman and not try to stop it is unacceptable.

I am sorry to say this but this is WAR. It is not a war between religious Jews and secular Jews. It is a war declared by the anti- Semites of RBS B against their religious Zionist neighbors! (Yes, that’s what they are - anti Semites who hate all Jews that believe in any form of Religious Zionism!) The means being used by their ‘army’ (the Sikrikim) is violence - both physical and mental.

It doesn’t really matter in the final analysis that most of these people wouldn’t themselves be violent. What matters is that they agree with their motives and their goals. They are on the same page with that. They would like nothing better than to take over the entire area and purge it of the ‘evil’ Religious Zionists and their negative influences.

The recent attack against a defenseless woman (who isn’t even a resident of that area but was there doing her job) is just another battle for these people. To them all non Charedi Jews are the enemy and valid targets for attack. It didn’t matter what she was doing there. The mere fact that the enemy crossed into their territory was enough for an ambush. They have a history of attacking Religious Zionists. Especially young women.

I have called for boycotts of all businesses in RBS B. I have called for demonstrations and picket lines in front of every store by the residents of neighboring RBS A. And I have called upon the Charedi Rabbanim of RBS A to lead them. They should be joined by Frum people from all over the country. Especially Charedim. And their Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshiva. Let them all come to Ramat Bet Shemesh B and make a statement! Again and again! … instead of just saying ‘tsk tsk’! I renew my call for that.

I would of course add that the police should be relentless in arresting the perpetrators and the courts relentless in seeking justice. Not one individual caught hurting a fellow human being should be given any mercy. They should be thrown into a maximum security prison for the maximum sentence to be served without parole!

The peaceful citizens of of the Sheinfeld area that borders RBS B want nothing more than to live in peace with their neighbors. Of any stripe. As they always have. Most of them are Religious Zionist idealists who made Aliyah for the sole purpose of fulfilling the Mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz. And they were there long before the extremists and their enabling neighbors in RBS B from Meah Shearim.

And this is their reward?!

Women as Sex Objects

2012-01-24T11:21:00.021-06:00

One of the most insightful people of the 20th century was Sigmund Freud. One of his theories was that all human behavior was controlled by the libido – otherwise known as the sex drive. If not directly seeking sex the libidinal energy is redirected subliminally into other productive behavior. Most of Freud’s theories which not long ago were considered gospel in the field of human behavior have been discredited. But I’m not so sure about this particular theory.

It seems to me that everything that is currently happening in Israel is – one way or another tied to sex. The constant refrain one hears of late on virtually all matters Charedi is the word Tznius – modesty. Although modesty is a Jewish value at non sexual levels too, the word Tznius as currently used – refers to the way women dress, or to what level if any they should be seen in public.

The question arises - are women considered sex objects in Judaism? I don’t think the answer is all that simple.

The fact is that Judaism honors women. It attributes to them great wisdom. The expression used in the Gemarah is Bina Yesirah. It also commands husbands to honor their wives over themselves. It is the woman that is entrusted to raise the children. They set the tone for the home. The home is where the greatest influences on the children are. The Gemarah tells us: Chachmas Nashim Bansah Baysah – the wisdom of women builds the home. I think that may be one reason that non Jewish women always say that Jewish men make the best husbands. That we Jews honor our women has not gone unnoticed among non Jews in our day.

But Judaism also recognizes the sex drive and how it operates in men. For men sexual stimuli are mostly visual. The Torah sanctions – and even encourages sexual activity in the context of marriage. Outside of marriage sexual activity is forbidden. Some of it at a biblical level and some of it at a rabbinic level. Chazal enacted precautions so as to prevent illicit sexual activity. One of the most oft cited examples of this is that men are required to avoid gazing even at a woman’s little finger if there is a sexual thought behind it.

In light of all this we can better understand the focus on Tznius and the differences in various Orthodox communities in today’s world.

In the modern world where social contact between the sexes is fairly common Halacha dictates the normal precautions to be taken in order to avoid being sexually aroused. Utilizing these precautions - men and women engage in all manner of social and communal contact in the public sphere. There is little danger that such casual contact will lead to anything other than... well - casual contact. We thus have Orthodox female lawyers, accountants, doctors, dentists, executives and politicians. All well dressed and yet modest by Halachic standards.

In the insular world of Meah Shearim and Bet Shemesh women are mostly hidden from sight. The mere glimpse of a women’s femininity will generate licentious thoughts. Many additional precautions are taken to prevent that. These precautions extend to very young girls – well under the age of 12.

There are no pictures of women at any age anywhere. Not on posters or billboards and not in any of their publications - no matter how modestly they are dressed. Women wear only loose fitting clothes. They are covered up ‘head to toe’. They are separated from men completely in public: separate seating on buses; never walking or sitting behind a woman; in some cases there are even separate sidewalks. Some Chasidim even require their wives to shave their heads.

It may be a self fulfilling prophecy to feel the need to hide women like this. A lot of what one sees as erotic is based on what one is used to seeing. In a society that virtually hides women, it is not a stretch to say that a libidinous thought may emerge in a man at the mere sight of a woman not dressed according the Meah Shearim standards.

On the other hand in societies like Hollywood where Tznius in dress practically does not exist, it takes a lot more to be sexually aroused than even the sight of a woman in a sleeveless, backless evening gown. Again - it’s all about what one is used to seeing, I think.

The irony is that the more ‘religious’ one is about separating the sexes and avoiding all contact with women - the more women are seen as sex objects. Every discussion about Tznius revolves around the idea that a man will be aroused by the sight of a woman.

As we go up the 'Frumkeit' ladder, we begin to see increasing levels of covering up and increasing levels of separation between the sexes. The more RW one is the more women are treated as sex objects.

To cite an example of this - I recall the Charedi fellow from Ramat Bet Shemesh who was stopped and interviewed about the extremists from his camp calling an 8 year old girl a whore. His angry response included a statement along the lines of "We are healthy men'. Translation: When we see a woman we see a sex object.

Unfortunately the collateral damage of all this is being acted out on the world stage by extremist Charedim in Israel. All kinds of unreasonable demands are being made upon the rest of even religious society. What the most of even the Charedi world takes for granted as well within the limits of modest behavior between men and women is seen as not only a violation of Tznius, it is seen as forcing conditions of immodesty upon them. The following excerpt from a guest post on Cross Currents illustrates this:

I spoke last week with Rav Kopshitz, the Rav of the Eida Chareidis of Beit Shemesh. I asked him what his personal opinion was of the abuse being directed by the kanayim against residents of my neighborhood. He answered “and what do you think about the abuse being directed against Chareidim?” I answered that I completely opposed it, but that I hadn’t heard of much. His reply was striking: “The police are abusing us when they take down our signs asking women not to walk on some sidewalks, because they’re trying to force us to walk immodestly in our own homes.”

Right! Women if women end up on the wrong side of the street and encounter a man – no matter how Tzanua she is - it is considered immodest by this Eida Rav and all of his ‘Chasidim’. Is there any greater proof that women are seen as sex objects in this world? They can deny it all day long by quoting the Gemaros I cited above. At the end of the day women in the public square are treated as sex objects.

To the extent that women there go along with it is merely a function of their own indoctrination. They are taught to believe that men will always see them as sex objects. That’s why many joyfully abide by - and even laud - all the restrictions placed upon them. Not being a ‘stumbling block’ to men by minimizing (some would say eliminating) their femininity and presence in public is their way of serving God. And their insular lifestyles assure that they will stay that way.

The Demise of the Solomon Schechter Day Schools

2012-01-23T10:14:00.006-06:00

One of the truly great Jewish lay leaders in America today is Professor Marvin Schick. Very few people can lay claim to the 60 year record he has being active in Jewish education. One of his most recent contributions is the 2008 - 2009 census of Jewish day schools he did for the Avi Chai foundation.

He found that the only day schools that experienced an increase in enrollment were Orthodox. That enrolment in Orthodox day schools has increased is not a surprise to me. The enrollment at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in Chicago has more than doubled since my own children attended it.

The fact that the crown Jewel of the Conservative Movement, the Solomon Schechter Day Schools has experienced dramatic declines was somewhat of a surprise to me. Their enrollment has declined by a whopping 35%! The Forward reports that conservative leaders are currently struggling with this development.

This is truly a sad commentary on the state of Conservative Judaism. The Solomon Schechter day schools were widely seen by Conservative leaders as the answer to perpetuating their movement. They looked at the success of the Orthodox day schools and realized that this was the real way to keep their children in the movement. Education is always the key. Until then they saw the synagogue as the center of Jewish life that would perpetuate their movement.

But at some point they began to realize that without a truly Jewish education - and being raised in a completely secular environment of the public school they were losing their flock. The Solomon Schechter day schools were to be the remedy for that.

I have always predicted the eventual demise of all heterodoxies because of their assimilationist policies. But when the Conservative leadership started pushing their day schools, I saw it as a danger to Orthodoxy. A new breed of committed Jews would be created. But… committed to what?

As the educational arm of the Conservative Movement - Solomon Schechter tolerated heresy within their midst. One can be a member in good standing in the Conservative movement even if they believe Sinai never happened! That it is all allegory. That the Torah was written by different men in different periods of history! Or that its laws were taken from the much older Hammurabi Code. That is Heresy! My fears seem to have been unfounded. The system is failing. Attendance at these schools is decreasing.

I suppose I should not be surprised. If there is little or no commitment at home to Halachic observance, and their rabbis don’t push it, why should a parent ever send their child to a religious school? Why spend the money and be subjected to their children bringing home all kinds of peculiar Jewish laws and customs into the home? If you don’t keep Kosher or Shabbos in the home, you don’t want your child coming home and asking you questions about it.

Is this development something to gloat about? I don’t think so. Personally I have mixed feelings about the demise of this system. On the one hand the fact that fewer children will be exposed to heresy is a good thing. On the other hand fewer children will have any exposure to Judaism at all is not such a good thing.

On the plus side if one is doing outreach one might think it is easier to educate a child from scratch – rather than to first disabuse him of a heretical belief. On the minus side, the children who go to a school that teaches them the basics of Judaism will more easily be able to integrate into Orthodoxy when there is successful outreach to them.

I have no doubt that a Baal Teshuva with no background has a much harder time integrating than does a Baal Teshuva who attended a Solomon Schechter school.

Does this mean that if someone asks you whether they should send their child to a Solomon Schechter school or a public school - that you should insist on the Solomon Schechter school? I cannot recommend sending a child to a school that I believe teaches heresy.

On the other hand I am always happy to see a Baal Teshuva who already knows how to Daven in Hebrew; knows what Teffilin are; knows about the Shelosh Regalim; knows about fasting on Yom Kippur; knows about Shabbos and Kashrus; is familiar with Chumash and Rashi, Mishna and Talmud... and knows pretty much all the basics because he studied them in a day school albeit a Conservative one.

I guess the bottom line is that I am happy that Orthodox Jewish education is increasing. But I’m not sure whether the decline in Conservative Jewish education is a boon or an impediment to the future of Klal Yisroel. At least with Solomon Schechter Jewish children have a connection to their heritage – even if many of them will end up being non observant. Some will observe Shabbos and Kashrus. What about the Heresy? Good question.

But the fact is that there are some who will actually be motivated to go become Orthodox and will have a relatively easy transition into it. Without Solomon Schechter there will be far fewer of those – making outreach that much harder.

The Patron Saint of the Extremists

2012-01-22T11:04:00.014-06:00

One of the most damaging figures of the 20th century happens to be a man who is considered the Gadol HaDor of the 20th century to great multitudes of observant Jewry. That man is the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum.

I was very happy to see Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer saying that he cannot respect the Satmar Rebbe. I have to agree.

I have long ago lost my respect for the Rebbe. But after reading Rabbi Bechhofer’s post which excerpts the Rebbe’s published words my antipathy towards him is stronger than ever

Very few people would deny the Rebbe’s genius and knowledge of Torah, nor would they deny his great leadership abilities. His Chasidim are so numerous and their growth rate so large that they threaten to become the largest single demographic in all of Orthodox Jewry - if they aren't already.

The Rebbe’s influence exceeds by far the confines of Williamsburg and Kiryas Joel - the 2 homes of the majority of Satmar Chasidim. It extends worldwide. The Satmar Rebbe is seen as the spiritual guide to multitudes of Chasidim all over the world - Chasidim that are not members of Satmar. Like the Eida HaCharedis, the Toldos Aharon Chasidim, and Neturei Karta whose members have joined ranks with Iranian President Mahmood Ahmanadinjad a man who has said he would wipe Israel of the map! The Satmar Rebbe is their patron saint!

The Satmar Rebbe’s legendary Torah knowlegde, piety, and Chesed pales in comparison to his hatred of Zionism in any form – including religious Zionism. He considers the founding and the existence of the State of Israel to be literally the work of the devil. And those who supported it to be the worst kind of Reshaim.

His attitude is not merely the stuff of legend. He wrote it in black and white in a book called Divrei Yoel. There he compared Rav Avraham Yitzchok Kook - who is considered the philosophic founding father of Religious Zionism to Haman. That’s right Haman – the original Hitler who was the Reichsfuhrer of the ancient Persian Empire. Haman - one will recall - decreed the genocide of the Jewish people of his Reich!

The language the Rebbe used to describe Rav Kook is taken directly from Megilas Esther’s description of Haman. All because Rav Kook advocated Religious Zionism. I don’t recall ever seeing such hateful language from one Jewish leader about another.

Even Rav Kook’s ideological opponent, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld whom the Satmar Rebbe claims to defend against the Zionism of Rav Kook was able to respect him. As were practically all of the Gedolim of that era -despite their strong opposition to his philosophy. But not the Satmar Rebbe. To him, Rav Kook was an evil man comparable to the Hitler of ancient times!

This is the level of hatred manifested today by the Rebbe’s heirs. Those residents of Meah Shearim who dressed up in Holocaust prison garb in order to cast government officials as Nazis is merely a reflection of that philosophy. Make no mistake about it.

It doesn’t really matter that the Rebbe did not call for a holy war and that it is mostly all rhetoric. What matters is that every single one of his Chasidim whether card carrying or not - buy into a philosophy that can easily be used to justify extremism.

They see the government in exactly the terms seen by the Rebbe. They do not believe for a moment that wearing Holocaust prison uniforms is an exaggeration. They believe the State is being led by Rashiam as evil as Nazis. Which explains why Eida leader, Rav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss defended them.

It is no small thing to blame what is happening in Israel now on the Satmar Rebbe. But I have no choice. It is as clear as the sun to me. The Satmar Rebbe more than anyone else is responsible for the clear hatred of religious Zionist Jews. It is the Satmar Rebbe’s philosophy that motivates the disgusting actions of the extremists and their defenders. The turf war in Bet Shemesh manifested by extremists who called the 8 year old daughter of Religious Zionists a whore - is an expression of that hatred. Tznius is only their excuse! Their true motives are those articulated by their patron saint, the Satmar Rebbe.

This does not mean to say that we must all agree with Rav Kook, far from it. I for one do not see the State of Israel as the first flowering of the final redemption. But Rav Kook was nevertheless a Gadol just the same. Had the Rebbe just said that he didn’t agree with Rav Kook and expressed his opposition to the State in any incarnation based on his interpretation of certain Gemaros, I would have respected him in an Elu V’Elu sense. But that he said such things about a Gadol of Rav Kook’s stature deserves to have a ‘back at ya’ response.

I will not stoop to calling the Satmar Rebbe the kind of names he called Rav Kook. But I believe very strongly that he should not be seen historically as any kind of leader in Judaism. Even with all the Torah knowledge and leadership ability he had. If the Rebbe’s Israeli spiritual heirs have their way and succeed in dismantling the State we may God forbid be looking at a second Holocaust!

When there is no Chesed for the likes of a Gadol like Rav Kook, then all of the vaunted Chesed the Rebbe inspired in his Chasdim toward fellow Jews is worthless!

I think Klal Yisroel ought to follow the lead of Rabbi Bechhofer and not grant any respect to him. He does not deserve that nor does he deserve any honored place in Jewish history.

Rise of the Mega-Yeshivos- the Coup de Grâce of Chasidification

2012-01-20T00:01:00.004-06:00

Guest Post by Bray of the Fundie

The following essay was written by someone who studied in Charedi Yeshivos both in the US and Israel. He prefers to remain anonymous. I generally do not publish anonymous posts. But after apprising me of his background I have decided to allow him to use his pseudonym. This is his second contribution. It is definitely worthy and food for thought. However as always with guest posts - it reflects the views of the author and does not necessarily reflect my own. - HM

Just over a month ago I posted Part I in which I claimed a certain dispassionate journalistic detachment. I concede that from this point on I am editorializing.

I have never been really comfortable with the academic historical narrative about the origins of the Khasidic movement. Received wisdom always talks about the voids being addressed by the movement. The Rabbis grew remote and out-of-touch from the people. Common folk felt disenfranchised and hopeless etc. etc. Yet the fact that the movement captured the hearts and minds of such intellectual and spiritual giants as the Alteh Rebbe, the Hafloah, the Kotzker, the Rim, the Divrei Chaim, the Sfas Emes, the Bnei Yissoskhor, the Lubliner Kohen, the Khelkas Yoav, the Kozhiklover, Rav Meir Shapiro and Rav Menachem Ziemba to name but a few, belies the conventional wisdom that Besh"tian Khasidus was a grass roots movement meant to serve the unlettered and unwashed masses.

Nevertheless Khasidus did, in fact, address the spiritual needs and helped actualize the spiritual potential, or at least the religious yearnings, of masses of adherents and it continues to do so. Yeshivas traditionally gained cache and traction by virtue of the quality of the lamdonim who were their alumni. Few Yeshivaleit today know if Slabodka Mir and Telshe on the eve of World War II had 200, 400 or 4000 students. Nor can they say with any accuracy exactly how many branches comprised the Novardhoker Yeshiva Network.

The reason? No one really cares, the number of students enrolled is beside the point of these legendary Yeshivos historical significance. OTOH Khasidus, at least over the last century, gained historical significance mostly by dint of large numbers. With a few notable exceptions the Khasidic groups who were major players over that time were the ones that boasted thousands of Khasidim. Satmar, Lubavitch, Ger, Belz, Vishnitz all have thousands of adherents, many Moisdos and concomitant political clout and influence.

By definition elitist institutions raise the requirement bar for membership in good standing higher than mass movements do. The skill-set mix needed to have "made-it" in historical Slabodka, Mir, Brisk, Chachmei Lublin or even the Lakewood of RAK included exemplary critical and abstract thinking, diligence (hasmoda), attention to detail, attention/concentration surplus disorder, creativity and, very often, asceticism, a high pain threshold and the ability to endure poverty and privation stoically . To lead such institutions required all of the above plus a mind of genius, great administrative and rhetorical talents, pedagogical virtuosity and , quite often, the kind of "publish-or-perish" pressures one associates with secular academia (though in the case of Brisk it was more like "perish-and-then-publish").

In contradistinction to this membership in good standing in the diverse khasidic movements required a whole different skill set and, arguably, one that is easier, less demanding and more commonly found among great numbers of people. These include self-abnegation to the Leader, an obscurantist sensibility, a suspension of disbelief in the miraculous and in the Masters capacity to work same, a tendency towards group-think, the wearing of a uniform, a willingness to travel and spend quality time away from wife and family and a religious sensibility predicated more on heart than on head.

To lead such tribes was very often, nothing more than an accident of birth. Preferably, in order to maintain or build up the following, Khasidic leadership required a great and empathic heart, a passionate approach to the staples of daily Jewish life like davening, Shabbos and Yom Tov, formulating a cause or a leitmotif that proffered the khasidim a distinct sense of identity (some might call this the narcissism of small differences) and a sharp piqkhus . Even this last quality is intellectual without being academic. Most would associate piqkhus more with street smarts than with book smarts.

Today there exist two Mega-Yeshivas. Mir in Jerusalem boasts an enrollment of 6000+ while BMG in Lakewood, New Jersey may be up over 7000. The rise of these gigantic Yeshivas and the concomitant marginalization of almost all other Yeshivas for talmidim who are 23+ represents a sea change in the very institution and , in a way far more telling than uniform l'vush, their Chasidification.

Historically Torah Observant Jews in eastern Europe managed to lead lives of observance and commitment with a mere Kheder schooling. An amkha yid might not have been capable of self-study of Gemara but was a member of Khevra Mishnayos, Shas or Ein Yaakov. Kashrus and other basic halakhos were absorbed through observing parental and communal behaviors. The great Yeshivos Gedolos were reserved for a tiny intellectual elite. Jews receiving the equivalent of an eighth grade education and/or, in the case of the women, no formal schooling at all managed to stay ehrlich and live halakhically until the day they died.

But all this began changing in the inter-war period of revolutionary and nationalistic ferment and was accelerated by the War and the post-war American melting pot and the Israeli gallop towards Westernization. Now, without the inoculation against the winds of change provided by in-depth Torah study for many years ones Jewish identity and fealty to Halakha becomes suspect. And so Yeshivas adapted and evolved/devolved to the point that they have become open-admission and long term institutions.

But converting from elitist academies to mass cities of refuge against the rising tide of heresy and materialism comes at a price. Academic standards fall. Fidelity to a particular ideology replaced intellectual acuity as the currency of admission and acceptance. A student body too unwieldy to manage as individuals must be integrated through the glue of group-think. Those who think alike begin to dress alike and books of peoples inner-lives are judged by their covers. Self-delusions of scholarly grandeur persist only so long and values other than great academic achievement in determining ones self-worth begin to creep in.

I have long held these beliefs to be fairly self-evident but I was particularly struck by the encomiums I heard about the late great Mirrer Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Noson Tzvi Finkel OBM at his shloshim. His love and support for each and every student were praised. Speakers were in awe of his self-sacrifice in particularly on behalf of the spiritual growth of others. He was lauded as a great fund-raiser and institution builder. He was extolled as one who did, and in the afterlife would continue, storming the gates of heaven to advocate on behalf of his students and on behalf of all Jews. Anecdotes of scrupulous observance without compromise in the face of great pain and extraordinary challenges were heard.

I closed my eyes for a moment and wondered; "Are these hespedim for the Mirrer Rosh HaYeshiva... or for Reb Shloimeleh, the Bobover Rebbe ZYA???" Almost every praise about RNTF that I heard were those one normally associates with a Khasidic Master rather than with a Lithaninan Rosh HaYeshiva. Conspicuously absent were any mentions of Geonus, Iluyis, profundity, bekius, power of Horoah, originality in approach or novelty in khidushim. How incredibly different these hespedim were from those of the prior Mirrer Roshei Yeshiva Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz OBM and Rav Nokhum Trackaier OBM a generation earlier or even from those of Rav Berel Shvartzman OBM, who headed up a mid-size, decidedly non mega-Yeshiva a mere week before.

As gauged by that which is deemed praiseworthy an entire cultures value system had changed in my lifetime. ( See Rabenu Yonah where he explains Mishlei 27:21). IMO the mega-Yeshiva is the Coup de Grâce of Chasidification of the rest of us. All the other external trappings of the Chasidification are merely external symptoms of this inner shift in core values.

בא המבדיל והעמידן על אחת
Those who cannot tolerate Havdala cannot appreciate Qedusha

It Takes Two to Tango

2012-01-19T10:57:00.018-06:00

There is an insightful article in the Jerusalem Post written by Ramat Bet Shemesh resident and prolific author on the subject of science and Torah, Rabbi Natan Slifkin. In essence it is a mild rebuke of the way secular Jews treat religious Jews – or perhaps more precisely Charedi Jews - in Israel.

He compares that to the way secular Jews treat religious Jews in America. And correctly finds that there is much more tolerance and respect for the sensitivities of religious Jews there. He cites some examples of that, such as the fact that sex segregated gyms in America are a fairly common occurrence (e.g. Women’s Workout World). Whereas in Israel when it was recently tried by Technion’s gym, it resulted in a massive protest that ended up with Technion reversing that policy.

Another thing he pointed out which I have noticed myself is that the manner of dress by many secular women in Israel is far less modest than it is generally in the US. He suggests that secular Israelis would do well to follow the American model of societal modesty. Even though American modesty standards are not on par with Halachic standards I agree that if secular Israeli women would just ‘upgrade’ to the American standard it might go a long way towards showing a little more tolerance and respect for the sensitivities of the religious Jew – and thereby lessen the enmity.

To be fair the two examples mentioned by Rabbi Slifkin may have different origins. Modesty standards in Israel may be the result of European influences whose standards are much lower than they are in the US. On the other hand the idea of a sex segregated gym might in fact be the result of pushback.

Be that as it may secular Jews in Israel should heed the advice of Rabbi Slifkin. Tolerance is always a good idea and something I promote here on this blog all the time. But as I have said in the past, it takes two to tango. Tolerance goes both ways.

The question is why is there so little tolerance now? It seems that there is more intolerance of Charedim than ever. Can it be as some Charedim say that there is an innate hatred of Charedim? I don’t think so. Although by now the hatred by some is so visceral it seems innate. (That goes both ways too!)

I do not believe there is an innate hatred of any Jew against any other Jew, no matter how far removed they are religiously from each other. Hatred is bred, not born. As Rabbi Slifkin said, any hatred on the part of secular Jews in Israel against Charedim is due to a fear they have of their lives being taken over by Charedim who they increasingly see as religious fanatics.

When they read about all the problems being caused in Bet Shemesh and Meah Shearim - and the reactions by many of the more mainstream Charedim who even while condemning extremists find excuses for them - and they combine that with the increased Charedi demographic - they see what they believe to be the ‘handwriting on the wall’. They fear Israel becoming a completely Charedi society. So they react by 'pushing back'. I think that is in many cases what is going on. I believe that was probably the reason that the protest against Technion was so strong.

So even though I agree with Rabbi Slifkin that seculars ought to cut Charedim more slack - as they do in the US - I think that Charedim ought to do their part to show more good will towards seculars. Instead of jumping on every perceived slight by the secular establishment as though they were dealing with Nazis.

Yes. Seculars should build tolerance for Charedim, But so too should Charedim build tolerance for seculars. It would not solve all of the societal problems between these two demographic groups, but I think it would help.

That tolerance goes both ways was recognized by one of the most venerated sages of the 20th century, the Chazon Ish. Shortly after the founding of the State the Chazon Ish wanted Charedim to be respected for their religious sensitivities. But he realized that he was living in the real world of a secular Zionist state.

That’s why both he and founding Prime Minister David Ben Gurion compromised and reached a solution called ‘The Status Quo’. After gaining concession from Ben Gurion for things like army exemptions for both male Yeshiva students and religious women - religious life in the Jewish state would remain as is. Neither segment would try and ride roughshod over the other. The level of religiosity in the State that existed at that moment in time – a sort of balance between the secular and religious world would be preserved.

But then again the Chazon Ish was a real Gadol. As was Ben Gurion a secular ‘Gadol’. I’m not so sure about some who pass for religious or secular leaders today. The word compromise is not in their dictionary. Which is why I don’t really have any confidence that Rabbi Slifkin’s suggestions will be implemented by either side any time soon. I hope I am wrong.

Stupidity or the Torah True Hashkafa?

2012-01-18T10:08:00.009-06:00

He apologized.

Israeli Minister of the Interior Eli Yishai (pictured) is a Sephardi member of Shas, the party founded and led by Sephardi Gadol Rav Ovaida Yosef. And his attitudes on most things reflect the Charedi point of view. In what has to be one of the stupidest statements ever made by an Israeli government official he recently said that the reason there were negative results in the last Lebanon war (2006) was because the soldiers were not observant.

Really? How then does he explain the positive results of the 6 day war? Or the war for independence? Or just about every other war Israel has fought and won? Were those soldiers any more observant than those who fought in Lebanon in 2006?

But fear not. In what is one of the most laughable statements of this whole debacle Mr. Yishai actually said that the soldiers in the six day war were indeed more religious which is why they won the war. Quoting Yisahi Ha'aretz wrote:

"In the Six Day War, every Jew, and every Jew that went to battle, raised their eyes to the creator,"

Right. Moshe Dayan and Yizhak Rabin, two of the military heroes of that war both raised their eyes to God. And every pilot that flew a mission in 67 was a student in Brisk. They flew their missions Bein HaSedarim!

Is Yishai kidding?!

Yisrael Klauzner an irate father of a soldier that was killed in action during the 2006 Lebanon war called him out – saying that Yishai’s statement was not worthy of a response. Not only was his son observant but according to Klausner: Over half of the fallen soldiers were from settlements or were religious!

But here is the money quote from the Jerusalem Post:

Klauzner also called on the government not to resign the Tal Law, which affords a draft deferral for yeshiva students, arguing that they should be sent to fight in lieu of secular soldiers."If so many religious soldiers don’t go to the army and the secular soldiers who go instead of them are the ones who die I say they shouldn't go. Either they shouldn't enlist or the state should just draft the religious and they can fight and ensure a victory."

In light of Yishai’s statement, how can anyone argue with this? If you want to have victories and victory is based on the how religious the soldiers are, then by all means have an all religious army. Exempt the secular and draft only observant Jews. Datim are already there. Charedim should lose their exemptions and be drafted. Then you will have an all observant army and go on win glorious victories! That should be a no brainer to Yishai.

Of course Yishai realized how he came off and quickly apologized. He added: The families of the fallen are sacred to the people of Israel.

Yes he apologized. And well he should have! The problem is that he did not say he was wrong. If he really felt that he was wrong he would not have made that comment in the first place. I believe he just felt bad that he hurt the families of the soldiers killed in action.

And that is the underlying problem here. He didn’t just make up his original statement up out of whole cloth. This is the current Charedi mentality. This is what is emphasized in their schools and their shuls… in their speeches and their lectures. The government and all its institutions – including the army - are evil and the cause of all problems in the State!

If a war is lost and people die, it’s because the army isn’t religious. The only Hishtadlus (determined effort) that counts is the spiritual one. The physical Hashtadlus is at best secondary – if it exists at all. Physical Hishstudlus in their mind counts for nothing if those doing it aren’t religious.

How different is the Charedi mindset over that of the great Charedi Gadol of the past, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz. He praised not only the spiritual contributions of his Yeshiva Bachurim in the Mir but gave equal praise to the IDF for their physical contributions in successfully defending the country during one of their wars … instead of condemning them for not being religious enough!

Is there any wonder why there is such resentment by the secular of the Charedim? It isn’t only about the extremists. It isn’t even about the apologetics of the wider Charedi community. It is about an ingrained belief that no longer recognizes any value of contributions from the non Torah world.

That has been replaced by a hatred of the secular world generated by decades Charedi indoctrination to see only Frumkeit as having any value. If one has any doubt of that - when was the last time anyone ever heard a good word about the IDF along the lines of Rav Chaim? All we ever hear now from those quarters is how evil they are.

Alive and Well …and Kicking!

2012-01-17T11:26:00.006-06:00

Although I have had profound differences with Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, (as in his decision to excise the Bracha of Shelo Asani Isha from the standard liturgy) I must admit his recent essay on the subject of Charedism resonates with me. But I neither agree with his conclusion nor even wish for it.

In an essay entitled, ‘The Tragic Unraveling of Haredi Judaism’ he seems to feel with some degree of confidence that the Charedi world is in a state of decline. He blames it on many of the things I often write about right here.

While justifiably praising all the many contributions made by the Charedi world to Judaism he nonetheless says the images coming out from those quarters of late are so negative that no non Charedi adolescent could ever be inspired to follow in that path. He thus sees ‘the end of days’ for this community. He ends his essay with the following challenge:

Whether we are prepared for it or not, the modern Orthodox community (in all its many shades and forms), bears the obligation to step up and fill this void. We can no longer be content to carve out our own religious lives, and bear responsibility only for our own families and communities. We need to pick up the fallen torch, and be the models of piety, Torah study, and self-sacrifice that Jews everywhere need to see, admire, and be inspired by. This shouldn’t be a stretch for us.

