Religion and Politics article on Aish

[artschooldropout]

http://religionandpolitics.org/2013/10/ ... oung-jews/

Definitely see a lot of parallels between these guys and the fundie dominionists we often cover here on FJ

[2xx1xy1JD]

Thanks for posting the link.

I have some mixed feelings about the big outreach organizations like Aish and Chabad.

On one hand, they fill a niche and serve a need. Have a question or need some basic info? You can probably find what you need on the website. Looking for some Jewish involvement, but don't want to commit up front to a synagogue and don't want to be judged for a lack of background? They'll take you as you are, often for free. Turned off by a Jewish education that largely focused on "Jewish continuity" or details of rituals or learning that seemed really difficult? They'll focus on doing the most interesting lectures, using multi-media learning, using the best speakers and getting folks with professional backgrounds to give advice, and they put a lot more emphasis on spirituality and certainty than most non-Orthodox Jews are used to. Not everybody goes and becomes Orthodox, but they do have a track record of getting folks to become more involved and engaged. It's possible to "take the best and leave the rest". Some of the parenting articles, for example, are really excellent. [i discovered the writings of Rabbi Noach Orlowek during a time when I was getting depressed arguing with fans of the Pearls, and it was a breath of fresh air. I'd recommend some of his stuff even to folks who aren't Jewish or religious, because it's wonderful. Sara Chana Radcliffe also has some decent advice.] They often encourage people to do good things - popular Aish speaker Lori Palatnik discusses becoming a living altruistic kidney donor, and I have a friend who has been promoting support for a Jerusalem-based orphanage and therapeutic treatment centers for children as a result of a visit there during an Aish-sponsored women's trip.

On the other hand, one of the things that Judaism and Jews were traditionally known for was intellectual rigor and avoiding easy answers. Orthodox Jews would study original sources and could tell you about all the various opinions in any debate. Non-Orthodox Jews would be willing to question anything, and the community in general was filled with lively discussions and debates about everything. I worry about losing that. While I often happen to like article that I see on aish.com or chabad.org, they rarely present all arguments on a topic. In some cases, they won't necessarily let you know about more lenient arguments and opinions. In other cases, they won't mention the existence of harsher opinions, if those happen to be things that would turn people off. Things often SEEM really open at first glance - they welcome you with open arms if you say that you you're a biker with no real Jewish background but happen to have a Jewish maternal grandmother - but they won't be quite as tolerant of a serious discussion about the documentary hypothesis.

Ideally, I'd love to see the outreach groups push the rest of the Jewish community into more projects like the kveller.com website or events like Limmud - both of which have the hip energy of the outreach organizations, but also have a commitment to genuinely welcoming all views and streams of Judaism and encouraging healthy debate.