Posts from — October 2006

Stand with Jennifer Gratz!

Perhaps no domestic issue divides Social-Democrats from Liberals like the issue of affirmative action.

Yidden, do not believe the lies of the far-Left who try to usurp our glorious history! Social-Democrats and the Jewish Moderate Left have historically always detested racial or gender based preferences. Social-Democrats particularly have always detested such a lens for evaluating the qualifications of an individual by his/her race or gender.

The functional benefits of making racial and gender a qualification in the workplace are wildly exaggerated and unproven, even as the costs are hidden and hushed, lest you risk being declared a “racist.�

We have to stand up to the far-Left who claim it is “racist� to ignore the race or gender of an applicant. This is the opposite of truth. No one goes to the hospital to experience the healing powers of diversity. They go to receive medical care. If you are more concerned with a doctor’s gender or race than you are receiving the top notch medical care, you do not only need a medical hospital to have your body healed; you need a mental institution to have your head examined. If you only care about such things for others but not you and yours, who receive top medical care by top doctors not chosen in any way because of the “diversity� issue, well, you are very selfish in your willingness to let others pay the cost of your “idealism� for diversity.

The idea that so-called “progressive� Jews are behind affirmative action is a betrayal of grand, moderate-Left principals. We must not be afraid to be called names, be they “fascist,� “racist,� or “misogynist.�

Those of us from families who fought quotas against Jews and others decades ago were always called nasty names. We were willing to be called names for our stand against “preferences� then, so too we must be willing to be called names for our stand against preferences now.

It stunk then. It stinks now.

Let’s try fair. For once in this nation’s history. Not the pre-1965 policies of segregation; not the post-1965 policies of reverse discrimination.

Fair.

I like the old places; I like the old buildings. Don’t get me wrong, I would prefer an elevator, but living in a tenement generally suits me. I don’t like these high-rise apartments, with their windowless bathrooms. I don’t really care that we don’t have laundry room. I drop my laundry off, I pick it up the next day. True, this service is more expensive than what it would cost in a modern luxury building. But the amount of cash people pay for the amenities of a modern luxury building is absurd. By The Kvetcher’s calculations, they do not add up at all. Not to mention you must suffer the company of the type of people who prefer a post-war luxury high-rise building. I would pay not to live with them. Instead, I pay less not to live with them.

But I’m not kidding myself. I prefer tenement living as a single guy in the early 21st century, not as a family in the early 20th century. But right now I am having a taste of the latter experience. With no heat or hot water for two days. So I’m heating water from the stove, and washing the best I can. I can feel that I forgot to wash my feet.

And I’m not really digging the retro urban thing right now.

I would like to clarify that my issue is not with people who are pious or striving for that. I have, as my brother recently reminded me, Charedi cousins whom I adore. Chassidic, no less.

They are not BTs, but came over after the war, on my one side of the family who came last to the U.S, but decades even after my grandmother. Most of my ancestry, while religious, was devoid of Charedi or proto-Charedi influence. This was contrary to the massive lie told to me and all Jews who attend Ohr Somayach by rabbis that it (Charedism) is our legacy, but eventually, when I checked and deciphered a few remaining but important signs and signals from generations before, most had none — but 1/8th apparently did. My grandmother’s elder sister and two of her children were killed in Europe because her husband made a promise to his father on his deathbed not to go to “the treifa medina.”

Anyway — my cousins are really special, but their outlook is hardly unheard of. They don’t seek to make others live like they do. They certainly never sought for me to live like they do. They just wanted me to be Orthodox, and to be happy being so.

This is no small point, and their perspectives are shockingly different than those who condemn the non-Charedi world and non-Charedi Orthodox Judaisms, and who preach a profound contempt for Modern Orthodoxy.

Anyway, I relayed a story to my Chassidic cousin of how a Bostoner Chassidic couple trashed my brother to his face for going to college (and all those who go to college) instead of yeshiva. I was stunned when he proceeded to denounce Boston in its entirety as a “cult.”

