tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post2131652833289202384..comments2024-01-30T12:26:03.019-05:00Comments on The Blog of Garnel Ironheart: Ethnicity Or TorahMighty Garnel Ironhearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09571194550300367249noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-21828556889584871372013-07-01T23:19:16.276-04:002013-07-01T23:19:16.276-04:00Bene braq? Spelling? Lord Iroheart's illustrio...<i>Bene braq? Spelling?</i> Lord Iroheart's illustrious Norman ancestry peeking through, perhaps. For us hoi polloi, <b>Tuvia,</b> it would be plain old Bnei Brak. <br /><br />With regards to Goyim, Temujin can opine better than many perhaps, as he is a jolly Goy himself, and one on the path of conversion with a Hareidi-led Orthodox beth din of fairly stiff standards and a frightening process involving a two to three-day long test. Yet he understands and being a fearless warrior of the steppes, Temujin will undoubtedly persevere, having been assured that his preference for the kippah srugah and a somewhat modernish and rationalist-inclined hashkafah would not be an impediment. Report to follow. Temujin has seen the alternative in the unraveling Conservative world of today, where there is a lot of lovely welcomes and kumbayahs going on, but where the standards are dismally low and the observance levels and long term commitment to yiddishkeit by the converts and their spouses are minimal at best. Such conversions do not add; they contribute to the phenomenon of the rapidly vanishing modern Jew of North America. In any event, Tuvia, one would argue that if variety and a fresh outlook is what's needed, the number of non-Jews genuinely committing to Orthodoxy is insufficient and so, one should perhaps focus on attracting baalei teshuvah who are returning to the proverbial fold in significant numbers. <br /><br />Greetings, <b>Lord Ironheart</b>. A great post again. Temujin is nearly done reading all your other posts too. Whew! Wow! Almost impossible to stop, but the Canada Day weekend gave one the opportunity to cover a nice stretch. Compliments on a remarkable and superbly written blog. One's recent "discovery" of Rav Slifkin and his virtual salon with its remarkable thinkers like yourself continues to bear good fruit and the Almighty deserves thanks for this fortune. <br /><br />So much to say, but for now the theme of a centre-right, halachically authentic MO identity(not happy with that label, btw), and the issues of non-Hareidi Orthodox pride and confidence which you bring up seem to intrigue this reader the most. Of particular interest is your comment about the lack of an authoritative MO publishing house in the manner of Feldheim or ArtScroll. Having been around publishing here and there and with this and that, Temujin is aware of the expense of printing and problems with distribution, even in a narrow market niche. He would like to remark, though, that for the price of a publication of a quality hard bound edition, one could establish and publicise an online publishing house with the capacity to "ship" publications electronically for now and to gear up for the emerging local low or single volume custom printing technology which should be coming up within two to five years. Of course, organizing and maintaining such a venture is easier said than done. Temujinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-18440647782817702422013-07-01T20:33:56.892-04:002013-07-01T20:33:56.892-04:00Questions and comments:
Bene braq? Spelling?
Why...Questions and comments:<br /><br />Bene braq? Spelling?<br /><br />Why be Jewish? Is a question that divides Jews big time.<br /><br />I spent near a year in a baal teshuva yeshiva – blew my mind to realize that fellow Jews, OJers, actually put a lot of stress on belief in specific dogma/doctrine. This is a pre-Enlightenment way of knowing truth, and should not be encouraged! The goyim are into this: messiahs, literal bibles, no dinosaurs or evolution, adam and eve, global flood – oy vey what a discovery to me that my OWN were into this too.<br /><br />I thought we understood: NO ONE KNOWS ANYTHING NUDNICK! Tradition is what a Jew cleaves to – NOT facts.<br /><br />I was wrong.<br /><br />My recommendations: turn Judaism inside out. STOP trying to be like evangelicals. Acknowledge that thirty three centuries is a long time to KNOW what happened way back.<br /><br />Also, INVITE IN goyim who are married to Jews. Goyim bring genetic diversity, they bring good middos often, and there is NO prohibition on being inviting! The rabbis can change course on this one. Make being a Jew a good, positive thing and something any sane person would want for their family and themselves.<br /><br />Judaism is too shut off from the outside to operate in a mentally healthy way. It is not healthy to cloister oneself, to fear the world, to fear so much. Judaism in the OJ variety is creating unhealthy communities.<br /><br />We should learn from the weirdo Mormons. They are 180 years old and have six million members in the US and five million more around the world. The first hundred years they were the laughingstock of religions. They have two huge universities and 80 percent of male graduates go on missions. They started with six individuals in Western NY – LOOK AT THESE GUYS!<br /><br />They have an incredible system for taking care of each other, for helping each other, for marrying and caring about each other. They work, they earn, tithe, and live in the world.<br /><br />And, they don’t touch alcohol, tobacco or coffee. That’s not easy.<br /><br />WE HAVE TO LEARN from modern, structured communities. The idea that here in NYC or in Israel that haredi folks cannot work, and cannot serve in the army because of FEAR that they will leave OJ shows that JUDAISM MUST LEARN from other, strong religions how to find sanity and a path to growth and an embrace of Jewish ritual.<br /><br />Amen,<br /><br />Tuvia<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1097749014220347853.post-13514679481672662142013-07-01T20:09:45.033-04:002013-07-01T20:09:45.033-04:00well saidwell saidfrum single femalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01592899863773572708noreply@blogger.com