Friday, March 21, 2014

What Did the Asifas for Tznius and Against Israel, Accomplish?


Interesting post from the Boroparker!


The Chareidi community has been afflicted with an abundance of gatherings, protests, assemblies and rallies in the past few weeks. I think that it’s time to hold a prayer vigil to pray for the cessation of all vigils. It bothers me to no end why I can’t comprehend the thought process behind this all. What are they trying to achieve? Why are they doing this? Am I missing something or are they simply dumb and possibly arrogant?
I think that these gatherings are not a means to a goal, rather a goal in and of itself. I came to this conclusion as I was walking today in the streets of Boro Park and noticed the absence of even the slightest change in women’s apparel from the pre ‘Tznius Asifa’ era. How could it be that the organizers proclaimed a massive success while the facts on the street clearly show otherwise, I wondered. It must be – I concluded – that the goal of the modesty gathering wasn’t to implement change at all. The goal was simply to have a successful gathering. And to that extent they succeeded beyond expectations. The hall was filled to capacity, many rabbis occupied the seats on the multi layered platform and most of all, it created a huge sensation. Obviously, that’s all that the organizers wanted to get out of this gathering, hence the celebration for the success.
The same can be said in regards to the huge prayer rallies that were held in Jerusalem, London and New York. The objective must have been to have a huge rally and nothing more. What else could have been the objective? This is why the participants were having a difficult time explaining to the media why they are there. How can you tell a reporter that tens of thousands of people got together on Wall Street so that they can feel good about themselves? Instead, many participants tried explaining how the Israeli government is persecuting them by requiring them to take equal responsibility for their country. This in turn happens to sound even more asinine than anything else.
One Chasidic caller to the Michael Savage show thought that he could easily explain how studying the Torah is the same as serving in the defense forces, but to no avail. Michael Savage takes the guys belief apart with simple rational. (I recommend that you listen to it in its entirety, pure entertainment.) I genuinely felt bad for that guy. He, and most of the people who attended the rally for that matter, believed that this was the reason for the protest. They don’t know the real and obvious reason behind the protest, to have a successful protest.
This mentality can be found in other areas of Chareidi life as well. When the Shomrim patrol unit holds a fundraiser drive they publish articles and flyers detailing the enormity of their organization. You can find data on their budget, how many walkie talkies they have, how many patrol cars and how many members. Not once have I seen any data on their effect on the crime rates in the areas that they patrol (even though they probably do have an affect). The emphasis shows that Shomrim is here to be Shomrim rather than actually reducing crime.
In similar vein, the chesed organizations boast more amount the amount of chicken and matzos that they distribute than the actual impact they have on poverty. This became such a big deal that in a certain neighborhood there are two competing organizations handing out food for the “needy” for Passover and each is trying to outdo the other with the amount of food that they distribute. This caused that the neighborhood is flooded with available free food, and many families that would be able to get by on their own get food from the organizations that are more than happy to have another recipient to boast about. I don’t feel very comfortable lamenting generosity, I’m just trying to allude to the irony that the goal of the chesed organization isn’t to help or achieve, rather to be a successful organization.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in Flatbush , we keep getting this newspaper in the mail from Hamaspik, it's written in English & Yiddish. They have at least one beautiful building, one is on 13th ave with gorgeous silver lettering on the outside. What do they do/ From where do they get all their money?
Why are they sending me their newspaper unsolicited? Who's making millions there?Seems like they're making more than giving away. Why do so many organizations have their shnorr hands in our sucker pockets all day long? Time to investigate.

JJJJJ said...

The writer asks!
Am I missing something or are they simply dumb and possibly arrogant?
My answer is: YES YOU ARE!
Yidishkeit is a religion that takes years to study and controls every minute of the Jews life and thats why torah tells us that we should ask the Gedolin of that generation no mater how great they are what to do (not Michael Savage) like asking a doctor even you don't understand.
I have personally finished Shas and a large part of the Shulchan Aruch and thats enough to Know that I don't know so I ask.
Now about the Tznius Asifeh YES it accomplished very much by turning people back and holding people from falling into the trap although there is nothing that will cure it 100 percent.
As for the Giyus issue, I still remember the days of Guyis Banos and the protests then and it helped for the girls and indirectly even for the boys for the last 50 years.

Anonymous said...

Chessed organizations??

Read this week's Forward with itz blazing headline-

26 BILLION BUCKS ,THE JEWISH CHARITY INDUSTRY UNCOVERED
enough to make you puke and stop giving. Most cherit is a sham. Read it and weep.

Anonymous said...

hi jjjjj.
You seem like a nice person but a bit naive and alot narrow minded.
Please emend you quote about gedolim to read MY Gedolim, because other Gadolim did NOT approve of the demonstastrations. Some calling the demonstration in NY a chillul Hashem. The anti demonstration Gadoiml outnumber the more "FAMOUS" Gadolim by at least 2:1. Your rabbis got the publicity because their sychophant hang'oners make more noise, since they're idle most of the day..

Anonymous said...

Let's call a demonstration by its real name. The wealthy in Williamsburgh ( aka Satmar).
Who pays for the logistics that these asifos require? Satmar.
Instead of better supporting their brethren in poverty stricken Mea Shearim ( so they don't have to beg in shuls, coming in 4 at a time) and their brethren in Williamsburgh who in many, many cases are living below poverty line, they finance anything or anybody that will smear Zionists.
Theirs is a sick, psychotic obsession that knows no decent bounds.
Now JJJ, you say that " I don't know so I ask."
With due respect, you only need to ask about kashrut, Shabbos,piece of learning, muktza, tumeh, tahara, and such.
In order to decide about an asifah stroll, you use your G-D given intelligence. You DON'T ask a rav about where to buy a house, which toilet paper to use, which color bowtie I should wear,what we should have for snack or dinner. You don't tie his time up with this mundane stuff ,notrwithstanding the fact that many travel long ways, wait on long lnes and throw big bucks to rabbis to ask these and similar questions.The Torah tells to to work -Sheshes Yomim Taavod- It doesn't pretend to tell us WHICH type of work. For that, the Ribbono Shel Olam gave us seichel, talents and yearnings for different and varied vocations. You don't ask a rav about this.
Here's a clue for the future:
If it smells like Satmar/Lakewood/ Brisk, looks like Satmar/Lakewood/Brisk, quackes, moos and barks like it, then in ALL likelihood its Satmar/Lakewood/ Brisk.
AND jjjjjj----- Please wake up , smell and taste a good strong cup of Tanzanian coffee. Or are you going to ask your Gadol about this- Unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

Dear jjj:
YAWN. YAWN... Heard your harangue before.It's DONE. Stick a fork in it.

Anonymous said...

Rabbi David Stav Shlita, chairman of the religious Zionist Tzohar ... slammed the rally ( hareidi demonstrations) as a “disgraceful manipulation of the Torah.”.
He's as big a Gadol as anybody else.

Anonymous said...

Lets have all the mothers protest the molestation of their children, protest the cheating husbands, protest the edicts against abuse and agunas. Then maybe it will be worth the time.