As Orthodox Jews, we are already committed to all of these values. And we have the additional strengths of also being committed to the ways of peace and mutual-respect, to positive engagement with the world around us, and to seeing the good in modern society. Now more than ever, we need to be true to our Modern orthodox values, as the mantle of broader Jewish inspiration is falling to us.

I can’t really disagree with his description of Modern Orthodxy’s strengths. Nor do I disagree with his idea that we ought to be engaged in promoting those values and incorporating the many positive values of the Charedi world. But I question his prediction of demise. In fact I completely reject it. It is not going to happen. Charedi Hashkafos will survive the current crisis – if there even is one.

Yes, all the things Rabbi Kanefsky says about those negative events are true. And the images of late are indeed unattractive to say the least. But when one looks at the total picture of the literally hundreds of thousands of Charedim in the world who are committed to this lifestyle… and the fact that the vast majority of Mechanchim in the world are Charedi – even in many non Charedi schools, you would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to believe they are going to go away anytime soon. Or ever for that matter. They are the wave of the future – as I have said here many times.

The average non Charedi may not be attracted to this Hashkafa as much as they used to be because of all the negativity. But Charedim don’t need non Charedim to grow. They are growing exponentially just fine without them. This is true both in America and in Israel. The images that he legitimately says are a turn off to the rest of the world are unfortunately not interpreted all that negatively ‘in house’.

Many if not most Charedim have put a positive spin on all these negative things - rationalizing them away as not so bad …or even Mutar …or saying they are anomalies and not indicative of the true ways of the Charedi world …or marginalizing the extremists – defining them out of Charedism …or refusing to read or believe any negative reporting by the ‘Frum hating’ secular media. Once you have put the negativity in its ‘proper’ perspective, then you are left with quite a few pluses like the ones Rabbi Kanefsky concedes are real. That is what they focus on and with legitimate pride.

The only real danger is internal. In the unlikely event that they would fail it would be because they will self destruct via the heavy financial burden placed upon them by their lifestyles of Torah only. And even then it would be more likely to occur in Israel. In America, there are enough Charedim that do eventually prepare for making a decent living – those I call moderate Charedim, which I believe comprises a majority of them. Perhaps even the vast majority.

But even that scenario is unlikely. What may instead happen is a reassessment of their priorities. Or there just may be more ‘defections’ into moderate Charedism – even by Israelis as more and more of them are forced by poverty to seek a way to make a decent living. But they will all retain the Charedi values of Torah only as opposed to Torah U’mada or Torah Im Derech Eretz. At least in theory if not in practice.

To paraphrase Mark Twain - reports about the death of Charedism are entirely premature. It is alive and well. Nor do I even wish it would die. As does Rabbi Kanefsky - I respect and admire what they have accomplished and wish them continued success in those areas.

As I said the wave of the future is Charedism. But a moderate version of it. One that already exists and is combining socially with the right wing of Modern Orthodoxy. That is the true wave of the future.

My only hope is that Modern Orthodoxy will not be swallowed up by the much larger Charedi segment who for the most part controls the religious education of their own children and in many cases the education of right wing Modern Orthodox children.

I hope that the best of modern Orthodox values will not only be retained by that community but that they will be able to pass it on to the next generation and even influence Charedim currently to incorporate some of those values into their own world.

The New Israel

2012-01-16T12:22:00.017-06:00

They made the desert bloom. That was the way Israel was seen in the eyes of the world. At least to those who were paying any attention back in the pre 67 era. Indeed Israel was seen as an idealistic society consisting of some very smart people who were able to do fantastic things. That image has not only continued, it has spread into all other areas of human achievement. Israel has a pretty hefty percentage of Nobel Prize winners in a variety of fields.

No less virtuous is the fact that Israel has been a shining light of democracy in a sea of despots and dictators some of whom felt little compunction about savagely slaughtering thousands of their own citizens to retain power.

Nor is it a small achievement that Israel - a tiny little country living on a sliver of land defends herself so successfully from her enemies. Enemies whose populations outnumber her by a factor of 40 to 1 - and who would like to see her wiped off the map! Something they have tried to do many times throughout Israel’s existence - whether through war or through terror.

I have always been proud of all these facts. Unless one is an anti Semite, one cannot help but admire what Israel has done over the last 60 or so years.

As a religious Jew, I can also state with pride the achievement of the Torah world in that relatively short time. There are more Yeshivos than ever. And religious Jews are growing in number and creating many communities of largely observant Jewry. Where there are Shuls and Yeshivos and virtually all restaurants are Kosher. How nice it is to walk down a street in a city that has no traffic on Shabbos. Where stores are closed, people are dressed for Shabbos. Little kids playing in the middle of the street… the very air is infused with the aura of Shabbos.

And then there is the great pride I take in the Hesder movement. These Yeshiva students are among the most dedicated soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. And they have been doing it since the very beginning of the State. And recently even Charedim were being welcomed there with a program designed to meet their special needs.

But I fear that all this is currently going up in smoke. And women’s issues are at the center of the storm.

An article in the New York Times well illustrates my frustration. What has happened is that religious extremism that increasingly manifests itself places like Bet Shemesh and Meah Shearim is changing the way Israel is perceived. It used to be the case that the so called rock throwers were rare and limited to one small section of Jerusalem. These people were the haters of the State and sought its demise - but did little to make that happen other than spew negative rhetoric. Meah Shearim was seen as a quaint little area, of little consequence.

That has changed. They have grown exponentially and can no longer be contained in one small area of Jerusalem. They are spreading out to other areas and now demand that those areas and border areas adhere to their stringencies in the area of female modesty. That has caused pushback.

The tripwire has been a series of events all dealing with issues of female modesty. Such as strong arming women who sat on the wrong side of a bus and culminating in the events of Bet Shemesh where extremists started spitting on women and calling 8 year old girls whores.

Here is one instance of pushback. Segregating the sexes on Mehadrin buses which used to be a given - is by law no longer enforceable. The negative perceptions of one community against the other have increased. There seems to be much more enmity now between secular Jews and Charedi Jews… and even between Dati Jews and Charedi Jews.

There used to be an uneasy ‘live and let live’ attitude with perhaps an undercurrent of resentment but benign neglect. On the secular side having to do with Charedim not serving in the army, their low numbers in the work force, and the resultant poverty requiring government financial support. On the Charedi side seeing all seculars as anti Torah out to destroy them. But that’s all it was - a sort of quiet resentment.

No more. People on all sides are upset and are acting on it. What used to be a status quo balance of secular freedom and religious needs is turning into a culture war.

The backlash is effecting institutions like the IDF in ways that have never been seen in its sixty year history. To the best of my knowledge there was never an issue about Kol Isha - men listening to female singers in the IDF. I do not recall a single incidence of religious soldiers walking out of a concert because of Kol Isha until this year! Suddenly – as though this was the first time it ever happened soldiers walked out of such a performance.

That caused a reaction by the IDF hierarchy. They ruled that soldiers must attend official IDF ceremonies and may not leave if a there is a female singer. That in turn caused some Religious Zionist rabbis to resign from whatever position they had with the IDF. While I disagree with that ruling – I don’t think it is an unreasonable request to allow religious soldiers to be exempt from events that include female singers - I have to wonder, why is all this happening now? In its over 60 year history, was there never an instance where a woman sang to a group of religious soldiers until now?!

But that is not where the extremism stops. Chumra is now being treated like Halacha. And not just by extremists. The Charedi world is insisting that Israeli society honor it in the same way. It is one thing to for religious Jews to insist on their rights to follow Halacha. But it is an entirely different matter when religious Jews start insisting on Chumros as Halacha and then demanding that as public policy. That is not only causing an internal cultural war, it makes us look primitive in the eyes of the world.

Case in point is the opening comments in that New York Times article:

In the three months since the Israeli Health Ministry awarded a prize to a pediatrics professor for her book on hereditary diseases common to Jews, her experience at the awards ceremony has become a rallying cry.

The professor, Channa Maayan, knew that the acting health minister, who is ultra-Orthodox, and other religious people would be in attendance. So she wore a long-sleeve top and a long skirt. But that was hardly enough.

Not only did Dr. Maayan and her husband have to sit separately, as men and women were segregated at the event, but she was instructed that a male colleague would have to accept the award for her because women were not permitted on stage.

There is no Halacha that that requires women to sit in a separately in an audience. Nor is their any Halacha that forbids hearing or seeing a woman speak. It is only a Chumra – one that is increasingly being adopted in virtually all Charedi circles, even in the United States.

This was in fact was one of my pet peeves about the annual banquet of my daughters’ Beis Yaakov high school. The female principal was not allowed to address the audience. How ridiculous is that! And if an award was presented to a woman she was not allowed to go up on the stage and accept it or offer a public thank you. Her husband would have to do it. That too is ridiculous.

Is there any wonder Hillary Clinton compares Israel to Iran when Chumra is set up as the minimum standard? By insisting on Chumros as Halacha, the world now looks at even Halacha as primitive! Instead of the world seeing the desert bloom or looking at the number of Nobel Prize winners, they now see a new Israel being taken over by Iran-like extremists. And who are the extremists in the eyes of the world? There is no nuance. The extremists are all of us who observe Halacha. This is an image that Israel cannot afford.

Setting the Record Straight

2012-01-16T00:01:00.001-06:00

Guest Post by Etana Hecht

My name is Etana Hecht, and I moved to Bet Shemesh with my family 7.5 years ago. Since then, I've gotten married and tried out several communities before settling with my husband and 2 children in the Sheinfeld area of Bet Shemesh. Sheinfeld is an amazing community, a yishuv-like feeling within a city. As many of you have been seeing in the media, there is a group of troublemakers trying to run our beautiful community out of town. Now that you have a little background of our city, you can understand why we're fighting so hard to save it.

In a series of articles covering the entire situation here in Bet Shemesh, Ami Magazine interviewed the Mayor of Bet Shemesh, Moshe Abutbol. The Mayor has been studiously ignoring a volatile situation in our city for months, thereby enabling grown thugs to continue their daily harassment of little girls (and women) who were walking home from school. With the media outbreak of our Bet Shemesh "story", he has been forced to address the issue, at last.

In the interview I refer to below, he straight out lied on numerous issues. I immediately wrote to the editor to set the record straight, and got a response that with a little tweaking, he'd publish my response. A couple of days later, I received a letter from the editor stating that he would not be publishing any material on the Bet Shemesh issue. Having received that, I must get my response out there to set the record straight, specifically about one man who the Mayor slandered who has done more good for this city than any other individual. Below is my response:

To Whom it may Concern,

As a Bet Shemesh resident, I'd like to address numerous factual errors in your column entitled "Q & A with Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbol" Issue 52.

1- Abutbol stated the following: "If it would have been designated as a boys' school, the charedim would have been able to accept it and restrain their opposition. The entire outcry began the moment it was designated for girls." He then continues on to say that if the two buildings would simply switch places, the entire issue would be solved.

This is false. When the boys' school opened 3 years ago, there were protests and vandalism to the building as well. The reason they were able to keep it going this year, was so that they could hide their real agenda under the cries of 'tznius'. In addition, they harass the the girls as they leave and walk up the block to the buses or their house, which is the exact same route that they would take if the buildings were switched, as they're right next door to each other.

2- (Ami reporter) Sam Sokol asked why we haven't seen any protests from the Chareidi part of Bet Shemesh against the extremists, to which Abutbol answered as follows: "As I said before, the Chareidim do not want to be seen as supporting the construction of a girls school in the middle of the Chareidi neighborhood".

I have two issues with this statement.

Number one, all we were looking for was a condemnation of violence from as many frum leaders as possible, in order to alienate and malign the extremists. No politics necessary in said condemnation.

Number two- the school in question is NOT "in the middle of the chareidi neighborhood". It is on the border of three Dati Leumi neighborhoods that have been around for decades, and a few RBS B buildings which sprung up 5 years ago. In no way can it be described as it was, "in the middle of a chareidi neighborhood".

3- Abutbol mentioned Dov Lipman numerous times. As a resident for the same amount of time that Rabbi Lipman has been here, I can attest to the fact that there is NO ONE in this city who has given of himself in the form of time and energy the way he has.

There was much negativity towards him in the article, but I'd like to address one specific sentence which will capture what needs to be said about the rest of the comments aimed toward Rabbi Lipman.

Abutbol stated "For three years Lipman fought against every building that went up to house chareidim. He fought the growth of chareidim day and night".

Nothing could be further from the truth. It is easily refutable, as in every single interview Rabbi Lipman has given, as well as in every talk I've personally had with him on the subject, he CLEARLY states that his goal is equal affordable housing for ALL populations. He's been working tirelessly to mitigate the damage of the extremists, and Abutbol should be grateful to Rabbi Lipman for doing what Abutbol should have been doing all along, instead of calling him a "thorn in the side of Bet Shemesh".

Etana Hecht
Bet Shemesh

Looking in the Mirror

2012-01-15T11:54:00.015-06:00

I fear we are losing the battle. The battle I speak of is over Achdus in Klal Yisroel. There are just some people who don’t care about it. Or worse actively fight against it. And I am not talking about the extremists. I am talking about mainstream Jews.

How can there be when there is division even among moderate Charedim?

The reaction to the events taking place in Israel specifically in Bet Shemesh and Meah Shearim… and to the community from which they come is illustrative of that. On the surface it may not seem like much of a division. In fact on the central issue of condemning the extremists the two sides seem to be on the same page. But if one reads the various articles in the Charedi media there is a subtle but very important difference between the two reactions. Which I am beginning to think is an insurmountable one.

Just to briefly describe the two reactions. There is the way Hamodia publisher Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein reacted on the front page of her newspaper. Hamodia is a pretty Charedi publication. Her outrage was so great that she broke her own policy of never printing the first names of female writers - to make her feelings known. On the front page no less. A courageous thing to do.

Then there is the way many other mainstream Charedi publications make their condemnations of those events. They always add a caveat. One that gives some legitimacy to the other side even while admitting that it was no excuse for the way the extremists acted.

Typically those caveats are aimed at what they see as a biased secular media and a biased secular government – both of which are treated as virtual enemies of the Torah. It’s almost as if they are constantly looking to blame whatever ails them on anything but the real culprits. And they see any criticism of Charedim from the outside as Charedi bashing – accusing them of painting all Charedim with the same negative broad brush.

The question is why is this so? Why must a condemnation of an obvious evil always be accompanied by counterclaims of evil of the other side? Is there never an instance where a Charedi does not have some ameliorating factor to ‘explain’ why these people act as they do? Why is there always a qualification?

I think the answer lies in the fact that they look at the protesters and even the miscreants and see themselves. They are in effect looking into a mirror. They see people who look and dress just like their version of the ideal Jew. They see a community of people who live their lives in every other way ‘Al Taharas HaKodesh’ - as they put it… a very high spiritual level. Their Shabbos, their Kashrus, their Gidrei Tznius (fences against immodesty) are to be admired and even emulated! How can these people then be criticized without some sort of ‘explanation’ about where they are coming from spiritually? Some of them - they say - may be misguided and even condemnable. But the larger group from which they come are laudable people living pristine and completely spiritual lives.

There was no better example of this attitude than the way Ami Magzaine reported a week spent in Squaretown by their editor. This was after one of its residents was involved in an arson that ened up setting on fire - another resident of that town. Why did the publisher go there? Because he wanted to show and laud those exact values. And that not all Charedim go around setting people on fire ...that this was an anomally done by one sick person.

I realize that was the purpose of Ami. That is all well and good. But by doing so they were guilty of also promoting the very values that may have led to that arson. Why did they do that? Because they see those values only and are blind to the fact that those same values may very well be responsible for the kind of misguided behavior that led to arson and a horrible crime against a fellow human being.

When it comes to the Eida HaCharedis they see the same kind of thing. They can therefore never fully condemn anyone, no matter how vile, without adding how wonderful the larger community that individual comes from. Any suggestion that some fault may lie in the Hashkafos that produces these criminals is seen as painting them all with the same broad brush as the extremists. And label it Charedi bashing.

On the other hand there are moderate Charedim who see things the way I do. They live virtually the same lifestyles as those I described above but make no apologies for the goings on in Meah Shearim. I am not sure why there are these differences but they are definitley there. I see it right here on this blog. Some Charedim completely understand my outrage and the suggestion that their Hashkafos might contribute to extremist behavior.

Other moderate Charedim like those at Ami refuse to make any connection at all - as though the extremists were all raised in a vacuum. They seem to always add the refrain ‘We should not paint all Charedim with the same broad brush!’ …as if suggesting a possible root cause in their Hashkafos was doing that.

I don’t know how many times I have said that most Charedim even in Meah Shearim would not do the kinds of things done by the extremists. But that does not mean we can’t look deep inside their Hashkafos to see if there might be some connection. That is not Charedi bashing. But that they say it is in my view a defensive tactic. Becasue they see themselves or their ego ideals when they see the typical Meah Shearim Jew.

Bearing this in mind I think we can predict the reaction to the latest outrage. There has once again been a protest in Meah Shearim. This time it was about the government investigating some of their residents about illegal activities. From the Ha’aretz:

Israel Police and the tax authorities claim the arrests were made after a long investigation, during which evidence was gathered tying the suspects to felonies such as theft of donations, tax evasion, money laundering and more.

The leader of the Eida HaCharedis sees this only one way. As purposeful harassment of their people by the secular anti Frum Government that is out to destroy Yiddishkeit. Again from the article:

Rabbi Yitzhak Tuvia Weiss said that the arrest of the six is as if he himself was arrested. His followers understood his statement as a call to use all means to protest the arrests.

The question is how will this be seen by moderate Charedim on both sides?

Some will see it as solely a harassment by the government that is being reported in a biased anti Charedi newspaper. And some will see it as I do – Charedi leaders putting their own people ahead of the law – as they did in last week’s protest against the prison sentence of one of a young man convicted of beating up a store owner and trashing his business. The Eida saw him as a hero. And there are moderate Charedim who will follow them in lock step saying the same thing.

This is not be the first time a religious leaders has tried to defend the indefensible. I will never forget the reaction by one such leader that I know personally in Bnei Brak. One of his Chasidim was caught selling illegal drugs to non religious Jews or non Jews. He said, OK, he was wrong but you have to understand. Nebech - he has 11 children to feed!

This too is the kind of mentality that seems to animate much of the response of those apologists. They always find some justification or excuse to defend one of their own – it seems - no matter how condemnable. And it isn’t just the rabbis of the Eida (or like minded people like this Chasidic Rebbe in Bnei Brak) Mainstream Charedim are doing it.

With this kind of attitude there can never the kind of Achdus I believe there should be between a broad range of Orthodox Jews. There can be no Achdus when a huge segment of the mainstream looks at the extremists and their culture - and sees themselves.

Absolutists and the 5th Chelek

2012-01-13T10:01:00.009-06:00

I have no idea whether this website has anything to do with Leib Tropper. But if the website’s name is any indication - it does. Kol Yaakov is the name of Tropper’s Charedi Baal Teshuva Yeshiva. Which makes the subject matter dealt with therein extremely ironinc since Tropper was guilty of the very kind of behavior blamed on the internet. Which is the subject of that website’s video presentation.

In that video (beginning at about 19 minutes into it) Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein tells a horrific story about a 19 year old religious Jewish girl that was kidnapped by people who tricked her into their arms via the internet. By the time they rescued her she had become completely psychotic. Psychosis is a mental disorder that means that one has totally broken off from reality. It is not treatable by standard psychotherapy. Truly a tragic story

Rabbi Wallerstein then did what all absolutists in our religion do, he urged that people stay of the internet in any form, Facebook, chat rooms… all of it! …because dangers like these are so real and so tragic.

I am so tired of this drivel. I don’t know how many times I have written about this issue. Yes, the internet has its dangers. Yes it can be misused. And yes tragedies like the one described here do happen. There is ample evidence of that.

The problem with all these absolutists is they fail to admit the positive benefits of the web which are enormous. That should be obvious to anyone who is reading this post. You do not discard a valuable tool just because it has a potential for misuse even when it could cause great harm. Although many of these absolutists acknowledege the tremendous benefit, they argue that the potential dangers are so great that whatever the benefit, it is not worth the risk.

Using this argument I could ban studying the Torah. How many times is the Torah misused as justification for evil?! The misuses of the Torah in this sense is enormous if you think about it. How many times do people get hurt in its name? How many religious women were spat upon or beaten on buses? How many people have created a massive Chilul HaShem via cheating on their taxes, or in business, or in perpetrating fraud in various money laundering schemes… and then trying to justify their behavior as technically within Halacha?! The Torah world is still reeling from the evil occuring in Bet Shemesh in the name of Torah!

Even Rav Elyashiv could not escape being a victim in this sense. A few years ago in the name of Torah he was pummeled with rotten vegetables by religious zealots who could not accept his lenient Psak about excavating a certain gravesite.

No one is going to ban studying Torah. Least of all the people who want to ban the internet. The point is that anything can be misused no matter how valuable a tool it may otherwise be.

Before anyone’s shorts get all tied up in knots, I am not comparing the internet to the Torah. I am only saying that just because there are dangers in using a tool does not mean we must discard it. All it means is that we must use caution when using it. I am not going to go into a lengthy discussion about how we can use the internet safely. It’s all out there and has been discussed to death. There is always a risk. No matter how valuable - a tool can be misused.

But acknowledging that takes common sense – the ‘5th Chelek’ (volume) of the Shulchan Aruch… a volume sometimes missing in certain circles. That’s why - for instance - we occasionally see public trashings of TVs, computers and laptops.

One might say I am going a bit overboard here and that the right wing world has come around to the idea that in some cases the interent is indeed useful and that it should not be entreily banned. Well, that is certainly not the case in Israel. The Charedi world has completely banned it there except in cases where it is necessary for one’s livelihood. In the US, rabbinic leaders have not banned it, but they would if they could. They urge people who need it for work to not use it for any other purpose. Yeshivos and day schools in Lakewood (and probably many in New York) will not accept your children if you do. And the recent Agudah convetion’s central focus was on the evils of Frum bloggers – yet another reason to ban it.

I hope it’s not true but I have been told that Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman has pubicily suggested banning the interent entirely. Even for purposes of livelihood. He says the dangers of the internet are so great we are in a situation comparable to what it was like in the early 20th century when Jews who were forced to work on Shabbos or lose their jobs. He supposedly said that just like seriously committed religious Jews sacrificed their jobs for the sake of Shabbos, so too must religious Jews sacrifice their jobs for the sake of ridding the Torah world of this scourge!

So much for common sense. Lest anyone think Rabbi Wachsman is no one of consequence I can assure you that he is. He is a Rosh Yeshiva and rising star in the Charedi world. He is in great demand as a public speaker. He is looked up to. When he speaks – Charedim listen.

What kind of future does Judaism have when it’s up and coming leaders have discarded the 5th Chelek?

If I were Charedi I would try and start a revolution. I would make it my goal to see that every home has the internet, urge that it not be misused and that proper precautions are taken in that vein, and in order to restore common sense into the Torah world - make blogs like this one mandatory reading.

Thank You

2012-01-12T12:01:00.001-06:00

I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who have donated money to help support this blog. I am truly overwhelmed by the generosity. As I said in the original announcement I work hard to try and publish essays of quality every day on a blog that will remain free to the public. Nonetheless it is nice to be appreciated in this way.

The Gay Conundrum

2012-01-12T10:53:00.012-06:00

Lo Samod Al Dam Reacha – Do not stand idly by on your brother’s blood. That is the name of a website that hosts a statement about homosexuality that I find troubling. Precisely because of how it treats its subject matter. Back to this later.

When I studied psychology (my major) in college back in the sixties, homosexuality was considered abnormal behavior and a mental disorder. A couple of years after I got my bachelor’s degree (1969) the American Psychological Association made an announcement that has impacted society in a major way ever since. They took homosexuality off of the list of psychological disorders and thenceforth treated it as a normal alternative lifestyle.

Although it began as gradual change it has by now resulted in a tectonic shift in the societal attitude toward homosexuality. One need only look at the way it is treated in the media and all areas of entertainment industry to see that. Today we are witnessing legalized marriage ceremonies… a phenomenon that is celebrated in some circles.

And yet the Torah clearly forbids a man ‘lying with a man as with a woman’. It is considered a capital offense. The question arises, what does an Orthodox homosexual do in the current social climate? This is an issue that I have discussed here many times. My position in a nutshell is - hate the sin love the sinner.

Being attracted to members of the same sex is not sinful. Acting on impulses generated by that attraction is. My approach is to treat all of mankind as created in the image of God. To judge every human being by the content of their character. As long as there is no advocacy of sin it is no one else’s business what goes on in their bedroom. That is left for God to judge –not me.

The fact happens to be that there are still many heterosexual people that see homosexuals in a negative light – and are disgusted by their behavior. Among Orthodox Jews that feeling is reinforced by the way the Torah treats it, calling it a Toevah - an abomination.

Knowing what people actually think about how homosexuals fulfil their sexual desires can and does lead many Orthodox homosexuals into serious depression sometimes ending in suicide! My understanding is that the suicide rate among homosexuals is very high. Which brings me back to that rabbinic statement.

In what they call a Torah declaration by rabbinic leaders and mental health professionals they have made a claim that I do not believe reflects accurately on the reality of this issue. In what I would call in large part an expression of love and compassion towards people with same sex attraction, they have nonetheless made the following claim:

The concept that G-d created a human being who is unable to find happiness in a loving relationship unless he violates a biblical prohibition is neither plausible nor acceptable. G-d is loving and merciful. Struggles, and yes, difficult struggles, along with healing and personal growth are part and parcel of this world. Impossible, life long, Torah prohibited situations with no achievable solutions are not.

We emphatically reject the notion that a homosexually inclined person cannot overcome his or her inclination and desire. Behaviors are changeable. The Torah does not forbid something which is impossible to avoid.

They recommend what has come to be known as reparative therapy. I personally believe that reparative therapy can work in some cases. For example for those who are bi-sexual. And for those who are merely confused about their sexuality. But reparative therapy does not work in every case. Whether homosexuality is caused through nature or nurture is immaterial. There is a ‘hard-wiring’ in some cases that cannot be changed. And trying to do so with individuals like this could have disastrous consequences including suicide.

The truth of the matter is that nobody would choose a lifestyle that much of especially the religious world still sees as an abomination – despite the best efforts of the general society to normalize it. Who would do such a thing to themselves? Reparative therapy that fails can send them into such a depression that they will no longer want to live!

That is why it surprises me that the signatories to this document include some highly respected Orthodox names in the mental health profession. Surely they must know that reparative therapy is not for everyone. It is very telling that some very prominent Orthodox mental health professionals that surely were asked to sign did not do so. I have been told that at least in one case a Charedi mental health professional refused to sign precisely for this reason. I see it as Pikuach Nefesh – a life and death issue. He probably does too. Indeed one must not stand idly by while another Jew’s blood is being spilled which has happened in some cases where reparative therapy has failed.

There is very thoughtful and intelligent essay written by Rabbi Zev Farber, a YCT graduate that deals with this issue and makes a similar observation:

I was also very disturbed. The Declaration advocates strongly for reparative or conversion therapy, a pseudoscientific and medically discredited practice that many professionals consider dangerous; the American Psychological Association goes so far as to say that any therapist who employs reparative therapy is in violation of the Hippocratic Oath.

The Declaration further argues that homosexuality must be both psychological and curable, since God could not be so cruel as to create people with homosexual urges and make it forbidden to act upon them – a theologically dubious argument to say the least. I would venture to say that anyone who is or who knows someone suffering from any of the countless debilitating life-long diseases would be taken aback by the claim that God would never create a person with a biological makeup that could ruin his or her life.

Although he does an excellent job of discussing the Halachic approach to this subject I have some problems with some of his conclusions. Here is one:

What we are asking of the homosexual Orthodox community is impossible. It is simply unrealistic to ask or expect normal adults to remain celibate… Quoting Rabbi Nathan Cardozo he says it’s completely impossible.

Impossible? I think the Catholic Church would take major issue with that. Although celibacy is certainly an issue for them, one would have to admit that the majority of the priesthood is indeed celibate. That is in fact what they are asked to do in service to God. Should we not ask Jews to at least try and make that same sacrifice in the interest of Halacha?

At the same time, I agree that it is very difficult thing to never be able to satisfy their sexual desires.

Perhaps more importantly, Rabbi Farber uses a Halachic device known a Oness Rachmanei Patrei – people are not responsible for sinful acts that are beyond their control. While not condoning the behavior - he goes to great lengths to show how a homosexual acting on his sex drive is such a case. He believes that their own nature forces them to act this way even though as observant Jews they would prefer not to sin.

I hear his argument but ultimately it fails. One can always make a choice about which path to take in any given moment. Even knowing there is no other outlet for his desires – hard as it may be - if he chooses to sin, then he is responsible for his actions.

This is not to say that there are no ameliorating circumstances in the eyes of God. Ultimately it is up to Him. But the sin is not forced upon any homosexual man. It is committed willfully. A choice was made and as acknowledged by Rabbi Farber, homosexual sex is still a sin explicitly forbidden by the Torah. Furthermore an attitude like this will certainly be seen by homosexuals as a virtual Heter for behavior.

However in light of my understanding of the fixed nature of sexual proclivities - I do agree that there should be no social penalty for those who are attracted to members of the same sex even if we think they act on it. We are not God’s accountants. As long as they do not flaunt it as a lifestyle thereby turning an Aviera into a Mitzvah – we should not judge them.

Support for Charedi Vigilantism

2012-01-11T10:51:00.014-06:00

If there is any doubt about whether there was any support for last week’s demonstration in Kikar Shabbat by Meah Shearim residents– let it end now.

For those with short memories - the ‘good citizens’ of that neighborhood protested what they called unfair treatment by the secular government and media by wearing Holocaust garb (yellow ‘Star of David’ armbands or clothes patches; people wearing concentration camp prison uniforms sitting in mock cages…). They were trying to draw a parallel of the way the government treats them to the way Jews were treated by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

This event drew near universal condemnation, not the least of which came from actual Holocaust survivors.

Not so the Eida HaCharedis. In an unbelievable turn of events they supported it. It is not a rumor. It is not speculation. And it is not a manipulated response of Eida leaders by extremists with their own agenda.

Rabbi Yair Hoffman who had heard about it couldn’t believe it either. But after researching it, he has actually confirmed it. A document (reproduced at VIN) posted on the walls of their Jerusalem neighborhood unequivocally supported the protest. While there is some question about whether the entirety of that document was approved by all signatories, there is no doubt about its primary message of support.

The signatures included those of Eida leaders Rav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss and Rav Moshe Shternbuch. They support the acts of the Sikkrikim – vigilantes who act like Mafia type enforcers – using violence to get their religious way. Although opposing the actual violence, they support the enterpise (see the VIN article for details).

How violent can they get? One of the reasons for the demostration was to protest the 2 year jail sentence one of those Sikrikim- Shmuel Weissfish – who caused bodily harm and monetary damages to the owner of an electronics store in their neighborhood. And let’s not forget the damage they caused to Manny’s Book Store in that same neighborhood. Or the numerous other violent crimes committed by these animals. Animals that the Eida now seems to support as has been made clear by Rabbi Hoffman’s research.

So the next time someone tells you that these Sikrikim have no support and that it is just a bunch of hooligans doing it with no support - giving Charedim in Israel a bad name... you should correct them and say that these hooligans are supported by a premiere rabbinic establishment – the Eida HaCharedis.

How big is the Eida? They are in essence the largest Kashrus agency in Israel. Kind of like the OU is here. Their tentacles reach all the way into the very heart of Israel’s food industry and spread far and wide. Their Hechsher is on so many products that it would be impossible to boycott them. They do not only give Hechsherim. They make proclamations and are a mainstream organization despite their extremist views and policies!

The behavior that the Eida supports is a cancer in our midst! It has to be treated the same way - excised and destroyed! They have to be fought. And perhaps that is finally happening. There has been a tremndous backlash by many Charedi leaders some of whom might be considered to be on the far right. They are beginning to speak up. And they are angry.

