New York – The speech given by the Novaminsker Rebbe at the May 27th Agudah Dinner this past week has certainly been in the news. First it was the Forward. Then came the condemnation in the Daily News, and then the New York Times. The JTA headlines quickly followed suit.
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“The leading Rabbi of Agudath Israel of America, the ultra-Orthodox umbrella group, condemned non-Orthodox streams of Judaism and called the religiously progressive Open Orthodox movement heretical at the group’s annual gala” began the leading paragraph of the Forward article.
Then came the editorializing within the reporting of the news – the subtle coup de grace, which condemns ever so cleverly within the veneer of “objective reporting.”
The Forward continued, “New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who spoke directly after Perlow, did not address his remarks. The mayor praised Agudath Israel, some of whose lay leaders were key backers in his mayoral campaign.”
All the media articles attacked Rabbi Perlow, and criticized Mayor DeBlasio for not walking out when the Novaminsker Rebbe delivered his words.
Aides in the mayor’s office realized the potential PR disaster this could quickly become and almost immediately issued a statement distancing Mayor deBlasio from the Rabbi’s remarks. Agudah condemned the New York Times for conflating non-Orthodox Jews with non-Orthodox Judaism in an attempt to minimize the damage that false reporting can wreak.
Could the media’s new take derail the carefully cultivated relationship between the mayor’s office and Torah interests? This is, of course, what lay behind the Forward’s story, with all its politically correct racism as they chuckle to themselves when they describe a “sea of black hats.” Indeed, on the following Monday, the Daily News attempted to derail the DeBlasio/Agudah connection by asking why DeBlasio does not attend the St. Patricks Parade which excludes gays but did attend the Agudah dinner which fought against the 2011 law allowing gay marriages in New York. This last article clearly proves the motivation of the media. But, for all the Machiavellian machinations at play here, this is not the real story.
No. The real story here is what the Novaminsker, indeed, the entire Agudath Israel organization did not address. Indeed, it is a burning issue that year after year, Agudath Israel of America has consistently failed to tackle – both at its annual dinner and at the annual Agudah convention in November.
“Rome is burning, and Nero is fiddling” – goes the expression. And, forgive the comparison, that is exactly what is happening here.
It is true that Open Orthodoxy is steeped in heresy and has gone far beyond the parameters of Torah-true theology. It is true that Reform and Conservative Judaism now face intermarriage, and assimilation, two devastating repercussions brought about by the failure of what the watering down of religion represents.
But the fact is that we, ourselves, are losing our children neither to Open Orthodoxy, nor to Reform and Conservative Judaism.
“Open Orthodoxy” is entirely irrelevant to the constituency that Agudath Israel represents, or purports to represent. True, everyone present at the Agudath Dinner that night may have a distant cousin or a brother-in-law who will occasionally daven in a shul where they just hired a Chovevei Torah graduate as an assistant Rabbi, but almost everyone present at that dinner has a son or a nephew that is, yes, OTD – off the derech, who has no interest at all in Orthodoxy.
Kids roaming the streets. Shabbos violation. Kids thrown out of Yeshivos. Marijuana. Children leaving yiddishkeit entirely. We have it, and we have it all.
And it is an ever growing problem. There is not a block in Williamsburg or Boro Park or Flatbush without the problem.
And it is not just the Litvaks, it is happening in the Chassidish world too. Nearly all of us have a son or a nephew that we don’t really talk about.
We need our leadership to address the problems that Klal Yisroel is experiencing in real life – not some ivory-tower-intellectualism about women putting on Tefillin in some out-of the-way hole in the Bronx.
Agudah, awaken!
Hear the cry within the heart of every orthodox Jew echoing the tears of Dovid HaMelech (Shmuel Bais 19:1) who wept over his own son, “Bni, Avshalom! Bni, Bni, Avshalom! Let me have died instead of you Avshalom. My son! My son!”
Agudah! Hear our cry, and help address this dire need.
In the past you have used the full power of your profound Torah wisdom, gifted lawyers, and organizational wizardry to get Klal Yisroel to start learning and completing Shas. You have filled Madison Square Garden and every other major stadium in the metropolitan area with people to learn Shas and you changed a world.
We beg of you, plead with you. Address the pressing needs of the nation.
Figure out what needs to be done so that our wives are not up at all hours of the night wondering where her son, or daughter might be. Figure out how to fix our broken school systems. How can we get our children inspired? Get our children mentors so that they can once again thrive in their Yiddishkeit! Tell us how to change our Shabbos tables so that these things will not happen!
