At this time approaching Shavuos it is time to think about the future of Religious society. I think the real concern is not the draft but the loss of control of the new generation. The post regarding arson caused by frum youth is indicative of the problem. The youth are attatched to Torah not by values and ideology but rather culture and pleasure. Our young students expect to be entertained and to have fun. The army provides a realistic alternative platform. The demonstations have trained a generation to disrespect authority which is not limited to secular ones. Similarly the tremendous social pressures for wealth collides with the difficult reality of earning a living wage. The failure of rabbis to solve the marriage crisis and other things also caueses disrespect
There have been a number of historic periods when Jews assimated Such as WWI The Communist takover. America until the 1960's. the reurn to Israel after Babylonian Exile The Golden Age of Spain. In Israel assimilation is a real problem and explains the resistance to secular and vocational training. Even in fanatic Mea Shearim there is often zero or negative growth due to assimilation. I was told that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was the only one of his Cheder that stayed frum. Among the Religious Zionists and Modern Orthodox it is fairly common to lose religion. While in America there was Reform and Conservative and in Europe the Haskala and Reform. The loss of Jewish women before Beis Yakov or the loss of German and Hungarian Jews before Rav Hirsch.
I think a significant reason for the long time ignoring of abuse was the feeling that the resolution would undermine religious authority the same for marital problems and feministic issues
Eastern European Jews were told to stay in Europe and starve or face the Nazis rather than possibly assimilate in America or Israel
Bottom line the draft is resisted primarily because of the real concern that the 'youth will give up observance
Is it the army specifically or any kind of outside influence which seems to be the thrust of the argument here?.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be saying that a assimilation will happen regardless even in as closed a society as mea shearim.
Or is the army the ultimate place which trance's Jewish values and gives temptations?.
And if it didn't make such a difference, is it inherently a bad thing to do?
The above, and the article about the fires is actually suggesting that the reproduction of the European shtetl is inevitably leading to similar effects as those that happened in Europe.
ReplyDeletePoverty, lack of opportunity, and lots of people who are not suited for full time learning. There are plenty of opportunities in the army not all in the frontline. But what do the youth actually want?
And are we witnessing a large scale deflection from frumkeit in the hareidi bastions?
A good chunk of it is the educational process and the cultural ghetto.
DeleteThe vast majority of religious Jews who arrived at Ellis Island chucked their tefillin into the bay because that was something Jews did in Europe and now they were in America and living a different life. The idea that a Jew puts on tefillin and keeps kosher and Shabbos was tied to the Alte Heim, not the person himself.
It's really the same today. Children are taught that any deviation from the UO line is the same amount of sin. Wearing a kippah serugah and walking around in public in a leather thong are the same thing so when kids have doubts they drop the whole package because why not? If continuing to go to minyan but not wearing a hat and jacket are the same as sitting on the corner of Dizengoff and Bograshov and shooting up drugs, then why not do that?
walking around in public in a leather thong?
DeleteWhat do you mean?
You've seen the so-called Pride Parades and how some of them dress? My point is that if everything is extreme, then there's no point is trying to be moderate. If switching from Mir to Har Eztion gets you labelled as a shaygitz, then go full shaygitz and have more fune.
DeleteRav Pini dunner has a YouTube video about the campaign against Rav Moshe. He cites various teshuvos of the Igros (and then the maaneh)
DeleteAnyway, Rav Moshe is cited as saying you can have no connection with reform or conservative Jews whatsoever..
Now my suspicion is that for Many charedi, it also applies to MO and DL Jews.
Which would be ironic consider that DL and MO looked to him as a posek despite his being in the UO community. Today that wouldn't happen but he was approachable and worked beyond politics.
DeleteIf there is such an issur, it's informal. There are many who will have nothing to do with Mo, eg YU rabbis.
DeleteDid he say no connection at all? I know he said you can't say "amen" if one of their "rabbis" says a blessing but really? A Reformative guy walks into shul and you can't welcome him and hand him a siddur?
DeleteFor two generations, Aish (and Rav Lamm, zt"l, before them) has been preaching that in two generations there will be no non-religious Jews left because they all intermarry and their children disappear from the Jewish nation. 2 generations ago the Orthodox were 10-15% of the population. Today they are - wait for it - 10-15% of the population. The drop-out rate is huge but kept quiet because it ruins the whole triumphalist position of the UO community.
ReplyDeleteBut if assimilation is the fear of the UO community and the drop-out rate is high then the logic defeats their concern. Is it better for the boy who wants to drop out to be a drug addicts homeless bum on a street corner still wearing his black hat and pretending to be frum or to be in the army, learning discipline, and then getting opportunities to lead a productive life? The UO leadership would seem to be endorsing the former - we'd rather destroy our youth than give them a chance to lead a meaningful life. Sick.
who wrote this ? clearly someone without any historical or sociological knowledge, let alone good writing skills.
ReplyDelete