In one recent condemnation reported by VIN, ‘Rabbi Rafael Zar, a Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Dor – Ohr Yehuda, a noted baal mussar’ said the following:

“They are the worst kind of evildoers, far worse than the most secular individual,” said Rabbi Zar. “If I could I would break their arms and legs. This is not just my opinion, it is the opinion of Chazal. They would catch them, give them lashes and break their bones for their appalling behavior.

Spitting on women? I am appalled by this and any true Ben Torah feels the same way about this garbage. The people who do this are nothing more than garbage and they bring a foul stench to the scent of Torah in this world. It is repulsive. To spit on a Jewish Girl? Who do you think you are?

Anyone whose middos are so corrupt, is not a Jew in my eyes. He is an animal.”

“Someone who commits a Chilul Hashem like this does not deserve to have a beard. It is an embarrassment. According to the Holy Tazdik Baba Sali Zt’l there are Jews that when they will go to gehenim, the fire will start from their beard, because they don’t deserve to have a beard.”

And he’s not the only one who feels this way. There have been many similar condemnations of these people. And then you have the Eida! And to a lesser extent those who mix apologetics into their condemnations.

Not only are those animals in Bet Shemesh creating a Chilul HaShem, so too are their supporters in Meah Shearim and their mentors the Eida HaCharedis.

They blame their current situation on the government and the media as being biased against them. But they have brought this all upon themselves by flexing their communal muscle upon the rest of Israeli society. And Charedi leaders outside of their community who constantly excuse or ‘understand’ their behavior … or chalk it up to a few hooligans are guilty too by providing them with excuses for their behavior.

There ought to be zero tolerance for these people and they ought to be fought tooth and nail at every level in non violent ways.

There was recently a flashmob in the business district of Bet Shemesh. A group of women, many of whom looked religious suddenly converged and started singing and dancing to a ‘Queen’ song (Don't Stop Me Now) in the heart of that that city – a city taken over by Charedim. They sang and danced - and then just as suddenly - they quickly dispersed.

Many would say that this was an outrage. How can women have such a lack of Tznius in the middle of a town with so many Charedim in it?! It is forbidden for men to hear woman sing or to see them dance. How dare they force themselves upon religious Jews?!

Perhaps they shouldn’t have done that. Although women do have a right to do as they wish in the public square and men have the obligation to avoid gazing at them in lascivious ways, it is unfair to just show up unannounced in an area where you have a captive and unwilling audience - and start singing and dancing.

But can you blame them? This was not done because they want to enforce their laxer standards on the Charedim of Bet Shemesh. They have never done anything like this in the past. They did it to counter protest what that community has been doing to them. They wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine. They wanted to show that it is these very animals that are responsible for what they did. And in that sense – good for them! (Those who were there and did not want to see or hear them could have just not looked and covered their ears.)

There definitely is a divide even among Charedi leaders about this. It is a sad fact of reality however that extremism in the defense of religious principles tends to have the upper hand. The fact that they think they are doing it for God and get support from the likes of the Eida – does not bode well for a happy ending.

LECH LECHA - A New Yeshiva For Young Men

2012-01-10T00:05:00.000-06:00

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Sticking Your Head in the Sand

2012-01-10T00:02:00.006-06:00

I have been called an ignorant Jew and Israel basher by someone I usually agree with. He is an intelligent and gifted writer - a former pulpit rabbi from Detroit by the name of Reuven Spolter.

But that’s OK. I have thick skin. Nor do I hold any animus towards him - no hard feelings at all. Having made Aliyah himself not long ago, his attitude is to be quite expected. Which is quite contrary the views I expressed yesterday in my post about the ideal versus the real in the State of Israel.

Nor is he the only one who was so strongly upset with me. Many people who have happily made Aliyah and even agree with me on most things disagreed with me strongly here. Frankly I don’t even blame them.

Rabbi Reuven Spolter has probably spoken for many in a written response to that post.

First let me say, that I may have overstated my case. My own experience there when I visit Ramat Bet Shemesh every year has been mostly positive – nothing like what I wrote. I saw no protests. No one spat on me. Or my wife. Or my children. Or my grandchildren. People of all stripes were nice to me.

The Charedi Shul in which I davened had people from all Hashkafos Davening there. There were Dati soldiers and civilians, Charedim with Yeshiva type Hashkafos, Chasidim, and Sephardim. There was no enmity at all. We all sat in the same room and Davened. I felt no animosity from anyone. Only warmth, good cheer and fellowship from everyone.

Nor was it my intent to discourage Alyiah. Even though there are hardships in living there - the reward by far surpasses the pain. The ideal I spoke of is indeed lived by many Jews there. My question about Aliyah at the end of my post yesterday was meant rhetorically.

And finally I stand second to no one in my support for the Jewish State- and my concern for the Jewish people!

And because I do care, I do not back off entirely from what I said. That’s because what I said is true. The issues I wrote about are real and need to be dealt with. They are serious issues that could destroy the country. Issues like increasing Charedi poverty; the lack of any education that would prepare them for the workplace, the extremists of Meah Shearim; the extremists on the West Bank… none of them can be ignored.

One should not simply say that they don’t really deal with these things on a day to day basis and therefore life is good. Life may be good. But when you have masses of people creating one Chilul HaShem after another it undermines the very fabric of the country. When you have masses of religious Jews being raised as ignoramuses in everything but Gemarrah it undermines your country’s future… and your own. You have to pay attention to these issues and the people who cause problems.

The picture accompanying Rabbi Spolter’s post (which I have reproduced here) implies that I am sticking my head in the sand. I would turn that around. His saying that ‘Life is just wonderful where I live’ is sticking your head in the sand. When things like this are ignored they have a tendency to get worse. Life may then end up not being so ‘wonderful where you live’ in the future.

Rabbi Spolter says that since I don’t live in Israel I am therefore ignorant of the facts. That he doesn’t live in Syria is why he doesn’t comment about life there.

Really? He feels unqualified to comment on Syria? Does he think the media possibly has it wrong? That Syria is actually quite a nice place for a Jew to live? Who knows… maybe it is. After all I don’t live there. And maybe you want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

You don’t have to live in Israel to know what is going on. Especially when many of the people who write about the things I wrote about yesterday - do live there! True, some of it may be sensationalist for purposes of increased readership. But when virtually all the media focuses on the same thing and sees it all the same way – including the Charedi media (e.g. Hamodia) - there is more to it than sensationalism.

But here is the real kicker: He rhetorically asks:

Why do American Jews seem to think that Jews in Israel are supposed to get along? Where in the Torah is there any guarantee that Jews would agree with one-another in peace and harmony? Struggle and strife are part and parcel of disagreement. We disagree about important things: the future of the Jewish country; the nature of the Jewish State; The destiny of the Jewish people. So Rabbi Maryles expects Chareidim to abdicate their views and just "get along?"

Well… the short answer is, Yes! At least to the ‘get along’ part. One does not have to abdicate their views to get along.

One should of course not give up core principles. But that does not mean there has to be the kind animosity and violence we see in huge segments of the population in Israel. Nor should it mean that one can simply ignore the law there because it doesn’t meet with their religious goals.

Rabbi Sploter attributes the lack of this kind of thing in places like America to what he says are factions living parallel lives. That there is no interaction between them. That we each go our separate ways.

Perhaps that’s true in New York or Detroit. But that is absolutely not true here in Chicago. All segments of Orthodoxy interact with each other here. We even interact with our non Orthodox brthern via our active participation Chicago Jewish Federation. And they are very generous to the Orthodox community. There is not enmity. There is no strife. There is no acrimony. There is exactly the peace and harmony that Rabbi Spolter seems to say can’t exist in among those with strong convictions which he seems to feel must lead to struggle and strife.

One more thing. Rabbi Spolter says:

Strife, as troubling as it is, emanates from real disputes about critical issues, coming from passionate people who care deeply about the important issues that they represent.

Of course it does. I actually agree that this is at least in part the reason for extremism that exists in Israel. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Nor should it be that way. People with strong Hashkafic differences can get along despite their passion about them. Although our Hashkafos are different - and we all take our religious views very seriously here in Chicago -we do get along very nicely. All it takes is learning how to be tolerant and loving of our fellow Jews.

Kiddush HaShem - Chilul HaShem

2012-01-10T00:01:00.005-06:00

Kiddush HaShem:

As I've said here before, the President of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the world. There is no one closer to the President than his Chief of Staff. It has been said the the man (or woman) who holds this position has more access to the President than the President's own wife.

No one gets to see the President without first going through this man. I therefore take pride in saying that Jacob Lew, an Orthodox Jew, has been appointed by President Obama as his new Chief of Staff. Why is this a Kiddush HaShem? Because he has risen to a high place of honor thus reflecting postively upon his values. What are those values? As an Orthodox Jew they are the values of the Torah. And that in my view is a Kiddush HaShem. Congratulations Mr. Lew.

Chilul HaShem:
Needs no explanation

Aliyah - The Ideal and the Real

2012-01-09T11:20:00.010-06:00

The Ideal:

We were granted by God a great blessing. We have been given a land of milk and honey. Israel is a place where Jews can perform more Mitzvos than anywhere else in the world. We can observe the laws of Terumah and Maaser; Orla and Shmitta.

And we can experience Yom Tov unlike anywhere else in the world… the way the Torah intended for us to observe it – at least to the best of our ability in post Temple times.

We can flourish as a Jewish nation in all areas of life in the most Jewish of ways. Shabbos is the official day of rest. Jewish holidays replace Christian ones and are celebrated by all Jews who are a majority of the population.

Israel in short is the place for Jews to be – where we can share in a truly unified holy Jewish life. It is a Torah nation; a kingdom of priests – free to serve God unfettered by governments who would deny their people their freedoms.

We should be a nation of scholars and workers; soldiers and sailors; farmers and entrepreneurs; artisans and craftsman… a ‘full service’ nation. We should be a nation based on the ideals of Torah where every Jew serves God to the best of their ability and participates toward the common good in their own unique way. With love and tolerance towards one another in complete brotherhood.

The joy of living in as Jews in Eretz Yisroel is something that all Jews should strive for. The Talmud tells us that the very air of Israel makes one wise. Certainly one can find in Israel the kind of dedication to Torah study unlike anywhere else in the world.

What could be better than living a life like this? To borrow a phrase from the American pledge of allegiance – Israel should be one nation, under God with liberty and justice for all.

The Real:

Israels air must be polluted. Because it seems to be making Jews stupid – not wise. Instead of unity we have divisiveness. A divisiveness among Jews unmatched in any other part of the world where Jews can be found. In Israel - it is Jew against Jew.

Too many Charedim hate Datim and secular Jews. Too many secular Jews hate all religious Jews. And religious extremists in Meah Shearim (who are spreading into other areas) - think they are in charge of everything. They make every attempt to show it - making life miserable for everyone else.

The level of intolerance by all makes it impossible for there to be any unity. The level of devotion to one’s own Hashkafa makes other Hashkafos unacceptable.

Israel has become a country of increasing extremes - extremes that are gripped tightly by its various intransigent segments.

Women are harassed on buses. Buses are increasingly being stoned - ramping up hatred in response.

Jews are calling other Jews Nazis... or parasites. One demonstration breeds the next - religious against secular and secular against religious.

With few exceptions Charedim refuse to educate their children for the workplace and refuse to serve in the army - furthering the greatest level of poverty among Charedim than anywhere else in the world. Which increases the animosity of the secular and Dati world. Which in turn fuels the Charedi contempt for the secular world.

Some Religious Zionists are so messianic that they have rejected any governance that does not walk in lockstep with their messianic visions. Which causes all religious Zionists to be painted with one broad brush of extremism.

Chabad is more messianic about their Rebbe in Israel than anywhere else in the world.

Hechsherim in Israel are more problematic than anywhere else in the world.

I could go on. But you get the picture.

What happened to the milk and honey? Under these conditions - why would anyone one to make Aliyah?

There is a joke made among those who work in the Israeli bureaucracy which deals with Aliyah.

An anti-religious Israeli leader dies and comes before the heavenly tribunal. They ask him where he wants to go - heaven or hell.

He obviously says heaven. So he gets in the elevator and goes up. When he arrives he sees a Beis HaMedrash full of all Jews deserving of heaven learning Torah. He then asks to see hell.

They get in the elevator and go down. When he arrives he sees a beautiful lobby, tennis courts, elegant dining... beautifully appointed suites... and he says, what's the question, I'll take hell.

So they go back up, he packs and then they take the elevator back down to hell. He opens the door and sees the hell everyone imagines it to be: Fire and brimstone! He turns to his heavenly guide and asks, 'What happened to the tennis courts? The guide responds, last time you were a tourist. This time you have made Aliyah.

A Snap Analysis of the Current Candidates for President

2012-01-08T17:56:00.006-06:00

America - We have no Gedolim. At least not when it comes to candidates running for President. Of those who are running - I do not see any one of them as being suited to lead this country. Not as Commander in Chief and not domestically. And I include both Republicans and Democrats.

On the democrat side, we have one candidate - President Obama, who in my view has failed as a leader. If reducing the military’s budget and its personnel is his way of being commander in chief, we are in deep trouble. I do not buy his ‘leaner and meaner’ approach to military might. I doubt whether military leaders do either – although in deference to their commander and chief they would never say so. At least not if they want to keep their jobs.

The one area where we ought to be uncompromising is in our military strength. This means we need to maintain our military edge in every way. Not just in improved technology. Shrinking the military is exactly the wrong thing to do.

This does not mean that there isn’t fat in the military budget that should be trimmed. I am sure there is. But cutting the budget in the way the President suggests will weaken us. Not strengthen us. That is not the way to cut fat.

On the economic front Obama refuses to provide incentive to business with the kind of tax cuts that would stimulate business and create jobs. He has over regulated business and industry to the point that doing business in this country is prohibitively expensive. The traditional Democrat catering to big labor doesn’t help either. The supposed concession he got out of labor in order to bail out GM and Chrysler is a drop in the bucket as to what is really needed. GM and Chrysler have to compete with foreign competitors like Toyota and Nissan who build cars right here in America. These successful auto makers do not bother with organized labor. Is big labor necessary anymore? Has anyone asked Toyota’s employees if they think they are being cheated?

American businesses continue to seek and find cheaper labor in the less regulated business climate of places like China and India. Great for those foreign economies. Not so great for ours. Giving corporations and businesses tax relief and eliminating excessive regulation is the real way to lower the jobless numbers. I am of course not suggesting that all regulations should cease. Some of them are important. They protect the worker, the consumer and the environment. But some of it is just plain ridiculous and counterproductive.

Just to cite one example, The President’s refusal to free up exploration for oil and other energy resources in so called ‘protected areas’. The jobs that would be created and the decreased dependence on foreign oil alone is worth doing it. Yes there is some risk to the environment but there are safe ways that for the most part which will protect those areas and the benefit far outweighs the risk.

And his foreign policy decisions have not been all that wonderful either. Just look at how he has been lap-dogging the Arab narrative about Israel settlements being the biggest impediment to peace. Is THAT the real problem? Or is it Arab hatred of Jews? I could go on but that is more than enough to see that Barack Obama does not deserve re-election.

On the Republican side, There is not a single candidate that has sparked any enthusiasm in me.

The so-called front runner, Mitt Romney is far from inspiring. He seems like a policy wonk with a lot of verbiage coming out of his mouth. But there is nothing there that seems to stand out. Nor do I think much of his flip-flopping. Is he a Conservative? A Moderate? Who knows. He is a ‘stick your finger in the wind and see which way it is blowing’ kind of politician. If he has any core beliefs - nobody knows them. And what is his foreign policy like? Again - who knows. The fact that he said Israel will be the first country he will visit means very little to me.

Rick Santorum seems like a nice guy. He has got his values in the right place. He is a moral man. I tend to agree with many if not all of his conservative principles. Especially his views on the military, foreign policy, and the economy. But he does not excite me either. He does not exude the kind of confidence and determination that I think a President should have. It is almost as if he would be a ‘learning on the job’ President. I think we need more of a leader than that.

Ron Paul is a joke. A dangerous joke. He claims he is not an anti Semite. Maybe he isn’t. But his past comments and associations seem to say otherwise. His views on foreign policy are isolationist. He would cut off all support for Israel and couldn’t care less about a nuclear weapon being developed in Iran.

Some of his domestic libertarian policies are attractive to young people. His intention to overhaul the tax system and cut trillions from the budget resonates with people who are concerned about the economy. His idea of foreign policy is to close his eyes to what is going on in the rest of world. If he would have been President during World War II, Hitler would have won.

Rick Perry is a joke as well. Not a very intelligent one either. Not someone you want to have with his finger on the nuclear button.

John Huntsman is a non entity. I don’t even know what his views on Israel are. He impresses me as being a sort of ‘Bush 41’ type of President where his reliance on diplomacy would be over-used as an option. Kind of like the current President. If he would have been in Neville Chamberlain’s shoes before World War II, my guess is that he probably would have done the same thing. That is far from the kind leadership we need now.

That leaves Newt Gingrich. He is the most knowledgeable and intelligent of all the candidates running on both sides of the political aisle. But he has about and much chance of winning - even the nomination let alone Presidency -as I do. And for good reason. His baggage is too heavy, both personal and political. His personal baggage is appalling. You don’t want the leader of the free world to have had the kind of immoral past that he has had. Nor are his ethics anything to be proud of. He was officially reprimanded for his lack of them when he was still in the House of Representatives. And his leadership style is terribley erratic He has virtually no friends left in congress even on the Republican side of the aisle. The last thing we need is an erratic President.

I think Gingrich has mellowed and has learned to be less erratic. He also claims to have done Teshuva with respect to his immoral past. Perhaps. But his ethical lapses are still troubling. He sees nothing wrong with his profiteering at Fannie Mae – an organization that along with a few other lenders practically destroyed the economy of the United States. That said I still think that the Gingrich is the best of the bunch. But it doesn’t matter. He is unelectable.

Sorry to say this but I see no ‘Gedolim’ - political leaders that can lead this country and the free world.

Conversions, and Love

2012-01-08T09:44:00.002-06:00

Guest Post by Yossi Ginzberg

From the perspective of Torah thought, the need for human intimacy is a given. Whether from an ethical perspective (the recommendation/ obligation to be married), a Halachic view (the Chazaka of Tav l’maisav), or as advice (o Chavrusa o misusa, knai l’cha chaver), one is always urged or assumed to desire a life partner. This truth applies in a thousand ways to all of us, and manifests in multiple Orthodox issues from the Shidduch crisis to our attitudes towards gay relationships.

I am speaking about this rather obvious truth because of a recent event that has forced me to put pen to paper (more truthfully, finger to pixel).

Among the blogs and websites that I look at from time to time, there is one written by a young woman who, over the last few years, has written beautifully and movingly about her conversion and her journey to Orthodox Judaism. Her blog, in general, is a delightful read, and seems to cover every Jewish topic one could imagine with honesty, clarity, and sensitivity.

While I have never met her personally, she appeared to be akin to virtually every other young woman that I have met making this trek: A deep-thinking spiritual seeker, a person to be admired, and an asset to our faith. (I have been privileged for some years now to be very involved with many people in the conversion process here in New York City.)

Like many converts, along the way to Judaism she had already started a relationship with a born Jew, which was both a positive influence on his observance level and a problem for the very strict Bet Din, which tested him as well as her before allowing the conversion to take place. At some point when allowed, they married. Sadly, things didn’t work out, and they divorced. She moved to another city to start fresh.

This is where the problem occurs: Alone in her new home, she meets a sweet young man in a Starbucks and they start dating. He is not of the Jewish persuasion, although he apparently doesn’t care that she is both Jewish and Observant.

(For those who know who I speak of, I admit I may have some details wrong: As said, I am only an occasional reader. The actual details don’t matter to the topic here, because I am not addressing her particular history. There’s also no reason to quibble about how she could be both observant and dating a non-Jew. In the real world, such things happen often. I always ask people new to the conversion classes what drew them to Judaism, and the most common answer is that they had dated an Orthodox Jewish man.)

What the ending of her story will be, I don’t know. She may be one of those who attempts against all odds to make a mixed marriage work, while she remains otherwise Observant, or she may not. It may be just a post-divorce fling, it may not. Time will tell.

I post this not to condemn her in any way, although undoubtedly others will. I am as strongly against inter-dating and intermarriage as anyone, but I post because I’d like to respond to several requests:

I have been asked repeatedly (through postings on this blog, among other ways) how people who feel sympathetic to the converts and those in the process can help. Assisting these people is not only a humanitarian gesture and a Kiddush Hashem, it is usually a very satisfying experience.

Those in the process are among the most spiritual people you will ever meet. They have abandoned family, often their homes and sometimes even their spouses to follow their hearts to worship Hashem through Orthodox Judaism, and whenever possible we should validate that desire and welcome them, even as the process itself follows the rules of making it difficult.

A person converting, like any other person, has a need for companionship. I am not talking about religious counseling or teaching, I speak of simple being-a-friend behavior, as with any other person. But they have this need far more than most, as they have no one from their past that really “gets it”, that understands how being Jewish is so very different from being another religion, how being Jewish is a full-time job and how it affects not only your eating habits but also your dress, your behavior, and your mind-set.

Only a Frum person can really understand those things, and thus providing that social succor and aid that everyone needs but they need even more is a real Chesed that you can do. It is this search for a friend, for companionship, for being heard, that too often leads people to form friendships outside their new faith, and starts them down the path to this problem.

In addition to just being there for them, there’s another thing you can do, and that’s the raison d’etre for this essay: They have no family to help them find a Shidduch, and most likely their circle of friends can’t help much either. You may be able to help, if you’d make the effort.

Please, be sensitive and sensible, and use the same criteria that you would for anyone else- Don’t suggest someone just because they are the same race or because they are both converts. Likewise, don’t reject an idea just because they aren’t the same color, either. The nature of spirituality is such that the great majority of converts are female, aggravating the already-existing male/ female imbalance, so the problem is very real.

In my experience, it is the inability to find suitable mates that is the single biggest cause of failed conversions. Help them find someone, and you will be quite literally be assisting in establishing a real and permanent Jewish family, and you’ll have a part in all the Mitzvot they ever do. I know that there’s a Shidduch crisis in the FFB world, too, but perhaps assisting someone from this world will help someone from that, on the principle of “assisting one’s friend with something you need” (Kol hamevakesh b’ad chaveiro v‘hu tzarich l’oso davar, hu ne’ena techila).

I am resisting only with great difficulty the temptation to go off on a tangent here about how converts are confused by the inconsistent and very puzzling media reports of conversion difficulties, dueling rulings from alleged Gedolim, and the increasing frequency of Orthodox scandal. Let it suffice to say that if you are capable of it, there are questions to be answered.

Israeli Charedim that display hate, the high incidence of bad marriages, and a hundred other things are among the questions that will come up in addition to those about what Bracha to make, kosher symbols, and if snowmen are allowed. You can always defer questions that you are uncomfortable with, but being a friend is something they almost all need. Of course, bear in mind that you also have the opportunity to make a Kiddush Hashem with everything you say and do.

I have many stories to tell of my beautiful experiences with this community, and treasure them. Get involved in a good positive helpful way, and you will soon have our own collection of tales. Real Mesiras Nefesh for Hashem is rare these days, yet amongst this group it’s an everyday event, so take advantage of an opportunity to be a part of it.

Why Are We Not All on the Same Page?

2012-01-06T11:24:00.009-06:00

As I continue to watch events in Israel unfold, I have noticed a trend in how the Charedi world has responded to them. Surprisingly it does not break down in to how extreme or moderate one is. And it makes me wonder why the reactions are coming out as they do. The events I am talking about are: 1)The extremist Charedi attacks against innocent young Dati elementary school girls. And 2) the public protests in Meah Shearim by those sympathetic to them - using Holocaust imagery to paint media coverage and government treatment toward Charedim as Nazi-like.

The first type of reaction is much like the one I had. It was revulsion. Revulsion at - and unequivocal condemnation of - both of those events. But I was not the only one who had that reaction. The revulsion was almost universal. But the condemnation was not all unequivocal. In some cases it seemed like it was almost beside the point. In one case it was even treated like a non-event!

Let us look at some examples of this.

One was the Agudah reaction. They condemned what happened but seemed to care more about the issue of Tznius those extremists were complaining about. And about the way some in the media and government unfairly bashed all Charedim instead of the actual extremists who deserved it.

Another reaction was an article by Moshe Montag a Charedi member of the Bet Shemesh city council, in the Israeli newspaper Maariv (translated by Rafi Goldmeier). He wrote a satirical piece cynically ‘thanking’ the ‘outside world’ for the way they treat Charedim. He didn’t even mention the injustice that generated the current storm. Just the ‘unfair’ reactions and other ‘unfair’ issues with respect to the way ‘outside world’ treats Charedim.

Then there is the way one Charedi Rav in Ramat Bet Shemesh has been treating the entire problem from the very beginning. I will not mention his name since the post describing it has been removed from the blog in which I read it. His reaction was to not condemn it at all. He claimed that doing so would make it seem like there was some reason that Charedim needed to do so... that this is so far from Charedi behavior that he it did not require condemnation by a Charedi Rav. He apparently thinks his attitude it is an even bigger condemnation.

Bigger Condemnation? Really? My response is to quote from Hamlet: ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’.

What is worse is the reaction he seemed to have when asked what he would have done had he been the father of that child and been there. His answer was along the following lines:

He would have gently wiped away his daughter’s tears away and told her to ignore those bullies and taken her to her class. By doing this instead of making a big public deal about it, the whole thing would have gone away.

How unbelievably and uncharacteristically naïve this Rav is about this! As another Charedi Rav who lives near the school said, ‘Does he not know the history of this problem and how long it has been going on?’ ‘Does he think that only one girl has been harassed?’ ‘Does he really think his reaction would have made the problem go away?’

Frankly I am shocked by his reaction. I used to think of him as a hero for some of his courageous stands on other issues. I am now beginning to question that.

There were many other reactions like this in the Charedi community where the focus was on other issues; past grievances; or just a misperception of why the entire world is so upset. They seemed to all be looking to blame others for the core issue of the problem instead of focusing on the evil - and what it should mean. This should be see as a clarion call to change the way they have treated the outside world. The public outrage is as much against the way they have been treated by much of the Charedi world as it is against the evildoers themselves. The last straw was placed on the camel’s back. The chickens coming home to roost. And all the pent up outrage and anger has been released.

No I am not looking to bash the Charedi world. I am simply a keen observer of what goes on there. Besides I am not the only one who thinks this way. As I said there were a great many more Charedim who saw this event much the way I did. They are seeing this as their moment of truth. And there seems to be a general groundswell of Charedi soul searching going on right now.

Rav Edelstien, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevitch did. You can’t get much more Charedi than that. While I do not necessarily have his take on it, it is clear that he is looking inward rather than outward. Speaking about his own Charedi world he said, ‘We Deserve What We Are Getting’:

“The hate comes from sinas chinam, but it is explained by chilonim as being the result of one thing or another, telling the chareidi tzibur it must make a tikun in one area or another. While it is true that they are inciting for their own reasons but for us, we must realize that this is what we deserve and we must mend our ways.

This is a very positive development. And yet there are still these apologists I speak of. I don’t know why some feel the need to always add a spin to their condemnations that ends up turning around some of the blame onto the others.

It sure would be nice if the entire world was on the same page here. And not trying to ‘explain it all away’ to one degree or another with any number of different apologetics. Or to focus more on the negative public reaction rather than the evil itself. The core issue here isn’t that Charedim are hated by secular Jews. I think it’s the way secular Jews are treated by Charedim. That causes hatred in both directions. When it is clear who is at fault here, the apologetics generate even more hate. Who can then blame the secular world for the kind of polemics coming out of them?

Here is my message to those who have not fully and unequivocally condemned these people and their kindred spirits in Meah Shearim. It does not help matters when you add a ‘but’ to your condemnations. Nor does it help if you only see others as the problem or ignore the evil itself as not ‘our problem’.

We are all in this together. Every observant Jew has a stake in this – no matter what our Hashkafos are or how far up or down the spectrum of religiosity we go. We ought to all be on the same page on this. And instead we are bickering over whom or what is really to blame here.

Get a clue! As the great Pogo once said, ‘We have met the enemy and he is us!’

The United Silent Majority

2012-01-05T19:23:00.002-06:00

At the request of Rabbi Yakov Horowitz and as a public service I am posting the following notice. Please click on the link and ‘sign’ the petition. The following from that website explains what it is all about.

This website was created to provide a platform and a voice for the vast, silent majority of Jews worldwide to unconditionally condemn the violence and support the peaceful citizens of Beit Shemesh.

We believe that standing together in support of these values will generate a kiddush Hashem (the honoring of G-d's name). It will also allow members of the media and citizens of the world proof positive that we are, in fact, the vast silent majority.

Mendel Zilberberg
Yakov Horowitz

A Sad Day

2012-01-05T11:32:00.007-06:00

Another sad day in Jewish history. Today is Asarah B’Teves - the 10th day of the Jewish month of Teves. This is a day of fasting for the Jewish people. It is the anniversary of the day that began the process of the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash. The Babylonian army laid siege to Jerusalem which culminated in its destruction.

It is on days like this we ought to reflect on what is wrong in our world. The world of observant Jewry. Because when the people of Israel stray from the ways of the Torah tragedy like this happens. God promises that in the Torah itself.

I think it is important to realize that it is the behavior of observant Jews that God scrutinizes here. As observant Jews we are the ones who lay claim to being God’s loyal servants. Non observant secular Jews do not lay claim to that. They follow a different set of ethics - some of which coincide with the Torah and some of which do not.

It is those of us who claim to try and follow God’s laws meticulously –and fail – that have to pay the price exacted of us by God. Which is why both the 1st and 2nd Temples were destroyed.

The recent events taking place in Israel should make us all pause and reflect on how we let this happen. I think there is a lot of ‘pausing and reflecting going on now – even in the Charedi world. Here is but one example (of many) of that kind of refleltion. I am glad to see that. Hopefully that will lead to change. But that isn’t all that’s going on in the world.

It is on this day that I read about the sentencing of a prominent Rav, Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim, for perpetrating a massive fraud against the government. He was one of 46 people arrested for that crime caught via a federal sting operation.

How sad it is when any Jew is involved in any kind of crime. But when a someone purposely sets himself up to the world as a righteous individual… looks and dresses the part as those in the photo above do, it reflects not only on himself, and not only on Charedi Jewry, not only on all of Jewry, but on God Himself! That is called a Chilul HaShem - in no uncertain terms.

I know I used that phrase a lot. Unfortunetly it is for legitimate reasons. I do not use the term lightly. But when Jews who look like this commit a fraud of major proportions that is exactly what has happened - a Chilul HaShem.

What does the world see? A group of Orthdodx rabbis doing ‘the perp walk’. And being sentenced to jail time. All of them guilty of deliberately defrauding the government in a $1million international money laundering and tax evasion scheme. The fact that their sentences are being reported in the media today on Asarah B’Teves should send us a message.

These are not people who didn’t know they were doing anything wrong. They took money which they knew to be ill gotten gains funneled it through a series of charities, gave tax write-offs for the entire amount of the ‘donation’ and kept 10% as a fee!

Is this how Judaism operates? One might think so if they look at the prominent religious leaders involved.

I truly feel sorry for him. I’m sure he is a good man in many ways. But how can a man like 89 year Rabbi Saul Kassin - the spiritual leader of an entire Sepahrdic community in Deal N.J. - be involved in anything like this. He was given 2 years probation last year after pleading guilty.

As I recall the community defended him when the story first broke. They said it wasn’t true... or that he didn’t realize what he did was illegal… But he pleaded guilty. That means he either knew he was committing a crime, or should have known. Even if his participation was minimal, there is no such thing as a partial crook. It’s like being a little bit pregnant.

