Presence

R. Adlerstein on Shomrei

R. Adlerstein has a very nice post extolling the virtues of Shomrei Emunah; he perfectly captures and explicates one of the reasons I like Shomrei, and Baltimore, so much. And I very much appreciated the comments by "LOberstein," and, of course, "BubbyT."

[Hat tip: Jewboy]

An Apology for Charedi Orthodoxy

An apt title summarizing R. Adlerstein's weekend as Scholar-in-Residence at Shomrei would be, "An Apology for Charedi Orthodoxy." In two, possibly three, of the five times R. Adlerstein spoke, his focus was defending a fundamentalist viewpoint from criticism.

Friday night, R. Adlerstein spoke about the banning of R. Natan Slifkin's books.

R. Adlerstein was, and remains, one of R. Slifkin's supporters. R. Adlerstein gave a bit of background on how the ban unfolded (the infamous call that R. Slifkin received where he was threated, "You have two hours to recant your position, or you will be put in herem."), and how R. Slifkin sought an audience with any of the rabbis threatening to ban him, and they all refused. R. Adlerstein explained that three basic groups of people were affected by the ban were ba'alei teshuvah, kiruv professionals and anyone else who has an education. R. Adlerstein related that, as a kiruv professional himself, he had considered discontinuing his work, as the conflict between presenting Judaism as not in conflict with scientific or rational thought while at the same time conveying the system of authority inherent to Orthodox Judaism was impossible. R. Adlerstein continued by asking us to appreciate the ban from the perspective of the Charedim. This apology consisted of a critique on the general approach of interpreting Genesis as allegory (due to the potential to slippery-slope taking as allegory other parts of the Torah), as well as a general appeal to unification of the Orthodox world. While R. Adlerstein was adamant that his feeling was that the ban was unfounded on rational, logical and historical levels, he felt that falling into line with the approach outlined by the rabbis in Israel that issued the ban was a more important value than speaking out against the ban.

R. Adlerstein closed by answering questions. I asked how the rabbonim in Israel, who themselves speak either Yiddish or Hebrew, and little English, became aware of a book written in English. R. Adlerstein acknowledged that the rabbis banning the book did not read it, and that this was not an issue that was at all pertinent to their communities. What happened was that two overzealous YU guys read Slifkin's work and started shopping it around in an effort to get it banned. After failing to get any traction in Monsey and Lakewood, they took it to B'nei Brak and Israel and finally found someone that would listen to them. When the ban hit the States, R. Adlerstein explained that many within American Orthodoxy have an axe to grind with the Kaminetsky family, as they felt that R. Yaakov Kaminetsky had long fostered a version of "Charedi-lite" Orthodoxy to which they took issue with. R. Yaakov Kaminetsky was well known to openly teach that Chazal were not infallible and that often their science was wrong. As such, some on the American Orthodox community took this as an opportunity to get back at the Kaminetsky family by supporting the ban. I really don't know all the details here, but it was clear that, whatever went on, decisions to support or oppose the ban were not being made on rational grounds.

So all in all, the talk left me depressed and disheartened at the state of present-day Orthodox Judaism. It doesn't bother me so much that some rabbis in Israel feel that what R. Slifkin wrote is heretical; I suppose they are entitled to their opinion, and certainly have the authority to make statements for those that listen what they have to say. Their statements, however, should not be beyond criticism from others (especially when, in this case, their arguments are certainly assailable on a number of levels). I am also extremely disappointed by the lack of a response by those, both in America and Israel, who have, and continue to believe the opposite to not only be a legitimate approach (both historically and haskafically), but true in an objective sense. R. Adlerstein made a consistent appeal for unity of opinion, that for some reason we are better off all supporting the position espoused by the rabbis in Israel. But why? This seems to me to be a pretty big deal, and if those that believe Judaism isn't still shackled to pre-medieval dogmas aren't willing to take a stand on this issue, what are they willing to take a stand on? There were a few notable exceptions, rabbis who did speak out in support of R. Slifkin, such as R. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. But by and large, the proclamation by the rabbis in Israel that a significant portion of Orthodox Jewry held heretical beliefs was met with little to no resistance, because people are afraid to stand up for the truth. To me, this is the saddest part of the whole affair.

