New York – Michael Steinhardt, one of world Jewry’s most philanthropic benefactors and a co-founder of Birthright Israel, delivered a scathing criticism last week of all that he sees wrong with the Jewish world today and singled out non-Orthodox life.
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In a television interview last week Thursday with Mark S. Golub of Shalom TV, Steinhardt expressed his deep disappointment with the traditional Hebrew school system and characterized many of the young people he has met through Birthright Israel as “Jewish barbarians” who have never in their lives even experienced a Sabbath dinner.
Steinhardt, who identifies himself as anything but an Orthodox Jew, had especially harsh criticism for non-Orthodox Jewish life in the Diaspora. He expresses his disappointment and anger with those often described as “wonderful educators” in the Reform and Conservative movements for having done “such a poor job under-educating our next generations” and by failing to distinguish Jewish values from Christian ones.
Watch below the 1 hour interview by Shalom TV
From Steinhardt’s perspective, it has become virtually impossible to identify a non-Orthodox Jewish student at any secular university from a non-Jewish student. “I think that many of the trends that we have seen – such as the fact that 55-60 percent of non-Orthodox Jews are marrying out, such as the fact that only 15 percent of total philanthropy of Jews goes to Jewish causes – are reflective of that fact that non-Orthodox Jewish education in America has been, and continues to be, a shandah – an abysmal failure.”
Steinhardt also blasted the Jewish leadership in America, saying that there has been much too much emphasis on the Holocaust – “an event of extraordinary enormity” – and misplaced fears about anti-Semitism in America. “Anti-Semitism has always been far more mythical than real in America; it’s as if organizations have to create the bogeyman of anti-Semitism in order to raise money.”
Steinhardt further argued that as long as the Jewish community is obsessed with the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, these concerns detract “from our ability to think about the Jewish future – because it’s hard to be focused intensively on the Holocaust and, at the same time, to think about what we want to accomplish and what we want to be in the 21st Century.”
Steinhardt offered a foreboding assessment for the future of Diaspora Jewry. “It is a moribund Jewish world, continuously losing its young people, whose tzedaka has dramatically changed where only a small fraction of total philanthropy is going to Jewish causes; interest in Israel is declining; the number of American Jews going to Israel is not growing; where the culmination of Jewish life seems to be (for the young person) the bar mitzvah – and from there it is all downhill.”
While Steinhardt maintains that the most effective tool in instilling a sense of Jewish identity in young people is for them to visit the Land of Israel, he does not hold back from criticizing Israeli politicians and post-Zionist aspects of modern Israeli culture. “Its [Israel’s] politicians are, writ large, awful; its businessmen are of less than glorious quality; and when you walk down Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv and you look around at these people and you say, ‘This is who you admire?’ I often say it’s easier to be a Zionist in Manhattan than it is in Tel Aviv.”
But despite the challenges that exist in the modern Jewish state, Steinhardt admits that Israel has always been his great love and even his “substitute for religion.”
“While the religion of Judaism is so deeply disappointing – its practice, its verbiage, its inability to reflect realistically upon our lives; I could forgive almost anything vis-à-vis Israel. Israel was and still is my Jewish miracle!”
Overall, Steinhardt expressed joy and appreciation for being able to contribute to and participate in Jewish life to the extent that he has. “I really have been fortunate having the freedom to make my own choices, to have contributed as I have contributed, to have expressed myself with the freedom to be as nasty as I am to the ‘Jewish establishment’ – deservedly so! And it’s been a wonderful experience.”
How come we never heard about Michael Steinhardt?
He is smart, articulate & wealthy.
Every word he said is a gem!
Does he not want to occupy a position with more responsibilities?
Mr. Steinhardt, you may try all you want unless there is Torah and “Orthodox” Jewish religion everything will fail.
Steinhardt doesn’t look particularly Jewish himself; maybe only his mother’s mother was a Jew, or if he’s Reform, maybe only his father’s father.
you got to give him credit……….he tells it like it is, like it or not
Steinhardt is a breath of fresh air. There is nobody in the orthodox world that compares with him. Nobody who is willing to be creative and provide both the time and money to see things through.
He’s talking like a neture karta!! :}
He criticizes Reform and Conservative as being empty of value and hits the nail on the head, leaving us with Orthodoxy as the only viable alternative.
He then doesn’t consider Orthodoxy to be relevant so he rejects that too. This leaves us with almost nothing.
Negative criticism is ok if you can come up with something that works, but he comes up with no alternative.