My point is that there are many Charedim who not only don’t demand Charedism of others, but if they feel people they love are being attacked for not being more like them, which is to say, Charedi, some of them become genuinely angry, and even hurt, in empathy and solidarity, at those who drive others meshugeh and excoriate them over their needs and choices, such as a college education, even though they personally would never promote such a thing to their own children.

It is not my intention to deny that there are wonderful people in the Charedi world, or claim that they are all intolerant. Nor is it my claim that I haven’t personally benefited from knowing them in my own life. I most certainly have; tremendously, in fact, and hope to continue doing so. If any of you are reading my posts, please note that I am not attacking your way of life, nor am I attacking you. And for the record, I completely acknowledge that I have never witnessed the same level of kindness, warmth, and genuine search for spirituality and being a good Jew in Modern Orthodox circles.

I do hope you understand that I recognize that the issues and institutions I am criticizing have nothing to do with how you see family, how you see other Jews, and how you treat people generally. I realize that you would prefer that I leave what is in the past in the past, but I don’t feel I can do so. For although I make no claims that my motivations are solely l’shaim shemayim, I also have a legitimate concern that those types of institutions who wreak havoc on peoples lives continue to grow stronger, larger, and bolder, enabled by both the secular Jewish community and the Modern Orthodox community. I ask that you understand my issue is not the spread of Torah Judaism, but the spread of misery and poverty, which many in certain kiruv institutions seem to feel is an ideal byproduct.

I am not asking that you approve of my mission. I only ask that you understand I am not talking about you, or anyone like you.

This has nothing to do with Charedim like you.

I have been, and will continue to be, the target of accusations that I had a “bad experience� in charedi institutions, something I am certainly not seeking to deny. But what many have and will continue to suggest is that the content of my indoctrination experience was somehow unusual. It was not. The only question is whether my reaction is unusual.

The only unusual aspect of my experience itself was perhaps my tender age at joining. Many are a couple of years older. That is it.

Now whether or not people enjoy charedism long-term is a different question. I think many might not, and that even if they do, over time, they usually face many of the same problems I faced as a (barely) eighteen year old in Jerusalem, and later up north. Whether most stay happy and truly feel they are better off with their lifestyle choice is an important question. I recognize that it is a question.

But what is not a question is whether either Aish HaTorah or Ohr Somayach or any of these kiruv organizations that take direct orders from the B’nai Torah leader(s) is fundamentalist. They are.

This is not being “mean,� this is not being “bitter,� this is not being “hateful,� even if I myself am personally all three of these things. But if you think that the term “fundamentalist� is reserved for those who blow up buses or fly airplanes into very tall buildings (intentionally) you simply have no understanding of what the term fundamentalist implies.

Learn it. If you don’t like Samuel Heilman, read about it somewhere else.

But this isn’t really up for debate. And you have to stop pretending that it even matters whether “most� people in these institutions have a “positive� experience or not. To this point, on the issue of fundamentalism, it’s irrelevant.

Own it.

There is a joke circulating in the Orthodox Jewish community that G-d asked the Lakewood Yeshiva to accept the Torah. They asked, “What’s in it?� “Six days you shall work,� G-d answered. Lakewood declined.

What is true about Lakewood in the U.S. is true of the charedim even more in Israel, where poverty is experienced by a substantial percentage of charedim.

In order to justify the horrible modern practice in Israel of ultra-Orthodox leaders’ rejection of economic realities, a True Torah precedent must be fabricated.

In this week’s Torah portion “Torah Economics,� Big Aish Rabbi Noson Weisz explains,

Secular Western society is a world devoid of bracha consciousness. The secular worldview regarding the proper management of resources is economic. Economics is defined as the study of the distribution of scarce resources. Prosperity is always relative, and it is a consequence of successfully optimizing the distribution of these scarce resources.

