New York, NY – Calling upon the legacy of R’ Moshe Sherer z’l, who was known for his fiery speeches at the Agudah Israel Dinner slamming the Conservative and Reform movements, last night at the 92nd Agudath Dinner Rabbi Yaakov Perlow the Novominsker Rebbe condemned Open Orthodoxy, referring to it several times in his sixteen minute address as “a plague”, “sheker”, “subversive”, “kefira” and “apikorsus.”
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Describing the Agudah as the champion of Torah Jewry, the Novominsker warned that Open Orthodoxy is a serious threat, particularly in Jewish communities outside the greater New York area.
“They send rabbis out and people think they represent Orthodoxy, but they don’t,” said the Novominsker adding “They have completely deviated from the mesorah.”
The term “Open Orthodoxy” was created by Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and Yeshiva Chovevei Torah in 1997, describing an offshoot of Modern Orthodoxy that was designed to be more flexible that traditional Orthodoxy and incorporated higher profile opportunities for women.
The Novominsker further cautioned both Israel’s chief rabbinate and the leadership of the Modern Orthodox community to recognize the inherent dangers of Open Orthodoxy, calling upon them to publicly express their disapproval, both orally and in writing.
“Stand up and be counted. Speak up and openly reject this new deviationists, cloaking themselves in the mantle of Orthodoxy. Refute their arguments, condemn their statements, protect the mesorah that has kept us alive throughout the years. Convey this message to your talmidim, your constituents. That is the challenge that you and us face nowadays in this new phenomenon that has come upon us in this visitation of a plague that is surrounding many communities, many circles of people that do consider themselves Orthodox.”
When he declares open war on the real cancers eating away at Yiddishkeit, ring me.
He is right. Big time.
a sad day for klal yisroeal
clean your own house.
I would like a little clarification. A few years back Rabbi Svei was calling Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm a Sonei Hashem for implying that Yeshiva Bochurim who do not study secular studies are similar to cavemen. Rabbi Lamm had been a standard Bearer for Modern/Centrist Orthodoxy. Now it seems the Novaminsker wants to team up with the Modern/Centrists in order to combat the open Orthodoxists. Is the reason Rabbi Perlow is more open to the modern/centrists due to the fact that Rabbi Perlow himself went to College in contradistinction to Rabbi Svei? IM confused.
Finally someone’s speaking emes. And for some readers here who thing that there are more pressing issues, think again. I have the periodical booklets that come out of that institution, and it is full of heresy and biblical criticism. When they send their graduates out to DC, TX, MI, MD, LA, IL etc. they take over old synagogues with naarishe baale batim and am haratzim who cant tell that these ‘rabbis’ are not orthodox. These people can be megayer people without having them believe in the emes of Torah or malchus shamayim and hashgocha pratis.
It is a serious problem which can affect many generations.
finally, a rov who is not PC, and calls it as it is.
i’m no fan of the novominsker, but he’s got guts to say the truth, regardless of the hate he will receive from the MO crowd. the kumbaya rabbis, “can’t we all just get along” crowd are wimps who can’t say the truth as it is.
Ahavas Yisroel applies to every Jew as he is regardless of their belief, but it doesn’t mean accepting ideology that goes against Torah and shulchan aruch
He is right but as #1 pointed out we need to fix the major issue in our own community before we try to fix other communities.
everyone has a right to opinion and he is a gadol so he has credence….but its not fair to expect people to listen solely on your say-so…the article does not mention what the issues that he has are and why its wrong or how it goes against mesorah…in all my years in yeshiva I have not been offered that clarity…just condemning is fine but if you want people to understand and inculcate the young than more clarity needs to be provided…as far as I go I cannot argue with anyone who is right who is rebellious and who is plain afraid of their world shattering…might be new dawn or apocalypse…I have no clue…so just on his say-so is good for me privately but not to give over
so whats open orthodoxy again?
In the 70’s-80’s, Agudah fought the Milchemes HaShaem against the then cancer of Conservative and Reform judaism. They used the Jewish Observor and the pen of Rabbi Nissin Wolpin to do that. Now, we already have the pen of Rav Pinny Lipschutz fighting this Milchemes HaShem against Open Orthodoxy. Kudos to him, let’s continue fighting.
Kids going OLD because of CSA and cover ups and hypocrisy are not serious problems. A jail full of frum yidden is not a serious problem. Corrupt botai din are not a problem.
Avi Weiss and his four and a half talmidim going out to serve as rabbis in places that could otherwise go Conservative, now THAT is a serious problem.
Did anyone ask the Rebbeh if he has ever been to YCT, ever spoken to their maggidai shiur, ever investigated their smicha requirements?
Sorry, MO is as much against the Agudah as they are against Open Orthodoxy.
Geulah:
So he should ignore this dangerous “faction” with its potential for tremendous harm as its Rabbis subvert our holy faith world-wide because, in your esteemed opinion, Klal Yisrael has bigger problems?
Of course.
