1)All articles are written by me and not my wife. The reason you recieved them under her name was because of a glitch (that we hope was fixed) from our server. Like most of my pulblishers, she takes no responsibility for the ideas expressed therein.
2)Ideas 13 was received with unprecedented critique, some of which I would like to share with the readership:
From Rabbi Steven Gaffin:
While I don't know for sure about Mr F knows or does not know, I do not have to presume innocence where there is no reason to do so. If one examines antisemites across history (e.g. Martin Luther), one sees clearly that their hatred comes more from expediency (Luther after all began life as a big supporter of the jews) than from ignorance. I do not get a sense that a couple of lessons about the richness of the Jewish contribution to humanity will put any but a small minority back on the path of tolerance. Of course, that is a simplification of what you said, but even though the rampant materialism of many American Jews may make matters worse, i get the feeling that F uses them as evidence of a belief he has long held - long before this problem was rife.
From an anonymous reader:
As to Farrakhan et. al. I only have problems with a couple of your formulations. Your argument, I believe, is coherent except for the very last line. Rejecting the decadent cultural panderings of the Jews involved in the entertainment industry will not allay anti-Semitism. The history of anti-semitism (also) is too varied to think for a moment that adopting one particular set of positions will put the goyim at rest. If we adopt your position, than many of them will simply think that we're backwards ro such like and we'll find some other version of anti-semitism.
Secondly, I am not convinced that there is something that you call "true Judaism". Though I find myself (both theologically and in terms of practice living comfortably within the parameters of orthodoxy) I belive that one can see the varieties within the tradition and recognize the difficulties of pointing to any one given expression the honor of being 'the true Judaism". There are things that go on in liberal Judaisms that I think are disastrous and sometimes just stupid but truth is a hard thing to claim to own. I think more in terms of strategies and their effectiveness for drawing people closer to KBH and Torah, as I understand their most compelling representations.
And from my most faithful correspondent Gary Bradski:
The social disruption today is real and a problem. What's needed I think is for religion to articulate forward looking purpose and aim, together with a binding sense of awe and celebration of what is/the divine. Not simple articulate what it is against. In short, Freedom is important to the "core" if only because it forces religion to attract and not get lazy via coercion or inertia.
We're in a disruptive age and in a huge state of transition. Freedom is here to stay (I hope) and this will cause much destruction and falling away, but what religion emerges from this period will have recaptured the "fire" and burn brightly in it's attraction.
3) A brief response:
The Farrakhan piece was not meant as a treatise on the root cause of anti-semitism or even an authoratative missive about Farrakhan's view. I was using Farrakhan as an example of someone who should really be alligned with us, and explaining what I view as a barrier for many ethical non-Jews. The point was that if normative (true?) Judaism could get its message across to these people, it would benefit all involved.
As for freedom of opinion and the truth of orthodoxy, I beleive to represent the classical positions of rabbinic (orthodox) Judaism. While I continue to be highly critical of orthodox society and leadership in our times, I am solidly rooted in classical orthodoxy.
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(The views expressed in this essay do not necessarily reflect the views of Tzemach Dovid)
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