Not very useful.
kol hakoveod, i couldn’t have said it any better. i cant wait for the attacks to begin.
I have to wonder, with his comments being all over the map, what kind of s’char HKBH is giving him for people who go on BirthRight & become Shomray Torah U’Mitzvos because of it.
“In [Steinhardt’s] autobiography, he identifies himself as an atheist who nonetheless strongly supports cultural Jewish identity.”
Just thought I should throw that out there effore anyone nominates this guy as the next President of Agudas Yisroel of America…
nebech nebech if he would give his money to orthodox jewery he would have made a better investment two folds. #1 its lasting and does not vanish> #2 the orthodox community especilly lubavitch is more succesfull in instilling jewish basics in non orthodox jews than they do trying to educate them.
Really? You’ve never heard of Michael Steinhardt? How is that possible? He is one of the main benefactors of Birthright Israel, JEC and a number of other organizations. He, IMHO, has made more of an impact on the Jewish kiruv movement over the last 50 years than any other leader aside from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and maybe Rabbi Noach Weinberg of Aish Hatorah.
Perhaps you should read up on great Jewish leaders outside the Orthodox circle.
I’m debating whether to see this in a positive light or a negative light…
Case for positive:
It seems that Mr. Steinhardt – himself not an orthodox jew – is acknowledging (perhaps subconsciously) the fact that non-orthodox jewry is just a play on words, and has no substantive basis. His words prove that conservative/reform ways are a medium for distancing one’s self from all things Judaism. Even if this was not his intention, perhaps it will serve as sort of a wake-up call for the non-orthodox to get in touch with their religion’s roots.
Case for negative:
Unfortunately, Mr. Steinhardt seems to imply that the conservative/reform should be doing a better job of maintaining the balance of “Jewish, but secular”. He obviously does not emrace orthodox beliefs. This is seemingly blatant hypocrisy, since Judaism is nothing but a means of getting closer to G-d – and should not be regarded as merely a celebratory religion which has “fun” holidays and a rich history.
It’s good that a person like him chastises the Jewish establishment and the Reform and Conservative movements, but I disagree with him on his assessment of an obsession of the Holocaust. This argument we usually hear from anti-Semites, which he thinks is mythical and doesn’t exist in America. No, anti-Semitism while it’s the lowest in America is still very much alive in every aspect of our lives, from our neighbors to every echelon of government. Needless to say that there are many, kindhearted non Jews who don’t hate us and some even love us. I have met both all my life.
Thanks for posting his picture not to mistaken him with some orthodox rabbi lecturing. The same torah and chazal that gave us happy days to remember as a Yom Tov which gives us strenght to belive in hashem and in all his commands that he gave us to follow his deeds he bestowed on us and to pass it on to generations to come, the very same time Hashem thru the torah and the Chazal thereafter gave us the days that were sad and to remember and know who our enemies were. Starting with Amalek the torah tells us “don’t forget”. Remmember him for shame. All fasting days with Tisha B’AV to remember our suffering and who did it to us. So remembering the Holocust does not distract how to keep Judaisim and the torah values. It is only because Non Orthodox Jews always goaled to uproot the laws of the torah whereever possible. that is what led them to the point of 50 percent intermarriage. Eat the seed that you planted. Until their philosophy won’t change it will only get worse.
More important, is that he failed to figure out why Conservative and Reform Judaism is bankrupt. Without a clear belief system and the practice of it, how in the world can it continue forever? What have they been taught to distinguish Jewish values from Christian ones? Reform set out to imitate the church and drop Jewish values, not to be distinguished from it. Even Orthodoxy loses plenty of its sons and daughters for various reasons, so how can Conservative and Reform Judaism be expected to hold on to its sons?
Nevertheless let’s thank him for at least trying to think straight. One thing he failed to say which I will say is that even Orthodoxy is not short on “Jewish barbarians”. It still rings in my ear all those comments on that Pakistan man executed cold bloodedly by China and the comments made about it; or the barbarian attitude to our three brothers in Japan. Misguided or barbarian, take your pick.
Mr. Steinhardt is just another very smart American non-Orthodox Jew who recognizes that the Reform and Conservative movements have failed. Prof. Dershowitz also lamented on this in his book on the Vanishing American Jew. Basically they look back and see that everything liberal that they believed in and stood for their whole lives is meaningless. They just can’t bring out the words to scream at American Jewry, GO BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG!! Without Torah and Torah true yiddishkeit and education there cannot be a Jewish nation. That part of the Jewish nation that doesn’t follow Torah is disappearing. The part of the Jewish nation that does follow Torah is burgeoning and blooming. Small towns all over America are becoming centers of yiddishkeit with excellent yeshivos and Bais yakov schools.
