Someone E-mailed me the following article.
American Jewish Spirit
Inspired Living
Current Issue

Inspired People

Mortimer Zuckerman is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of U.S. News & World
Report and is the Chairman and co-publisher of the New York Daily News.
He served until recently as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of
Major Jewish Organizations and continues to serve as a trustee for New
York University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, and the
Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton. He is a member of the
Harvard Medical School Board of Visitors, the Council on Foreign
Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. We met
with Mr. Zuckerman at his office earlier this year to talk about Jewish
learning and Jewish unity.

AJS: You had the opportunity recently to visit the Lakewood Yeshiva in
Lakewood, New Jersey. Can you tell us what that was like?

MZ: It was at the behest of a rabbi I study with that I went and visited
the Lakewood Yeshiva. I had never been to a yeshiva before in my life and
I sort of did this out of some degree of curiosity but more out of a
sense of moral support for what had been such a central part of this
rabbi’s life but I have to tell you when I got there I was absolutely
knocked out by it. I will tell you that it was the single most
intellectually active, energetic, fascinating environment I had ever
witnessed. There was a sort of buzz and just sheer concentration and joy
in the learning process and it was literally visible to somebody like
myself.

I mean, I said it afterwards, it made Harvard Law School, which I happen
to have attended, look like a kindergarten. It was absolutely
extraordinary to see so many people - from various walks of life - in
there for the sheer joy of learning about their religious tradition. And
the sheer intensity and intellectual demands of this place made it such a
unique place to visit. So for me, it was absolutely a stunning experience
and I wish everybody could have the chance not only to visit it but to
have a guide like I did.

quote:

So for me, it was absolutely a stunning experience
and I wish everybody could have the chance not only to visit it but to
have a guide like I did.

Thank you Rav Chaim for alerting me to the presence of this place, Lakewood Yeshiva. I did a Google search on the useful tool of the internet and "found" it. And then I "went" there.

I would have preferred to have gone there in person, but I still did gain so much. And I am not finished with it yet. I have found good teachings that I can keep on accessing and which will help make me become as I should be.

Lakewood has a branch in Melbourne (though it's much smaller than the original, i think they have only 25-30 members.) I was there for a few months before I was married. I remember it was on "Balaclava" in "E. St. Kilda) it's a fine place, so is where I'm now is also a branch of Lakewood, but they're not compared in sheer number to the actual yeshiva.v

quote:

Lakewood has a branch in Melbourne

Melbourne is a long, long way from here in Australia. But I'll store that info. away. You never know.

quote:

Originally posted by Rav Chaim:
Someone E-mailed me the following article.
American Jewish Spirit
Inspired Living
Current Issue

Inspired People

Mortimer Zuckerman is ...

He served until recently as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of
Major Jewish Organizations.


I had never been to a yeshiva before in my life.

For anybody out there that does not understand assimilation and a lack of coninuity in the non-frum Jewish world they need to read those two sentences several times slowly. While the remainder of the article is somwhat flattering to the Torah-velt, those two sentences put together are so troubling.

Didn't you know about such things? This is how it can be, indeed.

Define "assimilation". One word does not apply to all, if it does apply at all. Also, we are on the contentious issue of the definition of a Jew. This calls for sensitivity to and respect for our fellow Jews of all types and "states".

And, it is always G-d who is in charge. And only G-d who can judge. We need to remember that.

quote:

Originally posted by Rosemary:
Didn't you know about such things? This is how it can be, indeed.

Define "assimilation". One word does not apply to all, if it does apply at all. Also, we are on the contentious issue of the definition of a Jew. This calls for sensitivity to and respect for our fellow Jews of all types and "states".

And, it is always G-d who is in charge. And only G-d who can judge. We need to remember that.

There are many jews with many levels of jewish education. The fact that the person chosen to lead such an organization had never been to a yeshiva even once in his life does not bode well for his ability to provide for the organization.

When the cardiologists appoint sombody chief cardiologist they look at the cardiologists for potential leadership. There is no admiral in the navy that has never been on a boat.

I am not saying that the position needs to filled by a guy that sat in kollel for 10 years with 15 kids and no money.
but to never have been to yeshiva at all?

quote:

There are many jews with many levels of jewish education. The fact that the person chosen to lead such an organization had never been to a yeshiva even once in his life does not bode well for his ability to provide for the organization.

You sound very sure of this.

As dar as I can ascertain, Sir Moses Montefiore ZT"L never went to Yeshiva.

quote:

Originally posted by Yisroel Phillips:
As dar as I can ascertain, Sir Moses Montefiore ZT"L never went to Yeshiva.

I meant that MK Fink was sure of his assertions. I was merely acknowledging his stand. I was not doubting the basic information given. Sorry for being too brief. I was in a hurry to get away this morning.

My subtext was that I am not going to enter into a debate over this. Somebody else can if they feel so inclined .

What assertion

I commented on statements that he made. I did not add anything to his self evaluation.
I did question if these qualifications serve the jewish world well.

I don't think that it is a huge leap of logic to think that sombody representing the needs of the jewish world should no somthing about what goes on in a yeshiva.

That is your opinion and you have a right to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Rosemary:
That is your opinion and you have a right to it.

I am aware of my right to an opinion.

You are, of course, also entitled to an opinion. If you would indicate what you agree about my opinion we can have a dialouge.

quote:

Originally posted by MK Fink:

quote:

Originally posted by Rosemary:
That is your opinion and you have a right to it.

I am aware of my right to an opinion.

That's great. But that isn't what I was really saying, was it?

You are, of course, also entitled to an opinion. If you would indicate what you agree about my opinion we can have a dialouge.

Yes, true. But I choose not to.

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