I have a problem with ultra-Orthodox Kiruv. I have a problem with the full-color glossy Kiruv, sold with carefully worded posters, programs, videos, and double standards. I have a problem with the Kiruv that loudly declares that they welcome all Jews, but then denigrates their backgrounds when they think that nobody is listening. That’s the [...]
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When dealing with the topic of Kiruv, there is always a little bit of a double-edged sword. Back in high school, I remember that a Rabbi once described NCSY to me as, “Mekarev HaRechokim Umerachek HaKrovim“: it brings closer those who are far [from Orthodoxy] and pushes away those who are close. While my experiences [...]
ReadNo. it wasn’t the restrictions; it was more than that. It was like being imprisoned. I walked around my house feeling trapped on all four sides. I walked outside feeling ambushed by my community, my ultra- Orthodox community. Wherever I went, it was like there was a rope tied around my neck, blocking my blood [...]
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It was spring semester for the Yeshivot in Israel. The Ohr Sameach in Jerusalem had just been donated a full set of Artscroll Talmud. Many students cooed at the freshly printed books lining what was formerly a completely barren shelf. Only a handful dared touch the sacred tomes. Some days they simply sat there, gathering [...]
ReadIt was my first night playing Kings, a drinking card game – which, by the way, is the best combination of fun I can possibly imagine. It got us all pretty wasted. People kept confusing my makeshift Minnie Mouse costume with a puppy, probably because I had painted a big black spot on my nose, [...]
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