First, let me note the following: People who leave the faith
for intellectual reasons are beyond the scope of this post. While they should
be engaged in meaningful discussion to help them see the truth of Judaism, a
short essay or a comment thread is not the right forum for such a complex
topic—it would likely do more harm than good.
This post focuses on those who leave for sociological
reasons, not intellectual ones. And by ‘leave’ I don’t necessarily mean they
stop being observant. I mean those who no longer want to live within the strict
confines of the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle in which they were raised—whether
Chasidic or Lithuanian-style Charedi.
In other words, they are not seeking a change in religious
belief as much as they are seeking cultural participation. They want to be part
of broader society, rather than isolated from it. Without getting into
statistics, it’s understandable why a committed person of faith might not fully
embrace the stringent lifestyle that is often demanded by ultra-Orthodox
communities, especially once they become exposed to life beyond it.
This is precisely why rabbinic leaders in these communities
insist on insularity. They fear that exposure to the outside world - often
portrayed as completely evil - will seduce their followers. I also suspect it's
because they know it reduces the likelihood of people leaving. Keeping members
within the ‘warm cocoon’ in which they were raised gives them a sense that the
outside world is foreign and threatening. But some exposure does sneak in, and
when it does, some individuals begin to want a piece of that world for
themselves. And yet - they still believe. They still want to remain observant.
When someone comes from a religious culture that is
radically different from the outside world, the appeal of that outside world
can sometimes lead to full abandonment of observance. It’s very hard to keep
Shabbos, for example, in a world where no one else is observing it.
When belief is not deeply rooted – when people are taught to
perform rituals without meaningful discussion of faith - they often don’t
develop a strong theological foundation. Just being told to believe isn’t
enough. ‘Fire and brimstone’ warnings about sin are easily ignored when someone
is seeking relief from what they see as an unnecessarily burdensome and
isolating lifestyle. They’re not rejecting Judaism per se. They simply want to
enjoy what they see outside as harmless.
These individuals don’t want to abandon observance entirely.
They just want to be religious without so many of the strictures and customs
imposed by the community they grew up in.
There are organizations in the US that try to help people
like this transition into religious lifestyles that don’t carry the same burden
of customs and restrictions. Of which I am an enthusiastic supporter. But I don’t
think there are any in Israel.
In any case such transitions are rarely easy. A lifestyle
change is difficult to adjust even in going from one religious community to
another. For someone who grew up Charedi, Modern Orthodoxy might feel as
foreign as secularism. Unfortunately, many Modern Orthodox communities aren’t
all that welcoming to outsiders. Especially those who didn’t attend the same
schools or grow up in similar homes with Modern Orthodox values.
This is where the concept of ‘Charedi-Lite’ comes in.
Although they are looked down upon in Israel by the mainstream Charedi world,
they remain observant and retain many of the same outward trappings. They don’t
feel like strangers in their own communities the way they might if they tried
to join Modern Orthodoxy. They keep many customs and some restrictions, but
allow themselves freedom to participate in broader society in meaningful ways.
Like pursuing higher education for better jobs, or even joining the military.
This phenomenon already exists in the U.S. It’s a trend I
believe is growing among moderate, mainstream Charedim. In the U.S., it’s an easier
path to take - especially for Lithuanian-style Charedim since they receive a
secular education that can lead to college and professional careers. In Israel,
Charedim of this type are just beginning to explore this lifestyle, though they
remain a small minority.
The challenge is that, unlike in the U.S., mainstream Israeli Charedim do not accept them as readily. However, as has been noted recently, they are not completely rejected either. My hope is that this form of going ‘Off the Derech’ - not in terms of abandoning observance, but in transitioning from an overly strict, isolationist lifestyle to one that remains fully observant while integrating into Israeli society—continues to grow to the point where they will be fully accepted.
Because that would solve a lot of problems.
