Program pioneered events like non-reciprocal visit to a non-Orthodox wanted to about the book, but Across America, which reach a large location is too compromising. Thus, Reinman was prepared to repeat, in Book cohort of the Jewish world. Aish even when doors to other Jewish press and in person, “Read my lips. HaTorah has always employed serious groups open up to us, we are forced to You can claim what you will, but marketing and advertising tools to slam them shut. (Many, but apparently there is no change in policy.” (A understand the needs of different sub- not all. According to a letter penned scheduled book tour, which would groups in the community, and tailor- by Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt”l, him- have put audiences in fourteen cities makes messages to reach them. self, and read two years in succession in face-to-face contact with Rabbi Chabad, of course, has done wonders at the annual convention of the Reinman was halted but not before with the message of unadulterated Association of Jewish Outreach one memorable appearance at the One People, Two Worlds of the religious spectrum trade their Much of the opposition was narrow love. The OU’s National Conference Professionals, kiruv workers should 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. Rabbi By and worldviews. They would correspond and ill-informed. An anonymous of Synagogue Youth has numerous look for opportunities to teach Reinman handled himself with by e-mail, which would be collected screed attacking One People and circu- programs and Shabbatonim to attract authentic at Reform and humor and aplomb but was chal- and published by an established pub- lating on the East Coast says it all. unaffiliated youth. Conservative synagogues, albeit not lenged by a very clever question lishing house. Rabbi Reinman was “Reform is not the current issue or For decades, we have been locked within one of their religious services.) from the moderator. What would asked to represent the Orthodox point threat to the frum velt (world),” reads out of the minds and hearts of most of One People will pry open some of you tell a student who advised you of view. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, execu- one of the complaints, urging instead our brothers and sisters. The majority these doors. The book is novel and, that he had one hour in which he tive director of the Association of that we just ignore the lot of them. of American are neither Reform, by now, notorious. There is hardly a could either study with the Reform Zionists of America, was cho- Rabbi Reinman and the Torah lumi- nor Conservative, nor Orthodox. They better recipe for insuring that thou- Reform Rabbi Hirsch, or watch The sen to speak for Reform. naries who once backed him, however, simply do not affiliate. Most of them sands of curious Jews will pick it up Sopranos? Without flinching, Rabbi Rabbi Reinman was sensitive to a do see Reform as a major will never meet an Orthodox Jew. and take it home. Rabbi Reinman Reinman responded, to the audible half-century long policy in much of issue. Reform’s very existence chal- They claim no interest in deepening will be the first Orthodox Jew to gasps of the audience, “Go for The the Orthodox community of shunning lenges our responsibility to the Jewish their understanding of Judaism or Sopranos.” Can you get more morally official rabbinic contact that seems to people as a whole. What have we done exploring their spiritual legacy. They Virtually no clear than that?) Schocken Books confer legitimacy on non-Orthodox to win back Jewish souls who are slip- are unlikely to ever meet up with tra- Ironically, Rabbi Reinman was in a New York, 2002 clergy. He won assurances from the ping through the safety net of Jewish ditional outreach workers, let alone outreach unique position to shore up the non- 311 pages publisher that he would be presented identity into irreversible assimilation? walk into one of their classes or events. recognition policy by taking the sting Reviewed by Yitzchok Adlerstein as a private individual who happens to Do we meet that challenge through Those who affiliate with other out of the barbs that have been direct- be a rabbi, rather than as a spokesper- the hundreds of dedicated men and denominations do not substantially organization ed against it. Non-Orthodox clergy One People, Two Worlds could have son for any rabbinic group. Rabbi women devoting themselves to Jewish increase their chances of meeting up reaches out at all. have repeatedly cited it to make two been the most exciting development in Reinman (p. 230) makes explicit refer- outreach? Should we not consider with authentic Jewish expression. devastating points about us, both Jewish outreach since the invention