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Program pioneered events like Shabbat non-reciprocal visit to a non-Orthodox wanted to about the book, but Rabbi 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 Ammiel Hirsch and Yosef Reinman 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 Torah 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 Jews are neither Reform, by now, notorious. There is hardly a could either study Talmud 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 Judaism 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 rabbis 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 Reform Judaism 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.

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