Where are the Pirchei leaders of yesterday – that inspired a generation? Agudah, we need you now, more than ever before.
Agudah please become a relevant and vibrant force once again, address the real issues that matter!
Yes, the dropouts are a problem, but outside of the metro area in towns where there is one orthodox shul, the hiring of one of Weiss’ graduates as a rabbi will lead to the end of othodoxy in that town.. They are open to practices that are foreign to Yiddishkeit.
Yasher Koach
There are no Pirchei leaders because our young Talmidai Chochomim are made to feel that playing a Shabbos Parsha game is beneath them. They have little down time. And they are being taught that they are princes who are only to take from the community, that their Torah learning, which in reality is only between them and the Robono Shel Olum, is somehow benefiting Klal Yisrael.
And that is the successful learners, the good boys. The not so awesome learners, having been taught that nothing else matters, have no way to feel like productive members of Klal Yisroel.
It would be great if Agugah would listen to the message here, but they are the very Roshei Yeshiva that have produced the problem. Oy.
When you cease being relevant and your product is in shambles you resort to attacking the other guy’s product. This is a Roman political tactic attributed to Cicero. We’ve ceased being relevant and through misogynist practices we’ve alienated youth. Look on Ocean Parkway, any Shabbos, and see the texting going on there. Is that because the product is relevant, fresh and buoyant, NO. Therefore you’re going to get fringes (not tzitsis) that have no connection and create their own geshmak, loosely based on whatever was not condescending or alienating. The organizations are irrelevant. They can fight among themselves and sink in to the mire they’ve created.
At the dinner, the Novominska Rebbe quoted a Pshat from earlier Miforshim,, “that the reason the Riboineh Shel Olom, never again, spoke to Avrom after the Akeido, only through a Malach, is, because Avrom had a Haveh-Amino to Shecht his son”.
The Nisoyon actually was, that Avrom should Not listen to this request.
HKB”H even called the idea of a father Shechting his son, “LO Olso Al Libi”.
Open Orthodoxy goes with this Pshat and most Orthodox don’t follow this Pshat.
Agree wholeheartedly!
It is amusing how controversies stir up from the wrong places all the, time but these are facts of life. As if this Open-Orthodoxy conversation is relevant to anyone… but you don’t get to pick…!
It’s more the fact of ‘political life’ – one can never control the narrative – just look at Christie…!
Unfortunately, how one looks (white shirts, black hats…etc) reigns supreme in Flatbush (and in other places too). Thirty years ago even in the most Yeshivish schools boys were allowed to grow into themselves. Now they are forced to be carbon copies of themselves. A small precetage go off but many lead double lives which continue into their marriage while raising children which will continue to erode the fabric of Orthodoxy. When I stand up to the principal complaining about my child being bullied I get the answer “well you know your child had problems too and he/she really doesn’t belong in the school….”
Keep on closing your ears to the truth and when you wake up you’ll be shocked at what you find.
I am against this article because it seems to be saying, don’t focus on open orthodoxy, but focus on drop outs instead. Wrong. Focus on both. The Novaminsker Rebbe did very well in addressing open fakeodox. Now if someone has a suggestion to address other issues, go ahead, and we have tons of other issues to ALSO be addressed. Whoever thinks that it’s not important to identify and expose the DISEASE of open/modern fakeodoxy is most likely influenced by it.
The Novominsker Rebbe doesn’t need me to defend him, so I won’t even bother.
I’m just wondering whether this anonymous op-ed writer or anonymous commenters have done more than the Rebbe and/or key Agudah askanim regarding the issue of teens at risk and inspiring youth to Yiddishkeit? Theses issues are discussed ad nauseum at Agudah/Torah Umesorah conventions and similar venues, and many key Agudah gedolim/askanim are instrumental in Project Yes, Our Place, and similar initiatives.
I’m not affiliated with Agudah, but would prefer to hear criticism from those who are themselves better than those they criticize…
The gedolim lost touch with the regular people. Its very sad.
What exactly is open Orthodoxy? I have never met anyone claiming to be an “Open Orthodox.” However, I have seen many OTD and many FFBs faking their religiosity.
(1/3) While we’re asking Agudah to deal with issues facing the frum family, please add these major problems that our daas torakh need to address ASAP!
A) Tuition costs are soaring. Yeshivas and bais yaakov’s do need the money to cover operating costs, however, the cost of living in a frum household is not keeping up with average salaries. We promote larger families, then tuition costs multiply.
