![]() ![]() Inadvertently testing a theory, I printed a few thousand 40-page booklets titled “Why Shabbos?” which features 10 compelling stories of people who kept Shabbos and experienced tremendous miracles. Even Rav Aharon Lichtenstein agreed with the contention that “the lack of either passion or spirituality is no accident, but the inevitable result of interest in the cultural and political orders.” Many in the Modern Orthodox fold go through the motions of religious life but are not that outwardly passionate about living a life of Torah, let alone bringing others closer to it. And you know what? Surprise surprise, they are the fastest growing segment of American Jewish life. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Conservative Park Avenue Synagogue said of Chabad, that they “dress the part, they claim to be the real deal… and they make no judgments about who you are and where you came from. ![]() On our walk home, for a New York minute, we seriously considered switching shuls because of the happy atmosphere they engendered.īut don’t take my word for it. The rabbi came over and introduced himself, offered me a drink and anything else we wanted to make us feel welcome. ![]() We decided to attend Chabad the next evening and immediately, the difference was palpable. The atmosphere in practically every shul we visited was cold, unfriendly and boring and I could see my family was not having it. I went to Israel 10 years ago with my family and stayed in Talpiot for Succos. I was surprised by the intensity of his words, as he vented his frustration with his young community concerning the minyan issue as well as a whole host of other problems stemming from apathy from this generation. ![]() One rabbi chats with me offline about this. I put the question out on a Young Israel Rabbis chat that I belong to: ‘Do you observe that young marrieds are not coming back to shul?” I was stunned by the number of answers that I received from rabbis in many parts of the country, with the exact same observation. I can’t think of any young married person who joins us with any regularity. He explained: “Strikingly, I have noticed that the young married generation does not come to shul. Several years ago, Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, z”l, rav of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, New York since 1991, courageously penned an article discussing this very real dilemma. Except for those few shuls that are actually thriving, many Modern Orthodox shuls lack the enthusiasm one finds at a Chabad, a shtiebel, a yeshiva, or one of the few happening shuls usually featuring a rockstar rav (or in our shul’s case, two). While many love attending davening each Shabbat on a regular basis, many do not do so during the week. Just look around at your average Modern Orthodox shul. One need only look at the traction of Eitan Gross’s now infamous Times of Israel article in which he argues that the Modern Orthodox world is full of ‘glaring hypocrisy and internal contradiction.’” Steven Gotlib’s recent article for Lehrhaus magazine explains: “One of the biggest issues that prevents Modern Orthodox kiruv from being successful is that Modern Orthodoxy tends to be perceived as unattractive to those who are searching for a legitimate religious outlet. ![]()
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