I had a different posting planned for today, but I'm putting it off for a bit. I've decided to be upbeat and chipper today. I'm planning on smiling a lot. The sun is shining, no rain is scheduled, and why should I rain on anyone's parade when even nature isn't going to do that.
I had a great idea: I'm going to let you all write this posting via your comments. The rules are few and simple. First, the general theme for the posting is "Things that are good in the frum world." Yes, you read that correctly. I want you all to think about and then report on the good things that are going on in Klal. Have things improved that weren't so good a while back? Have new programs or ideas been introduced that improve frum life? Where have we moved forward, in a positive way? What great and good things have you heard of/experienced yourself in being frum? Tell me the parts of frum life that are better than ever. Tell me why it is a beautiful thing to be a frum Jew living right now.
We spend a lot of time kvetching, myself included, and most of what we kvetch about deserves our kvetching. But please, today is going to be a good news only day. I mentioned to SuperRaizy that I didn't think I could manage such a day, or even such an hour, but I think you are all going to prove to me that it can happen (see Jameel, I'm taking a vacation of sorts). It's time to stop watching out for all the thorns, if even for only one day, and stop and smell the roses.
Ready, get set, go!
23 comments:
The internet has become a wonderful way to find Torah. Between access to seforim that cannot be found in the local beit midrash, to shiurim from leading Rabbonim, tapes of shiurim from Gedolim of the previous generation and on-line interactive classes the internet has increased my learning.
My dad tells that when people his age were going for job interviews and they asked what religion you are most people lied and didn't say they were Jewish because a lot of places wouldn't hire you. In my generation they weren't asking the question any more but I know most guys didn't wear a kipah to the interview or in the office so they wouldn't know or be reminded. My kids don't even think about the fact that they wear a kipah and go on the interviews and wear their kipah in the office. Things have improved with descrimination in jobs so that you don't have to choose between being frum and working mostly where you want to.
A good news day? How unique. I'll nominate having Dror Yeshorim. TEsting for diseases and conditions that are genetic before a couple considers marriage so that parents don't have c"v the agony of children who will die young or who will be ill with things that they no longer have to suffer with.
Sort of a goodnews/bad news thing, but if someone paints a swastika or other anti Jewish thing on a building (anti semitism is still the bad news) the police investigate right away and it is punishable as a hate crime. At least here it is not the police who are doing the painting of those signs.
Jews from all over the world can stay connected to each other even when they don't live near each other thanks to the Internet. Klal is stronger this way. Families who live apart can be in closer contact. It's no longer just each small community for itself.
Multiple learning options for women, being funded to learn, and being encouraged to bring that learning to life.
Being able to walk into a beit midrash almost anywhere in Manhattan (be it Drisha, YU, JTS or my shul), pick up a sefer and learn.
Shas-pods and other ipod shiurim!
Keeping a kosher home, even with all the chumras that some people have, is easier then it has ever been before. So many branded products with hechsherim that are sold all over the country. Almost no place in the country that you can't walk into a supermarket and find what you need. And you aren't stuck with only being able to eat a few things because there is so much choice.
Keeping kosher is easier than ever, and the ease of getting kosher food when traveling or for a business function is wonderful.
And learning opportunities for women, as rivkayael said, are abundant. Whether in Israel or the US, there are so many shiurim, institutions and Partners in Torah - it's truly beautiful.
Sabbath observer laws that make it easier for frum people to work in more kinds of places and to protect them from being fired for leaving earlier on a Friday. You may have to make up the missing hours but they can't fire you for being frum.
The state of Israel is great news for frum people. You may not agree with what the government is doing or how things run but the fact that Israel exists and persists is unbelievable good fortune for frum people. Am Yisroel Chai!
The fact that we are able to openly practice Judaisim in the United States without fear.
Thousands of seforim published in English so people can learn on their own or so they can really understand in their own language what they are learning.
Kosher food concessions in large entertainment places like 6 Flags and Yankee Stadium. No more shlepping a tuna sandwich from home when you can get an overpriced hotdog just like everyone else.
You know this is harder then it seems. I have no trouble in finding the things to complain about. I agree with the other commenters about the things they mentioned but a lot of those things aren't things that frum Jews did to help themselves. A lot are things that living in the US brought about because our outside society has improved. Frum Jews benefited from that just like all the other citizens did. If you ask what we have done to make things better for ourselves you get a smaller list. Maybe I'm just being slow today but I can't think of anything to add to the list, certainly not anything that we have done for ourselves. Someone maybe help me out here?
We always talk about how divided we are as a nation but I think one of our strong points is that we're all there for one another...My father used to have a boss who wasn't Jewish and he used to carry a yarmulke in his car for when he had car trouble on the road. He would put on the yarmulke while he was on the side of the road and a frum Jew would always stop! (of course he also had a necklace with a cross around his neck which always confused people..)
I agree with what some people said about hechshered food. When I was in Australia (not in an observant community), I went to the Jewish Museum there in search of frum Jews and practically hugged the first woman there who was wearing a magen David. And felt so happy sitting in their cafeteria. On returning to the States erev Shabbat and shopping for groceries, wanted to say shehechiyanu.
Also for--Jewish hospitals here, a large Jewish community, and for YU professors who are supportive of PhD students who do PhDs in academic Jewish studies so as to learn lishma.
We still have a long way to go with this but frum Jews have gotten better at admitting that we might have certain kinds of problems just like the non Jews do. I'm thinking of resource type of help for students with learning disabilities. Or for programs that deal with addiction. We need lots more of these types of programs, and more admitting that we have problems, but it's a start.
In today's world where you often don't know your neighbors, I know who my neighbors are, I know who their children are, and despite challenges I can actively parents because the right tools are in place. I can't imagine living in anyplace but a Jewish neighborhood.
- Israel
- Artscroll linear translation siddurim
- Jewish music that appeals to a variety of tastes
- USA / freedom of religion
- Kosher Subway, Oreos, Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme
- Sophisticated kosher wine
- Pleasant Pesach food
- Rebbeim and Morahs who care
- Mincha at rest stops, cholent at gas stations, kosher airline food
-
hatzalah, chaverim, bikkur cholim and all the other chesed organizations manned by volunteers.
i don't know if this counts, but i'm also happy for my friend oren who just had another girl.
ARI:
i have some nitpicking for some of the comments here, but i let them go in the spirit of the post. but i'm sorry that i can't overlook something you wrote--"Kosher Subway"? i don't know if it's an aberration, but the one on ave j is quite possibly the worst kosher eatery i've ever been in. it's certainly nothing we should be proud of and i'm afraid it's even a chilul hashem (if food can be designated such)
Making aliya and Living in Israel has never been easier in the past 2000 years.
Compared to any time period in the past 2000 years, it is easier to live in Israel today. Any financial issues people face today are negligible compared to the sacrifices people used to make for the zechut to live in Eretz Yisrael.
Child mortality rates have dropped, diseases have disappeared, life expectancy is higher than ever before. The poverty that the talmeidei haGRA endured was 1000 times worse than any financial issues people may have today.
Life may not be perfect, but putting things into perspective, life is decent!
OK, my main answers have already been said. Just one more observation. Actually, I'll post it on my own blog ;-)
(I'm overdue for a post because I've been sitting on the same one too long... don't know how Prof spews them out like this...)
We all complain that we are living in a time of unprecedented chutzpah, yet, I love teaching my students and witness their good middos. Sure, there are incidents of chutzpah, but I am struck at the way they care for each other, for people that need their support, and the way they behave towards me. The frum community manages to instill good middos into their children, despite all our complaining of chutzpah.
Post a Comment