B) Same for camps.
C) Shidduch crisis. It’s simple. Although there is a kol koireh in effect for boys to marry at a younger age, most boys continue to go to Eretz Yisroel from ages of 20-23. If the leadership and Roshei Yeshivas would strongly instruct, not merely “suggest” that the boys stay local and marry at 20-21, our shidduch issue would be over, period. Kol koirehs don’t help if the rebbeim and roshei yeshivas themselves are not enforcing them.
D) Parnossa Crisis! I don’t understand when the “leadership” decided that is was ok to forgo the dictates of chazal “Chayev odom lilmod uminos lib’noi”, the obligation for a father to teach his son a trade. We have thousands of bochurim in their early twenties officially “learning”, when we know what really goes on. (Continued on next post)
(2/3)The system is set so that the obligation to make money falls on the girls, they feel the pressure to get educated and receive degrees, while too many boys are busy touring Eretz Yisroel in its entirety from the Northen Galil to Southern Eilat and everything in between (Just listen to bochurim talk during bein hazmanim when they come back home). Isn’t the women supposed to be the akeres habayis? Isn’t she supposed be home with the children ideally? I understand we need to produce future gedolim and rebbeim, but 80-90% of the boys won’t be, so at least set them up to be ehrliche working balei batim who take kvias itim very seriously? We have 1000’s of 25-28 year old fathers of 3-5 kids who finish kollel and can’t cover the basics, with no skills to enter the professional workplace!
E) And hard working parents need to support “learning” married kids who go to Israel for a 2-5 year honeymoon! This is what’s expected from everyone?! I know, there are serious learners, and ashreichem to those people, but most are NOT like that! They’re busy on DansDeals figuring out where they can go for their tri-annual vacation to Rome, Paris, or Bangkok! (I’m not making this stuff up!)
(Continued
(3/3)(Continued from previous post)
F) Ridiculous financial pressure to send girls to Israeli Seminary, a year before hopefully one is zoicheh to pay for a wedding (I suspect that the reason we don’t hear a “geshray” is because most of the rabbonim qualify for generous Federal and State grants, so it does not affect them as it does the average middle income family)
There are other items, and each of the above points can be expounded at great length, but this is not the forum for it.
Please Nesiei Moetzes Gedolei Yisroel! Please address these real issues that affect every frum yid! Don’t just talk about it!
“Although there is a kol koireh in effect for boys to marry at a younger age, most boys continue to go to Eretz Yisroel from ages of 20-23. If the leadership and Roshei Yeshivas would strongly instruct, not merely “suggest” that the boys stay local and marry at 20-21″
Forget the kol koireh. An explicit unopposed mishnah says that the age for marriage is 18. But that same mishnah says that the age for gemara learning is 15; we ignore that one, too.
What the real issue here is the LOSS of Modern Orthodoxy – years ago when – as baby boomer, and child of holocaust survivrors am appalled at what is happening to the orthodox community – if you are not to the right – we do not need you or your are an apikores – the shidduch situation for Modern frum women is stalled because we train our young men to just learn and not earn – and vice versa for some of the young men – this all gets put in to the bucket and leads them to ‘OTD” it’s time the frum community step up to the plate and smell the coffee rather than the chumrah of the week !
the novominsker does not need anyones approval about what he says especially at an agudah dinner -the organization which he heads
if you don’t like what he said
ask for a refund!
that being said -the author of this oped is on the money
never have so many boys been in yeshiva at one time since the days of chizkiyahu hamelech
however we are bringing up a generation who may know a lot of gemara but zero in basic haskafa
to answer questions such as why be frum
how can I prove that torah (all of it) is min hashamayim etc
we are missing in our education system the pride that is needed what it means to be a torah frum jew
to understand history of how am yisroel and the torah have survived against all odds
just learning gemara all day most of todays boys (with all the distractions) cant handle it
the learning system needs to change or we will loose more
the old model will not work
and the mechanchim can either keep their head in the sand
or make a change
To #12 – Yoel
100% right, Could not have said it better.
“I work with many 20something and 30something Jews who barely identify as Jewish at all.”
Something to consider: I wear my yarmulke to work every day, refuse to ever eat cooked food from a non-kosher restaurant, refuse to even think about working on Shabat or Yom Tov, disapear for a half hour almost every afternoon to daven mincha with a minyan, and on the rare times they ask I tell them that yes, I do believe that the Torah is from God and that I am bound by all the commandments. These barely-connected Jews consider me to be as much of an extreme case as the members of Rabbi Perlow’s kehillah. I wish I were more effective at inspiring them.