And how does a prominent Rav like 60 year old Rabbi Ben Haim decide it’s OK to plan and execute a massive international fraud? He pled guilty to using his network of religious charities to conceal more than $1 million in illegal proceeds. He too is a crook!

Rabbi Ben Haim asked for leniency since most of his life was dedicated to good works. What good are his good works when he has perpetrated such a massive fraud?! Nor does it matter that he used the proceeds of this fraud for his charities. What kind of Chinuch did a prominent Rav get that he felt that doing something like this was OK?! I guess it was the same Chinuch the Spinka Rebbe had. Rabbi Ben Haim was sentenced to five years in prison.

One of the most disturbing things to come out of this mess is how the Jewish informant, Solomon Dwek is being blamed for the whole thing. He was used by the FBI in an undercover capacity to carry out a sting against these rabbis (and some government officials). He did it to get leniency for his own crime – a $50 million bank fraud.

Dwek is considered a Moser by many people. A Moser is someone who informs on a fellow Jew to secular authorities. This is considered a heinous crime. That seems to be where the focus of much of the anger and fury is directed by his community - and others.

But that is beside the point. We can debate whether one can be considered a Moser in a just society such as ours in the United States. But one cannot debate the fact that there were 46 defendants netted in this case. Most were supposedly ‘religious’ Jews. Five of them rabbis! Is there any wonder why anti Semitism is on the rise? I realize there are many other factors invloved. But this does not help!

The Fruits of Hatred

2012-01-04T12:25:00.004-06:00

Hate. That seems to be what’s driving things in Israel these days. I am not talking about hating our enemies – those who would destroy us like Ahmadinejad. Or hating evil. Evil should be hated. I am talking about Jew hatred. Not from outsiders but amongst ourselves.

Nowhere was this more evident that in the recent events in Bet Shemesh. No one could ever spit non an 8 year old girl, call her a whore, and do all manner similar things those Charedi extremists did without sufficient hatred in their hearts. Nor could their compatriots who demonstrated in Meah Shearim last weekend wearing Holocaust paraphenalia.

While they say they are protesting matters of Tznius… or the way the government and media treats them, it is quite clear to me that their true motives are hatred of fellow Jews. Which is kind of ironic since many of them are known for their Gemilas Chasodim, their acts of kindness. More than once have I been told that about their generous spirit and hospitality when it comes to welcoming Jews of all stripes into their homes. But that spirit seems to be gone these days.

And what has all this wrought? A backlash in kind from Chilonim some of whom who have been found to be spitting on innocent Charedi children… as has been reported in Ha’aretz:

On Sunday, an 11-year-old Haredi girl told police she was attacked on a Jerusalem bus by a secular man who spit at her, pushed her and shouted: "We'll destroy the Haredim."

In another instance a young Charedi boy was badly beaten by some (apparently) Chiloni bullies:

The boy, David Lustig, told police that he was waiting for the bus to school "when someone approached me and said 'come here,' but I refused. They approached me, slapped me and started shouting at me." Lustig said two teens beat him with sticks and cursed at him. They were not wearing the scullcaps of religious Jews, and based on their curses, he believes they attacked him because he is ultra-Orthodox, he said…

At school, Lustig told one his teachers, Rabbi Moshe Neuber, who immediately took him to the local police station. "He's a charming, gentle soul," Neuber said of Lustig. "He was in shock. I never saw him so confused and shaken."

The police launched an investigation, but Lustig is now afraid to go to school alone.

This young boy’s fear matches 8 year old Na’ama’s fear. They are now both afraid to go to school.

What is becoming of us? Are we so hateful towards each other that we resort to beating up children? That a young Dati girl was traumatized by some Charedi bullies does not make it OK for Chiloni bullies to do the same. This is not Judaism. This is hooliganism of the worst kind. Adults taking out their hate on young and innocent children?! Jews are not barbarians.

It does no good for one side to blame the other. Nor to say ‘the other guy started it’. It should not happen at all. And if one side can’t be reasoned with - that does not mean that they should be paid back in kind. Two wrongs do not make a right. The young Charedi boy is completely innocent here and ought not pay for the sins of his uncles… or cousins… or co-religionists in Bet Shemesh.

It would be extremely naïve, however, to say that one event did not cause another. But that is no justification for retaliation in kind on innocent young children.

The hatred is real. It’s out there. On both sides. And there are reasons on both sides for it. Each side could probably come up with a list of legitimate compalints about the other. Does this mean there will be some kind of civil war, God forbid? I’m am beginning to wonder about that. And it isn’t just Charedim against Chilonim. The ‘price tag’ segments of religious Zionists seem to be at war already.

And it doesn’t stop there. Avirama Golan pointed out the following in another Ha’aretz article:

No less serious is the impact of the nationalist ultra-Orthodox community. The rabbis on the nationalist right are becoming more extreme to prove that they are not "religious lite," and their Haredi colleagues are afraid to appear lenient.

Chasing Chumros seems to be the order of the day. One Orthodox segment is not willing to concede Frumkeit to another. So if one segment adopts a Chumra, another will adopt even more just so it will not be outdone.

The result can only be that Chilonim will become completely marginalized and alienated from any form of observance. And the more extreme one Orthodox segment gets, the more one will find the kind of extreme behavior that results in what happened in Bet Shemesh... and the kind of retaliatory reactions that happened to 11 year old David Lustig in Jerusalem.

We are now witness to a vicious circle of hatred. I agree with Ms. Golan’s concluding paragraph. She was speaking to Chilonim. But I think it applies to Charedim as well (with Charedi substitutions for the Chiloni protest groups she speaks of):

In light of this vicious circle, the secular-liberal community proposes a mixture of fear and hatred, instead of defining the face of Israeli society, its values and future. With all due respect, protest groups like Women Up Front or We Are All Na'ama are not an alternative. This isn't a culture war, it's just a war.

Announcement

2012-01-04T09:33:00.001-06:00

After years of resistance, I have decided to try and generate some additional income from this blog. The button on the left margin that says ‘donate’ is a means for those who are so inclined to make a donation in appreciation for what I do. It is optional. There are no subscription fees here. There is no suggested amount. It’s up to you.

If you choose to donate click on the button in the left upper margin and follow instructions. You can use any of the credit card options pictured. It’s fast and it’s easy.

This option will also allow advertisers to pay for their ads quickly and easily.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank all the readers who visit my blog for making it the success that it is. And a special thanks to all who contribute through their comments. Whether pro or con I truly appreciate it. I am indeed humbled by this blog’s success.

The Making of a Monster

2012-01-03T11:21:00.006-06:00

There is no question in my mind that former Knesset member Yossi Sarid is an evil man whose goal is to destroy Judaism. He recently published a vomitous article that went into great detail to show just how terrible the sages and their Halachos were. He apparently went to a great deal of trouble to find sources in the Gemarah that he claims shows that. He lists many examples and claims there are a lot more like it but that he is limited by space from listing more.

It is not my purpose to refute his arguments. Nor to even try and explain the true meanings or contexts of the Gemarah he quotes. I will leave that for others to do. For example Yair Hoffman did a fairly good job at VIN with explanations and countervailing Gemaros that give an exact opposite impression.

The truth of the matter is that I too have had issues with some of these Gemaros. In fact I have even had issues with actual DeOraisos - detailed Halacha written in the Torah itself. For example, how many people think that an appropriate punishment for a rapist is to marry his rape victim? And if she refuses, then the fine is $50 (Shekalim) paid to her father? I have never understood that. Nor have I understood many other things, among them the prayer thanking God for not making me a woman. I have dealt with that issue more than once and I have yet to hear a satisfactory answer.

But the difference between Sarid and me is I realize that there are good answers to questions like these. God loves the Jewish people. We are His chosen ones. He would never harm us in any way unless we deserved it. And sometimes not even then, which is in part what Teshuva is all about. God is gracious and merciful; slow to anger; full of kindness and truth.

Nor is the Gemarah a repository of all that is evil in life. If one were to accept that our oral traditions as transmitted through the Talmud were all about the things Sarid mentions, how could the Jewish people ever have survived over 2 millennia of torture? Why did we not quickly abandon Halacha that he so cavalierly portrays as evil incarnate? How could I as a Jew, or my wife bear such a burden? Or my children?

Mr. Sarid is not only condemning Orthodox Jews. By his words he condemns his own parents and grandparents – if they were observant. If they weren’t then certainly if one goes back another generation or two, one will certainly find a relatively recent ancestor that observed the very Halacha he says we should now abandon. Does he think his ancestors were stupid? One would have to be stupid to live their lives the way Sarid depicts Halachic Judaism.

The Judaism he depicts is not the Judaism I know and live. It was not the way of my parents, nor is it the way of my children. Nor is it the way observant Jews all over the world live, no matter what stripe. We do not beat our wives into submission if they do not serve us properly. And he knows this very well. Which is one reason he is so evil!

What makes this diatribe of anti religious behavior even more insidious is that it is a bonanza for every single anti-Semite with a keyboard. They will uses this stuff. We can expect to see it all over the internet on all sorts of anti Semitic websites. They will salivate over it.

How evil this man is that he would offer such drivel to our enemies – sacrificing even his own welfare so that he can disparage the Torah and Halacha. Neo Nazis, the KKK, and Aryan Nations will care little that Sarid is anti Halacha. Nor does it make any difference to the Ahmadinejads of the world. To them he is a Jew just as much as any other Jew. To them we are all vermin - worthy of being wiped off the planet. And he has provided them with plenty of ammunition to make that argument.

He is a vile and disgusting person. The mere mention of his name now makes my stomach turn.

The question is, why now? Why did he come up with this screed at this point in time? I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to realize what the answer is. He said it himself. It is the haters and spitters of Bet Shemesh that caused him to write it now. And their enablers and supporters - like those who demonstrated in Kikar Shabbat last Motzi Shabbos.

This is what they have thus far accomplished. They bring out the hate in full force. And that is why anyone who has said that the events in Bet Shemesh were a Chilul HaShem of major proportions - is not exaggerating. How many more Yossi Sarids will be created with this kind of behavior?

And it continues… recently comparing Israel’s police chief to Hitler. The Meah Shearim crowd is completely oblivious to the consequences of their actions. They could not care less about Yossi Sarid or what he said. They see Sarid and the young girl spat upon in Bet Shemesh in pretty much the same light – as evil Zionists.

Yossi Sarid gets no pass from me. There is no excuse for what he did. He is an evil man. But who creates monsters like this?

Jew Vs. Jew

2012-01-03T08:21:00.003-06:00

Yet another Charedi condemnation - The right way to do it.

Mehadrin Buses – Halacha, Common Sense, and Chilul HaShem

2012-01-02T10:44:00.010-06:00

This whole gender segregation thing on buses has really taken off as an issue of late. Most recently there was a counter protest by secular Jews who formed groups of men and women at various points on gender segregated Mehadrin bus routes, boarded them as a group, and sat in the men’s section. Fortunately there was no violence and it was a relatively quiet event.

It wasn’t always this way. To the best of my knowledge buses were never segregated by gender until relatively recent times. But as buses in ultra Charedi neighborhoods like Meah Shearim in Israel became crowded the residents requested and were granted permission by Egged, the government subsidized bus system in Israel, to be allowed to sit separately. Men in the front. Women in the back.

The reason for this particular arrangement was so that men would not be in a position to be looking at the women in front of them. Women in this community did not seem to have a problem with this. Nor do I recall there being any outside protests about this when the service was initiated. (This phenomenon has taken root in America too in ultra Charedi enclaves like Williamsburg and Monsey.)

Halachicly there is no problem with men and women sitting together on a bus even if it is crowded – as per the Psak of Rav Moshe Feinstein. But most Poskim would probably agree that it would be better (a Hidur) if they didn’t. On the other hand I am pretty sure that in those neighborhoods that have Mehadrin buses, it is considered to be more than a Hidur. For them it is a requirement in crowded situations. Most non Charedi Jews seemed to be OK with these Mehadrin buses since they were limited only to the ultra Charedi neighborhoods and understood the reasons for it.

But things seemed to start changing when Charedi neighborhoods started expanding and residents on their own started gender segregating non Mehadrin buses. That worked for them. But it did not always work for others.

The first incident that I am aware of happened to an Orthodox Jewish women, Mrs. Miriam Sheer, several years ago. She boarded a bus like that and sat in the empty men’s section up front. She did this every morning on her way to the Kotel. One morning she was confronted by some Charedi bullies and asked to move. Long story short - when she refused they beat her to a pulp.

That incident caused an uproar among not only secular and Dati Jews, but even among some Charedi Jews. Many similar incidents like this then followed with violence by Charedi thugs against women who refused to move to the back of the bus. In one case I recall it was against an elderly Charedi women in Ramat Bet Shemesh (surprise!) holding her grandchild.

This was followed by similar stories about women treated badly on Mehadrin or quasi Mehadrin buses. It got to be so bad that even some Charedi Poskim said the Hiddur created by these Mehadrin buses was not worth the Chilul HaShem created by it. Does the whole civilized world have to see Israel as some sort of second rate Iran? Are Mehadrin buses worth that? For their part - the Israeli government has now made it illegal for anyone to in any way force a woman sitting in the men’s section of even an official Mehadrin bus to move to the back.

Case closed? Hardly.

What bothers me are the accusations still coming from the right about the protest being anti Charedi. I suppose there is some of that. But overall I think this is a skewed understanding the anti Mehadrin protesters. No one is protesting Tznius. They are protesting what they see as a bias against women.

Mehadrin defenders make the claim that this is not the case at all and that the entire reason for gender segregation is based on Torah principles. While I agree that this is partially true, it is not the whole story. There are misogynistic motives in at least some of them as illustrated by the violence that keeps on popping up.

Charedi writer Eitan Kobre wrote an op-ed in Mishpacha Magazine last week that questioned the motives of those who challenge Mehadrin bus lines. Why, he asked, do protesters never send a man to the back of the bus - the women’s section? Why is it always a woman sitting in the men’s section? If there is discrimination it ought to be going both ways?

His answer is that protesters refuse to understand the religious and voluntary – even preferred segregation by Charedi women for reasons of modesty. They see only Rosa Parks. And see women as being forced to the back against their will. Which is not true in most cases of Mehadrin bus linses. Most Charedi women prefer sitting in the back for Tznius reasons. Secular journalists can’t seem to get past the ‘Rosa Parks’ racism of the American pre civil rights South. So they assume the same kind of bias here. Only instead of racism they see sexism.

OK. Point taken. But does Mr. Kobre not appreciate that there are many women – even observant ones – who do not see it his way? Not all Orthodox women appreciate sitting in the back of a bus. Certainly not secular ones. They in fact do feel discriminated against.

To answer Mr. Kobre’s question, the men’s section and the women’s section are not equal. The back of the bus is not the nicest part of the bus. The noxious diesel fumes are much stronger in the back. Those rare times when I have been on a bus, I loathe the possibility that I may have to sit in the back. And for that very reason I’d rather stand in the front than sit in the back!

There is also the convenience of being able to sit in the first empty seat you find after getting on and paying the fee. It is also a fact that when protesting sex segregated seating - sitting in the back will not be as noticed as much as sitting in the front.

And finally, isn’t it possible that a man would feel awkward making his protest by sitting in an all women’s section? Maybe it is sexist for me to say so, but I just think it is less awkward for a woman to sit down on an empty seat in the front of a bus than it is for a man to pass by empty seats and go sit with the women in back.

The protests are not about rejecting Tznius but about human rights. In this case the right of people to simply sit where ever they want on a bus without fear of violent or even verbal attack.

My view is as follows. I believe in freedom of choice. People should be able to sit anywhere they wish on any bus. In situations where everyone on a bus, both men and women prefer the Mehadrin arrangement, they ought to be allowed to do that. However in situations where a woman is not comfortable moving to the back, she should be allowed to sit in the front of even a Mehadrin bus. As I understand it, this is now the law of the land in Israel.

What about the rights of those whose religious sensitivities require them to sit separate?

When there are two rights in conflict and violence can result - common sense along with basic Halacha (as stated by one of the biggest Poskim of the 20th century) should prevail. If a woman does not want to sit in the back of the bus she should sit wherever she wants - even on an official Mehadrin bus. If that standard does not prevail, then all Mehadrin buses should be abolished.

Lest anyone think I am being unfair to the Charedi point of view, I am being mild compared to what an actual Charedi Posek in Israel said about it. Rav Avarahm Yosef (pictured above) - son of Sephardi Gadol Rav Ovadia Yosef actually called Mehadrin buses idiotic.

The Meah Shearim Mentality

2012-01-01T10:19:00.008-06:00

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the Charedim of Meah Shearim and Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet (RBS B) on the one hand - and the rest of the Charedi world on the other are as different from each other as are observant Jews are from secular Jews. The Hashkafos of the two Charedi worlds might seem similar, but they are in fact radically different.

It can no longer be assumed that the radicals of RBS B who spit on religious women and girls and call them whores are a small minority of whom the vast majority disapproves. Mainstream Charedim who think that way are making a big mistake. And yet that is the conventional wisdom.

Although there are some in those communities who are in fact opposed to these radicals and not just their tactics - I am becoming convinced that the majority of Meah Shearim and RBS B approves of them. How else does one explain the massive protest in the Geula section of Jerusalem?

Were they protesting the vile and disgusting actions of the radicals that have made headlines around the world? Hardly. This despite the fact that even the most right wing of Rabbanim and organizations in America condemned them in the strongest possible terms - urging that the police do their jobs and arrest those people.

No... they were not protesting the radicals. They were protesting the way the media portrays them. They could not care less about an 8 year old Dati girl in Bet Shemesh. 1500 of them(according to the Jerusalem Post - other estimates vary) were thinking only about their own PR in the media. They clearly support the goals of those radicals. And I’m not sure they protest all that much against their tactics. Don’t think so? From Ha’artez:

The protesters also expressed their solidarity with Shmuel Weissfish, one of the leading activists in the radical Sikrik group. Weissfish is slated to begin his two-year prison sentence on Sunday for vandalizing a computer store in the same Kikar Hashabbat.

It appears that this is their mentality. They value their way of life and will ‘prtotect’ it by any means necessary. And if the media dares to report on it, they see that as Nazi-like behavior which is why people like the ones in the photo were sprinkled throughout the crowd. (The Photo Essay in Arutz Sheva should not be overlooked either.)

From the Jerusalem Post:

Directives from the stage urged protesters not to speak with the press, and at one point men gathered around a camera crew in an attempt to force them to wear yellow stars.

The crew retreated to a police cordon.

Angry crowds also followed uniformed police, shouting at them and calling them “Nazis.”

“It’s like how it started with the Nazis – very slowly,” American yeshiva student Salomon Hoberman said, defending the use of the yellow stars.

“They’re separating us from the Jewish people because we’re following the way of the Torah. They hate us because we’re going the Jewish way.

And there’s only one Jewish way.”

A haredi woman, who declined to give her name, said, “We didn’t come to demonstrate, we came to show our power, and that our power is forever.”

The sentiments that several of the protesters expressed to The Jerusalem Post bore a central theme of religious coercion against the ultra-Orthodox community.

“How can this country be called a democracy when they are trying to force us to adopt their culture and their standards?” asked Shimon Levy, a young haredi man from a veteran Jerusalem family. “We were here before the state [was established] and yet there are people telling us what we may and may not do in our own neighborhoods.”

He asserted that “the hatred and incitement being directed at us because we do not want to take on the ethical standards of the secular [community] is simply intolerable.”

How ironinc it is that the protestors that evening said they were protesting being forced to “take on the ethical standards of the secular [community”]. They seem to be oblivious to the fact that the exact opposite is true. The radicals in RBS B are trying force their standards on the rest of the community. I can only surmise that because of their isolated lifestyles they have no opportunity to see things the way the rest of the world does. They are righteous ones and everyone who is against them is a Nazi.

“There’s only one Jewish way”. This is what they believe. Any version of Orthodoxy that veers from their way is illegitimate. Other observant Jews might as well be secular atheists as far as they are concerned.

It is plainly obvious to me where the real sentiment in this entire community lies. With few exception it lies with the radicals of RBS B. This is why you will not see any residents of that suburb in a counter protest like the one held there last week. It isn’t only that they are afraid of the repercussions -although that may be true. It isn’t only because many of them just don’t want to get involved or don’t care enough – although that may also be true. It is because they actually support their goals more than they oppose their tactics - if they oppose them at all

It is really a shame. On a personal level they can be quite pleasant and welcoming. They are open, friendly, and kind. But when it comes to one of their sacred cows… watch out! The radicals will come out of the woodwork and do whatever it takes to protect it. And the rest of them will stand back and let it happen and probably secretly (and in some cases not so secretly as was the case in Geula) - support them.

The question remains as to why there has not been an outcry by American Charedi leaders against these people? Not just against the radicals but the majority of them - whose views are represented by the protestors in Geula. And even in the case of the radicals they have condemned them but only after agreeing with their goals!

I can only surmise that Agudah and other like minded Charedi organizations who in realtiy are quite repulsed by them - will nevertheless never fully condemn them because frankly they are seen as too Frum. I’ve been told that organizations like Agudah will never fully criticize those to their right - at least not without some sort of apologetics.

I attribute the ‘move to the right’ to this mentality. This is why much of the Yeshiva world - at least in part -has taken on many Chasidic customs and Chumros. Their motto seems to be ‘If it looks frum - do it!’

The following anecdote demonstrates this. Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago used to have mixed seating at their banquets. But when the Vietzner Rebbe (a close confidant of the Satmar Rebbe) opened up his Charedi day school their banquets were sepearte seating. Telshe immediately changed course and followed suit. All their banquets since have been separate seating affairs.

Until they separate themselves from these people instead of adopting their Chumros this kind of thing will never stop. They have to recognize that these people in no way represent authentic Judaism any more than heterodox movements do.

Not recognizing them does not mean bashing all Charedim. It only means rejecting those Charedim whose values as a group have gone so astray that they cannot understand why actions like those that go on in Bet Shemesh and Geula are a Chilul HaShem. It should not matter what they look like – or how meticulous they are in other Mitzvos.

Just to be clear -there is nothing wrong with having long beards and Peyos; and wearing Kapotes and Shtreimals. Some of our greatest rabbinic leaders looked this way. And the majority of Charedim that choose to look this way – even those with whom I have profound Hashkafic differences - are fine people.

But looking Frum is not a free pass. It should certainly not generate apologetics. Instead the constant behavior like that of RBS B and Meah Shearim ought to cause even the right wing to reject their form of Judaism the same way it does Heterodoxy.

Update: See Rabbi Yakov Horowitz's website

Kars 4 Kidz

2011-12-30T11:21:00.008-06:00

It’s a catchy tune. Anyone who hears this ubiquitous radio ad’s jingle will recognize it immediately as the Kars 4 Kidz jingle: "1 877 kars for kids. K-A-R-S kars for kids. 1 877 kars for kids. Donate your car today." That’s usually followed by "We're a recognized 501(c)(3) charity organization, so you'll receive a maximum tax deduction."

The ad is about donating your used vehicle to a charity in exchange for a huge tax write. Which is perfectly legal assuming the write off is not inflated beyond the car’s reasonable value. The radio jingle and billboard ads imply that the money being donated is going to be used to help out needy children. And lately it has been advertising a bonus to those who donate - a vacation voucher. On the surface - not a bad deal.

The problem is that this ad campaign is grossly misleading. The organization running it is a Kiruv organization by the name of Oorah. It is not targeted at feeding hungry children but at disadvantaged secular Jewish children – trying to get them to become observant.

And once again an Orthodox Jewish institution is in the media making a Chilul HaShem. This time it is in the Star Tribune – a newspaper serving the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

When Oorah was created it was very up front about its mission. Its tactics were quite honorable. No pressure. No hype. Just outreach. But over the years it seems to have gone from a devoted Kiruv organization to a power house money making machine. And it is doing so dishonestly – if technically legally.

Gneivas Daas is a serious violation of Halacha. It is a form of Geneiva - stealing. And it applies to everyone. It is Halachicly forbidden to steal from anyone – Jew and Gentile alike. This seems to be what the people at Oorah are doing. They are misleading potential donors into thinking they are helping needy children when in fact funds are being used in religious outreach.

It is true that a lot of people might not care where their car is going or what the proceeds will be used for as long as they get a generous tax write-off. But there are probably also a lot of people who might actually object to donating funds to an organization that will use it for strictly religious purposes. Especially if it is not their own religion. What makes matters worse is that the so called voucher is not exactly as advertised.

I am not the only one who has had issues with the misleading nature of these ads. From the Star Tribune:

Oregon and Pennsylvania who investigated the charity for leading donors to think the charity benefited a broad group of children, not a "narrow religious purpose."

Kars4Kids, they learned, is the primary funder of a New Jersey organization called Oorah Inc. that provides religious-based services to Orthodox Jewish children. Kars4Kids paid $65,000 in fines in each state in 2009.

Oregon also found that Kars4Kids failed to disclose that its "free" vacation vouchers offered at the time recruited people for a timeshare and contained hidden costs. Meanwhile, the New York attorney general investigated Kars4Kids last year as part of a broader probe into solicitation and spending practices of car donation charities.

Imagine if the reverse was true and a Christian Evangelical missionary group aimed at making believers out of non Christian children would have such a campaign – advertising it a charity for kids without even a hint that the organization is a religious one and that the donations were going to be used for missionary work. How would you feel if you found out that you unknowingly donated your car to that because of a slick ad campaign?

Oorah’s revenues are pretty hefty:

Kars4Kids' revenue soared from $5.6 million in 2005 to $24.6 million in 2009, tax returns say.

I have to wonder where all that money goes. 24.6 million dollars is not peanuts. One thing I do know is that a few years ago a prominent supporter of Jewish education was promised funding by Oorah for his Yeshiva’s Kiruv program but - according to his website - never received any.

It pains me greatly every time a story like this hits the news. Unfortunately I have no power over Oorah. But I do have a voice. As an Orthodox Jew all I can do is make a Macha’ah – and protest it publicly when it happens. I do so here in the strongest possible terms. This is not Torah behavior and it ought to be loudly and clearly protested by every Orthodox Jewish rabbi and organization.

One Event – Two Reactions

2011-12-29T09:33:00.022-06:00

There has been a lot of righteous outrage about the events that have been taking place in Bet Shemesh. In fact I am not aware of a single Orthodox organization that hasn’t condemned (or wouldn’t condemn if they haven’t done so yet) the behavior of those Charedim who have been terrorizing little children in a Dati elementary school.

But few have done it so powerfully or as eloquently as did Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein on Cross-Currents. What makes this particular response so significant is that the writer is Charedi. He is a Musmach of Yeshivas Chafetz Chaim – a mainstream Charedi Yeshiva.

His attitude on many things can best be described as Moderate Charedism. His views on just about any subject can be found mirrored in what I call Right Wing Modern Orthodoxy. Rabbi Adlerstein should in my view be seen as the prototype for Charedi behavior and attitudes. If all Charedim were like him, there would be a great deal of Achdus among us all even if we did not agree on every single issue.

One must read his essay in its entirety. It is a masterpiece of outrage at what happens to Judaism when practiced in isolation. And what happens - has now been demonstrated to millions of human beings all over the planet. Israel’s Chanel 2 report on the events of Bet Shemesh has indeed gone viral on the internet. Literally the whole world is watching. This is how Orthodox Jewry is now seen.

The angry tone in his article is justified. It matches my own. I am humbled by his eloquence, forthrightness and ‘pull no punches’ approach. He spoke to the core issue in no uncertain terms - directly and to the point. With no equivocation. I only wish the same people who saw the video would read his words. Unfortunately that is unlikely. His words ought to be spread far and wide.

As I said there has been universal outrage and disgust expressed about this event. This includes Agudath Israel. After checking with their Moetzes they released their own statement. And frankly I am very disappointed.

More than half of that statement dealt with other issues including the very matter the Reshaim of Bet Shemesh were protesting - lack of Tznius. After condemning the self appointed (...isn’t the Agudah Moetzes self appointed? – but I digress) …self appointed “guardians” of modesty as reprehensible, and calling the report deeply disturbing; and saying they do not represent us, they immediately change the subject and go into attack mode. Using the same word ‘disturbing’ they saw fit to condemn the reaction of others. They said: some Israeli politicians and secularists have been less responsible, portraying the actions of a very few as indicative of the feelings of the many. Even if that were true, should that be included in this statement?

But what is worse is the fact that they actually wanted to make sure to say that the point of the protest is a valid one... that Tznius is an important subject which should not be abandoned because of this.

For the life of me, I cannot fathom why Agudah felt it necessary to give these people the slightest pretext for what they do. No one will come away from these condemnations thinking that the laws of modesty should somehow be abandoned. Is that what Agudah thinks? There was absolutely no reason to bring this up. To the best of my knowledge there was not a single public pronouncement by any other Orthodox organization or prominent religious figure that had added these comments – Charedi or otherwise. It is almost as if their strongly worded condemnation was secondary to their main message of maintaining Tznius.

Do they not realize that this kind of talk would be seen by those who spit on little girls as a justification? Don’t they realize that these people will grab onto anything that gives even the slightest hint that their cause is just? And that even though their means aren’t appreciated, their results will be?

What possible motivation could Agudah have for doing this? Furthermore the Tznius issue that these Reshaim were protesting was against an 8 year old girl who was completely Tzanua! The Agudah statement did not even mention that – which could easily lead one to believe that Agudah agreed that she wasn’t Tzanua enough - and that the particular grievance in this case was valid - if not the method of protest. Saying they condemn these acts unconditionally and then following it up with the matter of Tznius is in fact a conditional condemnation. Is it not?

One more thing. I disagree with Rabbi Yaakov Menken who in a previous post on Cross-Currents said he was relieved to find this statement in his inbox. It is quite telling that he felt ‘relieved’. It is as though he was afraid that Agudah would ignore or maybe even approve of those events because of the righteousness of the cause. What does this say about the expectations by the Charedi masses of their rabbinic leaders? He was relieved?!

Nor do I agree with his condemnation of the media and government officials for trying to paint all Charedim this way. First of all, who can blame them even if they did. Second of all they didn’t. Not only that, but many Charedim were themselves trying to get that media to keep up the pressure so that the government will act! Here is how Rabbi Adlerstein put it:

Both the Prime Minister and the President spoke about the video. (Netanyahu was particularly gracious. “”We must beware of generalizing an entire population, because the vast majority of the Haredi public combines an adherence to Jewish tradition and a complete respect of the law”). Thousands came to Beit Shemesh and help stand up against the extremists. Groups of Knesset members are scheduling visits. Most remarkably, Haaretz reported that journalists were getting plenty of lip from charedim – but not to complain as usual about unbalanced treatment of their community. Rather, charedim were turning to them in person and by phone to implore them to keep the heat on through their coverage, so that the government will have no choice but to take firm action against the zealots who make life miserable for them as well. Haaretz even had to concede a difference between a minority population of out of control extremists and a “mainstream charedi” population.

I wish Agudah had made the statement Rabbi Adlerstein made. His entire article. Word for word! ...instead of the one they did make. In my view that would have been far more effective. Truly disappointing.

Update:
The following are links to statements by other Orthodox organizations and leaders.

The always amazing Rabbi Yakov Horowitz
Joint RCA/OU statement
IRF statement

A Darkness unto the Nations

2011-12-28T12:52:00.010-06:00

Perhaps the tide is finally turning. Two Chardi websites -Matzav and YWN - are now featuring editorials that are finally written with the appropriate degree of anger and disgust. And no wonder. The incident in Bet Shemesh has now made the New York Times. It is no longer just a story of parochial interest. It in fact exposes a terrible truth about the Charedi world. The increasing resort to violence by some in their community to achieve their aims… and the relative silence in speaking out against it.

Even when they did speak out, condemnations were couched in terms of apologetics. There would always be an explanation for the bad behavior – even while condemning the behavior itself. Often the behavior was denied with the media being accused of being anti religious and distorting or exaggerating the story to make them look bad.

