By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 30th, 2006 A few weeks ago, I spent a day with Rabbi Shlomo Raanan, the founder of Ayelet HaShachar, an organization that has placed religious families on sixty-five non-religious kibbutzim and yishuvim in recent years. In almost all of these places, Ayelet HaShachar ran Yom Kippur services this year, some attracting as many as 100 people from the kibbutz or yishuv. Over Succos alone, Ayelet HaShachar ran 265 events – Simchos Beis HaShoeva, Hakafos Shniyos – on different kibbutzim and yishuvim.
It was fascinating to see firsthand the impact that one family can have on attitudes towards Torah and religious Jews, even on the most hardened anti-religious kibbutz. I listened as Rabbi Raanan confirmed with the secretary of one of the veteran left-wing kibbutzim that they had made a request from the regional council to build a mikveh on the kibbutz.
On one kibbutz near Tiveria, the manager of the commissary had once told the young avreich then serving as a mashgiach for a production line of kosher food, “I don’t care if you are living here; I will never let you shop in this store.” The kibbutz member, to whom that same avreich had been directed as the most likely to … Read More >>
By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 30th, 2006 Tensions between religious and non-religious Jews and religious Jews occasioned by the move of religious Jews to upscale suburbs have long been a staple of both American Jewish fiction and sociological writing. Nearly half a century ago, Philip Roth wrote a short-story, “Eli the Fanatic,” satirizing the horror with which suburban Jewish burghers react to the sudden appearance in town of a Jew in Chassidic garb.
In Jew vs. Jew, Samuel Freedman, a professor at the Columbia School of Journalism, devoted a section of the book to the dispute in Beachwood, Ohio over a request for a zoning clearance in order to build a large Jewish complex and mikvah. Battles over efforts to erect eruvin pitting Orthodox Jews against their non-observant brethren have raged in a number of communities in the New York metropolitan region and as far away as Santa Monica on the other coast. These battles have been played out in local zoning boards, city council meetings, and in the courts, both state and federal.
In many cases the issue has been baldly framed by the long-time residents of the community: We fear the influx of too many religious Jews to the community. Non-religious Jews understand that without an eruv, … Read More >>
By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 30th, 2006 Last week’s General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities in Los Angeles was organized as a show of solidarity with Israel in the wake of the last summer’s war in Lebanon. The solidarity, however, is wearing thin, and if my own experiences last week are any indication, the future of Diaspora support for Israel is very much in question.
I spoke to a group of about 30 students at the University of Pennsylvania. In the course of the talk, I asked how many were pleased with the recent election results. All raised their hands. Then I asked how many thought that Democratic control of the Congress would be better for Israel. No hands were raised. One student did opine that American support for Israel is bi-partisan, and another argued that American pressure on Israel to be more forthcoming vis-א-vis the Palestinians is in Israel’s long-term interests.
“Correct me, if I’m misstating this,” I said, “but Israel simply did not factor into your voting.” No one protested. The results of my informal poll mirrored those of a 2004 poll that found Israel to be a major factor in the vote of only 14% of American Jewish voters.
And I should note … Read More >>
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 29th, 2006 Charity begins at home. And in the house of worship. And on the conservative side of the political aisle. All of these remarkable facts grow out of a survey whose results were described in the Wall Street Journal (“Charitable Explanation,” Nov. 27, pg. A12. Requires subscription; get a copy from a friend.)
The article is so powerful, that I am reluctant to offer a meaningful summary, which might tempt people not to read the original. Read the original. A few morsels to tantalize you:
The divide between American givers and non-givers is not based on income. “The charity gap is driven not by economics but by values.”
“People of faith give more than 50% more money each year to non-church social welfare organizations than secularists do.” This includes giving to secular charities, and to volunteering time.
“People who opine that government is “spending too little money on welfare” — not a viewpoint typically associated with George W. Bush’s supposedly venal supporters — are less likely to give food or money to a homeless person than people who oppose greater welfare spending.”