Shabbos afternoon, R. Adlerstein spoke about the differences between Islam and Judaism. His approach was to take a passage from the Koran or the Hadith which seemed to correspond either to an established Jewish tradition, or a recent Charedi stringency. One example: the Islamic court in Saudi Arabia ruled that a woman is not allowed to drive her dying brother to a hospital if her husband is not accompanying her; apparently, women in Islam are not allowed to drive a car by themselves, as it would promote lewdness. A woman must have her husband present, and therefore, even if someone's life were in danger, she would not be able to drive him to the hospital (I apologize in advance to any Muslims who might read this and find fault with my portrayal of their law; I am relating this from memory as it was explained in a lecture, I have regretfully done no research to verify if this is in fact the case, or even if I am explaining it correctly. I intend no disrespect). Compare this to recent proclamations in Lakewood that woman should not drive their husbands to yeshiva. R. Adlerstein offered a few reasons why, despite almost identical phenomenologies, why Judaism is different (i.e. better), and how we don't really need to worry about the manifestation of what appear to be fanatical, fundamentalist, misogynistic, etc. behaviors in our community, because our system of halacha will prevent things from ever getting too off course.

My response to this is, with all due respect, "bologna." If anything, the Slifkin affair demonstrates the complete opposite to be the case. If those in power are willing to trample over several hundred years worth of Jewish history and thought, and continue to foster an oligarchy that has little to no oversight and zero checks and balances, and is afraid to even criticize itself on the most fundamental of issues...there's nothing that will stop Judaism from backsliding in the same direction.

In summary, and in conclusion, I was extremely disheartened after R. Adlerstein's visit. He painted a bleak picture of contemporary Orthodox Judaism, not so much because specific factions take fundamentalist approaches, but because those factions that have reasonably justified non-fundamental approaches in the past are unwilling to stand up for what they have heretofore supported. I was led to believe that R. Adlerstein would be presenting a controversial approach, but what I got was standard apologetics for the status quo.

R. Adlerstein Scholar in Residence

This Shabbos, Shomrei Emunah is hosting R. Yitzchok Adlerstein as Pearlstone Scholar-in-Residence. R. Adlerstein wil be speaking five times over Shabbos:

• Friday Night Oneg at 9:30 PM at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Jordan Wiener (2502 Shelleydale Dr.) L'Affaire Slifkin: In this forum, Rabbi Adlerstein will give his assessment of this controversial issue. He will both advocate his position and defend his critics.


• Shiur at the 8:15 AM Minyan: The Frum Yellow Pages: Does Halacha Demand That We Buy Jewish?


• Shabbos Morning Drasha at the 9:00 AM Minyan


• Keynote Address Shabbos Afternoon at 5:45 PM: The Burka and the Sheitel: Judaism and Halacha heavily influenced the development of Islam. How Islam did things differently is a fascinating study. The comparison and contrast of legal systems will help us appreciate Halacha all the more.


• Seudah Shlishis: Haggadah Gems From Rav Kook

For a preview, please see R. Adlerstein's original post on L'Affaire Slifkin at Cross-Currents.

Posted by Greg at 12:33 PM | TrackBack

More Rabbinic Movements

For those of you at Shomrei, you may remember R. Jonathan Rosenberg. R. Rosenberg interviewed for the position of Rabbi at Shomrei after R. Weinreb left. He was offered the job, but negotiations broke down when his shul in Columbus offered him a lifetime contract.

While looking around for more information on R. Weinreb and the OU, I found the following at LukeFord.net (the only other blog I've seen mention of the OU story):

Valley's Biggest Orthodox Shul Hires Columbus Rabbi

Jonathan Rosenberg wowed the shul a few weeks ago and was a popular choice. Rabbi Rosenberg has seven children.

The Valley's "Biggest Orthodox Shul" is Shaarey Zedek.

The Shomrei Blog

Shomrei Emunah Blog: "A forum for Shomrei's members to respectfully discuss curent issues, concerns, and matters relating to Torah life."

It appears to have been up since September, with not a lot of updating. I suggested something like this a while back; I still think it would be good to post on a weekly basis with a slimmed down version of the bulliten, along with occasional updates about the progress of the building (including pictures) and other assorted links and information. I also think it should be right on the home page, so you see it first thing.

My Blogging Rabbi

R. Dovid Gottlieb has a guest post over at Cross Currents discussing the nature of forgiveness in the wake of the Amish school killings.

For those keeping score at home, this marks the second time Cross Currents has taken on the Amish; the first was a post by R. Yaakov Menken from last year.

Meet the FACKer

On Friday night August 5, Shomrei Emunah was vandalized. On Shabbos morning, congregants were greeted with the word "FACK" spray-painted in big red letters on the front of the shul. The FACKer is either really bad at spelling, or is attempting to make some sort of statement about Emil Fackenheim. Word is Larry Soltz has secured a sniping position in the Wach attic, should he return. Consider yourself warned, FACKer.