No more. This is what one Charedi writer in Matzav said:

With those who hijacked the Neturei Karta name and engage in communication and behavior that clearly places them in the category of rodfim, there has long been dispute as to how much we, the true chareidim, should publically protest their shameful conduct. After all, some argue, why give those fools a platform and free exposure? Why help them spread their misguided messages?

Rodfim. Fools. My kind of language for these people (...although as was pointed out to me after I wrote the piece they are not in a Halachic category of Rodfim which has Halachic ramifications that do not apply here).

On YWN Aryeh Deri the former Charedi head of the Sephardi Shas party and protégé of Rav Ovadia Yosef had similar things to say:

“I am not giving a p’sak Halacha, but I can state my opinion, and it appears to me these people are to be categorized as a ‘rodef’ for their actions, which are simply a major chilul Hashem” Deri adds. “Look what they are doing to the name and image of chareidi Jews around the world. Just look, Hillary Clinton has already compared us to Iran!”

This is not about Halacha, but it is those extremists who simply wish to dictate how we are to live our lives, this small but extremist faction of individuals.They understand one language only, force. They are not controllable and no one can rein them in…

I know one rabbi and one rabbi only, Rav Nitzav (Police Chief) Danino. I do not say this jokingly, but with all seriousness. This is the reality. How can they smash a vehicle because of flag they saw inside? Who gives them the right to act this way, to burn buses and carts? The police must act.

In short the Charedi world is beginning to speak out in the strongest terms about this and perhaps this will finally lead to something more than lip-service condemnation and apologetics.

I realize I have been spending a lot of time on this issue. But it is time well spent. It is an issue of great import that demands being given a very high priority. Aside from the pain it has given to the people of Bet Shemesh - the damage it does to all of Orthodoxy is immeasurable. This isn’t only about Charedim. It is about all of observant Jewry. We are all tainted by this.

Just this past Tuesday night, as I was watching the NBC nightly News, I was shocked to see that the issue of gender segregation in Israel being featured in one of its segments. The reporter - Martin Fletcher is a secular Jew who lives in Israel. The NBC news segment featured the story about Tanya Rosenblit, the woman who refused to move to the back of a gender segregated bus, and was harassed for hours by the Charedi men on it who prevented the bus from leaving. The report also featured a Charedi women on another gender segregated bus sounding almost exactly the way a Muslim woman in Iran might sound – defending their modesty customs and not caring about the secular law of ther land.

Mr. Fletcher used only the term Orthodox. Not Charedi or ultra-Orthodox. And the report suggested that Orthodox Jews are trying to hijack the country and establish ‘tyrannical’ religious rule over all of Israel.

Some might blame this secular Jewish reporter for purposely painting religious Jews in a bad light because he is anti religious. But I would have to disagree. I blame the mentality of the people who insist on this lifestyle at the expense of others. The Charedi woman interviewed on that bus is of the same mentality as the people who approve of the goals of those who spit on 7 year old girl in Bet Shemesh. The angry response by that Charedi woman was not a fabrication by Martin Fletcher. He did not put words in her mouths.

The truth is that all Orthodox Jews are in the same boat. We can’t just write an observant segment of our people out of Orthodoxy because of the foolishness or even the criminal intent of some of its people. It isn’t right. There are good people and bad people in all segments.

The right thing to do is to act in unison to not only condemn them in the strongest possible terms. But to follow it up by action of the type proposed in some of my previous posts on the subject.

I would add that the condemnations without apologetics we are beginning to see ought to be spread. I call upon all Orthodox communal organizations to do this including - and perhaps especially - the Agudah Moetzes. They should come out with the strongest of condemnations without the slightest reference to their supposed ‘noble goals’. I would hope that all the moderate Charedi Rabbanim in Bet Shemesh would do the same.

It may not be enough – but it would be a start if the condemnations came out fast and furious. Hopefully that will also spur action.

Make no mistake about it. Only something like a massive Charedi protest against these Reshaim will even have half a chance at working. If these people see just how much people who look just like them oppose them, they may think twice about doing it again. And if the police see that Charedim are actually on their side, perhaps Aryeh Deri’s words will take affect… and the police and the Israel justice system will throw all of these Rodfim in jail where they belong. For a long time!

The Torah tells us that we must be a light unto the nations. Devarim (4:6) says, Chachmasam, U’Vinaschem L’Enaei Ha’Amim – Asher Yishmiun Es Kol HaChukim HaEleh V’Ameru: Am Chacham V’ Navon HaGoy HaGadol Hazeh. Loosely translated that means: Your wisdom and understanding is in the sight of the nations – when they hear all of all your statutes and say: A wise and understanding people this great (Jewish) nation is!

Rav Ahron Soloveichik tells us that the Rambam opens up his Sefer HaMada with the Pasuk which says ‘Show your kindness to those who know You and Your righteousness to the straight of heart’. Why, asks Rav Ahron. Why does the Rambam open up his Book of Knowledge with words dealing with charity and goodness? Because all the knowledge in the world will not get the nations to say what a wise people we are. Only if our knowledge leads to ethical behavior, kindness, and charity in the way that God shows these characteristics - will we be able to inspire the world.

The Reshaim who parade around in clothing that identifies them (correctly or not) as the most religious among us fail to understand the importance of being an Or LaGoyim – a light unto the nations. With all their supposed religiosity, this D’Oraisa is lost on them. They are not a light unto the nations. They are a darkness to them that - like it or not - reflects poorly on all of us.

Judging Human Garbage Favorably

2011-12-27T09:34:00.007-06:00

I have been castigated by an anonymous individual who is apparently involved in Chinuch in some way. I am sure he has good intentions about being Dan L’Kaf Zechus for fellow Jews. He sees my language with respect to certain Jews in Bet Shemesh Jews as wrong. The Jews in this case are the human garbage standing outside a Dati school in Bet Shemesh creating a massive Chilul HaShem.

His latest comment in this effort is as follows:

No need to look inwards; not an ounce? pshh. What tsadikkim we have on the internet these days.

Harry - I do think I understand your disgust. But you're going way overboard. I remember once giving a lecture to teachers in a very chareidi cheider that also had a number of anglo parents.

As an educational counselor I was asked to organize a little conference to give them chizuk in their capacity to genuinely educate. So I spoke and spoke and only once I pointed out something about the way our use of language influences our subconscious ethical orientation did they final "get' the message. I had zoomed in on the expression to "throw out" a talmid that was misbehaving.

Why such physically agressive imagery? Why not speak about their need to have private time, or be deprived of a privaledged recess or something of that nature instead of immediately activating in their young psyches the need to defend themselves from a big adult "throwing" them outside?!

You're language is of the same genre. I realize you're not against chareidim, per se. Only those "extremists" who cross your version of extremism! Keep up the dehumanizing rhetoric of these characters and somebody, somehow, is going to seek to burn that "garbage" off the face of the earth! JEWS indeed. BNEI Yisroel. Kulanu acheem m'av echad. V'ahavta l'ray'ekha. It's more than saying be nice up to a point. It means that DAVKA those who are in the Mitzvah system but appear to you as RA (RAy'eikha) are worthy of your love......

Leaving the insult about What tsadikkim we have on the internet these days aside - here is my response:

1) Your comparison to a student at risk is grossly inept. These people are way beyond any help. They are hard core OTD.

2) Calling for non violent protests (which is what you said I should do in an earlier comment) is exactly what I did call for. Read the original post on this matter.

3) I do look inward. It helps when one is trying to do Teshuva. But staring evil in the face does not require looking inward. It has to be labeled for what it is. If someone comes up to you and spits in your face... do you look inward? This is what you are asking for and that's ridiculous.

4) This is not Lashon Hara. The whole world is watching.If there was ever an Api Tlasa, this is it. But even leaving that aside - there is a Toeles here. Even the saintly Chafetz Chaim would certainly agree that exposing these Rodfim for what they are and using harsh language to motivate people toward action in order to effect change - is a Toeles.

If I had the slightest Hava Mina that these wretched souls had an ounce of Teshuva in their hearts - I would certainly be Dan L'Kaf Zechus, soften the rhetoric, and urge that they be convinced to stop. But they have proven time and again, by word and by deed, that they could not care less about someone else’s Tochacha. They think that this massive Chilul HaShem is a Kiddush HaShem!

And talking to the Toldos Aharon Rebbe (who I'm sure opposes their behavior and has actually condemned them) is like spitting in the wind. He can condemn them all day long and they will continue their evil ways.

What he needs to do - he won't do, because he supports their goals and benefits when they succeed. If he was truly opposed to them he would be out there leading counter protests with at least a 10 to 1 ratio of his own people. He has the power and influence to do it. But he has not done it - and he will never do it!

I wish I could be proven wrong!

What makes these Mushchasim in Bet Shemesh deserve any compassion or understanding? Is it because they look Charedi and are Medakdek in certain Mitzvos? Do you feel the same way about Rabbi Avi Weiss?

Does Avreimal Mondrowitz deserve my compassion because he puts on Rabbenu Tam's Teffilin as well as Rashi's Teffilin, has a long beard, Peyos, wears a Kapote everyday and a Spodek on Shabbos?

He too is a Jew, a Ben Yisroel, and a brother descended from the same patriarch (to use your list). But loving your fellow man as yourself does not mean you have to love a Rasha! They are not in the ‘Mitzvah system’. They are only partially in it by design.

Your compassion is misdirected, my friend.

Their Mitzvos are worthless! In my opinion they have lost their Olam HaBa by the massive and constant Chilul HaShem they do... and the harm they cause to all of Klal Yisroel.

Yes they are misguided. But so is Avreimal Mondrowitz.

I know you mean well but your apologetics (which is so common in certain religious circles) is why this problem festers. Condemning their behavior with a ‘but’ provides just enough cover for them to say they are fighting for a just cause of the a Torah - believing that all that ‘lip-service condemnation and no action’ by their Charedi brothers is just rhetoric for public consumption. By saying that all they really want is to live their lives Al Taharas HaKodesh - you are in effect giving them permission to proceed. (Not that they even care about what you say one way or another).

One more thing. You say I am drawing from the Nazi rule books. That crosses a line. And intentional or not it is also a huge lie! I have not said they are an inferior race. I have not herded them into shuls, locked the doors, and burned the shul down. I have not raped their women. I have not forced them to wear yellow Mogen Dovid armbands under penalty of death; or called for herding them into impoverished ghettos and then concentration camps - starving them to death. I did not tell doctors to perform torturous medical experiments on them; I did not call for their extermination or set up gas chambers and crematoria.

I have not even asked them to change a single Minhag. All I ask is to do whatever it takes to stop them short of violence. And anyone who does try to do violence to them in any way is just as guilty as they are and ought to receive the same treatment.

Update:
As a public service I am linking to a column entitled Occupy Beit Shemesh by Rabbi Yakov Horowitz. He asks that you sign on to the thread in the comments section in a show of solidarity with his message. I have already done so. If you have the time and inclination please write letter to the editor of the listed newspapers along the lines of his message. If nothing else, it will at least demonstrate our opposition to these people.

Jewish Islamists

2011-12-26T11:43:00.007-06:00

Lest anyone think the events occurring in Bet Shemesh are of purely parochial interest, I would beg to differ. The Bet Shemesh story reported on by the Israeli news media has now reached American soil. And probably the rest of the world too. Perhaps that is what spurred the Israeli government to do something about it. I am happy to see that they are beginning to take the extremism of its own people seriously. From the Chicago Tribune:

Netanyahu said he had ordered law enforcement authorities to crack down on "whoever spits, whoever lifts a hand (in violence), whoever harasses" and to remove street signs segregating men from women in some ultra-Orthodox districts.The statement appeared to have been prompted by an expose on Israel's top-rated weekend news about intra-Jewish friction in Beit Shemesh, a town of about 87,000 people near Jerusalem.

Netanyahu is joined in this battle by the Charedi mayor of Bet Shemesh. I guess he has finally seen the light (or perhaps his political poll numbers). He is ‘sending in the troops’. From Ynet:

Police forces accompanied by Beit Shemesh municipal inspectors removed public signs calling for segregation between men and women in the city on Sunday. This prompted dozens of haredim to crowd around the officers. They hurled stones and cursed the officers. Some haredim called police "Nazis." There were no reports of injury.

Earlier on Sunday, Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul held a meeting on the matter in his chambers. His order to remove the signs was carried out at 5 pm when the streets were meant to be empty of people due to the lighting of Hanukkah candles. Nevertheless, several haredim rioted and hurled stones in protest.

Extremism is not the exclusive domain of the Charedim. Daatim have their share of it in the incarnation of the ‘price taggers’. These are the ultra-nationalist extremists who have retaliated against the government’s policy of freezing settlement construction. When an illegal settlement built in defiance of the law is dismantled by the government, these settlers take it out on innocent Arabs by destroying their homes, mosques or other property. Lately they have even attacked military ouposts. They see this as the price for government interference in the religious imperative of settling the land of Israel. Which they believe over-rides what they see as the government’s anti religious Zionist policy inhibiting settlement expansion.

I am happy to see these people get their due. From the San Fransisco Chronicle:

Netanyahu is giving the army new powers to arrest these malefactors and send them to administrative detention - imprisonment without charge, usually reserved for Palestinians. Why suddenly now? "Whoever lays a hand on (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers or Israeli policemen will be severely punished," Netanyahu vowed.

The villain here is not Religious Zionism any more than is ultra-Orthodoxy. It is the extremism that is perpetrated in their cause that is.

To turn a phrase cited by Barry Goldwater when he ran for President in 1964: Extremism in the defense of one’s narrow religious perspective is a vice. No one should be made to pay a price for the beliefs of others.

Putting your own beliefs before the welfare of others is not only a vice but an abuse of the Torah. And yet in the case of both Charedi and religious Zionist extremists that is exactly what they are doing. They are following in the footsteps of Islam where violence is no object to the goals of their religion. For these ‘true believers’ there is no other option. These extremist religious Jews - whether their beliefs are sourced in Charedi ideals or Religious Zionist ideals - are the Islamists of Judaism. They are hijacking Judaism. And they need to be stopped.

Will the current effort on the Charedi side spurred by the young eight year old victim of violence be enough? Will it sustain the governmental effort until the job gets done? And on the Religious Zionist side will the resolve of Netanyahu to rid the Jewish people of those who perpetrate violence against the IDF and innocent Arabs be enough to get the job done there?

I hope so. But it remains to be seen. This is going to be a major battle between right and wrong; moderation and extremism. These Jewish Islamists of either stripe will not give up without a fight. That is the nature of zealots. My hope is that the government has the political will and determination to continue the battle until victory for moderation and tolerance prevails. Because if extremism is allowed to continue unabated it will destroy Judaism as we know it.

Human Pieces of Garbage and their Enablers

2011-12-25T10:54:00.012-06:00

My anger was once again stoked this morning. I watched the above video (in its original Hebrew version) sent to me by a member of the greater Bet Shemesh area. He lives in Sheinfield – an established Dati community just outside Bet Shemesh proper. It borders on ‘Bet’ (the nickname for Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet). Bet is a huge and fast growing ultra Charedi community that consists in large part of Meah Shearim transplants. They have grown to the point where they are contiguous with Sheinfiled. And they are still growing. They also border ‘Aleph’ (the nickname for Ramat Bet Shemesh Alef) that consists mostly of moderate Charedim and Datim.

This video made my blood boil. It is a 13 minute news report about a group of extremist Charedim that on a constant basis terrorizes very young religious girls as they enter and exit their religious all-girls elementray school. These Charedim are a relatively small group of extremist zealots that can only be called human pieces of garbage. Their values and actions are not all that different from Islamist extremists. Only their tactics differ. But not by that much.

These people haven’t killed anyone. Yet. But they have come close a couple of times. But for the grace of God they could have killed more than a few people by now.

They have no use for other Jews, religious or otherwise. They view their version of Judaism as the only legitimate expression of the Torah. What their rabbis tell them to do, they do. They do not distinguish between Halacha and Chumra. It is all the same to them. So if a 7 year old Dati girl who is modest by virtually all Halachic standards does not comply with their version of modesty, she is considered immodest. And worthy of being called a whore. At age 7!

Imagine standing in front of a religious school and yelling ‘whores’ and many other epithets on a constant basis at these little girls. Imagine the fear they instill in them …and the hatred these little girls must learn - hating anyone with a long full beard, Peyos, and Kapote. All while the rest of their community stands idly by - shrugging their collective shoulders and saying, “We don’t like it but there is nothing we can do.”

Meanwhile the human pieces of garbage continue to operate freely without any rabbinic sanction - even though they have even been condemned recently by some of their own rabbinic leaders. No matter. That had no impact on them.

If there is strong condemnation by rabbinic leaders is it fair to place any blame on them? What about the rest of Bet? They too condemn this behavior. Do they share any blame here? For me the answer is very clear. Yes - absolutely they do! Saying there is nothing they can do makes them all enablers.

It is clear to me that the people of Bet who completely reject this behavior - support their goals. They completely agree with them about what they are protesting. They agree with the characterization that young Dati girls do not dress modestly enough. That was made clear by a passersby interviewed in their cars - which very likely reflects the views of most of the people of Bet. They side with them. They just do not approve of their tactics.

There is no interest in a peaceful resolution here. This is a turf war. The building being used by Datim was contested for use by Bet. The government ruled against them and gave it to Datim. That has moved the human garbage into action. These are the kind of people who have moved into Bet. And they are taking over. They want complete control of their environment. And it is a population that keeps on growing.

The word Achdus does not exist in their dictionary. They want a world that consists only of their own customs. They do not want outside influences anywhere near where they live. It matters not a whit that there are other religious Jew living nearby that do not share their values. So what if their neighbors were there first! They are there now and want those other Jews ‘Out of their land!’

Sound familiar?

I am sick of the lot of them. Including the passive ones. All their protestations are worthless without action. The entire community shares culpability with these human pieces of garbage. Rabbis and citizens alike. Words alone are meaningless.

If the vast majority really disapproves of what’s going on there they ought to go and counter-protest. For every one person found harassing those young Dati girls, there ought to be at least 10 of their own counter-protesting. And their rabbinic leaders ought to be there right along with them leading the counter protests.

The good citizens of Sheinfield who are the parents of the young Dati girls are a lot more patient than I am. Those I have spoken with about this are actually Dan L’Kav Zechus to the vast majority of these people. Indeed many citizens of Bet have been quoted as saying they wish that they would just go away.

Maybe so. But that is not good enough. They have to do more than ‘wish’. They have to act. There is no being ‘Dan L’Kaf Zechus when innocent little girls are being called whores just for being Dati.

Until the people of Bet do this and it stops the entire city of Bet should be boycotted. And picketed. Massively! If Bet doesn’t do anything, Aleph should picket their businesses; their Shuls; everything! Nor do I let the Charedi ‘do nothing’ mayor off the hook. He ought to be picketed too by his own Charedi constituency.

The good people of Aleph should be joined and even led by their own Rabbanim - Charedi and Dati alike. The people of Bet need to be isolated and brought to their knees. Of course there can be no violence. No hand should be raised against anyone. But short of that - whatever it takes.

The video is in Hebrew with english subtitles and was first posted in A Mother in Israel. If it doesn’t make you angry - you are not human! And if this isn’t a call for action nothing is.

If one Jew cries out for help and others stand idly by, harm will befall all of us. This is the time for unity against evil.

Hat tip: IH

It Was Worth it!

2011-12-23T12:01:00.001-06:00

If anyone is still upset by the exchange of terrorists and assorted other Palestinian criminals for the release of Gilad Shalit from captivity, I can certainly understand it. But I defy anyone with a Jewish heart to look at this picture and feel anything but great joy and gratitude to God and the Israeli government for making it happen.

Happy Chanukah!

Jim and Tammy …and Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto

2011-12-23T10:38:00.005-06:00

Ahhh… the good life! Jet-setting First Class around the world; living in luxurious homes - in the finest neighborhoods; buying the finest clothing… Who wouldn’t want to live a lifestyle like that? And getting a lot of respect in the process both as a religious figure and an investment genius! What could be better?

For most of us this is a dream. Only the rich and famous get to do that. But what about the Chief Rabbi of Israel? Should he live a lifestyle like that? Maybe. If he can afford it. There is nothing inherently wrong with anyone living the good life including great rabbinic figures.

But that is certainly not the image an aspiring Chief Rabbi should project. It sends the wrong message. It promotes as a value the seeking of riches instead of God. I have no problem with being rich. I wish I was. But I do have a problem with a religious leader who lives an opulent lifestyle by ripping off his own charity to do it.

That seems to be what Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, who announced his intention to run for the position of Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, seems to be doing according to many media reports like the one in the Forward:

Documents obtained by the Forward reveal extensive spending by Mosdot Shuva Israel, Pinto’s New York-based educational and charitable organization, on luxury travel and expensive jewelry. Some of these documents have also been obtained and published by the Israeli press.

Among the expenses covered by the not-for-profit organization:

• $75,000 bill for a month long stay at a luxury hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina;
• $65,000 ring;
• $28,000 for fine men’s clothing.

A representative for Pinto’s organization has declined to comment on the Forward’s findings. But on December 20, The New York Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that federal law enforcement is investigating two former Pinto associates. Meanwhile, in an interview aired December 18 on Israel’s Channel 2, Pinto defended some of his organization’s spending. Asked why his organization had rented the Hamptons home, Pinto responded: “Because that’s where the people of the yeshiva live. That’s where the Hasidim of the yeshiva live during Passover.” The Marker, an Israeli business newspaper, reported on December 20 that Pinto told followers that a former volunteer had made the decision to rent the home even though Pinto had been offered free accommodations elsewhere.

Shades of Jim Bakker. For those not old enough to remember, Bakker was a televangelist in the eighties who preached making lots of money as the one of the highest of Christian virtues. He made no secret of the opulent lifestyle that he and his wife Tammy Faye lived using money raised through his minstry, PTL (Praise the Lord). With luxurious mansions and homes all over the world. He led a lifestyle that rival those of the richest people on earth. He would probably still be doing it if not for the fact that a sex scandal brought him down.

Is this what Rabbi Pinto is doing? One can argue and say that this is not the case. That he preaches the same values other Torah leaders preach. That his expenditures for a lavish lifestyle is not a reflection of his values… but a necessary component of his fundraising success.

If you believe that, then the words “buy”, “bridge” and “Brooklyn” have no meaning to you. For a man who claims to have little interest in material wealth, he has a funny way of showing it. Spending lavishly on oneself with money raised for charitable purposes is anything but ethical – even if it is legal Which I am not entirely convinced it is.

Authorities within Pinto’s network told the Forward at the time that Mosdot Shuva Israel had an annual budget of $5.5 million while the entire network spends $50 to $60 million per year.

What kind of charity has that kind of financial equation? And then there is this:

The New York Times story cited unnamed federal officials who said that law enforcement was carrying out an inquiry into a former Pinto aide named Ofer Biton and public relations executive Ronn Torossian over money allegedly missing from Mosdot Shuva Israel’s coffers.

It is unclear whether Rabbi Pinto was somehow invloved or given some or all of these funds for personal use. Rabbi Pinto has alleged in media reports that he has been the target of blackmail and that funds have been embezzled from his organization.

Blackmail? What did the blackmailers have on this guy? And yet he is still being defended by his admirers including some of the rich and famous:

To those who have met with Pinto, including basketball superstar LeBron James, right-wing commentator Glenn Beck and former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, he is a deeply spiritual man with business savvy and powerful connections. And though the rabbi hobnobs with the rich and famous and lives in an elegant Manhattan townhouse, his associates claim he has little interest in material wealth.

“The rabbi is a holy man, does not touch money and does not deal with money. He has no possessions,” Pinto’s wife, Deborah Rivka Pinto, told the Israeli daily Haaretz in a rare interview in July.

I’m not buying it. His actions speak much louder than his words. Halacha says nothing about wearing a Kapote and a Hamburg… or having a long full growth beard. But it does have something to say about using money designated for charity for a luxurious lifestyle. And this guy wants to be Chief Rabbi?!

Public Displays of Faith

2011-12-22T10:22:00.006-06:00

OK. I hear you, Mrs. Braverman. But I don’t entirely agree with you.

Mrs. Emuna Braverman has written an eloquent defense of Tim Tebow’s public displays of faith in God on Aish.com. For those unfamiliar with that name, Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He is not however most notable for his football skills. He is notable for something he does outside of actual play, his somewhat relentless public displays of faith.

I had not personally been aware of this until I saw an actual ‘miracle win’ over the Chicago Bears take place under his leadership a couple of weeks ago. With minutes left to play and down by 10 points they managed to score a touchdown and with seconds to play - tie the game with an improbably long field goal. And then win in overtime with a Bears fumble followed by a similarly improbably long field goal.

At that moment Tebow went into his routine of kneeling on one leg, bowing his head, and offering a prayer of thanks to Jesus. He apparently does this all the time. This has brought him much ridicule, most notably on a SNL sketch last weekend that parodied his religious excesses.

But as Mrs. Braverman correctly notes, giving thanks to God for one’s good fortune is nothing to ridicule. Judaism is replete with just this type of activity:

We, as Jews, don’t limit our thanks to the Almighty to once a day. We say thank you for every morsel of food we eat. We say thank you every time we use the rest room (yes, it’s true! And it’s very powerful; think about it). We say “Thank God” when asked how we feel, what’s new, what’s happenin’ bro. It’s a good habit. It’s appropriate. It’s the right thing. We can learn from Tim Tebow.

Was SNL right in noting his excess? Or is Mrs. Braverman right to be a fan of Tim Tebow’s behavior in this regard? I’d have to say that the answer to these questions is they are both right. Thanking God is nothing to ridicule. But excessively wearing your religion on your sleeve is nothing to praise.

Indeed - in some ways we can learn from Tebow. As Mrs. Braverman points out, both on and off the field Tebow’s behavior is infinitely more praiseworthy than what you usually hear about NFL quarterbacks. And perhaps we should all be more mindful and thankful of God’s good graces. But wearing religion on your sleeve is not something to praise. It does not promote good will among men when one’s own personal beliefs are flaunted and in your face all the time. It is almost as if such people are saying: My religion negates your false beliefs. I get no inspiration at all when I see someone thanking Jesus.

Carrying this thought further - among our own I find it excessive when people thank God at every personal greeting by saying Baruch HaShem (or some variant of that) .

Some might say that it is downright blasphemous to say such a thing. After all - can there be too much praise of God? Well... yes in the following sense. When it becomes a rote response I don’t really see it as anything more than advertising one’s Frumkeit.

That is why one of my pet peeves is hearing Baruch HaShem every time someone asks you how you are.

I must admit that I hear that response so much that I occasionally respond that way myself. It’s almost reflexive. But it does not answer the question asked. It instead telegraphs a message about one’s religiosity. I think it cheapens the very concept of thanking God when it is over-used in such a rote manner.

Which is why I try to avoid making that response. I usually just answer the question by saying “I’m fine. How are you?” I frankly do not believe that God wants us to be so obsessed with praise that we end up saying it in such a rote manner all the time.

Of course that response is so entrenched in certain circles that if you don’t answer that way you are seen as insufficiently religious. My answer to that is - I don’t care. I have gratitude to God for all He has given me. I say so daily in prayer and additionally when the occasion calls for it. But to constantly display your faith on your sleeve can indeed be a turn-off and a source of unnecessary ridicule.

This is why my admiration of Tebow’s faith falls short of Mrs. Braverman’s. Yes, he is a fine individual and his faith is an admirable quality. But I also agree with former Bronco’s quarterback Jake Plummer who said that he wishes Tebow would just shut up after a game” and not praise the Almighty every time he makes a good play.

He can be as religious as he wants. But I don’t appreciate having it flaunted at me constantly. Do I have to see a New Testament reference to Philippians 4:13 on his face paint every time he plays?! Is that supposed to make me a more religious Jew? I don’t think so.

The Future of Reform and Conservative Judaism

2011-12-21T13:05:00.005-06:00

It may not be the end of the world for Reform and Conservative Judaism, but you can see it from here.

Patrilineal descent; defining as Jewish anyone who basically thinks of himself as a Jew regardless of his parental lineage; and similar innovations have not really helped the Reform Movement in its goal to revitalize itself. Although it now touts itself as the largest movement in Judaism, at a recent meeting of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) - that was made abundantly clear.

Despite its numbers, attendance at their Temples by members post Bar Mitzvah seems to be almost nonexistent which makes membership in their movement meaningless. (The attendance numbers begin to increase when their members reach their thirties. But my guess is that this is the result of a rudimentary attachment to Judaism which they want to transmit to their children through their Temples - which have in essence become Bar Mitzvah factories and not much else.)

The JTA reports that Reform rabbinic leaders are struggling with this issue. They are trying to figure out ways to get their people back into their Temples. And even with all the efforts expended by some of its leaders they seem to be failing without a clue as to how to proceed.

I recently wrote about outgoing URJ president Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s efforts in this regard. He recognized the bankruptcy of eliminating all Halacha from the movement. He correctly realized that Judaism without Halacha can hardly be labeled as such. There is no need to be Jewish to fulfill their primary mandate of Tikun Olam. One can ‘build up the world’ without being Jewish. Why bother with the burdensome label of being a Jew?

Rabbi Yoffie tried his level best to reintroduce Halachic observance into Reform. Realizing that one of the essential defining features of Reform requires that Halacha be non-binding, he nevertheless tried to get members to do as much as they could to voluntarily. This included studying Torah. He has had some success. There are Reform Jews that follow selected Halachos, But he has had failures too as in his Kosher dining initiative.

So they are now scrambling for ideas about how to hold on to their flock. I saw no ideas expressed by Reform leaders in this article. Only an acknowledgment that they have a problem.

The Conservative movement that once boasted the largest membership is in a similar bind. They are hemorrhaging members. Their Shuls are shrinking – many closing down or combining with others. JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen has admitted struggling with issue. He has expressed regret at the movement’s allowing driving to Shul on Shabbos. He views it as a major mistake since that undermined the sense of community created by Jews living in the same neighborhood. He has encouraged the creation of neighborhoods similar to Orthodox ones where everyone lives with walking distance of a Shul.

We Orthodox are by far the smallest segment of American Jewry. And yet the leaders of both movements look to us for solutions. Why does that make any sense? We are participatory rather than passive. And as small as we are, we are growing rather than shrinking. (Although that statistic has been challenged by recent census numbers, I attribute that to a segment of Jews who are Orthodox in name only and not really practicing Jews. Their children often get little if any religious instruction. Certainly not in any formal way.)

The solution to the common problems of these movements is not where they are looking. They are looking at the fringe benefits of observance. It is not the fringe benefits that enhance our growth… although that helps. It is our commitment to Halacha.

Volunteering to do Mitzvos is not the same as doing them because God requires it of us. Gadol HaMetzuveh V’Oseh… There is greater merit in doing a Mitzvah because God requires it of us rather than doing a Mitzvah we don’t really have to do. Keeping Kosher may be an interesting experiment for a Reform Jew. But since he doesn’t have to, he can just as easily dispense with it whenever it is convenient to do so. The ability to opt out at will without any guilt makes Mitzvah observance relatively unimportant or at least less important than the reason for opting out. There is no sense of commitment. No sense of doing what God requires of us.

Leaving aside questionable theology, the Conservative movement has always claimed to be a Halachic movement – although there is some debate about that now within their own circles. The majority of its members observe Halacha more in the breach. I would posit that the typical Reform Jew and Conservative Jew have about an equal measure of Halachic observances in their lives.

So what is the answer for Heterodoxy? I am the last one to make suggestions for their survival. But I honestly do not believe they have a future. Not in the long run. Not as long as they do not emphasize the Torah’s requirement to follow Halacha and make sure their children get educated that way.