“The simple act of raising children appears to stimulate giving as well — children help us fill the … Read More >>
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 28th, 2006 A new issue of Jewish Action, – the OU’s glossy quarterly – hit the stands last week. A confluence of factors leads to this unabashed plug.
Of course I’m biased. I’m on the editorial board. So are a number of other people you will recognize as shuttling back and forth across the Agudah/OU divide. That’s the main reason I like it. It is one of the only Orthodox publications that offers real debate: two or more sides of an issue.
It is a good issue for Cross-Currents contributors. Toby Katz turns what could have been a boring magazine review into an important examination of the values communicated to girls and young women by secular and Torah publications. Yours truly wrote the cover story about friends and foes in the Christian world. Readers have commented in the past that several CC pieces seemed to go out of their way to be friendly to Christian interests. Some of these readers approved; others did not. Perhaps at least some in the latter group will understand after reading the article why it is possible today to react to Christians … Read More >>
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 26th, 2006 Is this a knock-off of Hirhurim’s Great Shatnez Potato Chip (scroll down to Nov. 12 there) conjecture? Or is it real? If it is, do we start eating hand shmurah the rest of the year, as the latest chumrah? Would the Meiri call it avodah zarah? To find out, you’ll have to go here. If you are still worried afterwards, look at Shut Kesav Sofer (Yoreh Deah) #83 s.v. v’hinei ha –Ramoh.
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 24th, 2006 Oh dear. At least one can say in favor of this posting that it’s accurately titled. Beyond that, it reminds me how important it is, including for rabbis, to hesistate to express opinions on subjects on which they haven’t educated themselves sufficiently or at all. Anyone interested in understanding why ID is not a “God of the gaps” argument should look here: http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=200
Oh dear, indeed. I wondered how long it would take before David Klinghoffer weighed in on my ID post. His is a welcome contribution. I have abiding affection for David, despite so very rarely agreeing with anything he writes.
I imagine that David believes that critiquing the post falls within his responsibilities as a staff member of the pro-ID Discovery Institute. Those willing to call a spade a spade will concede that at least part of the raison d’etre of said institute is to wrest back some of the ground lost to the improper use of science in the hands of people like Richard Dawkins, who prove that atheists can be as fanatically foolish as their theistic counterparts. About that, I suspect we are not in any disagreement. While I believe … Read More >>
By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 23rd, 2006 One of the world’s leading Torah thinkers began a shiur last week by reminding his audience that while there is no mitzvah from the Torah of fixed daily davening, there is a Torah mitzvah to beseech Hashem in times of trouble. How foolish, he said, are those who do not recognize that we are today living in an eis tzara.
I was not in Eretz Yisrael at the time of the shiur, and only heard about it second hand, so I’m not sure to which of the many afflictions confronting our nation he was referring – external threats to the security of nearly five million Jews in Israel, internal threats to the kedushah of Klal Yisrael, or even to the bitter machlokes in one of the Torah world’s most venerated yeshivos, which is regular fodder for the bemused secular press in Israel.
Let us start with the first of these possibilities – the security threat to the Jews of Eretz Yisrael. The first casualty of the Democratic takeover of Congress appears to be any chance that President Bush will act to remove the Iranian nuclear threat before it materializes. A president widely perceived as a lame duck and already bogged … Read More >>
By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 22nd, 2006 I’m delighted to have been out of Eretz Yisrael during the prelude to last week’s scheduled Gay March of Pride. The closest I came to the action was the morning I could not get through to my office because the phone lines were down as a consequence of the previous night’s fires.
The rioting revealed our community at its weakest. The mark of a Jew shaped by the Torah is the extent to which his sechel rules over his emotions and desires. That quality was notable primarily by its absence last week.
Using one’s sechel requires matching means to goals, and recognizing that improper means can damage, sometimes irreparably, the best of causes. Even when the goal is achieved the damage caused by poorly chosen means can sometimes outweigh any possible gain.
