White Plains, NY – A Westchester yeshiva has chosen to stand behind a sixth grader whose nationally televised off color comedy routine won high marks from judges and the studio audience but mixed reviews from the general public.
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12 year old Josh Orlian performed on America’s Got Talent on June 17th, telling a series of off color jokes that seemed incongruous with his youthful looks and the navy blue yarmulka perched on his red hair. This was the first public performance for the White Plains resident, whose parents, Joseph and Tina, could be seen cheering their son on during his minute and a half long performance.
While Orlian may have received a standing ovation from the studio audience, the response from his school was considerably less enthusiastic.
In email that was sent out by Rabbi Joshua Lookstein, head of school at Westchester Day School, advised parents that Orlian’s performance was contradictory to the school’s Modern Orthodox values and that both Orlian and his parents had agreed to refrain from similar performances in the future.
The email also advised parents that another one of Orlian’s performances had already been taped and would be airing in the future, with viewer discretion strongly advised.
While the school distanced itself from Orlian’s jokes, the email made it clear that they fully support him and his family. The email on to praise the middle schooler, calling him an “otherwise exemplary child who has made his school and his teachers proud many times over.” The email also lauded Orlian’s parents, who were honored by Westchester Hebrew High School as parents of the year this past year, as “parents who have been leaders in their community.”
Rabbi Lookstein’s statement went on to remind parents that mistakes, when made, should be viewed as educational opportunities.
“All of us – children and adults – will stumble from time to time and hopefully grow from the experience. We’re a school. We learn from everything.”
If they taught that znus and nivul peh are just as ossur as chillul shabbos and treif, thei would never have happened. There are certain mitzvos that are underemphasized, either because of societal pressures, or because “who wants to talk about that.”
A funny boy, may he be matzliach in his future career.
If you watch it you’ll see it’s really not appropriate for a 12 year old kid.
“The email also advised parents that another one of Orlian’s performances had already been taped and would be airing in the future, with viewer discretion strongly advised.”
Rachmana Litzlan!
Tuf one for Rabbi Lookstein, I think he handled the situation very well
while i think the jokes were inappropriate. however i do understand its a contest and you need to surprise the judges and the crowd which he did well..kudos for the school for being professional and pleasant i wish the schools my kids goto would adopt such pleasantness. somehow my children’s school feel they are hashems policeforce
What a Chillul Hashem, seeing a 12 year old boy saying such dirty jokes about his parents on TV, and his parents are proud of him. What happened to educating Jewish values?
An absolute disgrace. I burst out in tears seeing a ‘religious’ 12 year old (with a Yarmulke) say such disgusting things in front of millions of people. What a huge Chillul Hashem.
And this makes his parents proud, how sad
Nothing to laugh about.
Even though I grew up MO this still shocks me. I can not understand how any parent would let their 12yr old talk like this. The goyim in my office were shocked by this.
And why oh why do people not take off their yarmulkas when they are involved in a chillul hashem.
If you are getting up on tv making dirty jokes, take off your yarmulka!
If you are getting arrested by the feds take off your yarmulka!
Is that so hard?!
one question: if he would’ve said regular clean jokes would he have advanced?
So we now know that his parents have loads of money.
Thanks to an amazing principal this child will grow up to iyh to be a fine young boy! Kudos to the principal who cares about the talmid and does not care what the oylom will say!
The worse part is that the father stands there with no bushel no embarrassment whatsoever
Shame on these people
To unclean jokes, especially for a minor. I wouldn’t put him thorugh
Even though I grew up MO this still shocks me. I can not understand how any parent would let their 12yr old talk like this. The goyim in my office were shocked by this.
And why oh why do people not take off their yarmulkas when they are involved in a chillul hashem.
If you are getting up on tv making dirty jokes, take off your yarmulka!
If you are getting arrested by the feds take off your yarmulka!
Is that so hard?!
