Sunday, December 14, 2008

Why are they destined for failure?


Before we can get to such a question we have to assume that this is what's going to happen, and its inevitable. Yes, I'm talking about the downfall of the hassidic community.

There is several reasons why its going to happen and why its inevitable, Unless the hassidic community will make some real changes in the system, and by real changes i mean to change the fundamentals of the system.

There is no way possible that in today's times an Establishment should be able to keep themselves sheltered and separated from the mainstream/secular world, this was possible 50 years ago, maybe even 20 years ago when the Internet was still in the diapers, but not in 2008, and definitely not in 2030 when it looks like the community will be pretty much gone.

The RABBANIM and the MACHERS in the community are fighting the unbeatable, they try to ban the latest technology with little success, how can you possibly ban the Internet when some basic stuff can only be done thru the Internet, how can you possibly ban cellphones from young kids when the only public phones you can find in New York City mostly doesn't work.

If you go back even 5 years from now it was pretty hard for a teenage hassidic kid to have a email address, cellphone or any access to the INTERnational NETwork, and with the advanced technology you can be with a iPod, not even a cellphone, and access wherever you want. not everybody is interested to understand the meaning of life or at least what he/she wants to do with his/her life, they'll just go with the flow, but allot of kids are actually trying to get to the bottom of it, and when the community wont give them the answers they're looking for they'll get it-with the help of the latest technology-from wherever they can get it.

So we're coming back to point one, the system is trying to fight the latest technology. but the only way how you might have a shot is if you provide your kids with alternatives. Internet is a problem? OK, we're not going to ban it, we'll control it. Movies is a problem? instead of banning it, we'll control it, we'll face the problem and deal with it, not run away from it.

Believe it or not, In most cases where hassidic kids that go OFF THE DERECH it starts with a movie, there is other reasons, like girls for example, but this is a issue for itself which we're not going to deal with now. so if technology is the fault for your kids leaving then face it and deal with it, don't hide your head in the sand and say "I'm OK, i raise my kids to be FRUM AND ERLICH, what can i do that i was punished with TZAR GIDUL BUNIM?......"

But its going to take a lifetime of practice in order for them to be able to make the needed changes, which it might be to late by then, not to mention that this is probably the the hardest thing to ask them, it contradicts the basics and the fundamentals of the system which is CHUDOSH USSER MIN HATORAH.

I just cant see it happening, i hardly believe that these changes will ever take place, what will happen is that more and More kids will leave and its going to be just like in Europe before the Holocaust, where the secular YIDDISH culture overpowered the Hasidim and the hassidic community shrinkd to a minimum.

They got some boost after the holocaust when people were shattered and some people turned to hassidic rabbis for encouragement, but these times are over and the young generation is not interested in all this crap anymore, and if they wont change themselves their kids will change them, but when it will get to that point there will probably be no way back, the damage will be done.

6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I was writing a comment, but it got too long and out of hand. I revised it into a post, and posted on my blog. Come, read, and enjoy.
    http://frumfactory.blogspot.com/

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  3. Actually it's on my English blog; I'm tired.
    http://frumfactory-en.blogspot.com/

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  4. the internet is a package deal, everything that posted a danger to the ultra orthodox community the internet includes it, so with the 21st century technology where the internet goes mobile i think the unwanted (for them) is inevitable, its much bigger then then the secular winds in the 19th century, bigger then Communism and other groups in the 20th century, and its bigger then tv in the 1950's

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  5. I am a grandfather in my 60's. Back in the 1960's when I attended Mesifta Chaim Berlin on Stone Ave "The Boys" would spend their mornings on what was referred to in those days "The Bimbs" which was 42nd St between 7th & 8th Ave watching a double feature. Tne IRT got us back to Brooklyn on time for secular studies as all we were interested in passing rhe regents exams and getting admitted to the college of our choice, mostly Brooklyn College which was free if you had an 87 average. Why am writing this..it is because in the lobbies of the movie theatres theiir were always young hasidish men in full levush. And this was 45 years before Al Gore invented the internet

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  6. Its true, Back in Europe it was also like this, with yiddish theaters and jewish night clubs, but after the holocaust the ultra orthodox system managed to impose i pretty tight control (even though there were always loopholes) but this tight control is slowly fading, and if they wont embrace technology it will turn against them.

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