An extreme response, for instance, almost inevitably ensures that one’s message will be lost and the focus of public attention shift to the messenger and the impropriety of his actions. Prior to the onset of the rioting, many secular Jews viewed this particular march in this particular place as a deliberate affront to the sensibilities of Jerusalem’s residents.
But as soon as the garbage cans started going up in … Read More >>
By Jonathan Rosenblum, on November 21st, 2006 None of the common stereotypes of charedim infuriates members of the community quite so much as that of mindless, interchangeable automatons blindly following whatever we are told to do by our rabbinic leadership. Because that description of charedim as lacking all individuality, as well as any capacity for independent thought, is so incongruent with reality, we assume that it can be attributed only to malevolent hatred.
Yet it may well be that this tendency to group all strangers on the basis of one or two external similarities is typical of all of us, as a recent experience of mine suggests.
Just after Succot I arrived at work to find the hall in front of my office filled with black-frocked chassidim. Over the next two days, every two or three minutes we would hear cheers coming from the adjacent conference room that would not have been out of place at a Ohio State-Michigan football game.
The conference room, it turned out, was being used for a Dale Carnegie course.
Inasmuch as Dale Carnegie is not exactly a Yiddishe nommen, the association with chassidim puzzled me. My curiosity piqued, I wrangled an invitation to the final session, in which each participant makes … Read More >>
By Avi Shafran, on November 20th, 2006 Listening to critics of the Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003, one might conclude that the law, which was ruled unconstitutional by several courts whose rulings are now under appeal before the United States Supreme Court, 1) is erroneously named, 2) lacks an exception to protect the life of the mother and 3) is based on false assertions.
And listening to some Jewish groups, one might conclude as well that the law 4) is at acute odds with Jewish values.
One would be wrong on all four counts.
Despite concerted efforts by some to misrepresent the law, its language is stark and clear. It prohibits any overt act, like the puncturing of the brain, “that the person knows will kill” a fetus whose “entire… head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother.”
Thus, the removal of a fetus that has died or been killed inside its mother is clearly not prohibited by the embattled law. The procedure outlawed is the killing of a baby partially outside its mother’s body. One is hard pressed to imagine a more accurate name … Read More >>
By Yaakov Menken, on November 20th, 2006 A few weeks ago, Avakesh posted on the “Pitfalls of Kiruv.” An associate of mine discovered it Friday, probably through R’ Gil Student, who says “I’m not sure whether I agree with him or vehemently disagree.” Like the majority of commenters on Gil’s blog and Avakesh itself, I suffer no such feelings of ambivalence. The post mixes the obvious with the stereotyped, criticizing BTs and the BT movement for failing to assure that every BT is boki b’shas u’poskim (colloquially, expert in the entire gamut of Torah and Jewish Law). Like many similar articles purporting to identify a great yet hidden problem, it exaggerates while falling remarkably short on providing solutions — and ignoring existing attempts to address the issues in a more serious manner.
To begin at the beginning, we all agree with the following:
The kiruv movement has been an unquestioned blessing. Thousands of enthusiastic seekers have joined our communities over the past several decades, bringing with them a spirit of renewal and inspiration that challenges our rote performance and frozen spirituality.
That being the case, why spend the rest of the post accentuating the natural results of welcoming newcomers, and treating them like a problem instead … Read More >>
By Yaakov Menken, on November 17th, 2006 The Fox News Network is supposed to be the one without the left-wing bias which grips much of the media. To a point, that’s true — but Fox leaves much to be desired if it is supposed to be a pro-conservative, family-values network.
The rare times I got myself in front of a television, Fox could be relied upon to deliver some of the most offensive programming on network TV. Linking to their home page today would be enough for Cross-Currents to surrender any claim to being a family-friendly publication. Fox is also the only network I know of that spams blogs (we still get posts from “manheim”).