As I was streaming the TV last night (yes I do have one). I came across this show that I’ve seen maybe once or twice before. Since there was nothing else on the few channels that I get, I ended up watching about 20 minutes intrigued more by the fact that the previews were showing a kid wearing a yarmulke. I must say, when I heard him I was absolutely flabbergasted, disgusted and sickened by the content of his monologue. With his father in a yarmulke on the side cheering him on and his mother in the audience cheering him on–what were they thinking? Or perhaps they weren’t. Were they so eager to let their son have his 15 minutes of fame like this?I’d much rather be proud of my son who finished complete Mishnayos for his bar mitzvah and made a siyyum then. What will this 12 year old do for his bar mitzvah–a stand up off color comedy routine? Who teaches 12 year yeshiva boys such “feces.” Shame on the parents more than shame on him because they encouraged it. Pheh!!!!
THis is not becoming to a YID. Why do we want to become low lives. I for one am sick of the smutz in advertising. What happen to people like Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Don Rickles, Alan King who could make you split your side laughing with out smutz. We want the smutz because we have become anesthetize to it. I for one have not I look to people like Rav Avigdor Miller ztzl as my guide
The article includes a phrase that I don’t recall ever seeing before.
“Modern Orthodox values”
Now, should it properly be described as incongruity, oxymoron or inconceivability?
The shame is here in the comments section.
His jokes were disgusting, abominable, and inappropriate for a youngster or for anyone. To recite them in public in front of millions of people is shameful. To do so wearing a yarmulke is reprehensible. What in the world possessed him to wear a kippa during that routine? Even if he wins, we lose. .
We’re in olam hazeh for a reason. We’re in galus — this galus — for a reason. In that context, the kid’s performance was an utter chillul haShem b’farhesya, bifnei hagoyim. Now we need to make it unambiguously clear to the umos ha’olam that this is *not* what we’re about.
Rabbi Lookstein clearly has his hands full. He is trying not to hurt a child who, although did something terrible, did it because HIS PARENTS didnt teach him propriety. So R’ Lookstein is clearly trying not to hurt the kid but teach him. And he hardly called the parents’ conduct exemplary….they are not and it is difficult to give them a “pass”. Their conduct showed who they truly are. This is not just bad judgment its completely indicative of who these people are. Horrible. Lets just hope that they will change. And not just because they got caught but because they are clearly lacking in values. And how about the idiot other parent from WDS who told the mom on her page that her kid was great. What an idiot. Sending out a letter to an entire parent body about this is clearly a big deal so Lookstein is hardly giving a pass..
Rabbi Lookstein is a real mechanech! An educator with a heart. If you haven’t read his letter, it’s worth googling. He perfectly illustrates how to embrace a child who’s made a mistake, yet still get the point across.
This child will NOT hate yiddishkeit, will NOT leave yiddishkeit, in my opinion. He will remember that Rabbi Lookstein, when he could have chosen humiliation and shame, chose encouragement, support, and love.
Too bad most right wing educators/principals don’t get it. Here’s how a principal at a “frummer” boys’ yeshiva would have written a letter to the parent body:
“We’ve already kicked Shia out of yeshiva and had him committed to a mental institution. Fortunately, aside from Shia, none of the other bochurim know what a television is, so the kedusha of our yeshiva hasn’t been compromised one iota. Rest assured that we’ve already cashed his parents’ checks.
Sincerely,
the Hanhola”
And unfortunately, this type of attitude is enabled by ignorant and idiotic board members at most yeshivas. Money does not equal brains.
This modern American “Yiddishkeit”. You wear a big woolen tallis katan and molest children. You are a patriot but curse the tzionym. All one dish including dirty jokes and a yarmulke.,made in USA and of course dislike all dark hued people including Yiidden
These are just terrible, terrible parents. I would say this no matter what ethnicity the family was, al achas kama v’kama for a Jewish boy. I know many goyish families that are much finer than this.
Have you seen his act? It’s not just “dirty” jokes – it’s vulgar jokes about his parents’ sex life. It’s one thing when young boys whisper these things to each other; it’s very common and, if they are brought up with good values, it passes and they grow out of it.
But for his parents to encourage him to go on television with this? It’s awful. This kid will forever be known as that kid who told dirty jokes about his parents on television. He’s too young to know just how much tov shem mi shemen tov, but his parents should know better.
I for one am enjoying an evil moment where Modern Orthodoxy is coming out and showing their true colors. Let’s not forget that Conservative Judaism came about to fight the terrible Liberal Judaism, and likewise decades later Modern Orthodox Judaism came about to fight the terrible Conservative Judaism… We all know where MO is headed! Get ready for the new quasi-frum movement that is not AS low as MO has become.