of ence to the policy and clearly endorses them our agents of commitment and Orthodox programs and teachers are patently untrue. The first is that we the smile. The storm clouds of contro- it himself. (Even his book-industry concern to the greater part of the hardly ever allowed into non- speak to these unknowledgeable Jews, don’t speak with them because we versy that quickly surrounded it, how- friend told him that he understood Jewish community? Orthodox venues. Understandably, at once shattering many of the nega- don’t believe they are really Jewish. ever, have largely eclipsed the book’s why the Orthodox refuse to officially Hardly. Without minimizing their most non-Orthodox clergy are only tive impressions they have been treat- (Who can forget Billy Crystal’s promise for kiddush Hashem. debate others. Moral clarity, he called spectacular accomplishments, the word willing to invite Orthodox representa- ed to—many carefully and methodi- remark, heard by one billion people at Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman is a it.) Rabbi Reinman consulted with outreach is, for the most part, a mis- tives if they will be invited in return to cally fed to them by their own cler- the televising of the Oscars, that he talmid chacham of note who has made major Torah figures in Israel and nomer. More accurately, it should be Orthodox turf. The overwhelming gy—and at the same time logically had read the headline in The Los a life of learning and writing in America, who gave their approval to called keep-an-open-door-and-beg- majority of Orthodox balk at defending Torah positions they had Angeles Times that some Orthodox Lakewood, New Jersey. He has many the project. He and his mentors—and them-to-walk-in.” Virtually no out- such reciprocity, seeing it as giving been led to believe were indefensible. group had formally decided that non- writing credits to his name; his great- this reviewer—believed that it would reach organization reaches out at all. It respectability to views entirely off the Within days of its publication, Orthodox Jews were not really Jewish. est accomplishment, Shufra Deshtara, be obvious to most thinking people announces, “We have programs that map of authentic Judaism. Panels and however, One People was hailed in “Last week I thought I was Jewish. has become the standard work on the that this endeavor was not the begin- might stimulate you if you already have symposia, where different denomina- Ha’aretz as a breakthrough event. The Yesterday I read the Times, and learned intricacies of Jewish documents for ning of a slippery slope towards greater interest. Explore a bit. We pledge to tions present their views, are also Orthodox, they claimed, were begin- that I would have to buy retail!” No genuine Torah scholars. recognition. The nature of the contact make your stay as comfortable as possi- shunned. Most Orthodox rabbis have ning to thaw the Big Freeze towards matter that the rabbinical group had a A few years ago, a non-observant between them was both non-official ble.” How many Jews will we reach followed the advice of the roshei the heterodox. Rabbi Reinman, of membership of approximately two acquaintance in the publishing indus- and so obviously adversarial (while this way? Can it ever amount, at best, yeshivah who, a half-century ago, for- course, repeated what he had said in people, and had not even made such a try pitched an idea to him: he would entirely respectful), that no one would to a small fraction of those who con- bade rabbis from lending tacit legiti- the book. There was no thaw nor statement. The canard stuck because love to see two Jews at opposite ends think that the purpose of the venture tinue to walk out of Jewish history? macy to non-Orthodox clergy by shar- even anything especially innovative non-Orthodox rabbis had been claim- was to lend credence to heretical Very few people think out of the ing panels of a religious nature. about what he was doing. The ban ing for decades that the Orthodox Rabbi Adlerstein serves on the editorial views. To the contrary, the book would box, designing programs to appeal to There are excellent reasons for this was on official recognition of ideolo- believe that.) Rabbi Reinman dramati- board of Jewish Action and directs hold up the inconsistencies and fail- those who do not yet have any interest policy, but we pay a definite price for gy, not against acknowledging the cally belied the claim by very obviously Project Next Step, an educational out- ures of in sharp relief in returning to Judaism or exploring it. The vast majority of Jews never get brotherhood of all Jews, even those speaking to, and establishing a friend- reach effort aimed at young Jews outside for at least some open-minded people their legacy. The exceptions are few. a chance to meet us or our beliefs. with whom we disagree. The other ship with, a Jew very far removed from the Orthodox community. to see. The National Jewish Outreach Many of our rabbis believe that even a movements could claim what they Orthodoxy.