And now, Fox is the company behind the publication of OJ Simpson’s upcoming book, “If I Did It,” in which he offers his personal expert testimony concerning how he butchered would have killed his wife and Ron Goldman when he — oops, sorry! — if he had committed double homicide. After all, there is no one more knowledgeable than he about how it was done.
Mark Fuhrman was the investigating officer, and was promptly cast by the defense as an irredeemable racist who plucked up samples of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s … Read More >>
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 17th, 2006 Whatever you believe about evolution – that it is entirely incompatible with Torah belief, that it is nothing to lose sleep over if it turns out to be true, or that it is the preferred approach to the evidence for a Torah Jew to take – intelligent design (ID) is a whole ‘nother can of invertebrates. Too many True Believers figure that ID maximizes the role of G-d, and therefore should be attractive to Torah Jews.
This is short-sighted, as demonstrated by two recent articles, one in the Jerusalem Post, the other in Jewish Action.
Many Jews who identify with ID don’t understand the first thing about it. They embrace it simply because they believe that some scientists exceed their own mandate, and use science to force G-d out of the game on a squeeze play. These scientists see religion as the exclusive province of the ignorant. Those who have explanations don’t have any room left for a Deity. (As Laplace replied to Napoleon when the latter asked him how he could publish a compendium of all human knowledge without once mentioning G-d, “Your Majesty, I have no need for such an … Read More >>
By Dovid Gottlieb, on November 14th, 2006 There is something quite shocking about the Rev. Ted Haggard scandal.
But it’s not what you might think.
The allegations leveled against Rev. Haggard are obviously salacious, but in today’s world, unfortunately, they are not shocking. This wasn’t the first nor is it likely the last such scandal involving a religious leader.
Actually, what was really unprecedented was the tone and tenor of the reverend’s written apology. In an age when personal responsibility is usually eschewed for blaming others and claiming the mantle of victimhood (often to be followed by entry into some sort of rehab), a statement actually acknowledging mistakes and accepting culpability is nothing short of shocking.
In his letter – read to thousands and now heard by millions – Haggard declared matter-of-factly that, “I am a deceiver and a liar.” Furthermore, he stated that, “The fact is that I am guilty . . . and I take full responsibility for the entire problem.”
While there is probably nothing that can completely undo the great pain felt by Rev. Haggard’s multitudes of followers, this statement – especially if followed by meaningful repentance – has the potential to serve as a profoundly positive lesson in spiritual rehabilitation. It was only a … Read More >>
By Guest Contributor, on November 13th, 2006 by Rabbi Moshe Hauer
Jerusalem has been roiling over the gay pride parade that had been scheduled for today – November 10th – with serious fears of violent clashes between parade participants and fervently Orthodox Jews. Like many of you, I have been reading and hearing about this planned event for months, and I have been filled with horror, sadness and concern.
I am horrified that the Holy City of Jerusalem, G-d’s home on this earth, should be the site chosen for a celebration of profound sexual immorality. This horror echoes the feelings of those who witnessed the vicious Titus, who, upon gaining access to the Second Temple that he was about to destroy, took a prostitute with him into the Holy of Holies to perform with her a sinful act over an open Torah scroll (TB Gittin 56b). Who can bear to see such a calculated affront to holiness and not be horrified?! Who can allow this travesty to pass without protest?!
But I am saddened when I recall the words of R. Chayim of Volozhin (Nefesh HaChayim 1:4), who explained that these horrors never occur in a vacuum. Indeed an actively sacred Holy of … Read More >>
By Yitzchok Adlerstein, on November 13th, 2006 If you understand the mission of the Jewish people to include contributing some truths to the nations of the world, the latest Harris poll is a mix of good news and bad news. While the vast majority of Americans believe in G-d, the way they understand Him is somewhat quirky, to say the least. Jews come in a bit less quirky than the others.
