Orthodox Judaism as an institution supports Rabbis who are ignorant and bigoted simply because they are Rabbis. If you're frum enough, you get a free pass. Yes, OJs may roll their eyes and complain to each other about such Rabbis, but they keep them employed and in positions of authority nonetheless. Here are some quotes I've heard from actual Orthodox Rabbis employed by respected Orthodox institutions with my own two ears. None of them were joking. All were addressing their classes:
Various overtly racist "jokes" using the n-word which I will not repeat.
"If you are friends with a non-Jew, he will eventually turn on you."
"If you leave uncontaminated meat in a sealed ziploc bag, it will spontaneously generate maggots."
"Can you believe that some people think we actually came from monkeys?!?!"
To my knowledge, none of these Rabbis were ever fired or even spoken to by the administration. And these were in mostly "Modern" Orthodox schools.
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"Our goal isn't to teach the girls, but to shelter them."
That's a quote (perhaps not word for word) from a rabbi who runs a bais yaakov in Boro Park.
Got that in response to showing the students a computer program which mentioned pregnancy. Pregnancy! Half the women those girls know are pregnant.
I can not think freely and be orthodox. I am now officially one of those mechalal shabbos people as I write this response on Shabbos without any fear!!! I only have fear of my family so I do this in secret but I feel great. Thank you all Jewish atheists for being out there on the web.
I've heard much worse. And on a regular basis.
I'm going to echo Mis-nagid. I've heard much worse- and from very sincere people.
There is a way to teach them, and one day we will find the key. I do not think they are innately evil or stupid, simply frightened- and very indoctrinated in the "accept, don't question," method.
I couldn’t agree more, and I suppose it would be foolish to expect more from a culture that will not upgrade from it’s Iron Age ethical standards.
The only thing that gets to me is what responsibility for this lays in our hands…I mean here we are sneaking around on the web cloaked in anonymity snipping away at our religion; doesn’t change come from those courageous few who stand up and are heard, consequences be damned. I don’t know, just a thought.
By the way, having attended a modern orthodox startup school, I know how this happens. The school starts with a modern orthodox philosophy but wants the best that can be offered in Talmud and academic Judaics. In come the Lakewood bochurs, and before you know it the Shakespeare play is cancelled because robes and tunics are bege’d Isha.
I kid you not…
Yeah, the problem is that schools want to teach Gemara, but the best Rebbes are typically of the fundamentalist strain - because those are the guys who spend all their time learning Gemara.
Tough call.
Is it really so bad if we start learning Gemara with the English on the side?
By the way, having attended a modern orthodox startup school, I know how this happens. The school starts with a modern orthodox philosophy but wants the best that can be offered in Talmud and academic Judaics. In come the Lakewood bochurs, and before you know it the Shakespeare play is cancelled because robes and tunics are bege’d Isha.
Hey eveyrone, why bother with Orthodox if it's alost cause? There's always Conservative (and having a few more "right-wing" congregations in the USCJ might be a healthy dose of countervailing power against the granola-crunchers and radical feminists.) And if Conservative is just going too far, there's always the UTJ:
http://www.utj.org/
In short, there's no reason to have to put up with hareidi Judaics teachers if you're not hareidi.
Why stay where you're not wanted?
You think that you came from monkeys?
Not me. I do think that I share common ancesters with monkeys, but not that I am necessarily descended from them.
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