The Conservative Solomon Schechter schools are trying to do this. But I’m not convinced they are successful at it. My gut feeling now is that although they have had some successes, the majority of their students are not observant once they leave the school and enter university life – as most of them do. Reform day schools are in their infancy but the same goes for them. When Halachic observance is voluntary or not sufficiently emphasized, people will choose what to observe – and not to observe.

The truth of the matter is that education is the answer for continuity of Judaism. That was realized many decades ago by visionaries like Rav Sharga Feival Mendlowitz. If one is taught that God mandates observance and one sees that in the home, the chances are that they will live their lives accordingly when they become adults. That is the real secret of our future.

This is the lesson that heterodox movements should take from us. The problem for them is that their horse is out of the barn. For the most part there is little if any role modeling by Reform or Conservative parents who mostly live secular lives. A Reform education that does not teach Halacha as a requirement leaves little incentive to forgo the easily life of eating Treif or violating Shabbos. And a Conservative education that does emphasize observance and contradicted by what their student see in their homes cannot survive.

So in a few generations if not sooner, I predict that heterodoxy will see its own demise. Jews who belong to these movements now will eventually either intermarry, or simply abandon the unnecessary ‘baggage’ of being identified as Jewish – or in the other extreme become Orthodox as outreach organizations continue reach out to them.

So if the heterodox rabbis are serious about retaining Jews it would probably be best if instead of banging their collective heads against the wall about what to do -they worked with these outreach organizations to reach out to as many of their own members as they can.

If there is any doubt about that… well here is an excerpt from that JTA article that really says it all:

One need look no further than Yoffie’s own children, whom he talked about in his Shabbat sermon at the Reform biennial conference held Dec. 14-18 at a hotel just outside Washington. His daughter, Adina, attends a Modern Orthodox shul, and his son Adam, 28, finds temple boring and doesn’t go much at all, according to Yoffie.

Judging Judaism by its Jews

2011-12-20T12:43:00.003-06:00

‘Don’t judge Judaism by its Jews’ is one of the most controversial statements one can make about Judaism and its members. And it is an erroneous one. The fact is that one can and should judge Judaism by its practitioners. When Orthodox Jews misbehave it casts a shadow not only on our people but on our beliefs.

That’s why I rail against all the Orthodox Jewish miscreants that seem to constantly be in the news. Unfortunately there has been a lot of them in recent times. I need not name them. They are all too well known and a frequent subject of many of my blog posts. Some of them even prominent rabbinic figures.

It is these Jews people mean when they say do not judge Judaism by its Jews. But it is unfair to judge a people and their beliefs by the actions of a few. Even when they are prominent people who claim to be living the values we proclaim.

Does this mean that most of the rest of us live exemplary lives? No. I can safely say that I don’t – much as I’d like to. The Talmud tells us that with little exception, there has not lived a man on this earth who hasn’t sinned. Even though God expects us to live by His laws, in His infinite wisdom He knows that it is practically impossible to do. That’s why God is also known as Rachum V’Chanun. He is slow to anger, and forgives those who sincerely repent. Repentance is God’s gift to man. All God wants us to do – is our best.

So if a man sins and repents it is unfair to say Judaism is flawed. It is people who are flawed. Even though in theory we should be able to live by God’s laws - the Torah was given to people. Not angels. And people are human and sometimes prone to error.

But a fair minded person would not look to the sin of one individual and judge the entire religion. Nor should he say that there are so many prominent Jews who have sinned and judge Judaism that way. Because there are people who are exemplary individuals. They are not only careful in Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Makom – man and God… they are equally careful with Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Chavero - man and man. Perhaps even more so. One of the most revered Rabbinic figures of the last century by Charedim is Rav Chaim Soloveichik. He is of course the grandfather of my Rebbe, Rav Aharon who followed in his footsteps.

But R’ Chaim’s greatness is not only in Torah learning – although that too is one of his great achievements. He is perhaps the most influential Torah giant since the Vilna Goan. That is in fact why the Torah world reveres him so greatly. And with good reason. He is the progenitor of the Brisker Derech - the premium method of Torah study in the Yeshiva world today and it crosses all boundaries, from left to right.

But his reputation for greatness is not limited to the Torah world. He was renowned as a moral giant even by atheists of his time. Unfortunately there are not too many people alive today that can carry that mantel.

If one wants to judge Judaism by its Jews, then one should look at R’ Chaim, or his children. Or his grandchildren, most notably the Rav and Rav Ahron. Here is what the Forward wrote about R’ Chaim 100 years ago:

Haym Soloveitchik, otherwise known as the Brisker Rov, is one of the best-known scholars among contemporary rabbis. Considered one of Jewish law’s top authorities, people turn to him from all over the world with their legal queries. For the young generation, Soloveitchik is regarded as a fanatic who is unwilling to recognize that we have entered a new, modern era. But if you talk to young people in his hometown of Brisk, Belarus, even the apikorsim, or secular Jews, don’t see it that way. To the locals, who know the rabbi, he is, quite simply, a moral giant. In Brisk, young atheists and old religious Jews share the same view of Soloveitchik. He is talked about as if he is a living legend. Soloveitchik’s breadth as a thinker and moralist is known to all in his hometown, no matter what religious affiliation they may or may not have.

It behooves us all to follow in his moral footsteps even if we are not brilliant enough to follow in his Torah knowledge. If we are going to be a light unto the nations we need more leaders like that. Perhaps someday we can say with pride: One can judge Judaism by its Jews.

The State Does Not Belong to Charedim

2011-12-19T10:36:00.013-06:00

Segregation of the sexes in Israel has become a more contentious issue than ever. The increased size of a religious minority has enabled them to flex their muscles and seek religious accommodation from public enterprises unlike any other time in Israel’s history.

The current fight has come to a head in the Mehadrin bus lines. Several of Israel’s public bus routes have been granted gender segregation. This means that women must enter and sit at the back of any bus designated as Mehadrin.

The phenomenon of gender segregation is not limited to buses. With their new found numerical and political strength, there have been numerous other areas where gender segregation has been attempted. Like alternate side of the street segregation in highly traveled areas... with men on one side and women on the other.

The motivation behind this relatively new phenomenon is the Halacha which prohibits actual physical contact between the sexes. Except for their wives men are Halachicly forbidden from touching women. There are Halachic differences of opinion about whether the nature of the touch is a factor… or about certain exceptional circumstances. But in Chasidic and many other Charedi cirlces there is no such debate. Touching women is completely forbidden by men under any circumstances.

They therefore go to great lengths to avoid even incidental contact of the type one might encounter on a crowded bus. As their population increased buses in places like Meah Shearim got to be overcrowded. Contact under these conditions is nearly impossible to avoid. To alleviate this problem, Mehadrin buses were created. Other Charedim outside of the Chasidic community who say that such unavoidable incidental contact is not really a problem will tell you that it is still preferable to take a Mehadrin bus if possible.

They further argue that since it is but a minor inconvenience to those who are not religious, and to them it is of such vital importance, the public ought to let them have their buses. After all it is only in their own neighborhoods where they have asked for it.

But how minor is it? One man’s Chumra can easily be a another man’s burden. We are essentially speaking here about the tyranny of the minority. In particular this minority a self centered one that refuses to see the other side of the issue.

Although I have heard that many women who are not Chasidic actually prefer this arrangement, based on the current outcry my gut feeling is that they are in the minority too. Why? Let us examine the downside - and there are many.

First there is the inconvenience of being separated from one’s spouse and children. It is not uncommon to decide to change one’s mind about which stop to get off. How does one communicate this to a spouse separated by throngs of people on a crowded bus?

Then there are the tourists. Often one spouse relies on the other to know when and where to get off, it is very possible that a miscommunication will cause them to get off at different stops… and not knowing their way around - be lost.

And what about an elderly couple where one spouse depends on the other for help getting on and off buses?

And then there are those women who rightfully refuse to sit at the back of the bus.

These are just some of the problems that come to mind. But what makes this situation completely intolerable is the occasional reaction by zealots. Far too often there are zealots on board who take matters into their own hands. Intimidation and even violence can - and has resulted. As recently as last week, a woman got on a bus, sat down in an empty seat in the front of the bus and was immediately intimidated by some of the passengers. The bus was halted and the driver prevented from proceeding until she moved. She stood her ground. Police were called. It was ugly!

Need I remind anyone of similar incidents or even worse ones in the not too distant past?

I understand why they may want to have separate seating on a crowded bus. I even understand why they feel that women must sit in the back. They believe it is forbidden to look at a woman who sits in front of them because it may lead to lustful thoughts. By women sitting in back this is avoided. (How convenient!)

But common sense should tell them that when a bus is empty (or even when it’s not) and a woman ‘violates’ the norm, they should avoid conflict and leave her her alone. Most people - like it or not - will abide by the rules they have set. But these constant episodes of harassment and violence are cause to terminate the entire enterprise of Mehadrin buses once and for all.

One has to weigh the cost versus benefits of such Chumros. Actions like this projected to the world bring ridicule and contempt upon the Jewish people. Judaism is not a primitive religion. But the more episodes we have like this, the more we are seen that way. It is one thing to stand up for Halacha and withstand the test of scorn and ridicule that may follow. That would be a Kiddush HaShem. It is another to implement a Chumra observed by a minority that leads to inconveniencing other religious Jews who do not abide by such Chumros; is the source of violent behavior by zealots; and the source of ridicule of observant Judaism by world leaders.

We are not required as a people to abide by the stringency of the most extreme elements among us. Certainly not under these conditions. When that happens the Chumra turns into a Chilul HaShem.

The latest incident has brought this to a climax with condemnations coming from all circles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rightly condemned it. As has opposition leader Tzipi Livni… as has an onlooking American Secretary of State. But they are not the only ones.

Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has expressed his opposition to Mehadrin buses too. The State does not belong to Charedim, he said - even as he considers himself Charedi. As a protégé of Rav Elyashiv, I think that’s a good call.

I don’t know what is going to happen with the Mehadrin buses. But I think the entire enterprise has to end. The zealots have assured that they will continue to intimidate unwilling or reluctant female passengers who defy them. Common sense does not exist for them. Rav Metzger is right. Let the public transportation system be restored to a policy of free access of either gender to any seat available.

I would go one step further. There ought to be hidden surveillance cameras placed on every bus to assure that anyone harassing anyone else on a bus will be prosecuted. And the penalty ought to be stiff – including jail time for violence.

Those who want Mehadrin buses are entitled to have it. But I agree with Rav Metzger. Not at the expense of the public. If they want Mehadrin buses let them set up their own private system.

A Nice Kiddush HaShem

2011-12-18T12:01:00.004-06:00

This video was telecast Friday night on NBC5 during its late night (10:00 PM CST) newscast. It is refreshing to see something like this broadcast in a major media market like Chicago. Unfortunately I could not watch it live since it was Shabbos. But it has been uploaded to YouTube. Two schools are featured, Arie Crown Hebrew Day School and JRC/Solomon Schechter Day School… although 13 schools are involved.

It is a sort of Chanukah ‘Toys for Tots’ organized by the Chai Lifeline branch here in Chicago. Chai Lifeline is a national Orthodox Jewish service agency dedicated to making the lives of seriously ill Jewish children better. They are currently involved in a project to collect and distribute toys for Chanukah to the children they serve. It is truly a Kiddush HaShem to watch. You may recognize the name of one of the Arie Crown children who volunteered for the project. He is interviewed near the end video. Elisha Kirshner is my grandson and Reuven’s older brother.

A bit of an update about Reuven:

I am pleased to report that Reuven’s tumors are shrinking. And there have been no new tumors detected.

If there is any doubt as to whether prayer combined with Hishtadlus is of any value, this should help dispel it. Reuven’s disease, Ewing’s Sarcoma, is a very aggressive cancer. It grows very quickly. And although it responds to chemotherapy – it has not been able thus far to eliminate the tumors permanently. We have been very disappointed that even after very aggressive chemotherapy his tumors have not been eradicated and have in the past even increased in size and in number. Thankfully Reuven was never in any immediate mortal danger from those tumors but if they had continued to grow, he easily could have been.

Reuven has been receiving a steady regimen of oral chemotherapy along with a restricted diet consuming only food specially prepared and designed to choke off cancer cells. Perhaps most importantly he has been receiving a steady diet of prayer from around the world from literally thousands upon thousands of people who are praying for his complete recovery.

The bottom line is that it all seems to be working. In two successive x-rays, his tumors he have been reduced slightly in size and no new tumors have been detected. And Reuven feels good to boot. Thank God. Ken Yirbu.

As the doctors at Children’s Memorial Hospital have told my daughter Tovi, Reuven’s mother, whatever it is you are doing - keep doing it! I agree and I ask that people continue to keep Reuven ben Tova Chaya in their prayers.

Nazis?! What Were They Thinking?!

2011-12-18T07:00:00.009-06:00

I think it is fair to say that all segments of Orthodoxy, indeed all of humanity sees the Third Reich as evil incarnate. If there was ever an ‘Evil Empire’ that was it!.

I don’t think there is an ethical human being on the face of the earth that would disagree with that characterization. We know what they did to the Jewish people. The picture accompanying this post is but a small sampling of it.

Nazis were so evil that the very mention of the word ‘Nazi’ in any context is considered highly inappropriate - especially when one is comparing a fellow Jew to them. Even when there is strenuous objection to the views and rhetoric of that fellow Jew - it is unacceptable to compare them to Nazis.

Nor is it acceptable to use behavior by them as something to emulate – even in those instances where it might seem to be the case. For example - to say that Hitler was kind to dogs and use that as an example of how we should act towards animals is nauseating!

And yet it appears that there is a new obsession in certain Orthodox circles to do just that. Last week in two separate instances Nazi behavior was brought up in exactly these contexts. In one case comparing anti Agudah rhetoric to Nazi Germany’s propaganda against the Jews, and in another to demonstrate the Jewish ethic of Tznius. I wrote about the former last week.

The latter case is a shocking article in the Israeli version of the Yated. It was about gender segregation in the Charedi world in response to critiques – most notably by our Secretary of State - of this practice in Israel. He used Nazi gender segregation in the death camps to show just how widely accepted that idea is.

How can any Jew - no matter how right wing - continue to buy that newspaper? It is an insult to the memory of six million holy Jews that died Al Kiddush HaShem and to every single holy survivor of the Holocaust, religious or not. Those words should have never seen the light of day.

The Yated can extol the virtues of gender segregation all they want. They do not have to agree with me that such practices do more harm than good.

They can place extremes in the service of Tznius on the highest pedestal – even though these attitudes have led to the advent of Burka ladies; women getting beat up on buses; or for simply walking through their neighborhood dressed in the style of Bnei Akiva; or spilling acid on clothing they don’t like worn by women as they pass through Meah Shearim; or as in one case, a woman wearing a jumpsuit as she was jogging having had acid thrown in her face; or burning down a store that they think is selling immodest clothing; or in their latest enterprise calling little Mizrachi girls Shiksas and Prutzos as they enter or leave their religious school!

They can ignore all of those things if they want and continue to preach that segregation of the sexes is the greater good. They can explain all the problems away by saying these are exceptions; that they do not preach violence - that they condemn it; that people taking Chumros to extremes is not their fault. But once they use Nazi practices to justify their Chumros, they have lost the argument. And perhaps their minds!

Do they really think that the Nazi segregation of men from women in the camps was done because of any moral or even societal consideration? Can anyone at the Yated possibly even believe that? The Nazis were just using that tactic as a ruse to prevent chaos. The Nazis wanted their Jewish inmates to believe they were going to live in order to keep them calm before the slaughter. Men and women were segregated in their walk to the gas chambers. They were segregated as they entered the ‘showers’, and they were segregated as they were gassed to death.

But even if I were to grant that ‘even the Nazis understood the morality of gender segregation’ would that in any way get me praise the virtues of gender segregation? Think about it. Jews were being taken to the slaughter and were gender segregated before doing so. And this is an argument for Tznius?! How dare the Yated come anywhere near this argument?! And what are they saying about our Secretary of State? ...That even the Nazis understood gender segregation better than her?!

I do not believe the editor of the Yated was thinking too clearly on this one. It is a condemnable comparison that destroys the entire point he tried to make.

The Yated editor owes every decent human being an apology for allowing this odious article to appear in his paper. No matter what his intention was. As I said, he is entitled to his opinion. But if he wants to be credible to even his own constituency - he cannot be allowed to get away with using Nazi behavior to justify it!

The Influence of Chasidim on Orthodox Jewry

2011-12-16T08:29:00.005-06:00

Guest Post by Bray of the Fundie

The following guest post was submitted by an anonymous blogger who - using the above pseudonym comments frequently on various J-blogs. It was originally posted yesterday on his blog, HaMavdil. The views and opinions expressed are solely his and do not necessarily reflect my own.

Today is the 19th of Kislev. It is a day celebrated by Chasidim in general as the Yuhrzeit of the Mezritcher Magid and by Chabad Chasidim in particular as the day that the Alter Rebbe (AKA the Rav and the Ba'al HaTanya) was liberated from his first incarceration in Czarist Prison and referred to as ראש השנה לחסידות . As such it got me, a non-Khusid, thinking about how Chasidish we have all become.

In pre-war Eastern Europe the various Jewish regions were basically culturally secluded from others. The Litvaks, Byelorussians and Latvians were, by and large, Misnagdim. The Germans, mostly Reform and, if observant, Hirschian. While great swaths of Poland, Galitzia, Hungary, Rumania and Ruthenia were Chasidish each region had it's own flavor of Chasidus and idiom of Yiddish.

Not so in the post war era. In almost every large Jewish population center around the world Holo-survivors of all of the aforementioned groups and their descendants began living cheek-by-jowl with one another along with indigenous frum populations that were there before the war and, at least in the immediate post-war years, attending the same schools and "intermarrying".

And so, cultural osmosis was inevitable. Yet it's clear that the Chasidim have had the far greater influence on the rest of us, in particular on the Yeshivisha velt than vice versa. Below I present a partial list of ways and mores that were once associated exclusively with Chasidim that have made great inroads among "the rest of us" (in no particular order).

Chumras in Kashrus: Cholov Yisroel and Glatt Flaisch although TBF if memory serves, Yoshon and heightened bug/ cychapod/ Toloim awareness began in Yeshivisha Kraizen.

Taareevos / Qedusha /Tznius: Mekhitzas Mekhitzas everywhere, weddings, simchas, dinners, kiddushim, buses, and they keep getting higher and more opaque. No pictures of even Tzanua women in print. No sitting in the same sections of buses. No mention of kallahs names in engagement announcements. Shortened courtship in shidduchim. Greater pre-first date screening / vetting in shiduchim. Fewer kallahs coming to the mens side during כיצד מרקדים . A shaitel being an anathema in certain quarters (primarily Chardal and Chavakuks. Although TBF I don't know f this is sourced in Chasidisha or Sfardisha influences). Suffice it to say that a generation or two ago none of this existed in Yeshivish, Yekkish and MO circles.

Levush/ Grooming: No color, lots of black and white even among the females. The doffing of ties and cuff-links. Long gatkes and no cuff shirts. Near universal peyos and many a pre-wedding beard. Khalakas-Upsherins for the three year olds. Near universal Shaitels / hair covering (yes Virginia, a generation or two ago very few MO women covered their hair at all, not to mention some other coverables, and even quite a few prominent Litvisha Rebitzens went bareheaded and smoked to boot!). RAK forbade Shtreimels in BMG. RMF allowed the use of certain electric razors. RYYR ejected bokhrim who grew beards from NIRC משום יוהרא (IINM this obtained in Telshe as well). There was nary a gartel to be seen in any Yeshiva or Young Israel. Straw hats in the summer were the norm, even among Roshei Yeshiva including some Panama Hats.

Tekheiles used to unheard of outside Radzyner survivors and a few pockets of Breslovers. While the Tekheiles that is all the rage in MO circles today is Rav Herzogs and not Rav Gershon Henikhs, it is an undeniable historical fact that it was he who began the Renaissance of this long forgotten mitzvah, and in a certain sense the whole, let's-do-mitzvos-we-haven't-done-in-decades/centuries/ millenia movement so popular today (Shiluach hakan, Yoshon, Pidyon peter khamor, Zroya V'lkhoayim wearing Tefilin the live-long day and donning them at home then walking to Shul...to name a few)

Anti-Zionism: Munkatcher/ Satmar ideology on the topic is triumphant and near universal in the Yeshivisha velt. Even among Khardals there has been some serious re-examination of the cornerstones of their Religious-Zionist ideology in the wake of the Gush Qatif evacuation. This is apocryphal but I've heard tell that in 1949 in Chevron Yeshiva they said Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut. That Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said that going to IDF military cemeteries is visiting kivrei Tzadikim and that Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz opined that the IDF casualties were like famous martyrs in the time of the Khurban. Let's see them try and get away with that now.

Hostility to Secular Education: A generation ago at least in American Yeshiva High Schools, students received a quality secular education and more than 40-50% went on to receive University degrees. Today in boys Yeshivas secular studies are an open joke, Hanholos compete for Khashivus at least in part by how successfully they can marginalize the secular studies. Today Litvisha High School graduates are mostly functional illiterates and speak a pidgin English like their Chasidisha counterparts. Albeit with less of an accent .

Kiruv and Missionary-like desire to spread the faith: אימתי קאתי מר was once an exclusively Chasidic anthem and ethos. While it's true that Novardhok did have a missionary proselytizing zeal even before the war they have melted away into history. Any fair historian must connect the dots of all Litvisha Kiruv Yeshivas and organizations back to Chabad. The fact that young khinukh couples will occasionally move to the boonies and that "Kiruv rabbi" has now joined the list of respected Qlei Qodesh, joining Mohalim, Shokhtim, Sofrim, Rabonim, Melamdim and Roshei Yeshiva represents a sea-change in mainstream Judaisms thinking compared to 40 years ago.

Segulos: Chai Rotel Mashkeh, Amuka, Pigeons-to-cure-hepatitis, Kupat HaIr and Vaad HaRabonim marketing. Enough said.

Hagiographies: as was always the norm among Khasidim non-kasidisha Gedolim must now also be Qedoshim M'Rekhem Eemom. If they had pasts...best to hide it. If they had growing pains... best to dissemble about it.

Kivrei Tzadikim: Always a big inyan by Chasidim it has gained much cache among the rest of us in the past few decades. From Carlebach fans flocking to Shlomos kever on Har Hamenukhos, to Chasidim rediscovering RJJ as a Tzadik, to invading Arab territory for Yosef Hatzadik, to Rav Pesach Krone led Heritage tours of Eastern Europe, to all the non-Chasidim on the Charter flights to Berditcehv and Lizhensk, Kever hopping has gone mainstream.

Especially universal is the Uman experience. You could roll all the mainstream and Looney-Tune sub-sects of Breslov into one, triple it and there would still be no accounting for the enormous RH crowds in Uman. It seems as though everyone is entitled to love their own stripe of Judaism....and Breslov too!

Leadership: the kind of sense of infallibility, un-challenge-ability, ability to intercede in prayer, efficacy of granting brachos, expertise in fields that they were not trained in once attributed only to Chasidic Masters is now the norm in relating to Litvisha gedolim. Ironically IMO todays Yeshivaleit have out-chasidished the Chasidim in these departments and whereas many contemporary Chasidim, especially in those Hoifen that have been riven by internal infighting and schisms, display a "healthy" skepticism towards their own leaders the average Yeshivaman is totally mevatel himself and independent thought to Daas Torah. Are their more sought after Brakhos granters or eitzeh gaibers in the world today than Rav Chaim Kaniefski ZGZ and his shver?

Ancillary to this is another originally Chasidish dimension of leadership. Goyim have celebrities who are otherwise talent free but "famous for being famous", Chasidim have almost always had some Masters who were "Leader because they led". They were not famous for Geonos or even necessarily tzidkus or for their ability to work miracles. This is especially true since dynasties became almost exclusively hereditary rather than moving from Master to Disciple. This brings me to a current event that really sparked this post. But as this post is too long for anyone to read already I'll save it for a part two. Stay tuned.

The only serious question left is: With this much הפצת המעינות why does Moshiach continue to tarry?

בא המבדיל והעמידן על אחת - "Those who cannot tolerate Havdala cannot appreciate Qedusha"

Out of Control Passion and Rhetoric

2011-12-15T13:57:00.007-06:00

Every once in a while I get an e-mail from someone who was sexually abused as a child. I recently received such a letter from someone who described in great detail what one particular pedophile did to him as a young preteen. I can’t even begin to describe the visceral anger I felt as I read it, literally frozen to my computer screen. Fortunately the writer who is an adult now has remained observant. Although I would not have blamed him in the slightest if he had rejected not only Orthodoxy but Judaism itself.

That e-mail is why I cannot condemn the harsh criticism by advocates of rabbinic leaders like those who serve on the Agudah Moetzes. But I cannot condone it either because I completely disagree with the way they do it. They often use hateful invectives against them because of their perception that they do not seem to care about the victims. Or at least care more about the survival of the system at the expense of the victims. If God forbid it were me or one of my own children that were molested, I’m not sure I wouldn’t feel the same way.

That said, I am going to do something that may upset victims and their advocates. I base my views on my ability as a non victim to see things more objectively. I do not see these rabbinic leaders as evil. Quite the contrary. I see them as sincere. I do not think for a moment that they wish to see any harm come to victims. I instead see much sympathy from them for the plight of the victim. Although I have publicly disagreed or questioned their positions on this issue, I do not believe for a minute that they do so out of any sense of harming them - or for personal gain.

There are those who say that many of Agudah’s pronouncements and attitudes are generated by money. In one sense that is true. Money is needed to fuel the system. Without it, the entire system would crash. It is not personal gain or loss that concerns them. It is the very existence of the system itself.

Let us take the Markey Bill as an example. That bill would have extended the statute of limitations on lawsuits that could be brought against abusers and their enablers. The Agudah Moetzes wanted to protect their schools from financial decimation from lawsuits brought decades after the original statute of limitations ran out. They feel that a school that decades ago allowed an abuser to do his thing but is now a different school with a new faculty and administration - and that had no connection to the past - ought not be penalized for the sins of there forebearers. They believed that these kinds of lawsuits would irreparably and unfairly harm the system. Passing the Markey bill was too high a price to pay.

I disagreed with them on this issue and sincerely believe that justice would be better served if we allow the victims their day in court. And I further believe that the system would survive. Just as it did in other states who extended their statute of limitations.

The point is that Agudah’s position was not really an unreasonable one. To accuse them of being anti-victim because they were anti Markey is therefore untrue and unfair.

The same thing is true about the most recent controversy - their requirement to report abuse first to rabbis for the purpose of determining the veracity of an accusation. Here too I disagreed with them. I do not think rabbis are the ones best trained to determine which accusations are valid and which are not. But again, to say that they are anti victim because of this is unfair.

They are concerned that someone accused arbitrarily of abuse will be ruined for life. A legitimate concern. My view is that we ought to let the experts decide and not rabbis. If one suspects abuse, report it to the police immediately! But I do not fault the Agudah Moetzes motives here. They believe that with proper training their rabbis will do a good job in vetting legitimate accusations from the illegitimate. And thus spare an innocent man from a lifetime of suspicion – even after he is exonerated.

There are those cynics who will accuse some rabbis of trying to protect an accused abuser because they simply cannot believe it about him. I suppose there is some truth to that. Which is another reason to go straight to the police. But a predilection to believe the accused in some cases does not stem from any nefarious motives. It is simply a bias of trust built up over the years of knowing the accused as an honorable man and disbelieving such things about him.

But the critics are relentless in their antagonism towards – and even hatred of - Agudah. To be fair some of that antagonism comes from the way things were handled in the past. Victims were badly treated then. And abusers were thus enabled to continue with their abuse. As was the case with one of the more notorious abusers who was a Rebbe in an elementary school. 20 years of uninterrupted abuse happened there. Or the cases where a school or community simply kicked an abuser out of their neighborhood or city – allowing him to go elsewhere and set up shop.

Their inexperience in dealing with pedophiles led them further down the wrong path often believing they could prevent further abuse internally without police involvement. That has proven to be a huge mistake - one in which I think they realize they had grievously erred.

And of course this stokes the anger of victims and advocates.

The bottom line is that I do not believe for a minute that the Agudah Moetzes is anything but well intentioned. Certainly their sea change about reporting abusers to the police at least after being vetted by rabbis is a welcome change in the right direction from the time they thought they could handle things ‘in house’.

Which brings me to an op-ed by Rabbi Avi Shafran in Ami Magazine and the reaction to it by victim’s advocates. Rabbi Shafran expresses indignation (correctly so in my view) to the way some advocates treated a closed session of rabbis at the last Agudah convention. The session dealt with sex abuse. Although I too questioned the closed door nature of the meeting, I do not for a moment believe there was anything nefarious going on there. I take Rabbi Shafran at his word that this session was designed to deal precisely with the issue of rabbinic participation in the process of vetting accusers. From their perspective of requiring rabbinic approval, they were only trying to forward that goal properly.

Those who were so vehement in their condemnation of the Agudah were wrong in how they protested it. There is no evil intent here. There is only disagreement in how to do it right. To bash the Agudah as if they were doing something sinister is completely wrong and unfair.

I understand the passion. Certainly after reading that e-mail I was talking about. But one has to be fair and not go overboard to bash people who have dedicated their lives to serving the Klal. Yes, I have pretty much the same disagreements with them that advocates do. But to turn that into a venomous attack is outrageous and in my view counter-productive. Hard though it may be for victims and their advocates, there is a right way and a wrong way to disagree. Venomous attacks against well intentioned people is the wrong way.

But there is one thing I do agree with them on about this article. Using an illustration and title (in the above picture) that is reminiscent of the propaganda used by Nazi Germany against the Jewish people. The purpose was to compare the attacks by the advocates against Agudah to the Nazi propagandists of the Holocaust. That crosses a line. It too is an outrageous and venomous attack.

These advocates are not evil. They too are good people. They spend a good deal of their time working on behalf of victims. That some of them get carried away with angry rhetoric may be because of their frustration with what they see as impediments to their goals. Right or wrong about their rhetoric it is not OK to cast them as Nazi propagandists.

I think we would all be a lot better off if we look at the good that each side is doing, appreciate each other’s efforts, and respect our differences even while criticizing them in the hopes of changing some minds and hearts. I truly believe that both sides are working towards the same goal of eradicating the scourge of sex abuse form our world forever! But as always, the devil is in the details.

Tom Friedman

2011-12-15T09:57:00.008-06:00

He is very bright. And he does his homework. New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman is considered an expert by many in matters dealing with the Middle East. I have even heard his name mentioned as a possible future Secretary of State. He researches his subject like very few people do, including most Presidential candidates. There is very little I disagree with him about in terms of the facts on the ground in Israel and her neighbors. I suppose the fact that he is Jewish gives him his interest in Middle East politics. I am absolutely certain that he wishes for Israel the same thing I do. Peace.

But that is where the similarity ends. Furthermore, I think the PR about him has gone to his head. It makes him believe that his views about how to achieve peace or about Israeli officials are infallibly correct. And that the slightest difference of opinion with him is offered by ignorant fools. But I think the only fool here is Mr. Freidman himself.

His latest missive is an example of that. In a reaction to comments made by Newt Gingrich his anger and arrogance oozes from every paragraph. He is so full of himself and sure of his image as an expert that he is beginning to make the noises of an anti-Semitism. He probably thinks he can get away with that because he is Jewish. Who would accuse a Jew of being an anti-Semite?

Well, he is not an anti-Semite. But he does sound like one. When I read his article yesterday I was taken aback by a comment he made. But I was not the only one. Taking a page from controversial academics Mearshimer and Walt - here is what he said:

I sure hope that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby.

That an intelligent and highly respected columnist for one of the most widely read newspapers in the world can say that… well it shows that he may not be that intelligent after all. Nor does he deserve any respect. From the Forward - here is what Congressman Steve Rothman said:

Rothman (D-N.J.) in a statement said that characterization reinforced a “dangerous narrative” about supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.