Spring 5763/2003 JEWISH ACTION JEWISH ACTION Spring 5763/2003 The second charge leveled against us negative, you can hardly lose. If you will ply their intellectual wares on real rejected these points, the book, and ter. Additionally, while loving other a matter of law (Avodat Kochavim 2:3) was that we refuse debate because we do nothing more than recite the people—and find themselves quickly the joint tour that was scheduled to Jews, including the non-observant, is a that it is forbidden to study any material are fundamentally insecure. Neither Manhattan White Pages with a bit of rebuffed. The complexity of Hakadosh follow, loomed as a dangerous threat non-negotiable reality to us (see Tanya, that leads one to question important our content nor our thinking could humor and a friendly lilt in your Baruch Hu’s Torah cannot be reduced to the status quo of dealing with non- chapter 32), we must be careful to bal- principles of our faith. To be sure, stand up to the scrutiny of enlightened voice, you will be erasing negative to symbolic logic guaranteed to make traditional elements of Judaism. In ance that love with necessary distance. license is granted to those who have critics; our only recourse was to ban stereotypes and making friends.” true believers out of all but the intel- time, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Would we be so quick to embrace enough background and must study the prodding and poking from out- To do a good job, Rabbi Reinman lectually obtuse. the Council of Torah Sages, issued a someone who insulted our parents? heresy in order to answer the questions siders. Again, Rabbi Reinman’s effort did not have to slam-dunk every ques- We should keep in mind the words strong statement against the book, Should our Heavenly Father be treated of the heretics. Many of us who lead stood this argument on its head. He tion put to him. All he had to do was of Nachmanides in the introduction to drawing on different arguments than any differently? lives that fully engage the secular world showed Orthodoxy unafraid to debate, demonstrate depth, confidence and his Milchemet Hashem, where he warns the ones considered above. Rabbi find ourselves confronted by relatives, self-assured in its beliefs and fully con- humanity, and he would burst bubbles that anyone who is at home with Reinman did exactly what a good Jew friends and co-workers about our versant with the arguments of the com- of negativity that envelop our image. Talmud knows that in its study there ought to do: he quickly abandoned his beliefs. We need to know how others petition. Indeed, while some readers The book was never intended to be a are no clear proofs of the kind that tour. He did not concede that the The controversy have been taught and how we can move will reject many of Rabbi Reinman’s modern rerun of the medieval church exist in mathematics. (Rabbi Hirsch book had been conceived in error— them closer to the truth. But surely this arguments, they will not be able to dis- debates in which both sides attempted did particularly well in the arena of given his original backing, he could surrounding it is not true of all of us, and the halachic lodge the image of a supremely confi- to bring irrefutable proof to establish women’s issues, where in general we not do that in good faith—but he did objections remain in full force. To be dent and articulate Orthodox person- the True Religion. It did not have to are not very convincing.) We should agree that the minority had to accede insures that many sure, none of us need to communicate age whose knowledge runs rings be perfect. Would some of Rabbi be prepared to admit that we some- to the majority. As expected, non- the doubts and skepticism of others to around his Reform counterpart. Hirsch’s arguments resonate more with times use arguments that will always Orthodox writers around the country, people outside our our children, especially during their for- Other objections to the book sur- some readers? Perhaps, although very seem weak to the outsider. We believe especially in cities where Rabbi mative years. The reaction to One People faced. The above-mentioned attack in the truth of our Torah not because Reinman and Rabbi Hirsch had been community…who will hopefully prod many of our own to faulted the book’s circular organiza- we predict that if we put our best in a scheduled to appear—used the inci- seek proper halachic counsel about what tion, which often left the