Category — BeyondBT

David Klinghoffer penned a bitter rebuke to the haredim in the Forward. Beyond BT republished it.

Klinghoffer notes,

For all its outward vigor, the Orthodox community, which is my own, appears to harbor a sickness. You don’t have to be an ideological critic of traditional Judaism to wonder if the cause should be sought in Orthodoxy itself.

But this call will not be heard, never mind heeded, by the Matzav readers, the VINN crowd, or any of the hardline heimeshes. Rather,
Failed Messiah, the Forward, and Beyond BT published it.

Those who committed the least sins are beating their breasts the hardest.

Beyond BT censored my comment questioning Rabbi Benzion Shaffier’s post, “They Don’t Make Anti Semites Like They Used To.”

Rabbi Shaffier claims,
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Most of the time, baal teshuvahs come on this site to tell you that I am 1) LYING! 2) JUST HATE FRUM PEOPLE!! or, if they are more sophisticated, the come to tell you that 3) this was not THEIR personal experience.

But once in a while, a moderate BT (baal teshuvah) will say something different, especially in private.

I don’t have permission to use this person’s name, but he wrote,
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In reaction to Judy Resnick’s statement on Beyond BT that,

You do, however, need to learn frummisher sprach (all of those Yiddish-Yinglish-whatever slangy expressions which are sprinkled through FFB speech

Jeff writes,

I’d rather just go to Gehinnom.

I like this Judy Resnick person who comments on Beyond BT. She’s a straight talker. But perhaps, from a Big Kiruv perspective, she’s a bit too honest?

In, “What I Would Tell Every New BT,” Judy gives advice to new BTs, including this suggestion:
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Becoming a baal teshuvah will separate families, not strengthen them. And the ultra-Orthodox world could give a hoot.

This comment from Beyond BT is revealing.
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Slander from Big Kiruv

Did you know I am “pro-Palestinian?”

Oh, sure. George writes,

David Kelsey, the former blog owner of Jewschool [sic], is one of the most stridently leftist [sic], anti Israeli [sic] pro Palestinians [sic!!!!] out there today, he makes J Street look conservative.

I don’t think that The Zionists or even Beyond BT would characterize my views as quite “pro-Palestinian.”

As much as I grovel on my belly seeking approval from Islamicists, I think that just might be a bit of a stretch.

Being a Diasporist hardly makes me “pro-Palestinian.”

David Linn lashes out at Christian missionaries’ “deceptive, slick marketing.” My response is on Jewcy.

…that one baal teshuvah is resorting to this:

I am a ba’al teshuva of some 30 years.[...]

Soon, I will need to appear before a board of medical examiners who will rule on my application for a disability pension. In years past I would never have considered this, but, I will NOT wear my yarmulke (and I am considering shaving my beard for the interview). I fear that it will hurt my chances before the board, whose members might assume that as an Orthodox Jew I am faking it in order to get an undeserved benefit.

Frum has become synonymous with scam artist.

Instead of focusing on underage and college recruitment, Big Kiruv should stick to outreach towards those that are most appropriate for their way of life, and comb the prisons for converts the way the Muslims do.

It will be an easier transition for them into Orthodox culture and mores.

I couldn’t believe it when I read it, but apparently, there are some in the ultra-Orthodox world who discriminate against baal teshuvahs (newly ultra-Orthodox Jews). I don’t want to vouch for the veracity of this article, as we all know the mainstream “Jewish” media are a bunch of Ortho-bashers…but it could be there are one or two judgmental types who don’t appreciate those who came so far from the worst schmutz of secular society, and nebach, grew up without knowing the difference between Belzer and Puppover Rebbes.

Regardless, I am quite sure that this story, even if true to some degree, is grossly exaggerated, because as we all know, the ultra-Orthodox are probably the most open-minded Jewish communities out there.

YNET reports,

In a soon-to-be-published book, Doron claims that by refusing to accept into its midst former seculars, the haredi society pushes these people into forming their own separate, sometimes fundamentalist communities.

“Becoming religious is an interesting phenomenon in Israeli society,” explained Doron. “On the one hand, these people make a significant, highly-valued spiritual move, and on the other hand, the haredim put many obstacles in their path,” he said, referring to obstacles in matters of education, marriage and housing.

“A place in which many former seculars live is considered less desirable. When a new haredi family wants to rent an apartment, the other residents immediately check who they are and whether they have any secular roots…”

Isn’t it strange that Beyond BT has so many posts examining the temptation to hide that they are BTs? After all, why should a person worry about how one or two exceptional cases view them?

Hat tip: Failed Messiah (But don’t believe his lies about the ultra-Orthodox!)