Here is a dose of reality: you’re either a FRUM Orthodox Jew who doesn’t pick and choose what you accept and what not, or you’re doomed. All these ‘isms’ last for a generation and then they go to hell. Way to go MO! Show the world what you’re made of.
Geez…..lighten up…..his routine was certainly “inappropriate” by most standards and I wouldn’t want to trade places with his father but this stuff Is really nothing compared to some of the really serious issues parents have to deal with. Compared with the dreche we see demonstrating in the streets of Yerushalayim almost every week dressed in yeshivish lvush and throwing rocks and garbage at the police and being abusive to women on the streets or on the bus, this bochur is a real shining light. May he “clean up his act” and have much hatzlacha at whatever he does.
The jokes were terrible and the delivery was even worse. The only reason this kid made it to the next round is so that the 2 self hating jews Stern and Mandel can witness one of the years ultimate chillul hashem. If the kid did not wear a yarmulka he would not have even finished his first round because he was so bad.It was the shock effect of a twelve year old so called frum kid telling disgusting jokes about his parents. His parents should be embarrassed instead of cackling like a bunch of hyenas. Throw them both out of shule for such stupidity a failure for producing one of no matter how much money they have. Lookstein is a failure for producing one of many such ingrates.
By Rabbi Lookstein’s reply it seems that the school has received a lot of money from the family. It is amazing what Shochad will do to Rabbi’s. Perhaps Rabbi Lookstein’s name should be changed to Rabbi Crookstein?
so we have sidetracked from the young boy and his jokes to berating different levels of Judaism…how sad
People seem to forget that chillul Hashem is primarily about what other Jews observe. So this story truly serves to increase it. Comments under many articles keep inferring that it’s worse if it’s in front of a goy. Not true- it’s actually worse if a Jew sees it. (Admittedly, the observers are both here. But just pointing out a reality….)
First to all of you holier than thou’s:
You forgot to read Avos: DO NOT BE A JUDGE
and then again- WhaT WERE YOU DOING WATCHING Howard Stern
who makes what he said or his jokes seem very tame.
Did you ever think that by showing America- Yes that is where we live, and where you get your Food Stamps, Section 8, WIC, Medicaid ( wink wink we are not legally married ) just have 5 kids together , Title IX funds, 501c3 ( half of them are frauds ) maybe more, That a JEWISH 12 year old can act and look as silly as a non-jewish one.
The Borscht Belt comedians, many of whom laid the groundwork for American Stand Up comedy, was packed with Jewish men and women. ( OH my goodness did I say Kol Isha ) Their observance level is only between them and the Bashefer, and who are you to judge the frailties of the soul that the RS”O gaves us all. SO hooray for you , you are strong, but instead of giving him the kudos and showing him the path or your perception of what the path is, you critisize.- Ask youself, AM I A HYPOCRITE??
I went to watch this video. This is truly appalling. First of all, this child is not a comedian-his performance was ridiculous. He was like a little kid telling jokes that were not even funny. The only reason people liked it is because they were mocking him-his youth, his kippah and the fact that his ridiculous and stupid parents allowed this to happen. If these parents were not wealthy, it’s possible that social service agencies would be involved to make sure he’s not being abused because of the things he knows about.
Rabbi Lookstein? I don’t know enough about it, but my gut reaction is that it’s the money that’s turning his head. I don’t believe, like one poster put on this board, that he’s doing it to make sure this kid stays frum. I think it’s the money first, then the possibility that Rabbi Lookstein sees this for the tragedy that it is but is trying to smooth it over.
No matter what, this should make the parents heads hang in shame. I would hate to have them in my family. I hope they are shunned.
How could you allow your child to speak like this in PRIVATE let alone in front of perhaps millions. I blame the parents totally. Their value system is completely skewed, and their parenting skills are non-existent. This is a true Chillul Hashem. Sad.
im all for taking initiative but that was a soulless mind numbing performance … if it were funny and displayed a shred of authenticity and genuine personality i might say go for it…not to mention the fact that this just illustrates the wholesale degradation of our youth (no character and brains stuck in their netherregions) even from a secular standpoint