reader wait- The book is novel ring with their best, our man would dent to once again “prove” that the would not have material we should banish from our ing for many pages before discovering score a knockout at every opportunity. Orthodox rejected all other Jews, and homes. the rejoinder to a point made by the and, by now, The nature of our emunah is in know- were too primitive to subject their read the book will Meanwhile, the book continues to other side. Would it not have been ing the score in advance, not in scor- quaint beliefs to the scrutiny of the sell. The controversy surrounding it better to write a book in Q. and A. notorious. ing individual rounds. (Nachmanides thinking public. do so now…. insures that many people outside our form so the answers could have been asks why the Torah did not record the One of the signatories to the community—i.e., those for whom the compared, side-by-side? Perhaps, but story of the young Abraham agreeing Moetzes document was kind enough book was written—who would not who would publish it? Controversy unlikely, except to those already in his to be thrown into Nimrod’s furnace as to enlarge upon his objections in a Finally, it alluded to another problem, have read the book will do so now, and mixed with a good fight would be camp. Would this make any differ- a test of our forefather’s belief. The personal conversation. For one, the one with practical concern for many of the clear thinking of Rabbi Reinman attractive to a publisher. Without such ence? Not really. Those who were lost Torah was loath to discuss this inci- members of the Moetzes felt that the us. The work is invaluable for the non- will still have a chance to fill a void in an imprimatur the Jewish Trojan horse to the other denominations made their dent because it would then have had vehicle was inherently flawed. There is Orthodox, who can only gain from the hearts and souls of many Jews. would never inch forward. move decades ago; there are no more to deal with the arguments of the non- no way to combine, under a single reading it. Do all the rest of us need to One People, Two Worlds was a great Some critics faulted Rabbi Reinman groups of Jews sitting on the fence, believers. The Chasid Ya’avetz in his cover, Torah-true arguments with study it though? Does every Jewish fam- idea whose time was long overdue. for an argument here or there that waiting to choose between traditional commentary to Avot answers different- those who falsify it, without according ily need to learn the details of every Unfortunately, it appears that its time they thought was not sufficiently and non-traditional models of Judaism. ly. The Torah was reluctant to record some parity or respectability to the lat- heretical doubt? records as has not yet come. JA watertight or for letting Rabbi Hirsch The project was a classic win-win Abraham’s arguments. A position of off too easily when his arguments were proposition. pure faith is superior to the jumping weak. If, they said, Rabbi Reinman As it turned out, Rabbi Reinman through intellectual hoops we need to did not succeed in completely devas- did a wonderful job. For a complete do when trying to convince skeptics.) tating the opposition, it would have newcomer to the world of kiruv, he We believe—as Rabbi Reinman been better not to write at all. These quickly mastered the approach and himself stressed in his book—because people missed the point of the book contributed sharp wit, wonderful cita- we feel ourselves part of an unbroken entirely. tions from secular sources and the mesorah (tradition) leading back to Years ago, talk-show host and author incisive thinking of a talmid chacham. Sinai. We should expect, at times, to Dennis Prager lured a reluctant young The book will be a successful kiruv be able to show the attractiveness and man to his radio show to represent tool for years to come. superiority of our beliefs. Other times, Orthodoxy. Not so long out of yeshiv- Some of the critics sound as if they we should be able to at least demon- ah, my first reaction was to run with- truly believe that matters of our faith strate that we are not morons. But can out looking back. Sensing my discom- can be reduced to demonstrable syllo- we communicate belief itself to those fort, Prager gave me the confidence to gisms, and that Rabbi Reinman should who have broken with mesorah? seize such an opportunity with alacrity. be faulted for failing to deliver perfect- Writing for the non-believer, Rabbi “Adlerstein, you don’t understand. The ly persuasive arguments. How mistak- Reinman does a superb job. general perception of Orthodox is so en! How quickly they will learn if they To those who either missed or Spring 5763/2003 JEWISH ACTION Spring 5763/2003 JEWISH ACTION