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| Nothing rotten about the Chicago Chesed Fund - founded by R' Shmuel Fuerst |
One of the things I completely agree with Shoshanna about is the erasure of
women from the public square. From the very beginning I have been extremely
critical of the move by the right into territory that was in the past reserved
only for those with the most extreme views about modesty with respect to women in public.
The more extreme segments of the Chasidic world have deemed publishing pictures of woman to be immodest. What has been bothering me (along with
Shoshanna) is that this phenomenon has become more mainstream. Orthodox segments
that never had a problem publishing pictures of women now will not even publish
a head shot of a woman that has written an article for one of their magazines - while at the same time doing so for a man.
That is an outrage and symptomatic of a malaise that
has infected much of the Charedi world. But it has not infected all of Orthodoxy. Not
even all of the Charedi world since even Agudah publishes pictures of women on
their website. And ArtScroll/Mesorah – a Charedi publishing house published
a biography of Rebbetzin Bat Sheva Kanievsky that was filled with pictures of
her. I’m fairly certain they would not have done that without the explicit
permission of her husband, Rav Chaim. He is one of the most respected Charedi religious
leaders in all of Israel!
What about some of Shoshanna’s other complaints? Let us
examine some of them and see.
Shoshanna characterizes Orthodoxy as tolerateing (and in some cases even honoring) sex offenders and their protectors. Yes, there are
some unfortunate cases like that in Israel – some of which she mentioned. But I
take issue with her about that being the rule. I don’t of know any convicted sex offender
that has been honored by mainstream American Orthodoxy once exposed as such. That someone like Eliezer Berland still has many followers does not mean he is
respected by the mainstream.
While there is a lot yet to be done in the area of sexual abuse, there has definitely been
improvement along these lines – even in the Charedi world.
What about some Shoshanna’s feminist issues? Like the fact
that women do not have religious leadership roles or that their motives are
questioned when seeking them? There I
have to disagree with her. At least in part. As I have said on so many occasions, when it comes
to matters of faith and tradition, concepts like egalitarianism are out of
bounds – as per virtually all respected Orthodox Poskim.
I have said many times that women should not be barred from
any pursuit their hearts desire. All that is needed is to rising to the
occasion. Equal opportunity with men - and equal pay for equal work is a no
brainer for me. Nor is it a problem for Orthodoxy. Any woman that chooses to
study the most difficult of subjects and excel in them should be given the same
opportunity as men for a career in that field and given equal pay.
But when it
comes to what the role of women is in Judaism, we have no choice but to follow
Halacha. This disallows the kind of universal egalitarianism that feminism espouses. As an Orthodox Jewish woman, Shoshanna knows that and would never – for example – demand that
she should be counted towards a Minyan. Or demand family seating in a Shul.
I’m sure she would agree that these Halachos are not in anyway egalitarian and yet she fully and willingly complies with them. Our Poskim extend that idea to
tradition. And they have explained why our religious traditions are so important. Which has nothing to do with a
glass ceiling or male prejudice against women by Orthodox leaders.
While the motives of women seeking traditionally male roles in religious contexts might be pure, it doesn’t matter. Nor does it make Orthodoxy any more rotten
than does the Halachic barriers of a Mechitza or being counted toward a Minyan.
What is equally troubling is the fact that Shoshanna seems to
be only looking at the bad. A title like ‘The Rotten State of Orthodoxy’ makes it appear as though there is nothing at all worthwhile in it – suggesting that it should be
abandoned. I know she didn’t intend it that way since she is herself Orthodox.
But without a positive word about the life she leads what is the casual reader
supposed to think?
What about the exponential growth of Orthodoxy while heterodoxy
is at best shrinking? What about the happy and satisfied lives most Orthodox Jews live? …the family
values we espouse? …the explosion of Torah study? …the tons of Chesed
organization among all sectors of Orthodoxy? These are hardly rotten enterprises.
Sure, there are problems. I deal with many of them right
here. But to say the state of Orthodoxy is in a rotten state is just plain wrong.