Shomrei is equipped with a state-of-the-art video surveillance system, and I was able to review the video surveillance tapes from the night in question. At 3:37 AM, a young male approached Shomrei from the north. He spent less than one minute in front of the shul, his act of vandalism clearly recorded by the video camera mounted just outside the main entrance. The video does not have a clear shot of his face, but a partial profile is visible; we've got the boys down at the crime lab working in shifts (in all seriousness, I have no idea if the police are actively investigating the matter). Of note, the perpertrator is left-handed. After completing his vandalism, he continued south along Greenspring Ave. I may be able to get a hold of a copy of the security video, and if I can, I'll post it. In the mean time, I've posted some photos of the graffiti.

As far as I know, Shomrei has never been vandalized in the past. I would speculate that the current climate appears to be weakening the stigma of, for now, covert expressions of latent anti-semitism.

Comming Attractions - R. JJ Schacter

This coming Shabbos, Shomrei Emunah will be hosting R. JJ Schacter as a scholar in residence. If you miss it, you'll be sorry. The agenda:

- Shiur at the 8:15 AM Minyan - The Ba'al Hamaor's Position on Sefiras Ha'Omer
- Shabbos Morning Drasha at the 9:00 AM Minyan - America, Israel, and the World: Orthodoxy Confronts Modern Society
- Keynote Address Shabbos Afternoon at 6:00 PM - The Wandering Jew: Commemorating National Catastrophe: This lecture will examine Jewish attempts to remember communal catastrophes experienced from the Middle Ages through the Twentieth Century. The specific focus will be on the reaction to the massacre in Blois, France in 1171 as a basis for the response to the Chmielnicki Massacres of 1648-1649 in Poland and to the Holocaust.
· - Seudah Shlishis (expanded format, following 7:00 Mincha) - Intellect and Emotion in the Observance of Mitzvos

Update: ADDeRabbi sent along a link to a post by Jewish Worker with the basic sources for the Ba'al Hamaor's position on Sefiras HaOmer.

Scholar in Residence - R. Michael Rosensweig

In conjunction with Shomrei's upcoming installation banquet for R. Gottleib, this shul is hosting R. Michael and Smadar Rosensweig as Scholar in Residence this coming Shabbos. The pertinent details are available at the Shomrei website, along with the source materials for his shiur on ba'al toseif at the 8:15 minyan (the sources were distributed a week in advance to prepare!).

Scholar in Residence: R. Reinman

Just a reminder, for those that are interested, R. Reinman, co-author of One People, Two Worlds will be leading a discussion at 8:30 Saturday night, at Shomrei, about his book. The event is open to the public, but we are asking for RSVPs (either to the Shomrei Book Club or to me; a comment here will suffice).

I was planning on compiling a list of links to information about the book, but, well, never got around to it. One thing I did find is a letter authored by R. Reinman, explaining his decision to withdraw from the book tour. Hopefully the Book Club discussion will bring more light to this topic.

Book Club Selection

The annoncement is going out in the Shomrei bulliten bulletin this week, but you get the scoop here. I mentioned previously that the next installment of the Shomrei Book Club would be something you wouldn't wan't to miss. So without futher ado (or adieu), I present to you the next Shomrei Book Club Selection:

One People, Two Worlds, by Yaakov Yosef Reinman and Ammiel Hirsch

The exciting news is that the discussion will be led by R. Reinman, which I think will be very interesting. For more details, check out the Shomrei Book Club homepage (you can purchase the book through the Book Club web site).

The Last Laugh will be mine

When we started the Shomrei book club, I got comments from a few people who wanted to let me know that they thought the book club was a stupid idea. Various arguments were presented, some said that they thought social events in the context of the shul were extemporaneous, others thought that reading as a form of group education was a waste of time. My response to most of them was, "If it doesn't interest you, then don't come." Many of them didn't (in the end, we had to turn people away, as we had much more interest than anticipated).

But, as they say, "I know something you don't know." The next book is going to be one that no one is going to want to miss. We probably won't be able to have the discussion in someone's home, and I'm betting that we are going to have to turn people from other shul's away. This type of book, with a discussion led by either the author or a recognized expert on the subject matter, is really what we had in mind from the beginning.

What book, you ask? I can't say just yet, as we are still finalizing the details. But it should be pretty easy to figure out.

Either way, I'm already laughing.

Talking in Shul?

Our new rabbi is conducting a series of meeting with the membership of the shul (this is quite an ambitious task; at last check, we have about 450 families). Each week, a group of around 20 families is invited over to discuss what they like and don't like about Shomrei. The G's and H's went last week.

The most common complaint in our group had to do with the amount of talking during davening. Many voiced the concern that there was entirely too much talking, that it was disrespectful, and ruined the davening. The comments, I believe, were directed mostly towards the main minyan, which I rarely attend, so I can't say whether or not they are founded or unfounded claims (I do know that the amount of talking at the Shabbos Mincha minyan has steadily declined to what I would consider acceptable levels). It was interesting that R. Gottlieb mentioned at the end that our group was the only group so far that focused so heavily on talking. Perhaps there's a lesson in group dynamics in there somwhere.

