 Wednesday May 13, 2009
Rabbi Lamm's fight for tolerance must be recognized
Posted by Rabbi Seth Farber
Comments: 17
    
In his recent, and much talked about interview with The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Norman Lamm was cited as saying that "...we will soon say Kaddish on the Reform and Conservative movements." This comment can obfuscate the greatness of Rabbi Lamm, as it portrays him as adopting the triumphalism that is so characteristic of ultra-orthodoxy. My colleague Andy Sacks has already sought to counter Rabbi Lamm's claim stating that Conservative Judaism is alive and well. Though my temptation is to question whether the Kaddish [the prayer for the dead] we will be saying will be a Kaddish Yatom [literally, Orphan's Kaddish], memorializing these movements, a Kaddish Titkabel [Complete Kaddish], beseeching God to accept them or a Kaddish D'Rabanan [Rabbi's Kaddish], which would glorify their scholars and scholarship, I prefer instead to correct the imbalance that may have inadvertently developed by this citation of Rabbi Lamm, and highlight instead how Rabbi Lamm has championed a Jewish life that is not only moderate in ethos, but life-affirming in practice.
1 |
What is this in response too?,
Thursday May 14, 2009
He called out the movements as filled with goyim. He said we would be saying kaddish. He did not mean kaddish titkabel. We know what he meant because it was obvious in context.
How is this a response to what your colleague wrote. Do you agree that the movements are slowly dying? Because that is what Rabbi Lamm described.
2 |
David F NYC,
Thursday May 14, 2009
What we have here is a clean-shaven young man whose yarmulke is barely (if at all) visible in his photo above and has yet to post anything except unsolicited apologies for anything that smacks of "ultra-Orthodox." In other words, what we have here is an American liberal first and an "Orthodox" rabbi second.
3 |
Martin Schiffmiller,
Thursday May 14, 2009
The Conservative and Reform"denominations" were never more than aberrant heresies created out of whole cloth by men who assumed the prerogative of defining Judaism in their own intellectual and moral images (patterned in part after Western Christian and secular ideologies). In retrospect these movements have served, especially in the United States, as mere steppingstones from true Judaism to intermarriage, assimilation and secularism. As the Torah community continues to experience explosive growth everywhere, Conservative and Reform will be justly consigned to the dustbin of Jewish history.
4 |
Josh,
Thursday May 14, 2009
Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman ztl, once wrote.
In September, 1929, my class of twelve was ordained by the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago and we were charged to go serve the American community as Orthodox Jewish spiritual leaders. We were not overly optimistic about our chances of success. One of our seers described his role as being able to recite, a generation or so later, the final Kaddish for Orthodoxy.
I do not have the chutzpa to attempt to challenge or support Rabbi Lamms assessment of the current state of Jewish affairs. However, perhaps we can all learn from Rabbi Fasman about the uncertainty of predictions.
5 |
Mark Connecticut USA,
Thursday May 14, 2009
Norman Lamm is a great Rabbi and Yeshiva University is a great school. The statements attributed to him by the Jerusalem Post were unfortunate. Heightens competition and suspicion among the American Rabbis. Hopefully Rabbi Lamm will perform a positive unifying act that will reduce these feelings. Here in New England the tradition is to agree to disagree about theology without being disagreeable. Old time Brooklyn and Bronx boys like Rabbi Lamm and I can learn something from the Yankees.
6 |
Joel,
Thursday May 14, 2009
The author purposely left out the entire quote of Rabbi Lamm to make him and the rest of the observant (orthodox/ultra-orthodox) community look like a bunch of hateful people! Here is the original quote:
"WITH A HEAVY HEART we will soon say kaddish on the Reform and Conservative Movements,"
NOTICE HOW HE LEFT OUT THE FIRST PART.
7 |
Freeda in Philly,
Friday May 15, 2009
When someone identifying himself as "Rabbi" Farber titles a column "Orthodox Opinions", it gives the impression that you're reading the Torah observant Jewish religious community's take on a matter. Only after you dig into the article with a critical eye does the truth shine through that in fact the writer distinctly sets himself apart from those ultra's and that in fact this column is an axe-grinding venue for Mr. Farber to opine (negatively) about all things "Orthodox".
Tell us, "Rabbi", about "the triumphalism that is so characteristic of ultra-orthodoxy." Poser.
8 |
David Columbia, Maryland USA,
Saturday May 16, 2009
Let me make this simple. Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism are alive and well in the diaspora, especially in the United States of America. In spite of calls to the contrary, Progressive Judaism is NOT DEAD YET! While I am tempted to call this "wishful thinking" on the part of the Orthodox movement, I wonder why anyone would wish for Progressive Judaism to vanish since it has served the needs of millions in the Jewish community and has served them well! Say Kadish for the dead, but leave Progressive Judaism alone! Please focus on your own religious beliefs!
