your post (and critique) is thoughtful and spot on. i'm starting a busy school day. perhaps we will catch up laterWe haven't yet caught up, but I'm hoping we will. I did offer Rabbi Horowitz the opportunity to guest post, but he's declined.
Incidentally, his post addressing parenting issues raised by the ban now has over 7000 page views.
Jordan Hirsch writes:
While this case does not rise to the level of the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Orthodox world recently, the response by Rabbi Alderstein follows a similar pattern to the response there. If you have an objection, do it quietly."Little Frumhouse" writes:
The flaw, as you correctly pointed out, is that allows the people in a position of power to ignore what's being said to them.
There are those who, to this day, foolishly tell me that the Lanner story never should have gone to the papers, that it all should have been handled behind the scenes. If the Lipa story tells us anything, it is that faced with transparency and honesty, those in power always want to control the story cycle. Here, just as in the Lanner case, it serves the interest of the establishment to keep things quiet. Object privately, and your issues will be hear and the institution will not be harmed. Everyone wins.
Except that this is the exact opposite of what will happen. Object privately, and you lose your ability to make your voice heard. Object privately, and you never find out how many others agree with you, because the self appointed power elite want to keep all the objectors in the dark. So you become convinced that it must be just you.
Object publicly, and your voice gets heard, not just by those in power, but by others who may share your feelings. That does not give anyone an excuse to speak of these Rabbis disrespectfully, or call them names. Nonetheless, raise your voice, and you will find you are not alone, that your power is many times what you thought.
When Rabbi Alderstein calls for private protest, what he is calling for is maintenance of the status quo. For keeping people in positions of authority, whether they are serving us well or not. That is the last thing we need.
The discussion of Cultural Values, what is Jewish, how much do we care, and how that does or should affect the Orthodox community, is long overdue. It should not start on a wall on the street in Borough Park.
I just wanted to thank you for including my link in your very comprehensive post about The Big Event Concert ban. This issue touched a lot of nerves and inspired many bloggers and readers alike to comment on the issue. Your blog round-up provides an epicenter for people to read about different aspects of the issue.A blogger emails:
Someone sent me asher freidmans contact info, should I post it for people to complain or ask for a refund?My reply:
I doubt it'd make a difference if you posted his info, and it would let him pretend to be a martyr.Also, here are some more Lipa links.
Personally, I think people ought not send any money to his tzedakah. A suggestion to that effect might be more productive.
Daily Yid.com
Jewschool posts "Jacques Attali and the State of Frum Rock."
Kishinevi posts "On the Lipa Ban."
Who's next? TV? Late night?