My observation was that most of the people who were more concerned about the talking, when they described how they viewed the shul, characterized it as a "Makom Tefillah". I took this to mean the shul is a place to fulfill your daily obligation of praying with a minyan three times a day, and not much else. In fact, most shuls in Baltimore are probably best characterized as such. But not Shomrei, or at least, not the Shomrei that R. Gottlieb is trying to build (and, I would add, not the Shomrei of the past, either). For many people, the shul is more than a place to pray; it is also a place to study, a place to see your friends, eat copious amounts of unhealthy food and in general to engage in social activities in a religious setting. Obviously there is a time and a place for each of these (no chulent during laining), but the fact of the matter is, the shul is really, for a lot of people, myself included, their connection and central point religiously.

For many, however this is not the case. More and more, people are connected with their yeshiva (in Baltimore's case, Ner Israel), and maintain a strong connection well after their departure. This is not a bad thing at all, but I think here we begin to see the effect it has on the community. For these people, shul is a place to pray, and nothing else. Their focal point remains outside the community and their neighbors. When it comes to bigger issues like building funds, activities, or even small things like being sensitive to the needs of others around you, this attitude takes its toll.

I'll end off by saying that one of the last things R. Weinreb spoke about before he left was making the shul more of a focal point in the community, particularly regarding children and teenagers. He felt that part of the problem we are facing with teens-at-risk could be alleviated by developing a stronger, friendlier environment away from the schools and yeshivos.

The prevailing assumption amongst Orthodox Jews is that in times of trouble and distress the appropriate response is Tefillah (prayer). As such, at the start of the current situation in Iraq, the OU authored a special Tefillah for the US soliders to be recited on Shabbos, along side the Tefillah for the US Government, State of Israel and Israeli soliders. The meaning and urgency of this prayer was quickened by the fact that, besides the thousands of Americans in peril, there were a significant number of Jews in the line of fire, including members of the Baltimore community. One of them is Rabbi Mitch Ackerson, a chaplain, a member of my shul. R. Ackerson sends updates from the front, detailing his experiences (he should start a blog). I know of at least three or four other people from the Orthodox community in Baltimore that are either in Iraq or on their way there.

So, it would seem like a good idea to say this prayer, right? I thought so, but apparently, others in the shul thought not. When President Bush declared the major offensive portion of the war over, some in our shul petitioned that we discontinue the recitation of the prayer, and we stopped saying it. Meanwhile, American soliders continued to die in Iraq, and recently the number of soliders killed in Iraq after Bush's declaration rose above the number of those killed before.

And then today, I get an email:

Joe Kashnow, a frum US soldier from Baltimore, has been wounded by the terrorists in Iraq. His right leg below the knee has been broken/mangeled/infested with shrapnel and is in need of much reconstructive surgery. Please daven for Yosef Eliyahu ben Malka Ita.

I'm not trying to take a stance of righteous indignation, and I dont mean to imply that our shul's discontinuation of this prayer had anything to do with Joe's injury. All I will say is that whoever thinks we dont need to be davening for the people over there should think again. At the very least, it raises our awareness of the plight of those who are risking their lives to protect our way of life. At best, our prayers may have an affect on their situation. We still recite Psalm 83 daily in shul, asking God to destroy our enemies. I think we can take the time to think of those that are in danger as well. I've spoken to that gabbaim in the past about reinstating this tefillah. I think we need it now more than ever.

For those interested, I spoke to Mike, who says Joe is doing well, and is on his way home to recover.

Welcome Rabbi Gottleib

Shomrei Emunah (my synagouge) recently hired a new rabbi. Rabbi Dovid Gottleib, a graduate of the Kollel Elyon of Yeshiva University, took the reins as of the beginning of September.

A few highlights from the first Shabbos: R. Gottleib spoke about Shomrei's direction. Some have been critical of the shul, commenting that it lacks an identity, or seems schizophrenic, since it does not espouse a specific flavor of Orthodox Judaism. One of the things that, at least for me, has always made Shomrei a great place to go is the diversity. Pretty much every segment of Orthodox Judaism is represented significantly. R. Gottleib emphasized the need to cultivate this as a virtue, rather than look for ways to supress it. Despite the fact that we believe in one God, we also have a tradition that the Jewish people are divided into twelve (12) tribes, each with its own approach to the world. Far from a detriment, this is our greatest strength.

So far, R. Gottleib seems to have the breadth of character and depth of knowledge required to take on a job like Shomrei. I wish him the best of luck!