What our community needs is an option in the center. There is a large gap between the Modern Orthodox and Yeshivish communties, which are, in my mind, both generally missing the boat. There is no real community in the middle, only individuals that believe in a more balanced approach to Judaism.As I basically commented there, people need to help join/create such a community. Instead, even among those people, they are simply weighing which is 'least bad' - the right or the left - when it comes to them and especially their children. (And by and large, they'll choose the right.)
On Da'as Hedyot, in his Better Know A Kofer series:
The frum world is not as good as it thinks it is; the outside world is not as bad as the frum world thinks it is.I think that's something that's important for us to acknowledge, rather than trying to scare kids into obedient servitude. We should focus instead on showing the advantages of and strengths of an Orthodox life, while acknowledging that as a community we need to strive to do better to get to that level.
There are plenty of people who would be interested in helping to build such a community, but often, their determination of the "least bad" option incorporates a recognition that there are fringe moderate groups in their infancy that despite having a preferable ideology, have other (often number-related) disadvantages that prevent them from winning their full support.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you believe would be the first step towards creating a viable moderate community?
Josh M - Great question, and agreed that fringe moderate groups struggle. The advantage here is that there should be plenty that appeals to not just moderates, but even people in either camp who have some disagreements or differing views with the mainstreams of those camps.
ReplyDeleteThe most important factors in this case would probably include acknowledgment of economic realities, shuls, and especially schools. To some extent, it's what goes on in many smaller (but not tiny) communities, except at a stronger level.
Were people to get together and establish a moderate Orthodox school that is economically viable, you'd find that it would attract moderates, "RW MO", and "Working yeshivish" if not others.
A big step would be staffing such a school with teachers who fit that bill: Either teachers who are themselves centrist or those who are one or the other themselves but no objection to the others. A very important factor would be establishing a Rav who fits that bill and, underrated, a set of Rabbeim/Rabbonim and/or a Kollel who are strong and fit that bill.