Excellent essay-However both the Charedi world and the MO worlds have to deal with their own internal issues and learn to recognize the best elements of each other simultaneously while presenting their way of life to the secular Jewish community as offering the best means of Jewish continuity
The societal model now is not so much a hotel where what people do in their own rooms is their own business but a giant nursery school, where they act out, trash the place, kick and bite the well-behaved pupils and parents and teachers are frightened to discipline them.
You write that serious academic studies are as important as Torah studies for modern orthodox. What topics are considered not-problematic? I guess mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, medicine are fully ok, computer science maybe not as it deals with computer, "modern" sociology like gender studies etc. most probably not. What about studying e.g. French literature, Chinese history...? But I am just guessing. (Sincere question, not trying to trap you).
Computers aren't really seen as a problem in the Modern Orthodox world. In terms of other subjects, often generally these things are left to individual discretion (unlike the Haredi world, which is more top-down). Queer Theory would not be accepted and like postcolonial studies might be viewed with suspicion due to its use in anti-Zionist propaganda. But generally there is an openness to most humanities subjects as well as STEM. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, one of the leading Modern Orthodox/Religious Zionist scholars and Roshei Yeshivah (rabbinical seminary heads) of the late twentieth/early twenty-first century had a PhD in English Literature from Harvard and wrote about the importance of studying great literature to understand Torah. Many other famous Modern Orthodox rabbis have had PhDs in philosophy (e.g. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, Rabbi Lord Sacks).
Excellent!!! That's the or an Introduction. What would an overall General Structure look like? What would a Preliminary Phase of Application look like? In which basibc Settings/Environments? There are a growing number of Orthodox Rabbis who are active in teaching Bnei Noahide individuals and groups. That includes online courses and/or video shiurim/lessons specifically for or useful for Bnei Noahide. Such Rabbi's some of whom have a decade or more experience in crossing the gap between Jewish and Gentile. It is important to understand that in fact Jewish is a totally unique and individual Culture. There is a fb site "Judaism is not Christianity minus Jesus" with a subtitle "Exploding the Judeo-Christian Myth". To mention just 2 Rabbi's who have long been active in direct outreach communication with Non-Jewish individuals and organizations without compromising their own Jewish Practices.. There are likely 1000s of such Rabbi's who are experienced with the field. Additionally, a huge percentage of Jewish individuals know very little of Torah/Tanach etc. or of normative traditional Cultural Practices of Judaism.
We can have as many programmes as we like, but they are doomed to failure because of sin in the heart of every person. Only Jesus Christ can deal with that, because He has died for us to take the penalty for sin, and can forgive, cleanse and restore us. But, sadly, He is still rejected by most Jewish (and other) people.
Of course Americans are not ready for this. Americans today are among the most self-centered, short-sighted, uncontemplative people in the world. This childish provinciality is at least partially a result of our physical isolation from the rest of the world and our great prosperity in the decades after WWII, but that's no justification. Our family, social, and educational systems have fallen apart while we weren't paying attention. What we need—and I don't know how we could achieve it—is a cultural reset to the values we used to have, which overlap to a considerable degree with what Daniel Saunders has laid out here.
Josephine, this shortcoming of Americans is not limited to"trumpers" or to people with antisemitic views. Those on the left have tons of faults of their own. And many conservatives voted for Trump because the alternative didn't bear thinking about.
America was so blessed but fell into hedonism after WW2. Number 1 exporter of porn to the nations, CIA perverse revolutions everywhere, educational system med system pharma system, all corrupt; house and senate learned how to steal from taxpayers and stay in power. All of it is being broken now. The conservatives I know voted for Trump because he saw the oppression and confronted it. He is a man of action.
And the big one: the 2000 year earthly reign of Rome is crumbling. Out of ‘Christianity’ are coming people who at least are saying, ‘wow, Jesus is a Jew and He kept The Torah.’ So any way we cut it, the truth is exactly what the writer said, ‘Judaism can fix it.’ There is a scripture: ‘In that day, ten men will grab hold of the tallit of a Jew and say ‘teach me, your God is real…’’ something like that…happening.
That kind of thinking is why we have the problems we do. Trump is oppression. He cares for nothing other than his own wealth and power. Let’s be clear the uneducated voter fell for all the propaganda. And the alternative to Dump was a black woman. America is too racist and mysoginistic to vote for that. Smh.
I just looked at your Substack profile and realized I had no idea what I was getting into, so I've deleted two comments. I bet you win a lot of um, conversations.
Most people are uneducated; it is one of the paradoxes of democracy. It is simply not worth it to most people to take the time to learn about most issues - and yet, giving all responsibility to the self-appointed elite is even worse.
Agreed (although, as a formerly lifelong left-leaner, I still see it as more institutionalized and self-deluded on the left). But then, no one is ever ready for this. And like the man said, "If not now...?"
Excellent essay-However both the Charedi world and the MO worlds have to deal with their own internal issues and learn to recognize the best elements of each other simultaneously while presenting their way of life to the secular Jewish community as offering the best means of Jewish continuity
The societal model now is not so much a hotel where what people do in their own rooms is their own business but a giant nursery school, where they act out, trash the place, kick and bite the well-behaved pupils and parents and teachers are frightened to discipline them.
This seems very much in line with what Melanie Phillips says in her latest book, "The Builder's Stone." Have you read it?
