Camp

I bring my plate of dinner to the nearest table, sit down and introduce myself. The woman across from me looks up, introduces herself and says, immediately, with a look of confusion on her face: "Are you old enough to be marrying them?"

She refers, of course, to the bride and groom, the very reason why this group of 100 are here for a weekend, huddled inside away from the rain, in an old house on a ranch in the Catskills.

We pulled up just in time for Shabbat, a retreat of sorts, with each of us in our own cabin, a schedule of activities to fill the day.

It's just like camp, only not.

My time is filled with interactions amusing enough that they merit writing about, interesting enough that they merit introspection.

I talk with the bride's brother, visiting from his year long stint in Japan. Next for him is a six month program of studying in Yeshiva, he tells me. Nice!

This was the guy, they worried so many months ago, who was being coerced into an abhorrent Jewish lifestyle by an AISH-like program that just "wanted him to be Orthodox." I joined in the criticism and worry at the time, "they just brainwash people!" I thought.

I remember their affect on my sister, so many years ago... But, it seems, she turned out alright afterall. Her Jewish life is more committed and well thought through than ever!

And same with this brother. He wants to commit himself to more study! Sure, I find the beliefs and certain practices of these neo-Orthodox organizations to be troubling, totally out of line from my understanding of the world, but maybe they aren't all bad, I begin to think.

So then why the immediate reaction of negtivity to their work? Maybe it's fear. I, we, fear them for their success. They get people caring and excited and yearning for more, only not in liberal settings - not caring in the way we want, we need, them to.

We fear them because they are, it seems, better than us, and they change people in ways we don't want them to be changed.

And then I make the connection. For two years I spent my summers teaching, inspiring and larning with young adults, who took their newfound passion for Judaism and Jewish life back with them to the far corners of the US, only to have their home communities complain back to us about what we'd done.

And, rather than stand up for what's good and right, to yell that our work is good and holy, the bosses backed off and said to tone it down.

Because they were scared, just like we all are, of that which is different, and, even more so, of that which poses a threat to us. We blind ourselves to the greatness of others' actions because we see it threatening our own.

Damn. Let's fix that, k?

Comments

[Josh Levin]

Woah, slow it down.

We're scared of neo-Orthodox success because it lands? I don't think so. I think it's so troubling because people become interested more in the "right way" than the right ways.

Other than that, you're probably right, we shouldn't back off like we do.

[David A.M. Wilensky]

Troubling though the Reform attitude may sometimes be, that is no reason to think well of Aish.

[David]

This is not a Reform issue.

I'm not urging us to think well of Aish, I'm urging that we consider that maybe it's their success that leads us to hate them so much.

[Jesse]

Indeed.

We non-Orthodox Jews are often made to feel less-than. Either through the direct words and actions of some despicable folk in their failure to remember k'lal Yisrael, or through their successes in kiruv and outreach.

So is this the way it's going to be?

When the Orthodox bash us, we hate them.
When they don't bash us and do better than us, we hate them.

Has Judaism turned into an elementary school playground?

[Josh]

Why is the hate on AISH? The fact is that they are helping more people reconnect with any part of Judaism than most other organizations...if some people decide that obligation towards mitzvos are necessary (whether they consider themselves Reform or Orthodox) then so be it. At least they are teaching some people some things that they wouldn't normally know. And with that...I'm still waiting for AISH to accept my application!

[David]

OK, let me reformulate my point here.

There are certain Jewish organizations with which I take strong objection. Aish is one of them. On that list is also Chabad, ZOA, and Women in Black. So be it. We don't all need to agree.

But let's not just write off the serious success of these groups because we cannot stand their message. Rather, let's learn from their good work, and do it even better!

What's wrong with Aish? This is an honest question. I'm a college student and all I know about them is they pay students to study Jewish stuff and have cheap trips to Israel.