“I gave Prime Minister Netanyahu a standing ovation not because of any nefarious lobby, but because it is in America’s vital national security interests to support the Jewish State of Israel and it is right for Congress to give a warm welcome to the leader of such a dear and essential ally,” he said. “Mr. Friedman owes us all an apology.”

I think he owes America, Israel and the entire Jewish people an apology.

If one reads the very next line of Friedman’s statement, one can see where he is coming from:

The real test is what would happen if Bibi tried to speak at, let’s say, the University of Wisconsin. My guess is that many students would boycott him and many Jewish students would stay away, not because they are hostile but because they are confused.

He then goes on to list a litany of Israel’s ‘sins’ that lead students to their ‘confusion’.

One can agree or disagree with his criticisms. In fact I have made some of them myself. But make no mistake about it. His words and angry tone are the very same that might be seen on one of those anti-Semitic websites.

He is apparently completely enamored of left wing academics that exploit and exaggerate everything Israel does that diverge from their values. He gets his cues from professors who insist that Israel is an Apartheid State and its policies are Nazi-like.

It is Friedman who is confused. He actually grants independent thinking to the young college student who comes to his university with a mind full of mush and is then ‘straightened out’ in his thinking by leftist pro-Palestinian academics, some of whom are Palestinian.

This is where the typical 18 to 19 year old secular Jewish student whose total knowledge about Judaism amounts to seeing his parents eat bagels and lox on a Sunday morning - gets his values. They are fed a constant diet of anti-Israel rhetoric by leftist professors who are at best myopic and see only the ‘now’ and completely ignore the ‘why’. They see an oppressed minority and a powerful government and to them that adds up to blaming Israel for everything and bashing them in the process. End of conversation. These young minds full of mush enamored of their professors buy into that hook line and sinker.

These are the people who views Freidman values. But he ought to know better. He knows the history of the region. He knows the ‘why’. And he should know that the fault of the oppression lies mostly with the Arabs themselves who teach their children so much hatred of the Jewish people that they are willing to commit suicide just to kill a few Jews in the process.

Friedman ought to do a little research about his own Judaism. He views are truly uninformed by it. His knowledge of Judaism is sophomoric at best and his values therefore far more informed by academics like Mearshimer and Walt.

I am just plain sick of this guy’s smarminess. Even with all his research on Middle Eastern issues - his apparent unbridled esteem for academia (combined with his love affair with himself) has blinded him to the truth. He sense of fairness is gone as is his good judgment to the point where he is starting to sound like an anti Semite. His sense of self importance has really gone to his head.

I have no problem with those whose views about Israel differ from mine. But when someone like Friedman goes off the deep end about them, it’s time to expose him for the biased myopic self important fool that he is.

Chanukah Rights?!

2011-12-14T10:38:00.009-06:00

What a shame. I really liked the melody. The performances are great; the images entertaining; the singers talented, clean cut, and obviously Orthodox. Overall it is a very cute video, humorous in parts, with pretty decent production values.

And yet the lyrics of this video were troubling.

Starting with the very title, ‘Chanukah Rights’ - it sends the wrong message. The idea being that Orthodox Jews have to fight for our rights to celebrate Chanukah.

There is no fight here.This is as far from the truth about America as can be. If anything more non Jews - and even Jews - are aware of this holiday than any other Jewish holiday. For obvious reasons. It coincides with the Christmas season. And there is more attention to Chanukah in the media than ever before. Remember the Maccabeats last year? They were featured on several national news programs where they performed their Chanukah song. As recently as last week Jay Leno had Matisyahu singing his new Chanukah song.

It is possible or perhaps even likely that they did not mean this as any sort of attack on America. Maybe they just meant that they would like to see Chanukah more prevalent in the atmosphere this time of year where everything is about Christmas.

But one cannot overlook the fact that they began the video with the image of what many perceive as an anti-Semitic ad for Vodka. It featured two pedigreed dogs – one with a Santa outfit and one with a Kipa. The ad said, “Christmas Quality. Hanukkah Pricing. Great Vodka. Priced Right”.

There were some Jewish organizations - like the ADL that saw this ad as anti-Semitic… as some sort negative stereotypical reference to Jews being cheap. I did not personally see it that way. I thought it actually made us look like smart shoppers in knowing a good value when we see it. I saw no real slight. Be that as it may, I can understand why some Jews might be upset by the ad. The Vodka company has apologized and pulled it. That should be the worst form of anti Semitism any Jew ever encounters.

Back to the song. At the beginning of the video the performers look up at the ad and shake their heads in dismay, and then proceeds to sing a song of protest.

Do they not realize how widely accepted the Jewish People are in America today?

Is there some stereotyping along the lines of those who saw the ad that way? Sure. Are there minuscule pockets of virulent anti-Semitism like Neo-Nazis and the KKK? Again, sure. I will even admit that there is some latent anti-Semitism in some small and isolated communities all over the country. But none of it rises to the level of any great concern. (I leave out the anti Israel Academic environment – as that is a subject of an entirely different nature and not the classic anti-Semitism that this song seems to make a semi-veiled reference to.)

Not only is there little to no anti-Semitic activity in America today, I would say the opposite is true. Judging by the media, entertainment industry, and the political support for Israel by politicians of both major parties… not to mention the current Evangelical love affair with the Jewish State and the Jewish people, I would say that Jews are perhaps the most admired minority in America. The fact that we stand out so much in a positive way and are less than 2% of the population says a lot about us... and about Americans.

What this message ends up doing is planting a seed of distrust in the Jewish people against our fellow non Jewish Americans - even though that may not be its intent. It implies that there is some sort of battle going on between Jews and Christians. That we must somehow fight for our right to observe Chanukah. How absurd that is! And how damaging such a message is. If American Jewry were to adopt this attitude we would forever be walking around with a chip on our shoulders and seeing as anti-Semitic every little thing that has even the slightest possibility of being interpreted in a negative way. We would suspect of every gesture of friendship as having an ulterior motive.

This is not Czarist Russia. This is America. And there is no better example of how the vast majority of Americans feel about us than what happened a few years ago in a small town in America. An entire neighborhood of Christians all went out, bought Menorahs and put them in their window. Why? To express love for and solidarity with their one Jewish neighbor. That neighbor had a brick thrown through his window by a group of hooligans who saw a menorah instead of a Christmas tree. There are a lot of stories like this.

A song like ‘Chanukah Rights’ completely ignores the truly great country that we live in - a country that was founded on the principles of religious tolerance. There is no other country like it in the world. This song thrusts a subtle and undeserved characterization of anti Semitism upon the American people. This is wrong and I protest it.

Update (12/15/11 8:32 AM CST)

Upon further review and reading the comments to this post, I have reconsidered my view. This video is apparently a parody of the very attitude I objected to. I still feel that the opening focus on that ad can mislead one down the road I took.

I am leaving the post up as I originally wrote it so that the commentary responding to it will make sense.

Are Palestinians Really a People?

2011-12-13T12:14:00.005-06:00

It is always a pleasant surprise for me when a liberal journalist agrees with the likes of someone like Newt Gingrich. But that is exactly what has happened here. In an op-ed in the LA Times, Michael Kinsley has actually agreed quite eloquently with the former speaker’s statement that Palestinians are a made up people. He actually goes into detail as to why that is a fact. Here are the pertinent excerpts:

In November 1947, shortly after the United Nations voted for partition of the Holy Land into separate Arab and Jewish states, Chaim Weizmann was cited by the New York Times as saying that "the most important work now was to build Palestine."What? To build Palestine? Yes, in 1947 the word "Palestinian" — if it meant anything at all — referred to Jews living in Palestine. The Palestine Post (now the Jerusalem Post) was the Jewish English-language newspaper. The Palestine Orchestra (now the Israel Philharmonic) was a Jewish orchestra, filled to overflowing with Holocaust survivors. The United Palestine Appeal, an American charity, raised money to resettle homeless Jews from Europe in Palestine — one of the things Arabs objected to the most…

Arabs living in the territory of Palestine were called Arabs — or, very occasionally, Palestinian Arabs. This was in keeping with a philosophy known as pan-Arabism, which held that all places where Arabs ruled were part of one big Arab nation.This history is probably what Newt Gingrich had in mind when he commented last week that the Palestinians were "an invented people."For two decades before they lost the 1967 Six-Day War, Arabs controlled the entire West Bank, the Gaza Strip and half of Jerusalem. They could have established a Palestinian state any time they wanted. They never tried. The famous U.N. Resolution 242, which ended the Six-Day War, makes no reference to Palestinians, but just refers to refugees.In short, Gingrich is right, up to a point. Until the 1970s, Palestinian nationalism was not much of a factor. The PLO was formed in 1964, but the idea of "liberating" Palestine from Israeli control didn't really take hold until after the 1967 war…

Gingrich also is not completely off the wall in describing the situation as a struggle "between a civilian democracy that obeys the rule of law and a group of terrorists that are firing missiles every day." On reflection, Gingrich might have wanted to distinguish between the Palestinian Authority, which rules in the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza. Hamas is the one firing missiles. But even regarding the Palestinian Authority, it's incredible that all it has taken for the PLO (which conducted the slaughter at the Munich Olympics, among other atrocities) to become an acceptable future Palestinian government is to have found a leader who wears a suit and tie and knows how to shave. Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is considered the grownup, the trustworthy negotiating partner, the one you complain to when Hamas misbehaves.

Wow! I could not have said it better myself. Mr. Kinsley goes on to say (correctly in my view) that the reality is that they now consider themselves a nationality and want a state. And any people that wants to have their own state ought to be able to have one. Fair enough. As long as the rights of others are not taken away in the process - this is a position that I believe we can all agree upon, including Newt and BB. As I have always said in the past, the devil is in the details… and of course the real devil is in the terrorism that is preventing Israel from allowing it.

But I do have a minor quibble with Mr. Kinsley. Not that I disagree with his history lesson. I don’t. But he makes the point that Zionism as we know it today is really the first reference to an Israeli nationality. Until then there were no Israeli people either. As it refers to political Zionism, he may have a point.

But if one really wants to look at history, Israelis were already a nationality at Sinai. We became God’s chosen people through the progeny of Jacob –later called Israel by God. Thus all of Jacob’s desecendants are Israelis. And giving us the land of Israel was part of His covenant with us. As the first Rashi in Chuamsh tells us. God owns the world and He can give any part of it to whomever He wants. He clearly has given Israel’s title deed to us, the Jewish people. The people of Israel.

Palestinians can scream all they want and claim that it’s all a big lie. And they do. But that doesn’t make it any less true. So in point of fact we did not make up that nationality. God is the one who gave us that. He made us a people. If one believes in the bible, whether Jew or Christian, one has to concede that. And even if they do not believe in the bible, certainly they would concede that historically Israelis (Jews) were once a people living in a place called Israel under Kings David and Solomon… and future kings all the way up to the end of the 2nd Temple era. And the Temple that was built still has the remnants in Israel. Palestinians have absolutely no hint of any such national presence in their history as pointed out by Kinsley.

That said, we do have to face the reality of millions of Arabs who call themselves Palestinians. Like it or not, they are there. And they want to be a nation among nations with their own land. We can’t just will them out of existence or refuse to call them Palestinians because they made up the name post 67. We have to deal with reality. But we can and we should insist on conditions for peace that would assure an end to Arab hostility in all its forms before we compromise on one inch of land. And in that department, nothing has changed – except for the worse.

An Angry Reaction

2011-12-13T10:38:00.010-06:00

One of the more surprising elements of that YUBeacon article about the sexcapade of one of YU’s (Stern) female students is the reaction by Alumni. These are the alumni that I always point to as the true representatives of the Yeshiva University Hashkafa of Torah U’Mada. They are the ones who I think of most when I use the term RWMO. Their reaction was anger! Anger and outrage at both the author and the publishers.

My reaction was more along the lines of the student council who immediately and calmly took steps to remedy the situation. The YU Beacon has severed its relationship with the student council who until now provided some of its funding. It is no longer one of YU’s official student newspapers.

I think an analysis of the anger is warranted here. Why are they so outraged? If one reads the writing of one of Stern’s brighter products, one will see just how outraged they are. Last night I spoke to another one of YU’s finer products at a banquet I attended and he felt the same way.

After thinking about it, I realized that they are angry because they take pride in their alma mater. They have in the past extolled their school for the type of religious and secular education they received. While admitting that their school has flaws- they nonetheless take pride in their school because the good far outwieghs the bad. YU's faculty and resources helped them understand and live the values promoted at the school. When in the past someone would put down the school as not religious enough they knew that it was just a distortion. That YU has the same religious and moral values as any right wing school.

So when they see a student writing a sex story like this in such a matter of fact way in an official student publication – it embarrasses the school they take so much pride in. It makes a mockery of the values they say the school promotes. They are made to feel like laughing stocks by their frequent critics who smirk with an ‘I told you so’ attitude about their school. All the talk in the world about the lofty principles of a YU fall by the wayside.

It besmirches the administration, the students and the faculty; it even taints some of the great rabbinic figures of the past who names are associated with YU. The home of ‘Halakhic Man’ is now also the home of Smut. I can just hear all the snickering now of YU’s critics! Jokes about the institution abound. All the old canards about YU being the home of Teffilin dates are regurgitated. All the arguments about YU being a Makom Torah just like other Yeshivos are laughed at. You want sex in the city? Try YU.

So of course they are upset… and embarrassed. Rightfully so. I do not blame any student or alumnus for all their anger. In some ways I am actually proud of that anger!

But Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein has an excellent perspective on this which should make all students and alumni feel much better about themselves and their school:

Does it prove that YU and Stern are morally bankrupt? Not at all. All it proves is that YU and Stern are willing to open their doors to provide a Jewish undergraduate education to a far more religiously diverse group than other schools. That may be wise or unwise, depending on the impact that the less religiously engaged have upon the others. One could believe that it is the wrong way to go, and still admit that the decision is defensible.

This is really the heart of the matter and it ought to silence all those who scoff at YU. Of course it probably won’t. But then again, nothing will silence them. They will just add this episode to their repertoire of anecdotes to show just how evil YU is.

Coming to Praise Him – Not to Bury Him

2011-12-12T13:07:00.008-06:00

Imagine an opening like this in a biography of Rav Aharon Kotler:

As teenager he attended a co-ed religious high school. He was on their soccer team and was a beloved member of his peer group… very popular among his friends.

The great Rosh Yeshiva never forgot his roots – always speaking about them to various audiences. He even attributed much of his success with his students to his past. He said It broadened his outlook -enabling him to better relate to them. The young man from the co-ed high school eventually became the builder of the largest Yeshiva in the world and died a Gadol.

This great man was not born a genius. He worked hard to get where he was. That is what in fact defined his greatness in Torah as much as anything else. One of his eulogizers praised his background as an advantage over those who are immersed in Torah from the very beginning of their lives to the exclusion of all else . Those who were brought up with Kulo Torah (much like those who are educated in Israel) may have a head start compared to those with broader backgrounds. But those with broader backgrounds have to work harder to gain the same amount of Torah knowledge.

The advantage in Torah always goes to those who have to work harder for it. They end up actually owning the knowledge. They worked for it. The harder someone works for something the better he appreciates what he has and the more he owns it. Those who are fed a constant diet of Torah only from day one may understand it more quickly and earlier in life. But they will never own it the same way as someone who has worked hard for it owns it. Those who try harder will not only catch up with them - but they surpass them.

Working hard was the Rosh Yeshivas legacy. He learned Torah and re-learned it again and again and again - until he owned it like no one else. This should be a lesson to those who think it is best to learn Torah full time from kindergarden on and throughout life without studying anything else. They will not have to work as hard. But they will not own it as much as those who do.

I think an opening to a biography of Rav Aharon Kotler like this would be censored by the right. If one looks at the typical biography of a Gadol in these circles one will never see anything like it. Family members would strongly object to repeating a past that was not in harmony with the Hashkafos they teach. All references to a co-ed education would be deleted. As would references to participating in organized sports.

And the idea that he was not born a genius would be unacceptable. A book like this would never see the light of day. And if it did it would be banned even though it’s true!

But change soccer to basketball and this is exactly what the eulogizers at the Hespid Sheloshim for Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel said last Thursday night. None of them were Modern Orthodox. One of them is actually a member of the Agudah Moetzes. All of them made reference to Rav Finkel’s past and they did it to praise him, not to bury him.

The speakers included, Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Levine, the Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe, Rav Avrohom Freidman, the Rosh HaYeshiva of HTC (Skokie), Rav Aharon Lopianski, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola of Greater Washington who was the brother in law of Rav Finkel, and Rav Gedalia Finkel, a Rosh Yeshiva in the Mir who is Rav Nosson Tzvi’s brother.

How different is this Rosh Yeshva and his family from others on the right who refuse to publicize things like this! How different is the understanding of what inspiration means to ArtScroll publisher Rabbi Nosson Scherman compared to what it meant to Rav Nosson Tzvi and still means to his family.

How wonderful it is to read the many eulogies published over the internet where stories like the following abound.

Rav Hershel Shachter’s son - who learned in the Mir went to see Rav Nosson Tzvi to tell him that he was going to Lakewood next Z’man. Rav Nosson Tzvi talked him out of it insisting that he go back to Yeshiva University so that he could learn Torah from his father and be Mashpia over the YU students. How different is that from the typical Lakewood attitude that is allergic to anything that has to do with YU!

Perhaps some lessons can be learned by the right. Stop pushing a Torah Only agenda for everyone. Stop bashing YU. And most of all stop meddling with the truth of history. What you see as unflattering to a Gadol may actually be very flattering. Perhaps censoring the truth about him is not what he wanted, nor what God wants of you. Tell the truth and let people be inspired! And let their horizons be broadened.

Tribute to a Reform Rabbi

2011-12-12T09:51:00.006-06:00

I don’t know Rabbi Eric Yoffie - the retiring head of the Union for Reform Judaism. But as the head of the flagship institution of his denomination, I can safely say that he and I do not see eye to eye on religious theology.

Reform Judaism as most people know was created by people who rejected the Torah’s requirement to follow Halacha. For over a century this movement did everything it could to assimilate its members with the surrounding culture. It might be an over-simplification to say this but I believe the rationale for their abandonment of Halacha was as follows. Acting in accordance with Halacha was what God chose for His people to do so that they would be ethical. Once those ethics are understood Halacha was no longer required and could be discarded.

The history of the movement is one of not only abandoning Halachic observance but in most cases forbidding it. It may not have started out that way but that is how it eventually evolved. As recently as the early sixties many Reform Temples forbade wearing a Kipa in their sanctuary.

In our day the Reform Movement has done a 180. Well, not exactly a 180. Let’s call it a 160. Instead of rejecting Halacha, the Reform leadership is now embracing it. They are returning to ritual. They too are ‘moving to the right’.

This is not to say that they are becoming Charedi. Nor any other version of Orthodoxy or even Conservative. They still maintain that Halacha is not binding. But they are now pursuing it. Many Reform rabbis now encourage keeping Halacha and see it as fundamental to Judaism. Apparently one of the prime movers behind this change has been Rabbi Yoffie. Here is an excerpt from the Forward:

Within Reform circles he will be remembered as the leader who emphasized Torah study and renewed synagogue worship, who spoke about the Sabbath and kashrut, and who expanded summer camps to embrace a new generation of Reform Jews…

Rabbi Yoffie (emphasized) “Torah at the center” (of) a “worship revolution.”…

Services in too many Reform synagogues had become “performance-oriented, and didn’t speak to people’s spiritual needs,” he said. “I wanted to give expression to the desire to connect with the transcendent.” His emphasis on bolstering Sabbath services, particularly on Friday nights, has been well received.

Less so was Yoffie’s call, announced two years ago, at the last biennial, for a commitment to “ethical eating” — he stopped short of saying that Reform Jews should keep kosher — in which he asked rabbis to formulate new guidelines for their communities. Evidently, that was taking tradition too far.

“It would be accurate to say that it created a lot of interest among a small number of people,” was the best spin he could put on it. Why? “It’s almost definitional — to be a Reform Jew is to put kashrut aside. It has a resonance that is hard to understand. I didn’t take this into account sufficiently.”

There have been other initiatives that were also less than successful. His push for more Reform day schools and his plans to increase Hebrew literacy did not yield much fruit.

Needless to say these innovations do not render them in any way Orthodox. The very fact they say that Judaism does not require Halachic observance – that it is only voluntary - places them completely outside the sphere of Orthodoxy.

Even more than that is their innovation of patrilineal descent as one defining component of who is a Jew. Clearly that contaminates the pool of Jewish genealogy. According to Orthodoxy only matrilineal descent can define that. And a Reform conversion to Judaism has no connection at all to the requirements of Halacha. Furthermore there exists the old guard of Reform that still completely rejects any observance at all as anathematic the principles of the movement… although I think they are losing the battle.

That said it is still an amazing accomplishment to have caused this sea change in how Reform Judaism sees itself today versus how it saw itself when it was created. And it appears that at least one of the prime movers in this direction is Rabbi Yoffie. Under his tutelage the movement as gone from being one that was defined by going OTD to one that can almost be looked at as a Kiruv movement. That should not go unnoticed, in my view.

Although the jury is still out on the future of Reform - and the impact all this will has on secular Jews I think it is safe to say that the Reform movement’s change in direction may have given some impetus to the notion that they are ripe for outreach. Had there not been any innovation like this, I would have predicted their complete demise in very short order – perhaps even in my own lifetime. Judaism devoid of any ritual observance is merely a secular movement for social justice. Rabbi Yoffie saw this. And he worked to change direction – pushing the envelope as far as he could.

So on this on issue my hat is off to him. However, my Kipa stays on.

One final note. That there is tremendous opportunity for outreach now is something I believe we Orthodox Jews need to take full advantage of it. How to do that is above my pay grade. But there is not a scintilla of doubt in my mind about a wasted opportunity that was the result of an Agudah Moetzes ban. Whenever I see a story like this, I am reminded of it. I’ve mentioned it in the past. Many times.

The missed opportunity was in the form of a project a project by Rabbi Yosef Reinman, a Charedi Rav. He collaborated with a Reform Rabbi on a book designed to expose Reform Jews to Orthodoxy. The book - and a book tour with that Reform rabbi were banned after one appearance together. Imagine the inroads he could have made into a population that seeks spirituality in their lives unlike at any other time in their history. By his own admission Rabbi Reinman had begun tapping into the hearts of those Jews. How many Reform Jews were bereft of that influence after the ban? Let us hope that this will not deter others from trying.

Newt

2011-12-11T09:52:00.002-06:00

Most people who read my blog know my attitude with respect to Israel and making peace with the Palestinians. In brief my view is that if one could make a legitimate peace with them, I would be in favor of major land compromises. If that would stop the bloodshed and the two peoples could live side by side in peace - I would favor it.

The reason I am opposed to making any concessions in land now is because I do not believe that Palestinian terror would end, no matter what promises were made by negotiators – even if they meant it. There are simply too many Palestinians who have no interest in compromise. That is fueled by an ingrained hatred of the Jewish people learned in earliest childhood and reinforced culturally throughout their lives. The hard line attitude of Islamists like Hamas precludes any possibility of trusting that kind of peace agreement.

In order for me to support any kind of peace negotiations, I would have to be convinced that they no longer teach Jew hatred, that they instead teach tolerance and even love of their Jewish neighbors. I would have to be completely convinced that all hostilities would end with a peace treaty. The fact is that the exact opposite is happening.

That said, I must say that I am a big fan of Newt Gingrich. That may shock a lot of people. My views on the Middle East look downright leftist compared to his. But that is precisely why I like him. And if he is the ultimate nominee of the Republican Party, I will heartily endorse him. Just because I am a realist doesn’t mean that I don’t have an ideal position as to what I think should be. And Newt reflects those views.

I've always liked Gingrich. I've always thought he would make a great President. But never in my wildest dreams did I think he would get any real traction. Especially when his own political staff quit on him early in his campaign. All political pundits – even among his friends predicted his demise early. I thought they were right. But they ... we ...were wrong. He is now the front runner! And it looks like it might stay that way.

He is definitely the smartest politician ‘in the room’ (including the President). I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. His latest comments on Palestinians - that they made up their 'nationality' and never existed as a people until after Israel became a state – are exactly right! The fallout of this statement among Arabs is debatable. I don't know if the impact will be positive or negative. But there is no doubt that it is the truth. And that is refreshing to hear.

Newt’s attitude about Israel is sorely needed to counter the negative approach President Obama has projected during his Presidency. Not that he is anti Israel. He is not. But he is definitely not a warm supporter either. His animosity to Prime Minister Netanyahu is clear. His denouncement of Israel’s settlements policy as an impediment to peace… has been cited by him and his surrogates time and again.

These are not the statements of a friend. He has not shown the slightest bit of warmth toward the Jewish state – not having visited her even once during his Presidency. This after visiting Arab countries almost immediately upon taking office. Yes, his support of Israel is (to use his phrase) ‘unbreakable’. Indeed under his administration there has been more co-operation between our two countries than under previous ones. But sometimes one’s public face on an issue can do more harm than any private level of support. That’s because Israel’s enemies capitalize on that to hurl even more trash at her.

To hear a serious candidate say what Gingrich has about Israel now in the face of all conventional wisdom on the subject is - as I said - refreshing. And he did not back off during the debate last night. It is a truth seldom heard even amongst Israel's closest friends on Capital Hill or the White House. If he does end up being the nominee, I can't wait for a debate between Gingrich and the President on this and on all other issues.

That said, I still don't think Gingrich can win. Too much baggage. Members of his own party are having trouble endorsing him. There will also be relentless references to his sexual indiscretions… and to his bullying and erratic style of governance when he was Speaker of the House.

The liberal media and his political opponents will be relentless. And of not little significance are the TV comics who are going to make mince meat out of him... Saturday Night Live leading the way with ugly and scathing characterizations. He will become a laughing stock to young and impressionable 'hip' voters that are so easily led by the political satire of liberal comedians.

A word about his immoral past. Yes, character matters. We ought to be voting for people who have it. Obama does. He has lived family values throughout his marriage. By all accounts he is a model husband and father. Gingrich has not lived those values. And his ethics have been called into question resulting in an official reprimand by the House of Representatives.

So yes, those things bother me. But we are not voting for Gadol Hador. We are not even voting for Chief Rabbi. We are voting for a President. This country needs someone who can take us forward on both the economy and foreign policy. All things considered - Gingrich is the right man at the right time for this job. He also claims to have done Teshuva and is now a changed man. I take him at his word. Barring anything unforeseen, I will vote for him if he's the nominee. And I will endorse him. But I don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

On the other hand you never know. Stranger things have happened. Remember Nixon? His chances of winning were even less than Gingrich’s. Anything is possible.

The voting public that elected Obama is disillusioned with him. But if Gingrich is his opponent they may vote for Obama anyway.

We'll see how all this pans out. It's early

Sex and the Orthodox Single Girl

2011-12-09T07:10:00.006-06:00

Shmutz! That is most likely what any of my rebbeim would have called it.

It was a lurid tale about a sexual encounter. Not really all that newsworthy in the scheme of things today. Certainly it was not pornographic by modern standards. It would hardly rate a PG rating in a movie if it were shot without exposing any nudity. And yet it has caused quite a furor at Yeshiva University. That’s because this particular tale was written for the online student paper, the YU Beacon, by a female student who attends YU’s Stern College for Women.

The anonymous writer describes herself as modern Orthodox. In vivid detail she describes to the reader what was on her mind as she anticipates and then has that encounter with a young presumably Orthodox male student from the same university. Afterward she expresses regret by saying, ‘The only thing I learn is how to do the walk of shame the day after’.

I don’t know if the tale was fact or fiction. But this kind of thing does happen.

It may seem strange to some people. If one is religious enough to care about Shabbos and Kashrus, wouldn’t they be careful to not violate one of the most serious transgressions in Judaism (Hilchos Niddah)? One would think so. But the sex drive is very strong and Chazal recognized this. That is why they said ‘Ayn Apitropus L’Arayos’ – there is no guardian for sex. Everyone is susceptible to temptations of the flesh no matter how religious they are.

I’m not sure how prevalent this phenomenon is. My guess is that it is relatively rare. I am also convinced that to the extent that it happens at all - it is not the exclusive domain of Yeshiva University. Most religious students would of course never do anything like that even though their sex drive is very alive and well – no matter what their background.

That is why there are so many barriers erected between the sexes in Orthodoxy – especially among Charedim and even more so in the Chasidic world. In fact one of the reasons Chasidim get married so young is because they understand the power of the sex drive in young people. It is not uncommon for a young Chasidic couple to get married while both are still in their teens.

The culture of modern Orthodoxy that is Yeshiva University does not discourage the mingling of the sexes. Although the men and women are geographically separated, there is plenty of socializing. Most of the time it is fairly innocent. Sometimes it even results in an engagement and succesful marriage.

But… combined with the fact that students from modern backgrounds imbibe quite liberally in the culture with all of its sexually provocative images – my guess is that it probably makes them more vulnerable.

I think that makes a story like this an important one. Fact or fiction at the very least it tells you what’s on the mind of at least some Orthodox young people. And that ought not to be buried into our collective subconscious. It is far better to get it out into the open and to talk about it. If a school is going to properly deal with this problem they have to understand what is going on in the minds of their students.

The question arises as to whether a story like this belongs in a student publication of Yeshiva University a school that believes in Torah and Mada. On the university (Mada) side freedom of expression is paramount and ought not to be censored. On the Yeshiva (Torah) side it is highly inappropriate to be telling lurid tales like this… even if it generates much needed discussion.

Ideally Torah and Mada should never be in conflict. But not all Mada is values neutral, and when those values come into conflict with Torah values, they ought to be put aside. Shumtz does not belong anywhere in an institution with the word Yeshiva as part of its title.

YU President Richard Joel and their student council correctly asked them to take down the article. At first they agreed and then later they put it back up. Editors at the Beacon did not like the idea of censorship and has decided to sever its ties with YU instead. I agree with that decision. Whatever the merit of an article like this, it does not belong in a religiously affiliated publication – at least not in the form it was written.

That said there needs to be a conversation about these problems. They are not going away. Although highly inappropriate - perhaps a shocking article like this is what’s needed to kick start the discussion. But the Beacon was wrong to do it under the auspices of YU. So breaking off from YU was the right thing to do. I just wish they had done that first.

Was it Anti Semitism?

2011-12-08T10:23:00.007-06:00

It was a white collar crime. But the sentence was as harsh as it would have been for the most hardcore of violent criminal. Rapists, drug dealers, and in some cases even murderers have gotten off with lighter sentences. And yet this white collar criminal was sentenced to hard time in a federal prison. The prosecution’s sentencing recommendations were harsh. And the judge followed the stricter end of sentencing guidelines.

Many of the defendant’s friends and neighbors could not believe what happened to him and were outraged by what they saw as a gross miscarriage of justice. He was known in his community as a good and generous man. A wonderful husband and father who had done many kindnesses – especially for underprivileged children. The judge even acknowledged this during the sentencing.

Nonetheless pleas by the defense team for mercy – arguing that a good and decent family would be irreparably damaged fell on deaf ears. The judge’s prison sentence for this defendant was one of the longest ever meted out for this kind of crime.

Many have in the past rallied behind defendants like this arguing that a long prison sentence for a first time offender like this was unfair; that the defendant was basically a good man who made some mistakes. He proclaimed his innocence throughout his long ordeal from the moment he was arrested until his very last day in court. He said he did not think he was doing anything wrong. Nonetheless a jury found him guilty and the judge basically threw the book at him.

He was guilty. I am sure of it. And the truth is I never liked him. I personally saw him as a slimy operator. I was glad to see him ousted from his job and lose his career.

But his sentence was cruel. To him; to his wife; and to his children.

I am in fact appalled that such harsh sentences are given out to basically good people who had made some errors in judgment – serious though they were. White collar crime is not the same as violent crime. Especially when the crime he committed was so widely practiced in his circles.