No, I haven't.
Very good article thanks.
You write that serious academic studies are as important as Torah studies for modern orthodox. What topics are considered not-problematic? I guess mathematics, physics, biology, engineering, medicine are fully ok, computer science maybe not as it deals with computer, "modern" sociology like gender studies etc. most probably not. What about studying e.g. French literature, Chinese history...? But I am just guessing. (Sincere question, not trying to trap you).
Computers aren't really seen as a problem in the Modern Orthodox world. In terms of other subjects, often generally these things are left to individual discretion (unlike the Haredi world, which is more top-down). Queer Theory would not be accepted and like postcolonial studies might be viewed with suspicion due to its use in anti-Zionist propaganda. But generally there is an openness to most humanities subjects as well as STEM. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, one of the leading Modern Orthodox/Religious Zionist scholars and Roshei Yeshivah (rabbinical seminary heads) of the late twentieth/early twenty-first century had a PhD in English Literature from Harvard and wrote about the importance of studying great literature to understand Torah. Many other famous Modern Orthodox rabbis have had PhDs in philosophy (e.g. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, Rabbi Lord Sacks).
Excellent!!! That's the or an Introduction. What would an overall General Structure look like? What would a Preliminary Phase of Application look like? In which basibc Settings/Environments? There are a growing number of Orthodox Rabbis who are active in teaching Bnei Noahide individuals and groups. That includes online courses and/or video shiurim/lessons specifically for or useful for Bnei Noahide. Such Rabbi's some of whom have a decade or more experience in crossing the gap between Jewish and Gentile. It is important to understand that in fact Jewish is a totally unique and individual Culture. There is a fb site "Judaism is not Christianity minus Jesus" with a subtitle "Exploding the Judeo-Christian Myth". To mention just 2 Rabbi's who have long been active in direct outreach communication with Non-Jewish individuals and organizations without compromising their own Jewish Practices.. There are likely 1000s of such Rabbi's who are experienced with the field. Additionally, a huge percentage of Jewish individuals know very little of Torah/Tanach etc. or of normative traditional Cultural Practices of Judaism.
Religion = Delusion
1. Stick to Torah and Torah alone.
2. Tikkun ha brit. (No human can fix the world.)
3. YHVH will take care of the rest.
We can have as many programmes as we like, but they are doomed to failure because of sin in the heart of every person. Only Jesus Christ can deal with that, because He has died for us to take the penalty for sin, and can forgive, cleanse and restore us. But, sadly, He is still rejected by most Jewish (and other) people.
Well, yes, because we don't believe that somebody dying to "take the penalty for sin" actually solves any of the problems of the world.
Wow. Responsibilities! Not only Laws.
True
Amen. Our ancient prophets all saw this…”from Zion will go forth The Law.” And Genesis 49 tells which tribe is The Lawgiver. Judah.
If you think Americans - especially trumpers-are ready for this your deluded. The amount of antisemitism is veiled but it’s there in droves.
Of course Americans are not ready for this. Americans today are among the most self-centered, short-sighted, uncontemplative people in the world. This childish provinciality is at least partially a result of our physical isolation from the rest of the world and our great prosperity in the decades after WWII, but that's no justification. Our family, social, and educational systems have fallen apart while we weren't paying attention. What we need—and I don't know how we could achieve it—is a cultural reset to the values we used to have, which overlap to a considerable degree with what Daniel Saunders has laid out here.
Josephine, this shortcoming of Americans is not limited to"trumpers" or to people with antisemitic views. Those on the left have tons of faults of their own. And many conservatives voted for Trump because the alternative didn't bear thinking about.
America was so blessed but fell into hedonism after WW2. Number 1 exporter of porn to the nations, CIA perverse revolutions everywhere, educational system med system pharma system, all corrupt; house and senate learned how to steal from taxpayers and stay in power. All of it is being broken now. The conservatives I know voted for Trump because he saw the oppression and confronted it. He is a man of action.
And the big one: the 2000 year earthly reign of Rome is crumbling. Out of ‘Christianity’ are coming people who at least are saying, ‘wow, Jesus is a Jew and He kept The Torah.’ So any way we cut it, the truth is exactly what the writer said, ‘Judaism can fix it.’ There is a scripture: ‘In that day, ten men will grab hold of the tallit of a Jew and say ‘teach me, your God is real…’’ something like that…happening.
That kind of thinking is why we have the problems we do. Trump is oppression. He cares for nothing other than his own wealth and power. Let’s be clear the uneducated voter fell for all the propaganda. And the alternative to Dump was a black woman. America is too racist and mysoginistic to vote for that. Smh.
I just looked at your Substack profile and realized I had no idea what I was getting into, so I've deleted two comments. I bet you win a lot of um, conversations.
Nope. I’m not buying that. It’s more simple. Most American voters are uneducated. Period.
Most people are uneducated; it is one of the paradoxes of democracy. It is simply not worth it to most people to take the time to learn about most issues - and yet, giving all responsibility to the self-appointed elite is even worse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_ignorance
Agreed (although, as a formerly lifelong left-leaner, I still see it as more institutionalized and self-deluded on the left). But then, no one is ever ready for this. And like the man said, "If not now...?"
Will Mashiach stop them killing other Jews?
Do you know anything about what *actual Palestinians* think about Jews and Israel?