We all know that nature has limits; the upper limits of natural capacity are determined by, (1) the basic resources available in various parts of the world, (2) the amount of knowledge concerning methods of exploitation of such resources, and (3) the effectiveness with which such knowledge is implemented. Limitless plenitude is impossible by definition under natural law. Mankind must learn to distribute the limited resources available among competing claimants without destroying itself in the process.

Economics does not recognize the power of bracha.

So? Why should they? They are economists, not theologians.

Every Jew is a blessing; he is a descendant of Abraham, who was promised by God that he would be a blessing. Whatever their level of observance, all Jews somehow know that they were born into a non-economic world of limitless blessing.

All ostensibly very lovely ideas, Rabbi Weisz. But what’s less lovely are the ramifications of this nonsense that Jews are not somehow not subject to economic laws. What is perhaps less lovely still is when charedim and BTs are encouraged to cast aside concerns over natural law in favor of faith. The result is, in fact, not always limitless blessing, but poverty.

And when that happens, do you think the wise men of Aish HaTorah are going to be surprised? Are they going to stay up nights pondering how could it be that Bts who defied economic laws are not enjoying “a non-economic world of limitless blessing� but shockingly, a lifestyle greatly reduced than the one we grew up in where economic laws were considered applicable?

Don’t bet on it!

What would be more reasonable is to demand generous behavior and Torah study within the parameters of economic laws.

But Big Aish is not reasonable. Charedism is frequently unreasonable.

And poverty is abundant in all communities that deny economic realities. Jewish or gentile. Secular or fundamentalist.

Hear Ye All Daughters of Abraham! Peaceful demonstrations are one vehicle for change, but even in such situations among those who have submitted, invitations to sin are rampant. And as you can see in this picture, even a spiritual daughter of the Mufti himself has reduced herself to an enticing whore offering sexual acts with her tongue and hands.

In case you weren’t sure, this is unacceptable.

As Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali explained,

If one puts uncovered meat out in the street, or on the footpath, or in the garden, or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, then the cats come and eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem! If it was covered the cat wouldn’t have. It would have circled around it and circled around it, then given up and gone.
If she was in her room, in her house, wearing her hijab, being chaste, the disasters wouldn’t have happened. The woman possesses the weapon of seduction and temptation..

May fundamentalists of all faiths learn from the Mufti’s wisdom, and cover their daughters properly as we must meat from cats.

Or we will bleach them!

Hat tip: Little Green Footballs

Is Learning Hebrew Not Frum Enough For the Orthodox Union?

NJOP is not a charedi program. Unlike Big Aish, the Orthodox Union’s partner, they want you to read Hebrew.

If you or someone you know wants to learn Hebrew, NJOP wants to help you.

NJOP explains, openly and candidly–without any misleading hysterical bullshit masquerading as universalism or scholarship–that they feel that knowing Hebrew will help you be a better Jew. NJOP notes that,

NJOP’s mega Hebrew literacy campaign to win back the hearts of North American Jews, will take place during the month of November 2006! RHA/C invites thousands of Jewish adults into synagogues and Jewish centers throughout the United States and Canada to foster Jewish identity and create awareness about the importance of Hebrew literacy. NJOP expects to sponsor 1,000 classes with 12,000 participants! It’s an audacious goal - but attainable.

Below is the documentary of the game between the nationalistic Heebsters versus the universalistic Onions. It was a friendly game. One satirical periodical against another. And we did win one out of three. So the Zionists should shut up with any shtetl comments. It was just a game. A friendly game.

But alas, as Eric Alterman might note, “Nothing is simple when it comes to the Jews.�

First of all, as you can see in the documentary, like my fellow teammates, I played aggressively. And yes, The Onion is a general magazine, and attracts a general readership, suggesting an acceptance of Heeb, a Jewish magazine, in the publishing world. But I reject all suggestions that our participation in dodgeball was somehow an expression of “whiteness.â€? And while I would not claim the experience was an extension of “historical oppression,â€? well, it was not exactly a proof of Jewish inclusion of “white privilegeâ€? either. And no, the fact that I “played aggressively,” has nothing to do with this point. I am just bragging.