Mr. Steinhardt,
If you are reading this post, I absolutely encourage you to purchase and read the book that saved Western European Orthodoxy from Reform destruction. You will learn so much to be proud about Judaism and will love it. It is “The Nineteen Letters” by Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch. If I knew your address I would send you my own cherished copy and mail it to you. You have no idea how important this book is. I read a lot of books and this is far and away the one which impacted my life. Then read the famous introduction in Rabbi Hirsch’s second book “Horeb” written by Rabbi Isadore Grunfeld, equally the most important discussion of the meaning of Judaism I have ever read. These two books will change your life.
Best wishes,
Eliahu Tzvi Levi
HE HAS IT HALF RIGHT; they have the wrong solution – but so does he!
My nephew is studying to be a Conservative rabbi and he and his friends and his colleagues are filled to the brimming point with all kinds of wonderful Jewish values and commitment. I don’t get exactly what this guy likes. Orthodox is too wordy and when he is Israel he isn’t all that happy there either. In any event the Conservative-Masorati movement may not be your taste but supports Israel too..
Michael Steinhardt is a very nice man. He’s a very honest Hedge Fund manager and has been so for many, many years. He is a very smart man and does give a lot of tzedakah
Now I understand why he is so sicsessfull making money in a stock market.
He is very very flexible and keeps changing his opinion. he just goes with a flow and makes money.
Thje trend is your friend.
Steinhardt has been an active philanthropist, donating over $125 million to Jewish causes. He and Charles Bronfman founded Taglit-Birthright Israel, which has to date sent over 220,000 young Jews aged 18-26 on a 10-day trip to Israel, absolutely free. In his autobiography, he identifies himself as an atheist who nonetheless strongly supports cultural Jewish identity.
He’s agnostic, know the difference. And to be honest, he seems to be be ever so slowly moving to the right. His grandchildren attend Ramaz – Modern Orthodox Yeshiva Day Schools. His partner in tzeddakka is YESHIVAISH and has has a big impact on him. He rails against the Reform and Conservative movements because it’s clear they have no future. He’s acknowledged that only the Orthodox can retain Jewish people and to that end has been (quietly) funding more and more Orthodox means (to the disdain of many of his secular colleagues)
There are 2 parts to this problem.
1. Sampling problem—–Steinhardt runs Birthright for people who have never been to Israel before on an organized program. Thus, he is encountering Jews who are not that committed. I know of many young Conservative Jews who are shomer shabbat, shomer kashrut, and who speak Hebrew better than Yeshiva students.
2. In many communities, the Federations send out a huge % of their funds to Israel, while cutting educational programs in the U.S. You HAVE to spend more $ in the States to generate more committed Jews.
The interviewer talks to much! Let your guest talk!
He says it all in the second to last paragraph. If he finds Judaism so disappointing, why is he so surprised that the younger generation is abandoning it?
Mr. Steinhardt may be an atheist, but he has given large sums to Orthodox causes.
michael stainhardt daughter is a bah alas tshuvah and very frum ,so is grandchildren go to chader in the upper west side and this smart guy start to see the diffrent, thats all,
He is a big supporter of Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE) a kiruv organization that has made many shidduchim among unaffiliated Jews. His goal is Jewish continuity and shidduchim is very important to him.
Before we pat ourselves on our collective backs, let us ponder why so many millions left Orthodoxy in the first place and why we are still a small minority even within Judaism? Perhaps the manner in which we practice and behave leave something to be desired too.
Joseph Telushkin used to say, why is it that when two Jews get together the only things they can talk about are the Holocaust and anti-Semitism? Because they don’t actually know anything about Judaism. Nowadays, they don’t even know or care about those two, all they’re interested in is goyishe values.
Part of the problem is that we accepted this for too long. After the Holocaust we accepted that many yidden would turn away from Torah. We understood why. However, while we watched them go off the derech, we never thought to “run after them”. We never made sure to follow up with them. We never tried to be mekarev their children… at least not until the 70’s. We are somewhat to blame and we have to stop pointing the finger everywhere else. We allowed them to get lost, and we have a responsibility to bring them back. The sad thing is that most of us can’t be bothered.
with out jewish education and culture their is nothing