It is pathetic and sad that seemingly the only way for Aguda and the “Torah World” to feel energized and motivated is to create an opponent to go to war with. This seems to indicate that due to a lack of inherent and internal relevancy, an opponent is required in order to confer a sense of purpose and mission. Some of the recent Bogey Men who have been declared war on are Lipa Shmeltzer the big event,Rabbi Nosson Slifkin, the internet, Cell Phones, the Israeli Government,Blogs, the NYC Health Department for trying to make Bris Mila Safe and so on. I for one am not inspired by that approach and actually am turned off by it. If you are truly strong and secure in your value system then you do not need to create a straw man to use as a punching bag. You should be able to be manly enough to stand on your own with no need to declare war. Declaring War on an ideological opponent is a sign of weakness and fear. As others have pointed out, the Frum community has much bigger, real, and more serious problems, to deal with and stop sweeping under the rug, then Rabbi Avi Weiss and his band of Merry publicity seeking students.
Fiery indeed…
To wage a ‘Milchemes Mitzva’ against open orthodoxy, -against people who have a lax or misguided view of Torah Judaism. People on the cusp of becoming non observant and assimilated – that’s who should fight against…
But to take up arms and fight against the real enemies of Klal Israel -Arab/palestinian terrorist, no that’s not a real threat, that’s not worth fighting for !?
Does anyone see why our youth today is perplexed by our (so called) Torah Leadership?
Look around. Modern orthodoxy and open orthodoxy are dying. They do not thrive or propagate. People brought up in these two streams have children who either become mainstream orthodox or reform.
Be mekarev them, don’t push them away. There are a lot worse things than women wearing Tefilin.
The headline is misleading and an obvious attempt to draw controversy. The Rebbe voiced his legitimate concerns about a movement which is using the term orthodoxy to spread heretical ideas in the guise of tolerance and passionate Judaism.
This is not a decleration of war but rather a painful cry by a senior Rabbi who sees open orthodoxy for what it is: a new version of conservative Judiasm.
Anyone commenting ever been in YCT or ever talk in learning with R’ Dov Linzer or any of the other members of the faculty?
irrelevant man with an irrelevant agenda.
No one will remember him in 20 years
He needs to shut up and mind his own business. People can practice their Judaism anyway they choose.
The Novominsker give too many chechshereim, also an inclusiveness
It has nothing to with yiddishkeit, torah but with power and control. Learn with your children Pirke Avoth, don eyz kol odom l’kaf tzichus, teach derech eretz , al todon eyz chavero ad shetigiah limkomo, treat your wife with care and respect, and most of all be an erlicher Yid and with help of ribbon shel olom you will succeed without the Novominsker. Everybody finds a mum but start looking at yourself first
As one who knew Avi Weiss years ago when he was a mainstream YU rabbi trying to imitate Rabbi Riskin, I assure you that his new branch of Judaism has strayed far from the norm. You can go to his schools website, view the course requirements and judge for yourselves. To invite speakers from the reform and conservative faiths to address his students alone makes quite a statement.
From the site pick the names of ten or 15 of his graduates, google the names and you’ll get an idea of what they learned or didn’t learn in YCT.
Avi’s a nice guy to sit next to at a Yankee ball game, but he continues to harm Judaism with his revised faith.
to #33 –this is his business! people can practice in whatever way they want but don’t call it Judaism. a religion is NOT a democracy.
I regretfully belong to an “open orthodox” synagogue (not my fault) where they prohibit saying the morning brocose out loud because it offends women. This needs to be known by the outside world. I need help fighting this.
I am so sad to say that we could learn a lot from the Latinos.
They come from all different countries, all different religious followings but they stick together like crazy glue! Watch a news exerpt on the PR Day parade and see the hundreds of thousands who march and watch the parade. On the other side, watch the news and see the sparse attendance at our Salute to Israel Parade coming up this Sunday, June 1st. Every Yeshiva should send their students and staff to show support. Every parent should be there to cheer them on.
And what do you see on tv? The crazy NK guys trying to make friends with the Palestinians…as I said, learn from the Latinos who know how to stick together. IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH
As the צידוקים ובייתוסים וקראיים, the false interpretation of the תורה by the Conservative, Reform, and other aberrations of אידישקייט is destined to wind up in the ground along with their followers. Yet, what is to become of an אידישקייט that condones enabling child molesters and demonizing victims, defrauding the government, inflicting cattle prod גיטין for money, massive money laundering and other forms of גניבה וגזילה, intolerance to others, and a thousand other types of עבירות בין אדם לחבירו?
How does he feel about our increasing child molestation? Is he as opposed to molestation as he is to Conservative and Reform?
We can overture the wicked all we want, but its our own communities we need to strengthen. The climate of poverty is always a rose for its own thorns.
Amazing how the agudah bashers commenting here speak about Bain Odam L’chavairo and Middos etc. As if open orthodoxy didn’t create the infamous Uri L’tzedeck lobbying group. They sole goal is to fight chareidy jews left and right including in postville iowa and in rockland county. You speak about loving Israel? Avi weiss wrote an anti israel op ed in the Ny times complaining about the Rabinate and sent elliot engel to threaten Bibi Netanyahu. Of course for them it’s allowed.
“Novominsker Rebbe Declares War on Open Orthodoxy at Agudah Dinner, Calling it “Milchemes Mitzvah.”
A מלחמת מצוה? But, in the רמב”ם הלכות מלכים ומלחמותיהם פרק ה’ משנה א, it states:
אי זו היא מלחמת מצוה? זו מלחמת שבעה עממים ומלחמת עמלק ועזרת ישראל מיד צר שבא עליהם
I wasn’t aware that waging ‘war’ on the נארישקייט of Avi Weiss was one of these three categories. Live and learn, right?