The otherwise friendly tournament was marred by an unfortunate incident. Seth was distracted by an unclaimed penny on the court. I don’t want to point fingers or accuse. But the fact is, because of rotation, this loose penny was noticed after The Onion had been on the pennied side of the court; it was not noticed the first time we were there. But The Onion denied any intentional placement of the penny, and I suppose all suspicions of insensitivity and shrewdly calculated manipulation of Jewish propensity towards wealth building are speculative, and best not mentioned. Still, it was an unfortunate incident. If Jewish teams are to maximize their dodgeball experience, referees must inspect the court prior to each and every game, in order to avoid Jewish distraction from loose change which inevitably occurs from all the running and jumping.

So here it is. Again, we won one out of three. If there had been bookies for this match, this would have been considered a win in terms of betting.

For those of you looking to help spread charedism and work for a fast-growth organization with no sign of slowing down, a great opportunity is open, if you’re “ready to rock.”

As listed on Luach.com:

Seeking: Director of Recruitment for Aish Hatorah Passaics Baal Teshuva Yeshiva, Passaic, NJ.

Job Responsibilities: Recruit new students, relocation to Passaic required, travel.

Qualifications: Must be able to make charedism sound sensitive and individualistic. Must be capable and creative at crossword puzzles. Must be self-starter willing to execute co-branded marketing opportunities with Modern Orthodox institutions and organizations but trash them convincingly to potential recruits when out of earshot. Must be college educated but committed to encouraging recruits to delay secular studies indefinitely. Must enjoy “numbers games.” Must be able to speak to the Rosh Yeshiva in third person and pretend such pretense sounds reasonable in English.

About Us: Aish is one of the fastest growing fundamentalist movements in the Jewish world, with brand recognition both domestically and internationally.

Aish HaTorah is an Equal Opportunity Employer

There are those in the so-called Orthodox community who unfortunately think that the holy stories in our Talmud need not be taken literally. Who are uncomfortable with the holy traditions of our forefathers.

Fortunately, Rabbi Weinberg, the Rosh Yeshiva of Aish HaTorah (the Orthodox Union’s partner) is not one to let apologetics stand in the way of a literal understanding of medrashim.

According to the Talmud, before we were born, when we were safely ensconced in the comfort of the womb, we all had access to the ultimate search engine. God dispatches a personal angel to each and every utero, and this angel sits beside each and every one of us, and actually teaches us all the wisdom we will ever need to know on this planet. Everything. And then…just before we are born…the angel gives a little “tap� between the nose and upper lip and everything he taught is immediately forgotten. This is how all human beings receive this small indentation in the skin beneath the nose, anatomically known as the “philtrum.�

But does Rabbi Weinberg really advocate taking this story literally? I mean, he wouldn’t get all heavy handed in order to push this one through, would he? He wouldn’t resort to the ole “If you believe in God, then there is no problem believing in anything that counters basic science,� like say, the fact that the “philtrum� does not suddenly appear three seconds prior to birth. Not the Orthodox Union’s partner in kiruv chief!

“Proving the existence of angels is not an easy chore, nor is it the purpose of this book. However, if we believe in God (and four out of five people say they believe in some kind of deity), trusting that He would have some kind of deity), trusting that He would have some kind of ministering work-corps is certainly not very far removed.�

Charedism believes the Talmud to be both literal and infallible. It may not always be proven logically, but it is a very logical extension. No holes here, rabosai!

This is who the Orthodox Union is partnering with. Fundamentalists who insist that it is completely reasonable to believe that humans have a “philtrum� because of an angel’s “tap,� which all humans receive “just before we are born.