9 |
chanya,
Saturday May 16, 2009
Much confusion in R. Farber's article and the comments on it. R. Lamm clearly said "With a heavy heart" we will say Kaddish. He was describing undeniable demographic trends, not making a value judgment on those trends. The Conservative Rabbi who recently wrote a column claiming (inaccurately) that the Conservative movement is booming and then describing all of Orthodoxy's faults, missed R. Lamm's point entirely. R. Farber seems to have missed it too, and quoting sermons from nearly 60 years ago doesn't help clarify anything. Bottom line: it's not intolerant to state demographic realities.
10 |
Yehudah ,Jerusalem,
Sunday May 17, 2009
In all humility, the only way the Jewish people will ever "have peace" is together( see Ramban, Ohr Hachaim, Bechukotai).Find the beautiful attributes that we have in common ( there are many) and build upon them.
Jewish movements will never bring us all together, they are built on seperation.
Jewish people can bring peace.Please reach out to your Jewish neighbor ( if you are so blessed to have one) or be a holy light and example to your non jewish neighbor.
This is in line and without contradiction to every stream of Judaism, every "hashkafah."
So please B"H stop cutting each other down
11 |
radman,
Sunday May 17, 2009
The arrogance of those that feel they have the "only path" undermines their very premise. Whether R. Lamm has a heavy heart of not, we don't need him crying alligator tears over what he perceives to be the demographic trends.
Judaism is a progressive religion. It isn't up to one group of rabbis to freeze our religion in time. Those that think we need to dress in 19th century clothes for winter in Poland as we live our lives in 20th century America in summer cannot be the only ones who experience valid Judaism and dictate its course.
12 |
A reader in the US,
Monday May 18, 2009
We are not too far from the point where someone from an Orthodox background will not be able to marry a Baal/at Teshuva because they come from a reform background, and it is revealed that they are not Jewish on their mother's side, through no fault of their own. Conservative? I teach in a conservative "supplementary school". Except for the few who are frum, the rest, and I include the Shechter teachers who are doing it for the extra money, are pretty ignorant of Jewish practice. How can they pass on what they themselves don't know? More importantly they can't pass on what it means to be Jewish
13 |
A reader in the US,
Monday May 18, 2009
..because they themselves are clueless. If they can get kids to sing L'cha Dodi and show up for a Friday night service, they've done their job. But ask these teachers to get these kids to feel the responsibility and beauty of what it means to be Jewish? Yeah, right. Don't try to reinterpret Rabbi Lamm. A lot of us know what he meant, and he's right.
14 |
akiva Avrohum, Manhattan, NY,
Thursday Jul 23, 2009
All I know is that the Ultra Orthodox better clean their act up fast ! They have become a disgrace in Israel and now in the United States. The Grand Rabbi, Saul Kassin, chief Rabbi of Syrian Jews in Williamsburg, New York and 4 other orthodox Rabbi's, have been indicted for money laundering in New Jersey. It is one big disgrace to see them, in their Rabbinic garb, being arrested and handcuffed. A real Chillel Hashem ! This to go along with the disgraceful Harerdi response of violence in Israel. All I can say that the Jewish people need to end religious zealots from taking over Judaism !!!
15 |
Mel, from "not enough characters allowed",
Tuesday Jul 28, 2009
On "the triumphalism that is so characteristic of ultra-orthodoxy": obviously, our writer, no matter how much he calls himself "Orthodox" or a "rabbi", does not speak for traditional, rabbinic Judaism. It's difficult to assess whether to make my next point, since in the past "rabbi" Farber has quashed my comments admitting this basic fact. But, in case he's asleep at the censoring switch just now, let me add that criticizing Judaism's "triumphalism" over Torah observance is ridiculous. Being right isn't equal to being wrong. Moral superiority isn't meant to be equated to perversity.
16 |
Mel, from "not enough characters allowed",
Tuesday Jul 28, 2009
More about Rabbi Lamm and "rabbi" Farber: What a difference! R' Lamm is the subject of interviews and Farber is at the blogger's underbelly sounding off about R' Lamm's front page interview. And it's not "triumphalist" to acknowledge Torah observance is on the rise while Jewish membership in the anti-Torah movements are plummeting. Nor is labeling Jews who are stronger in their Torah observance than you are as "characteristically triumphalist" mature, truthful or tolerant.
17 |
Mel, from "not enough characters allowed",
Tuesday Jul 28, 2009
This blog is wonting. It is billed as "Orthodox Opinions" and penned by a blogger who publicly bestows the honorific "rabbi" to his online handle--obviously an attempt to establish credibility for his "Orthodox Opinions". Why, then, do his opinions never correspond with "Orthodox" views? Why are his opinions always about topics Torah Judaism ("Orthodoxy" in depracating reformist terminology) does not concern itself with? Where, if he's an "Orthodox rabbi", can we read about Rashi vs. Rambam in opinions about the Torah? Those are "Orthodox Opinions", not the the drivel we find here.
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