2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Editorials
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Center for the Jewish What?
In his article "Center for the Jewish Present" (Oct. 15) David Huggins makes an argument. What that argument is remains unclear, as his critique is less of a journalistic work than a poorly conceived stringing together of anti-modern orthodox clichés. Why is Torah u-Madda coercive, how does Yeshiva resemble an Islamic state, and what evidence is there of Modern Orthodox being a "dated... top to the bottom" movement? All these questions and more remain unanswered in Huggins' tirade. His questions regarding the place for the uneducated in modern orthodoxy are intriguing, but have been addressed in the past and can be answered again, if he'd like, by the many gedolei Torah u-Madda who roam Yeshiva's halls. If Huggins and his elusive "community" feels isolated by the Yeshiva's philosophy of Torah u-Madda or their liberal arts offerings, perhaps he should ask himself whether the time has come to change universities, rather than asking Yeshiva University to change.
Ezra Sutton
YC '08
Young Israel's Bona Fides
In my career, I have been the Rav of a Young Israel (YI) shul and of three non-YI Orthodox Union shuls. The thing about Young Israel- which not everyone knows and is not spelled out in the article- is that their National Council already has a number of standards in place that demand a higher level of lay observance and practice than are required by the Orthodox Union. For example, the parking lots of Young Israel shuls may not be open on Shabbat. Only Shomrei Shabbat laity may serve in leadership positions. The mechitzah must meet a proper standard. The Shul President must be male and born Jewish. There would be a gross inconsistency in maintaining standards that raise certain lay expectations several notches, while also admitting to Young Israel pulpit rabbis not committed to underlying principles of heightened fidelity to halakhah. The Young Israel standard will not turn into a witch hunt or be aimed at nullifying bona fide musmakhim of certain institutions. Of that I am sure, even though the first I learned of this new standard was the article in Commentator (Oct. 15). But once the reader appreciates that Young Israel already demands certain standards that transcend the Orthodox Union minimum, this latest policy seems pretty sensible.
In his article "Center for the Jewish Present" (Oct. 15) David Huggins makes an argument. What that argument is remains unclear, as his critique is less of a journalistic work than a poorly conceived stringing together of anti-modern orthodox clichés. Why is Torah u-Madda coercive, how does Yeshiva resemble an Islamic state, and what evidence is there of Modern Orthodox being a "dated... top to the bottom" movement? All these questions and more remain unanswered in Huggins' tirade. His questions regarding the place for the uneducated in modern orthodoxy are intriguing, but have been addressed in the past and can be answered again, if he'd like, by the many gedolei Torah u-Madda who roam Yeshiva's halls. If Huggins and his elusive "community" feels isolated by the Yeshiva's philosophy of Torah u-Madda or their liberal arts offerings, perhaps he should ask himself whether the time has come to change universities, rather than asking Yeshiva University to change.
Ezra Sutton
YC '08
Young Israel's Bona Fides
In my career, I have been the Rav of a Young Israel (YI) shul and of three non-YI Orthodox Union shuls. The thing about Young Israel- which not everyone knows and is not spelled out in the article- is that their National Council already has a number of standards in place that demand a higher level of lay observance and practice than are required by the Orthodox Union. For example, the parking lots of Young Israel shuls may not be open on Shabbat. Only Shomrei Shabbat laity may serve in leadership positions. The mechitzah must meet a proper standard. The Shul President must be male and born Jewish. There would be a gross inconsistency in maintaining standards that raise certain lay expectations several notches, while also admitting to Young Israel pulpit rabbis not committed to underlying principles of heightened fidelity to halakhah. The Young Israel standard will not turn into a witch hunt or be aimed at nullifying bona fide musmakhim of certain institutions. Of that I am sure, even though the first I learned of this new standard was the article in Commentator (Oct. 15). But once the reader appreciates that Young Israel already demands certain standards that transcend the Orthodox Union minimum, this latest policy seems pretty sensible.
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