Outrageous tuition costs from schools that are in essence businesses with no transparency and zero oversight is a far greater challenge to orthodoxy then what the Rebbe spoke about. Folks who would love to bring more Jewish kids into the world simply can’t afford to take on the burden. When are we going to stand up and say we’re not going to take this anymore?? We need take our schools back, they don’t belong to individuals!
The crises, such as shidduch, inability to earn a living, throw/dropout and “open” orthodoxy, are being bemoaned by their creators.(I am not pointing to one individual or to one organization or to one school). These crises were enabled by anti-poverty programs, food stamps, welfare etc. which were taken advantage of by all of those to whom I am not pointing. As is the case with other minorities, we have allowed ourselves to become reliant on “ess kumt mir” government gifts. In fact we have shown our communities that we endorse &/or elect candidates based on the amount of gifts that they can & will deliver.
Add to these realities the reality that Kollel admission is obviously lax and we have
more to bemoan .
Many American born Jews do not want to be in communities that they consider unorthodox and in crisis.
Why is it so difficult for some people to stick to the issue at hand, instead of attacking on other issues, to sidestep what was said? The issue of at-risk kids, or OTD people are serious issues unto themselves and the causes should be honestly examined and something done about it. It has nothing to do with “Open Orthodoxy.”
If you must, criticize a statement based on the statement, not on other issues. All it shows is that the statement is correct and you have no refutation.
this article is pure nonsense….. the difference between the two is clear as day. OTD is a very unfortunate “occurance” and needs to be addressed. and so it is. in many more a way than this writer knows or realizes. but this Open Garbage stuff is proffesed to be a “movement” or derech in judaism. and this is a churban. an official movement needs to be opposed in an official way. we need to stand up and say..this is NOT yiddishkeit. nuff said.
This article is so factually off base, it is laughable. The OTD problem, while certainly a serious issue that must be addressed — and it is being addressed by the Agudah and many others — is a far far smaller phenomenon that is being portrayed. It is NOT widespread. It is not prevalent. It is not, numerically, affecting a significant proportion of either the Litvish OR Chasidish community.
Let’s not invent untruthful talking points for political points. Even if those political points are intended to be used against The Big Bad Agudah bogeyman that a certain cadre of malcontents are fond of doing.
“almost everyone present at that dinner has a son or a nephew that is, yes, OTD, who has no interest at all in Orthodoxy.”
“Nearly all of us have a son or a nephew that we don’t really talk about.”
Yes, the problem does exist. But with all respect to the anonymous VIN News Editorialist(s), if you want intelligent men to take you seriously, could you please avoid such HUGE exaggerations?
And to the extent that the problem does exist, how is it that your finger of blame gets pointed first at the, although well-established, nonetheless, the organization with very limited real power rather than at the parents who failed their children in the first place? For behind almost every so called OTD youth you will find a failed parent.
I may not be Rav Reisman when it comes to Tanach (or anything else), but I can’t see any indication that Dovid Hamelech cried because his rabbeim or dayanim or generals failed Avsholom.
Respectfully.
A most fascinating debate by VIN. posters based on the editorial. It’s good to read all (most) sides. But frum people need to understand that many non-frum Jews reject religious conformity, religious browbeating and phony superiority while yearning for spiritual connection and Yiddishkeit in a modern world context. Let’s see an editorial about that.
Very well written article. Why was it ok for the Ruv himself to attend Brooklyn College, but not for the children of current Agudah members. Clearly, Brooklyn College was never a Jewish school, and I am safe in saying that it was always a Co-ed institution as well. All would agree the Ruv came out ok. Forcing everyone to fit into a cookie cutter mold is backfiring badly on Agudah and other ultra groups. Rather than accept that, they throw the babies out with the bath water and accept all of these lost Yidden as collateral damage. The fault dear Ruv lies not in open orthodoxy but within ourselves.
While I appreciate this opinion piece, I don’t understand why this writer speaks exclusively in the name of all the men in the community.
He refers to “our” children and “our” wives as if the women themselves have no voice.
Why???
Unfortunately the Agudah that inspired a previous generation is gone. There hardly any pirchei groups, they have nothing to do with Jep and all the organization has become is a chance for over 60 years old with money to take photops with politicians. What a shame. Obviously a vibrant organization will not solve all the problems but certainly a strong movement where people can be involved regardless of their financial status might go a long way in preventing these problems in the future.