Monday, March 30, 2009

Better Know a Kofer: A Series

Da'as Hedyot has begun a series of interviews with kofrim (heretics, like me) in order combat the stereotypes Orthodox Jews have about us (we're shallow, hedonistic sex&drug addicts with no morals.) The first interview has been posted:
The first kofer we're meeting in our new series, Better Know a Kofer, is Sara, a third year law student who lives in Michigan with her husband of five years, together with their young daughter and two pets. Sara is a former Bais Yaakov girl from a moderate yeshivish family who stopped being frum in her early twenties. She currently practices Elder Law in a free clinic and has worked in the past as a middle and high school teacher at Bais Yaakov.


I and most of the other commenters focused probably too much on the fact that Sara is now a (liberal) Roman Catholic, but isn't that the whole point of this series? All of us who left are different. There are as many reasons, and paths, as there are kofrim. Check it out.

2 comments:

E-Man said...

That is funny how you say that most orthodox Jews think kofrim are shallow, hedenistic etc. I myself am orthodox and do not think this to be true. What I think is the beliefs we each have. I think you will not believe in G-D unless it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt because you are comforted by not believing in G-D. I, however, find a great deal of comfort in believing in G-D. However, I only believe in G-D because it is logical to me. I wish someone would do interviews with orthodox Jews so that the kofrim would see that we are not shallow and unintelligent.

In all of your posts you seem to be saying that orthodox Jews are ignorant and stupid. I think this stereotype is unfair since there are many people who are very intelligent and have struggled with this issue (of G-D's existence) that are orthodox.

Kylopod said...

the stereotypes Orthodox Jews have about us (we're shallow, hedonistic sex&drug addicts with no morals.)

The Jacob Steins of the world are a lot fewer than you imagine.