An Open Letter to Jason Ciment
Dear Jason,
I think it is possible we met before, perhaps at a shabbat lunch in DC many years ago. But even if not, I have met others in your family, and have always found the Ciments not only to be friendly and generous, but also moderate and reasonable people.
So it is with great disappointment to me (and I know for a fact, to others) that you are accepting an award for your work in NCSY/JSU (the Jewish Student Union) at the OU anniversary dinner.
The deceptive way NCSY is recruiting teenagers from our public schools is highly problematic. If the kiruv movement must act deceptively and employ bait and switch tactics, how real and genuine can any of this really be? Beyond issues of truth versus so-called “pakuach nefesh,� there is a real problem of NCSY/JSU recruitment of public school teenagers into haredi institutions and dumpy third tier Touro. The fact that many in NCSY do not seem to understand why the haredi institutions they recruit for are a problem is particularly disconcerting, as the problems are not hard to find, and suggest NCSY brass are uninterested in finding them, or seeing them even when they are blatant and scream, “Stop me before I destroy someone’s future again!�
I realize that it is late at this point, but I would assume that since this is an Orthodox Union awards ceremony, there is no actual cash giveaway for this award, and you could really make a strong statement by rescinding your acceptance.
In the off chance you still want to accept the award for your work in NCSY’s JSU, perhaps in your speech you could break from the expected expatiation on why the Orthodox Union is so wonderful because everyone is so dedicated to making other Jews more like them, something about the Holocaust, the “spiritual holocaust,” something about the State of Israel and growing “anti-Zionismâ€? among 10th graders, now more than ever, we’re so wonderful, blah, blah, blah.
Maybe instead you could say something about needing to respect the values of the families you are deceptively targeting even while respectfully disagreeing about ritual. Perhaps something about making sure Jews are not steered onto trajectories that in the long-term they will be unhappy with, and their families disappointed. Maybe make a statement about not holding hands with those who seek downward mobility for these teens, or discourage full-time college of any sort. Or those who report to those who are radical and inappropriate for even FFB Jews, never mind public school kids.
Jason, if you want to make a difference, which you clearly do, you have to start in your own organization. Some of things NCSY and the JSU are doing are not appropriate, are not okay. To sign your name and reputation to such behaviors is disturbing, particularly as NCSY is using you to attach a more moderate face to its organization than is really the case.
11 comments
It’s nice that we met and perhaps you might tell me who you are. Also, you make a lot of bold statements and I’ve not seen ANYTHING like what you describe. I am also curious if you are saying that JSU is by design doing what you say it is doing or is it by exception. it appears from your posting to me that your accusations suggest this is a policy of JSU (Whether public or private) and yet I don’t see any evidence on your site that shows this to be norm rather than the exception - if it even happens at all. You can reach me offline and be bold enough there to remove the veil of secrecy which pervades your writings. I am excited that you have such warm memories of the Ciments and hope that I can maintain them. This posting was certainly a surprise to me. Someone emailed me this item. It would be nice next time you take someone’s picture and post a message to them that you also take the time to let them know you are doing it. It is kind of courteous. I would do the same.
Shabbat Shalom
Jason,
Thanks for writing in. I took the picture down, as you are uncomfortable with that, and you can see my name at the bottom of this website. I am open about who I am. No veil of secrecy over here!
That NCSY has (mis)used their clubs to recruit public school students into haredism instead of college is incontrovertible, as can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/38v2m2
That’s the OU’s own Jewish Action, Fall 2005
So we know it does happen. How much? NCSY isn’t saying. But they are open about their recruiting relationship with Aish/OS/Neve if you go deep into their website. Like say, here: http://www.ou.org/ncsy/project.....chools.htm (note that “Derech” is Ohr Somayach, a hardline haredi institution). And they are open about their partnership with Touro as well, proudly boasting that Machon Maayan was created “in partnership” with Touro.
I can get you a supporting link, in fact, here it is: http://www.ou.org/ncsy/events/.....maayan.htm
but frankly, I am disappointed you are first hearing about this from me. I think you should have been much more concerned about where NCSY is directing these kids once your division gets them into NCSY after school programming.
i love your definition of “haredi” is that anyone who believes in following the torah?
Fran,
I would call someone haredi who believes in “daas Torah.”
Fran, I think he means that there were certain norms in place in the Orthodox world up until the 1960-70s around the time the Kiruv orgs got started.
So that for example in Orthodox congregations, you had many members, who were not as stringent in their observances, but felt comfortable enough to affiliate and be members of an Orth. shule. This hardly exists anymore.
Other stringencies have been imposed on all, such as Women covering their hair after marriage, having a Mechitza at a wedding for the celebration part, pushing many young men to spend years in Kollel, dress of men to be more in suits on all season, even young children, in short, to promote a certain vision of how one should look and feel that is not in these persons tradition at all, and for the most part are made up shtick and mishegaas.
I agree with DK, that NCSY should not be recruiting for the Kiruv orgs. They are a total and complete abomination. You should not allow them into your Synagouges with their recruitment movies, designed to have you volunteer to bring them more members, while they are holding 8 highly paid people in their hq. In my opinion, if they still are able to set up shop in your shules, selling tickets to their movies, it is OK to steal these funds and re-distribute to poor families or to a tuition scholarship fund. Not only OK but praiseworthy. This mho, not DK’s.
These we object to, not learning Torah,or keeping Mitzvos, Chas Veshalom.
at Guidestar.org you can look at for example one of them, Big Aish, their IRS forms up to 2005.
It lists there over 8 men who earn bet. 100-257K. add now about 10% to that for raises.
This is of course not their entire payroll burden by any stretch of the imagination. (soti).
TO access this IRS info, you have to join (for free). it is simple to do so and I urge you to.
This is what you are donating for, when you donate to them. For the mogul status positions that they dole out to themselves and other kiruvaholics. they hire them out of NCSY now, if you google, Rabbi Matt Tropp, he is now of them. I don’t have salary info as it is a 2007 hire.
So they are now recruiting modern Orthodox and Yeshivish, to work as volunteers to support the massive players org that they have spammed.
They are also using NCSY which stands firmly in the Modern Orthodox world to channel some of it;s kids for whatever reason.
I am not sure if they are targeting anyone specific, or just in general, all, the default position.
Stanley,
I have found yet more info that will help explain Big Aish’s all too close recruiting relationship with NCSY.
Stay tuned!
My name is David and i love people who dont follow the torah and cock
The speech was videotaped in advance so Jason couldnt change anything about it by the time he rea your post. In fact, it was edited too…
He didn’t even make it onto the stage to accept his award– go figure.. they had then all standing off to the left side to take pictures. Awardeed didnt even go on stage to accept their awards. The MC didnt even stop his speech while guests were given the awards!
In the meantime, don’t forget to enjoy free learning all night at Big Aish on the upper west side.
They will have for your enjoyment Starbucks coffee no less, and Red Bull no less, and cheesecakes all night long.
Say hello to Big Yitz and all his moguls over there tonight.
Maybe I will chow down some myself.
You know DK I was pretty surprised about something.
I ran out of reading material the other night so was glancing at the Jewish newspapers from a few weeks ago.
At the Israel day parade advertisment I was looking at the list of sponsors. It takes up almost a full page. All sorts of companies and community leaders and activists.
Not a peep from any of the Kiruv enterprises.
What, I thought, 12 million plus in what they call ‘working capital’ and can’t portion off a bit for the parade, the most exciting and at the same time unifying event in the Diaspora?
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