What he did was pretty much standard operating procedure - wrong though it was. It was business as usual for this defendant. He looked around at his peers, both past and present, and did not see or do anything out of the ordinary. He actually believed that he did nothing wrong. And in the scale of things, his crime was small compared to some of the hard core violent crimes committed by sociopaths who are often given much lighter sentences.

Others may disagree but I find this to be a terrible injustice. Why should a basically good man who made some mistakes receive such a long and hard sentence? His release will take place when his children are fully grown and long out of the house. Why is it fair to break up a decent family by throwing someone in jail for so long - for a white collar crime? ...a man who has already paid a price by losing his reputation and his career.

Here was a successful man doing much good in the world - who will never be able to work in his chosen field again. He is a disgraced man. He will forever be tainted because of his crimes. For a man who was so honored in the past, who was considered such a great humanitarian to have fallen so low is perhaps a far worse punishment than his jail time.

What does putting this man away for so long accomplish?

There are some people who look at cases like this and cry anti Semitism! I would even posit that many who deny that publicly – think it.

But that cannot possibly be the case here. Rod Blagojevich is not Jewish.

Misplaced Criticism

2011-12-07T09:54:00.006-06:00

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is someone I usually agree with. But I disagree with him on his Cross Currents post offering advice to the Secretary of State. I should add that he is not the only one who has made this kind of criticism. It is often the case that when Israel is criticized even in the slightest way for seeming to veer away from its democratic values there are immediate reactions like this one – taking umbrage at comparisons to repressive dictatorships, and complaining about a double standard. Here are Rabbi Adlerstein’s words:

Speaking to a closed forum in Washington last Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, always solicitous of Israel’s best interests, warned that developments in the Jewish State reminded her of Iran. Soldiers refusing to listen to women singing, gender-separated bus lines – these worried her. The standing of women in Israel was in danger of eroding. While some Israelis were chagrined by the comparison, Tzipi Livni (looking simply fabulous in a new hijab she wore for the occasion) concurred.

While I am no booster of the recent innovations in separating the sexes, I could find reason in this episode to consign Ms. Clinton to the back of the bus of clear thinking. Iranian Islam imposes its strictures on everyone, whether they like it or not. The burka has a long way to go before it becomes the fashion statement of Tel Aviv. The frum soldiers were not advocating silencing women. They simply wanted the right to absent themselves, in accordance with their commitment to a clear and unequivocal halacha that demands just that. Ironically, while Ms. Clinton was formulating her tendentious position, members of a club she used to belong to were at work giving Americans the same privilege that the Israeli soldiers sought. The US Senate, concerned that military chaplains might be required to perform gay weddings, passed legislation to the effect that one “who as a matter of conscience or moral principle does not wish to perform a marriage, may not be required to do so.” Shocking. Next thing you know, DC will adopt Teheran as her sister city.

I find this criticsm and sarcasm to be misplaced. Of course there is no comparison between Israel, a modern western style democracy - and Iran, a repressive Islamist regime. No one in their right mind would ever compare the two and say that Israel is equal to or anywhere near Iran in that regard.

As someone with conservative political leanings I am no fan of the current Secretary of State. But with her predisposed feminist and politically liberal leanings she was criticizing behavior that reminded her of Iran - much the same way she might criticize a Republican administration in America if they were doing something she didn’t like. For example when the Bush administration used water-boarding as an enhanced interrogation technique for enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay - I'm sure she called it torture. If she said it reminded her of some repressive right wing dictatorships - does that make her anti American?

I am 100% convinced she recognizes Israel as the only true democracy in the Middle East and is very aware of the deserved praise it gets with respect to woman's rights. She would not contradict that. But when she sees an injustice based on perceived religious fanaticism (irrespective of whether her perceptions are correct) she will speak out - expecting Israel to be better than that – and warning that if continues it could erode the status of women. She certainly has a right to view things as she sees them and we should not see that as pejorative.

Yes - there is a double standard for Israel. And there should be! Israel should be a light unto the nations and that means we expect her to act accordingly.

Maybe that's why Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar was so critical of the very thing she criticized - Mehadrin buses.

The Common Sense of Rabbi Shlomo Amar

2011-12-06T11:12:00.018-06:00

When it comes to issues of gender separation I often think that in certain circles common sense has left the building.

On the extreme right of the religious spectrum there has been an attitude of late to eliminate women from all public consciousness. All kinds of religious arguments are put forward to justify it – Tznius chief among them. They say that they are not anti women. I think they actually believe that. In fact they will often quote Talmudic passages that indicate how high a woman is put on a pedestal as a counter to feminist claims that they are anti women. The problem is that feminists do not want women to be placed on a pedestal. They just want women to be treated as equals.

Women should be treated that way in all areas that do not have Halachic impediments.

Judaism does have specific roles for various segments of its people that separate them from other segments. As it pertains the sexes, men and women have different obligations and therefore different roles too. But that does not mean we aren’t equals. We are just different. Where there is no Halachic conflict we should be equal in every respect. In the modern world progress has been made in this area but we still have a long way to go. There is still a gap in pay for equal work between men and women. Men are paid more. That is simply wrong.

What about the Laws and customs of a sexual nature (Arayos)? How is gender equality impacted by this?

There are of course the specific laws that are detailed in the Torah. There are also rabbinic laws (Takonos Chazal) designed to protect us from transgressing the biblical laws. And there are laws that have been tacked on throughout the course of time since the era of Chazal designed to further distance us from transgressions of illicit sexual behavior. And in recent times there have been even more extremes taken on by some communities in an attempt to completely eliminate any possibility of such Halachic violations.

I believe that much of the current controversy is based on interpretations by Achronim on the exact nature of violating these laws. There is a dispute about whether physical contact between the sexes is absolutely forbidden under all circumstances or whether such contact is only forbidden when it is intended sexually (Derech Chiba).

According to the latter view innocent platonic type contact is permitted – even to the extent of social kissing. The former argues that any touching at all is forbidden no matter how innocent. Both of these perspectives and everything in between are alive and well within Orthodoxy.

Chasidim generally adopt the view that a mere touch of any kind between a man and a woman is completely forbidden. On the other hand I have been told that Orthodox Jews of German heritage actually do not hesitate to have platonic contact of any kind between the sexes. The Lithuanian Yeshiva world is a sort of compromise between the two. They try to avoid contact whenever possible, but never embarrass a member of the opposite sex who extends a hand in an attempt at a handshake. They will shake the hand in this case. Modern Orthodox Jews tend to vary between the German Jewish custom and the Yeshivishe custom.

These approaches are the source of much of the conflict in my view. Until recent times (post Holocaust) the various segments lived apart geographically - each with their own customs. The problem occurs when these two cultures collide as they do in our day. The Chasidic approach combined with their tendency toward complete insularity and their rapid growth has caused them to adopt various Chumros that are in conflict with the values of the rest of Orthodox Jewry.

The reactions are varied. Some non Chasidim actually appreciate some of the Chumros. Some merely tolerate them but don’t really like them. Some are outraged by them. Most people end up going along with them for the sake of peace.

But what should the public policy be? Is it good for the Jews? Is it a good idea to allow these Chumros to increase in the larger society that includes not only other religious Jews, but secular Jews and even no Jews?

The extremes of gender separation have caused many problems and can no longer be tolerated and ignored.

We all know about the zealots from those communities that have used violence against those who challenge these extremes. But even if that were not the case, is it worth tolerating them when it makes Judaism look primitive in the eyes of the world? It is one thing to stand by Halacha when it defies the world’s sensibilities. It is another to defy them when extreme Chumros are not Halacha and make us look bad - not to mention the fact that they inconvenience other even Orthodox Jews.

There are many areas where unreasonable Chumros are insisted upon by this one segment that makes us look bad. But the one issue that seems to have broken the camel’s back is the issue of separate seating on buses. Women in the back -men in the front. All ostensibly for reasons of Tznius. How bad? Here is what the Secretary of State said:

In a closed session at the Saban Forum attended both by Israeli and American decision-makers Clinton addressed the issue of discrimination against Israeli women. She expressed concern for Israel's social climate in the wake of limitations on female public singing and gender segregation on public transport.

The greater good is not served here. The price is too high. It is in effect causing a culture war that is harming the fabric of our people both internally and externally. It makes religious Jews look like throwbacks to the era where women were treated as second class citizens - relegated to the back of the bus - both literally and figuratively.

There is no requirement to placate a minority - even a large and growing one -who now feels they can flex their muscle and do whatever they want no matter what others think. And those who defend them are guilty of contributing to making us look like idiots in the eyes of the world – which is exactly the opposite of fulfilling our mandate to be a light unto the nations.

This is why I give Rabbi Shlomo Amar credit. He has responded to the Secretary of State:

Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was quoted by Israeli media as expressing shock over the segregated buses and other practices of radicalized religious activists.

In an interview with the ultra-Orthodox Kol Brama radio station, Amar was critical of these relatively new and controversial practices.

“People who do it do it for their own sakes,” he said of the segregated buses. “Certain people want to delineate a fence, perhaps because they saw a need for it. But it’s not Jewish law.”

Good for Rabbi Amar. On this issue he has something that many others do not - common sense.

We should of course always do what we can to protect ourselves from transgressing Averios. But when non Halachic Chumros cause problems for others and additionally make us look primitive in the eyes of the world, they ought to be fought and abandoned. It is not a ‘live and let live’ situation. Not when doing so makes a mockery our beliefs.

Free Loan Societies

2011-12-05T10:32:00.003-06:00

There is one Lubavitcher Chasid who at age 39 has without much fanfare created a major Kiddush HaShem. And yet what he does is one of the more common things found in Orthodox Judaism. From the New York Times:

Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz runs a gemach, a program of interest-free loans, in a prosperous stretch of suburbia near Atlanta.

What is novel about this program is that it is not geared for the religious Jewish community but for the secular Jewish one that he serves in Atlanta. As the article points out the word Gemach is a Hebrew acronym (transliterated into English) for Gemilas Chasadim –acts of kindness which is one of Judaism chief mandates. It is also the result of a biblical law that forbids charging interest on loans. Although there are legitimate loopholes in the law that are commonly used for business purposes, the pristine unfettered application of the law in issuing an interest free loan is indeed an act of kindness.

The fact that there are so many Gemachs in the Torah world is at the same time both laudable and troubling.

The greatest number of Gemachs are probably located in Charedi Israel where the need is the greatest. And many of them are fully capitalized. I was made aware of one in particular near Mir Yeshiva that is capitalized to the tune of 80 million dollars. Your read that correctly. It is not a mistake. And it is one of the busiest places in the neighborhood at the times during the week when it is open to the public.

It is truly a tribute those philanthropists whose magnanimity has funded these Gemachim with such large donations. They gain no financial benefit from them. They only gain the Mitzvah of Gemilas Chasodim. The very idea of a Free Loan Society is a Kiddush HaShem. That it has been publicized in a New York Times article make it an even greater Kiddush HaShem. This Lubavitcher Chasid has taken this idea and applied to people who might not normally be aware of it – let alone access it. That he has made it available to them – people in great need due to the economy makes his Kiddush HaShem enormous.

What kind of people are they?

As pointed out in the article there are many people who are living middle class lifestyles and had incomes of between $75,000 to $200,000 who lost their jobs. Some are probably still out of work. Others have found jobs paying a small fraction of their previous incomes. They have no assets and have nowhere to turn except for a free loan society like the one Rabbi Minkowitz runs. I don’t know if there are any others like it in the country (or even in the world) but the fact that there is one is a tribute to this relatively young man and his father who set the example.

There is however a troubling aspect to Gemachs. It is the fact that there are so many Jews who are in need of them and use them. They are not people who had jobs and lost them. They are mostly Avreichim - people who do not work by choice preferring to learn in a Kollel full time instead. This is especially true in Israel. They often have to resort to more than one Gemach just to put food on the table. The fact is that there are an enormous amount of Avreichim in Israel are so poverty stricken that even with the help of these Gemachs they cannot support their typically large families. So they resort to many other financial devices, like maxing out every credit card; borrowing from parents and relative; to building up huge debt at the neighborhood grocery store that allows them to buy food on credit by signing simple IOUs.

And this does not even speak to those Avreichim who - by trying to live middle class lifestyles they were used to growing up - spend money way beyond their means to buy things that they cannot afford. And yet who can blame them for wanting to retain some of the basic middle class standards of their parents.

This has led to an unacceptable situation. One that is best illustrated by the three examples in a November 17th post by Rafi on his blog Life in Israel:

1. The other day someone advertised in the Yated that they are selling the rights to name their baby, in order to cover their debts.

2. Mevaser ran an ad yesterday of a family in Yerushalayim, an avreich, his wife and 10 children that can no longer afford the rent, cannot afford to buy an apartment, and are not willing to move out of Jerusalem. They advertised that they are looking for someone to donate an apartment to them.

3. The worst, and perhaps the saddest, of these stories is a report yesterday in Ladaat of an avreich in Brachfeld - Modiin Ilit who was caught stealing Materna - baby formula - from the local store. This has been going on for a while, and it took the store some time to catch the perpetrator of the theft. The avreich confessed after having been caught, and explained that he has 5 children at home to feed and cannot afford it.

Obviously this fellow has probably already done all of the things he could legally in order to feed his family, including borrowing to the max from every Gemach he could find and it was not enough. The one thing he did he probably did not try is leaving the Kollel to find a job.

Stealing? Violating such a basic Halacha as Geneiva is unacceptable behavior even if it is to feed your family. While I am sympathetic to his need, Geneiva is not the way any Jew should act let alone those who are supposed to be the most honest and ethical among us.

Is the poverty so strong and yet the refusal to go work so entrenched that stealing to feed your children becomes preferable to work? I’m sure that no one taught this Avreich to do this. I’m equally sure that he knew it was wrong. Nonetheless he was so desperate - he did it.

Is this what the world of Avreichim in Israel has come to? I doubt that this kind of thing is widespread. But even though it is an anomaly it certainly speaks to the desperate financial situation that so many Avreichim face.

If $80 million Gemachim are not enough to help people like this out - they are in a lot more serious trouble than anyone thinks.

Whose Fault is it that ‘Daas Torah’ is Eroding?

2011-12-04T15:09:00.004-06:00

The negativity and arrogance of some of the speakers at this year’s annual Agudah convention is still ringing in my ears. I was again reminded of it while watching a report on the Catholic Church on one of the Sunday morning news shows. The message was (as it always is) about the high degree of respect demanded of the public towards their rabbinic leaders. Added to that this year was a sense of erosion of respect because of the Frum blogs.

I could not help comparing the speakers at Agudah talking about ‘Daas Torah’ to almost the same phraseology used by priests talking about the authority of Catholic Church.

The truth is that (as I say every time) I have great respect for the members of the Agudah Moetzes. I absolutely do. My differences with Agudah is in their unspoken attitude about Daas Torah that sees the Agudah Moetzes or like-minded rabbinic leaders as the only ones capable of expressing it. And the fact that the degree of respect they demand is tantamount to granting them infallibility – again without expressly saying so. The Catholic view of the authority of Church and the Agudah’s view of Daas Torah are expressed in virtually the same terms.

However I cannot help but notice of late that there are a few cracks in Agudah’s facade. There are three specific things that that lead me to notice it... all of them in the person of their own executive vice president, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel.

The first one happened at the convention itself. There were various tirades by some of the speakers against the internet and all media that can carry it, especially those that are easily hidden as in hand held devices like the BlackBerry (specifically mentioned by one of the seakers). When it was Rabbi Zweibel’s turn to speak he pulled out his own BlackBerry and sheepishly apologized for using it to make his point about how dangerous it is.

The second incident is deals with child abuse and the role of blogs. The Agudah position excoriating blogs on this issue is well known. In Rabbi Daniel Eidensohn’s new book, ‘Child and Domestic Abuse’. Rabbi Zweibel is quoted (page 94). Here is what he had to say in an interview carried in the Jewish Star in November of 2008:

Sexual abuse is an issue which has finally come out of the closet in a certain sense and is engaging the attention of our community and its leadership and ultimately that’s a good thing. That’s why it’s hard for me to be totally annoyed with excesses of the blog world. Their outrage, anger, and sometimes excessive advocacy and negativity towards the establishment, it’s a terrible thing, but at the same time, I know their hearts are in the right place and it is stuff to be very upset about. Is Agudah a fair target? I think we could always use a healthy dose of introspection and honest assessment of how well we qas a society have performed in this area and lots of other areas.

It’s nice to know that Agudah’s executicve vice president recognizes the contribution blogs have made to public awareness of sex abuse. Blogs have been in the forefront of shining the disinfectant of light onto this issue.

But nothing tops what Dr. Asher Lipner has revealed right here on this blog in a comment to my post on whether blogs matter. Here is what he had to say:

I once spoke to Rabbi Zweibel on the phone. He told me that working at Aguda is a daily struggle for him in Emunas Chochomim because of what he sees....BUT that he also gets daily inspiration from what he sees from the Gedolim as well.

That Rabbi Zweibel gets inspiration from the leaders of the organization he works for is not a surprise. But to say that he struggles with Emunas Chachamim because of them daily - much the same way so many non Agudists do is nothing short of revolutionary!

Struggles with Emunas Chachamim? Really? Daas Torah as Agudah uses the term is based on Emunas Chachamim. Daas Torah defines what Agudah is all about. And that is a daily struggle for its executive vice president?!

If your executive vice president has thoughts like this, what should the rest of us think?

Agudah is worried about what the Frum blogs are saying about them? I would suggest that they first look in house to see if their own people don’t struggle with the very same issues the rest of us do. This says a lot more about them than anything that was said at the banquet.

The OTD Baal Teshuva

2011-12-02T10:16:00.004-06:00

There has been a virtual explosion of Jews who have become observant over the last few decades. They are typically called Baalei Teshuva (BTs) – ‘owners of repentance’. This is somewhat of a misnomer since we all ought to be striving to do Teshuva and better ourselves as Jews. Be that as it may the name stuck.

The reasons why there has been such an explosion of BTs are many and varied. Among them is the end of the ‘melting pot’ society in favor of ethnic pride. We can thank the Civil Rights movement for that.

Another very important factor is the 6 day war in Israel. That gave a lot of secular Jews pride which in many cases caused them to search for their heritage. In the past it was far more common to hide the fact that one was Jewish and just blend in. As a result of these and other factors, a new industry developed - the Kiruv industry.

For many decades now all kinds of organizations from all manner of Hashkafos have sprouted up that deal in outreach. Just to mention a few, Chabad, Aish HaTorah, Ohr Sameach, NCSY, and Chicago Torah Network. This enabled many secular Jews to find out more about their heritage and in the process become more observant.

But there was, and probably still is a fly in the ointment. There is a downside to much of this outreach that can and has caused some Baalei Teshuva to go Off the Derech (OTD). Last week an essay appeared by one such individual by the name of Shira who was once a BT and is no longer is observant. She tells us her perspective on why BTs go OTD. I think she is absolutley right about it. There may be other reasons as well. Shira was there. I think we all ought to listen to her. And when I say ‘all’, I mean not only those involved in outreach but every single observant Jew.

She spells them all out in detail but briefly these are her five points:

1. The ‘my way or the highway’ approach to Kiruv, where those who work in outreach teach their own Hashkafos as the only true Torah path.

2. Seeing Orthodox Jews being immoral is a big turn off.

3. The shallowness of Kiruv in many cases.

4. The inability for those in Kiruv to properly deal with the problems in observance a BT might have.

5. The unrealistic expectations transmitted to them by unflawed Gadol stories that are used as a baseline goal for the BT.

I agree with her. One must read her article in its entirety to understand why these are serious ‘turnoffs’ to BTs in many cases. In my view these five points are the result of an arrogance on the part of a given outreach group that among other things sees only their own Hashkafa as the true Hashkafa.

One of the things Shira mentions that is a problem really rings true for me. In her second point she explains that the constant refrain of ‘not judging Judaism by its Jews’ is a terrible way to explain things. She is correct. Judaism ought to be judged by how its leaders practice it. When religious - sometimes prominent - Jews are caught molesting children and religious leader's insist we ought not be talk about it, or when prominent Jews are caught cheating the government, or committing fraud and we are similarly asked to avoid the subject - we are sending a false message about Judaism.

When a religious leader like the Spinka Rebbe who committed a fraud against the government is given a spot on an Agudah Dais to express regret at the Chilul HaShem he caused - without admitting he violated Halacha - or in essence did anything wrong besides getting caught - that in and of itself is a Chilul HaShem of which the Agudah itself is complicit… and it is cause for a BT to question the very essence of the Torah’s morality.

Add to that the admonitions for Frum blogs and the like to shut up about it - calling us guilty of Lashon Hara and Rechilus … that just adds fuel to the fire. If religious Jews are quiet when prominent religious figures get caught in various crimes - we are seen as endorsing it by our silence. It in effect it is seen as Judaism itself! A moral and ethical Baal Teshuva who witnesses that and does not see anyone Frum protesting it – that can only be the biggest turn off to him!

There are of course other reasons as I said for turning off BTs. But it behooves those who do outreach to listen very carefully to what Shira says. Those who use the ‘my way or the highway’ approach to Kiruv ought to stop. Chanoch L’Darko applies to a BT just as much as it applies to children. And if a prominent religious Jew gets caught doing a crime, it ought to be forceful and fully condemned without any reservations or explanations.

We ought to listen to them nonjudgmentally when they express difficulty in observance. Observing Halacha is hard. Get a clue! When they say it’s hard- agree with them. If they slack off in one area, understand them! Encourage them to proceed at their own pace. How many of us who were raised Frum slack off in one Mitzvah or another from time to time?!

And perhaps most importantly – those in Kiurv ought to be more honest about what is and isn’t actual Halacha. They can explain why certain practices that aren’t Halacha are important to them. But there has to be a separation between specific Minhagim of a particular group and actual Halacha. And there ought to be acknowledgement that their own Mihagim may not be universal to other segments of Orthodoxy.

These are just some of my thoughts about Shira’s article. I don’t know how many BTs go OTD. But if Shira essay is any indication, I’m surprised that there aren’t a lot more.

Manny’s and the Mafia

2011-12-01T07:04:00.006-06:00

Manny Samuels is someone I know from his days in Chicago back in the 60s. I knew him as a student who worked in a Jewish bookstore called Keiffer’s back in the old Jewish neighborhood of Albany Park. That store has long since closed and Manny Samuels has long since made Aliyah.

In one of my early visits to Israel wandering through Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood on my way to Meah Shearim, I stumbled into a bookstore called Manny’s. I was pleasantly surprised to see an old acquaintance from Chicago who set up shop and was doing well. I have since almost always wandered into his store every time I visit the holy land and occasionally even buy something there – as I did this year.

But this year was different. He moved into a larger buiding about a block away from his old store and remodled it into beautiful bookstore located just before one enters Meah Shearim. It has an impressive array of Seforim in both Hebrew and English on all manner of Judaic subjects. I am happy to see a former Chicagoan that I knew as a teenager doing so well.

That store is a bit of an anomaly in a neighborhood like this. It has the look and feel of a modern Jewish bookstore that one might come across in one of the more upscale shopping malls in any American city. But - then again - I noticed on this trip that the main shopping area in Geula and Meah Sheairm is becoming just that - an increasingly upscale shopping mall. When I was there on the day after Sukkos, I found Manny’s packed with American tourists buying books and all manner of Judaica to take back home as gifts – or for personal use. I was impressed at what I saw. And when I saw Manny there I told him so. (He is always happy to see an old Chicago acquaintance.)

I wish that were the whole story – but it isn’t. What happened to Manny’s sounds like a page out of the script for the movie ‘The Godfather’. From the Jerusalem Post:

After 20 months of attacks and a quarter million shekels in damage, a religious bookstore in the ultra-Orthodox Mea She’arim neighborhood of Jerusalem decided on Monday to accede to the demands of extremists responsible for the violence.

He stood up to these thugs. He fought back. The police even got involved and arrested some of the leaders of a group of religious vigilantes known as Sikrikim that were responsible for the damage. But that did not stop them. They continued their vandalism. While those arrests gave him some leverage to negotiate, in the end he basically acceded to their demands. He had to put signs up in his store demanding Tznius from his female customers and he had to rid his shelves of anything Zionistic.

I don’t blame Manny. He has a family to support, and a business to run. He can ill afford to pay the cost of damage each time it is inflicted upon his store. Nor can he afford to continue the full time 24/7 help he needs to guard it. So he gave in. He paid the price exacted from him. The signs are up and the books containing Zionist ideas are gone.

I am beside myself with anger. Not - God forbid - at Manny. But at the circumstances that allow a literal Mafia of supposedly religious Jews to demand whatever they want. And to get it under threat of violence.

It would seem that these circumstances beyond anyone’s control. As one of Manny’s family members and store managers said when she was interviewed:

“[When] the police started to make arrests and became more active, it quieted them down, but it didn’t stop them, and it’s never going to end 100 percent”

It’s never going to end. Not even the police, it seems, are able to protect people from these vandals. Intimidation followed by violence, followed by more intimidation seems to be the order of the day for Meah Shearim’s merchants.

The leaders of the Eida HaCharedis and the Toldos Ahron Chasidim get tremendous respect from the the majority of the residents that includes the Sikrikim. Those leaders have strongly condmened the Sikrikim. And yet they continue their thuggish activities with impunity.

Those leaders may be opposed to them. They may speak out against them. But they do not do enough if business as usual for these merchants means being under the constant threat of violence. As I so often say the goals of the Skirikim are approved of by these leaders – if not their methods. Retaining the goals achieved are apparently more important than stopping the violence. Those leaders may be upset by the violence but the Sikrikim are probably seen as misguided individuals whose hearts are in the right place.

So no matter how much they say they are opposed to them, there is a certain amount of sympathy for them and for their families. And they probably still oppose their being arrested because of their antipathy for the government and the police. It should be no surprise that this kind of behavior goes on virtually unabated.

I therefore consider the leadership in Meah Shearim responsible for Manny’s problems. If the rabbinic leaders of Meah Shearim had any real objection to the Sikrikim they would go out to every single event where they are found and protest loudly against them. They would visibly side with the merchants being terrorized. They would go to Manny’s and join in solidarity with him. They would go into the store and tear down those Tznius signs and restore the books on Zionism to the shelves just to show how disgusted they are with what the Sikrkim are doing.

That would send a message. Without this kind of response, the Sikrikim have to believe they are tacitly supported in their actions by their leaders. They probably believe that any criticism made by them is for PR purposes only.

Why don’t these leaders do what it takes to stop them? They probably don’t want to spoil the gains that have been made by them.

That is heart of the matter as I see it. It is therefore the rabbinic leaders of Meah Shearim that ought to be condemned by every other rabbinic figure of every stripe across the world. The pressure should continue until they do what’s necessary stop these criminals once and for all!

Update: Maybe things are begining to change. Arutz Sheva is reporting that police are finally becoming serious about these people and begining to crack down on them. They have infiltrated them undercover - dressed like Chasidim and arrested dozens of them while supporters protested the police for interfering in their affairs. Kudos to the cops!

The Mind of a Gadol

2011-11-30T09:59:00.011-06:00

There is no doubt in my mind about it. If there is any heir to the throne of Gadlus occupied by Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik it is Rav Aharon Lichtenstein. If one wants to know what - and who - is a Gadol in the 21st century one need go no further than Rav Lichtenstein. I have felt this way for quite some time now. Even though I never met him - the more I hear about him, the more I read his words, the more I am convinced of that.

This feeling came through once again after reading essays from his new book, Varieties of Jewish Experience, published by KTAV.

Not only does his brilliance shine through, not only is his erudition so evident, but his clarity of vision and purpose is manifest in virtually every word he writes. His exposition is reminiscent of the great works of his Rebbe and father in law, the Rav. His level of intellectual honesty is matched only by his quest for Emes. And in seeking it, he plumbs the depths of both Torah and Mada – just as did the Rav.

He leaves no page unturned in his quest. Nor does he concern himself with image or reputation. He is only interested in truth – the truth of Torah. And when he believes he is right he has the courage of his conviction to speak his mind on any subject or issue facing the Jewish people. His erudition is unmatched by anyone in any rabbinic leadership position in our day. Brilliance, Torah, Chesed, and Emes defines this man. As does his humility.

His new book is a compilation of essays published in various forums reflecting – as the title suggests - a variety of Jewish experience.

To say that he has the courage of his convictions is an understatement. How many others who might be considered Gedolim would publish an essay about the act of sex? That is in fact the first essay in the book. It spells out what the prevailing attitude about sex in marriage is and contrasts it with what the Torah, Talmud, Rishonim, and Achronim say.

To me one of the most important essays in the book is the one on Rabbinic authority in our day. In a broad overview about communal governance, both lay and rabbinic he addresses the idea of what has come to be known as Daas Torah. He poses the question about where the authority lies Halachicly in matters of public policy… whether there is any overlap between lay and rabbinic authority and whether rabbinic authority has full veto power on lay authority.

In fact asks Rav Lichtenstein, why grant any authority to laypeople at all? And why grant any to rabbis over questions of communal governance and policy – that proceed from conflicting assumptions and move along diametrically opposite lines?

The point of departure of the first is the presupposition that in a Jewish community, laypeople should have no authority at all and consequently if granted a rationale must be found for it in order to justify it.

Contrarily the latter presumes that in matters of communal governance and policy there ought not be any rabbinic interference at all!

Rav Lichtenstein is uncomfortable with either presupposition. The first seems blatently patronizing and paternalistic. It assumes that Daas Torah is the only way to proceed with respect to both ends and means. No other entity has a say.

Rav Lichtenstein finds this position untenable. Even if we assume that spiritual oligarchs know best, it does not necessarily follow that imposition of their will is advisable. In the public arena, poorer but self determined results may preferable to an ecclesiastically informed and dictated bottom line. There is a moral and religious value in according dignity and responsibility to the laity. Provision of course mst be made to insure Halachic and Hashkafic acceptabilty. This is indeed the province of the rabbis. This is true as well in difficult and sensitive matters not governed specifically by Halacha but is yet may not be fully consonant with its spirit and tone.

Nor is Rav Lichtenstein satisfied with the presupposition of the lay leadership. While matters of public policy where Halacha is not an issue – a Davar HaReshus – He finds the idea of leaving out any rabbinic participation therein unconscionable. It does violence to Halacha and its rabbinic representatives. The notion that whatever has not been explicitly proscribed and therefore none of the rabbis business is an abhorrent one! To put it the way Rav Lichtenstein does:

It obviates sensitivity to lifnim mi-shurat hadin,, in its multifaceted manifestations, obliterates meta-Halakhik considerations, and potentially eviscerates the ethical and axiological components of Torah spiritual life. It invites not only Pauline and Buberian charges of arid legalism but Hazal’s scathing comment, lo harevah Yerushalayim ella al she-danu bah din Torah. It diminishes the image and the reality of the rabbi’s stature, and emasculates his position as the spiritual and pastoral leader of his community.

What is the ideal model for lay leadership? How much of a role should rabbinic wisdom play? What about rabbinic pronouncement and bans? That is all beyond the scope of this essay. You will have to read the book. Needless to say, it is a complicated issue with many sources in Chazal and the Rishonim.

Other topics covered in this book are many of those dealt with right here. I highly recommend it if one wants to see the mind of a Gadol at work.

The loss to Yeshiva University of Rav Lichtenstein’s via his Aliyah to Israel is immeasurable. He should have taken the reigns of leadership there upon his father in law’s passing. It is a leadership that is sorely lacking in this country – a vacuum was created and the void has not been filled.

Rav Soloveitchik had many great Talmidim, who are today Gedolim in their own right. But in my view only one of them comes close to the Rav’s greatness in so many ways. He now lives in Israel and is the Rosh HaYeshiva of Gush Etzion. Their gain is our loss. Had he stayed in Yeshiva University I personally believe he would have continued the legacy of his father in law like no other.