I recently saw the following quote on a post shared by Alex Israel about Rivka Press Schwartz's article in "Tradition"
"I have taught, for the last decade and a half, in two different, large, co-ed Modern Orthodox high schools. The majority of our students attend secular colleges; they learn Talmud in co-ed classes; they will be challenged, externally and internally, by the egalitarian moral universe of college campuses; they have largely assimilated those egalitarian values themselves when it comes to homosexuality and, to a lesser extent, feminism. The senior rashei yeshiva who stand as the halakhic decisors for our community are inhabiting a vastly different social, cultural, intellectual, and moral world. I do not know how long such a disconnect between a community and its leadership is sustainable, or what “not sustainable” in this context even means. Does it mean that some people leave Orthodoxy? Stay Orthodox in body but not in mind?"
I immediately asked Alex whether Dr Schwartz suggests a way forward, and was told that she does not discuss one in the article.
In what will not be a surprise to anyone who knows me, I believe the way forward is in putting forth a deep sense of emunah and our relationship with God. Not intellectually, but experientially. A deep sense of Hashem's presence in our lives, will make all questions challenging but manageable. Without it, and right now we are barely doing this, we will continue to mostly fail with the next generation.
I have two things in mind, but only one that I'm ready to roll out now, as the other will take more planning.
I just set up the bare bones of a blog called "What Does Your Emunah Look Like?". I hope to launch it in the coming weeks.
Here's what I am looking for:
-People who self-identify as Orthodox (there will be no tzitzis checks) who feel that they can comfortable give over an experiential sense of what their relationship with God looks like.
-Everyone can contribute. Not just rabbis and teachers. ideally kids as well.
- Staying away from philosophical treatises.
- Nothing highfalutin. What do you feel in your experience of God.
-Self-edited. This is not a full time job for me and I can't spend a lot of time on editing.
- I also welcome all suggestions about layout, publicity and the like.
If this appeals to you or you have ideas of what this may look like, welcome aboard.
Please send all submissions to rabbipesach@gmail.com