Seven percent of Jews believe that G-d is female, while fewer than one percent of the rest of Americans do. Since the entire idea of gender in relationship to G-d is a primitive absurdity, Jews seem to be a bit behind there. Actually, that is not the case, because the alternative is not any better. Too many men (34%) and women (39%) think that G-d is male; 10% think G-d is both male and female; 17% haven’t figured out what they believe. Only 37% believe that G-d is neither, which according to latest authoritative Jewish sources is the way G-d himself weighs in on the issue.
G-d’s form is equally problematic. Nine percent said God appeared “like a human with a face, body, arms, legs, eyes,” though … Read More >>
By Avi Shafran, on November 10th, 2006 In the end, it wasn’t threatened violence from any haredi hotheads that did in the planned “gay pride” parade scheduled for the streets of Jerusalem, but an IDF strike in Gaza that brought about the deaths of 20 Palestinians and subsequent threats of retaliatory terror attacks against Israelis and Americans.
Fear of violence, though — of any sort — should not have been the impetus for the parade’s cancellation. What should have made such an event unthinkable in the first place, and should do so in the future, is something stark and simple: respect — for Jerusalem, for her residents and, ultimately, for Judaism.
The word “parade” conjures images of music and festivity, gaudily bedecked marchers and perhaps an elephant or tiger or two. And indeed, in venues like San Francisco, “gay pride” parades have been exhibitions of exhibitionists, processions that featured, if not actual animals, people clearly in touch with their inner beasts.
But organizers of the ill-fated Jerusalem parade — originally part of “Jerusalem WorldPride 2006,” an international call to homosexuals to descend upon the holy city “in a massive demonstration of LGBT dignity, pride and boundary-crossing celebration” — insisted that their event would be no such spectacle of … Read More >>
By Yaakov Menken, on November 9th, 2006 Thanks to an alert reader for sending us this tip, courtesy of Beyond BT: tonight is the 100th Anniversary of the Mishnah Berurah, which was completed on 19 Cheshvan, 5667 (as the author notes at the end of the last volume). Today it is the Jewish world’s most influential work, in terms of its impact upon daily Jewish observance, since the Shulchan Aruch itself (Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Code of Jewish Law, with the glosses of Rabbi Moshe Isserles).
The Mishnah Berurah was written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, and this was not his only work with such profound global impact. Rabbi Kagan was commonly known as the “Chofetz Chaim” — the name of his most famous earlier work, published in 1873, describing in detail the laws against Lashon Hora, evil speech. Previous to the Chofetz Chaim, there had been no single work which so clearly enunciated these laws, with the result that they had been neglected. Today, Jews study the Chofetz Chaim and related works on a daily basis.
Several days ago, Beyond BT published Rabbi Kagan’s 1933 obituary from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, as published in the New York Times. The headline reads … Read More >>
By Eytan Kobre, on November 9th, 2006 I’m grappling with how to reconcile two recent episodes, one from earlier this year and the other very much in this week’s news, that seem contradictory. Allow me to present the perceived conflict and perhaps some perspicacious reader can help sort things out.
Item One: In an October 3 story, the JTA reported on the resignation of Boris Kapustin from his longtime post as leader of one of the Ukraine’s largest Reform congregations, located in the Crimean town of Kerch.
While Ukrainian Reform leaders cite Kapustin’s age and health concerns as reasons for his resignation, Kapustin told JTA his resignation stemmed from his opposition to the movement’s acceptance of same-sex commitment ceremonies.
‘I don’t want to participate in a movement that has organized a chupah for lesbians, which happened in Moscow this year,’ Kapustin said. He was referring to Rabi Nelly Shulman, who officiated at an April 2 commitment ceremony for a lesbian couple. . . .
There were also repercussions within the Progressive movement, as Reform is referred to in the region. In late April, Zinovy Kogan resigned as chairman of the movement’s Moscow-based umbrella group. In August, a Reform congregation in the Ukrainian town of Pavlograd wrote to all … Read More >>
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