IJII

• In recent days, we've received a number of comments with a common theme: the abdication of Modern Orthodoxy in favor of a Hareidi version of Orthodoxy. Here are some of the comments.

***44 years ago, I decided to become Frum. At the time, our city's Frum Community was B'nei Akiva Frum. I have stood back and watched as the city's Frum community has become almost completely Hareidi. Last Shabbos, a rabbi from Israel came here. From what I understand, he was brought here so that he could interest people in my community in doing "hisbodedus" and saying na nach. I still can't believe it. There is religion, and there is mishugas. I think that we have crossed the line. 

***We attended the graduation ceremonies at a well known Modern Orthodox Day School, where one of our nephews was graduating. We found that all but two of the boys were wearing black hats, and the audience--as evidenced by their garb--was also very much in the Hareidi mode. The talks by the school administrators could just as easily have been given in a Hareidi school. There was no indication at all that this was a Modern Orthodox school. In fact, it seems no longer to be Modern Orthodox. How did this takeover occur?

***We very much agree with the philosophy of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, but our children don't seem interested in a modern Orthodox approach to Judaism. Some have become Hareidi, and others have given up on Orthodoxy altogether. This is true not only in our family, but in many families that we know. How did this happen to us?

Various answers have been offered to the above--and similar--comments: the whole world has become more extreme; Jews feel threatened, so they turn inward to a Hareidi lifestyle to feel safer; people are looking for spirituality/community--and find it more in the Hareidi world than anywhere else; our children study in right-wing Israeli yeshivot and come back as Hareidim; our Day Schools can't find Modern Orthodox teachers for limudei kodesh, so they hire Hareidi teachers; people feel more "religious" if they adopt Hareidi modes etc. etc.

While all the above explanations contain truth, there is also another basic issue which needs to be considered: the Modern Orthodox community has been so successful, that it simply has lost its cutting edge. It inspires little enthusiasm, and takes few risks.  It has adopted a defensive posture on almost every communal/religious issue. It has ceded control of batei din, mikvaot, eruvin, kashruth, and even our day schools and yeshivot. Modern Orthodox Jews are so busy making a living, that they've been content to leave the "religious" domain to Hareidi Jews who are more than willing to fill the void.

The irony is that the Hareidization process is financed to a large extent by the Modern Orthodox community. We are the ones who are hiring rabbis, day school teachers, etc., and we exert little control over those we hire. Modern Orthodox Jews contribute generously to yeshivot and various agencies which are clearly espousing a very different view of Judaism, and are in fact undermining the credibility of Modern Orthodoxy at every turn.

Until the Modern Orthodox community re-asserts its vision with confidence and enthusiasm, it isn't likely that the current trends will change for the better. Until we spend our charity dollars wisely, we only deepen our own sense of powerlessness.

I wrote the following blog a while ago, and it is relevant to the above discussion. If we believe in an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism, we will need to do more than wring our hands. We'll need to stand up and make our voices heard--loud and clear.

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We are good-hearted people who do our best to be kind and charitable.  We want to build a better society, ease suffering, aid the needy, support worthy institutions etc. We are barraged by those who solicit funds for one cause or another. We may give a few dollars to each; we may give a lot to a few; we may give more or less, depending on our mood when we receive the solicitation for charity.

Do we have a philosophy that governs our charitable outlays? Or do we just make contributions randomly, based on who asks us first or who approaches us most respecfully?

I would like to suggest that we think carefully about our charitable giving, and view our charitable dollars as a means of advancing our vision of a better Jewish community and a better world. 

I hear many people complain about the "hareidization" of Orthodoxy--that religious institutions are taken over by extremist, fundamentalist Orthodox zealots. People complain: why do the "hareidim" control the rabbinic courts, the mikvaot, the kashruth agencies, the yeshivot etc?  Here is one answer: because WE are providing them with funds to do so!  A great many charitable dollars from Modern Orthodox (and non-Orthodox) Jews are poured into Hareidi hands. In our generosity and good-heartedness, we support individuals and institutions who strive to undermine our own vision of a healthy Judaism and a good society. In effect, many of our charity dollars are used to work against us.

Should we be giving our limited charity funds to those who foster a religious life in which men do not receive training or encouragement to find gainful employment? or in which men (in Israel) avoid military service in Tzahal by staying in kollels? or in which people are imbued with neutral-Zionist or even anti-Zionist attitudes; or in which obscurantist and fundamentalist teachings are presented as the true word of God? Should we be supporting institutions that promote a narrow, xenophobic vision of Judaism, or that have moved far "to the right", that seek to undermine Modern Orthodox ideals and values where ever they can?

Instead of complaining about negative trends within Orthodoxy (and Judaism in general), we could actually accomplish something useful by developing a clear philosophy of our own philanthropy.  What institutions best reflect the vision of Judaism which we feel should be promoted? How can we best use our charity dollars to work for our vision of Judaism and humanity, and how can we avoid having these dollars used to undermine our ideals?

If we will focus more carefully on the impact of our charity, we may find that we indeed can make a real difference. If the institutions we believe in are well supported, they can accomplish more. If more dollars are devoted to the causes which foster our vision, then less dollars are available to those who would undermine our vision.

Each dollar we contribute is, in effect, a "vote". It reflects who we are and what we believe and what we dream. If we would all vote wisely, if we would all contribute in ways that advance our ideals--we would be voting for real change. We would be voting for an Orthodox Judaism that is intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive. We would be voting for an Orthodox Judaism that is engaged meaningfully with the entire Jewish community and with society at large.

We all should give generously and graciously. But we need to think carefully when deciding to whom to entrust our charity dollars.

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