Emes Ve-Emunah: My Mistake

Sunday, September 11, 2011

My Mistake - Sorry!

I have taken down today's guest post. I have given it considerable thought and have concluded that those who complained that I was using a post by a Conservative Jew to make a point about the Orthodox community were right... and I that was wrong. I didn't know the poster was not Orthodox and assumed she was because of her observance of Taharas HaMishpacha. Although I believe the problem of spousal abuse exists in the Orthodox world too and that the increased rate of divorce is impacted by it... this was not the way to show it and in fact it was counterproductive. I should have taken it down as soon as I was made aware of it. I apologize for the error... and the delay.

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.