Religion & Beliefs

Orthodox Union Poll Bolsters Need to Keep Baalei Teshuvah Poor

By David Kelsey / January 15, 2010

I have long railed against the Orthodox Union and its double-headed outreach group, NCSY and the JSU, for funneling public school teens to haredi places whose trajectories, if followed properly, will lead the indoctrinated to poverty.

The problem is that the Orthodox, even the Modern Orthodox, do not see that as a problem. 

From their P.O.V., they may be correct. 

In regards to a new national survey, the OU declared,

Baalei teshuva, those who do not grow up religiously observant but become so later in life, face added challenges in their marriages; more affluent families run a greater risk of marital stress from at-risk or “off-the-derech” children than Orthodox Jews of more modest means

The Orthodox Union will not relinquish recruiting ties to haredi insitutions that preach poverty to our youth (but not to their own) precisely in part because affluence itself is rightly seen by the Orthodox Union and by Big Kiruv generally as enhancing an already "at risk" population: the newly Orthodox.

 

 

 

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  • Avraham Teboul
    By Clockwork Avraham 1/18/10 at 6:59 p.m. UTC

    BS"D

    As an American Ba’al Teshuva of only 8 months, I would just like to say that this is nothing new. When I was growing up as a religious Jewish kid in Brooklyn, the  details and demographics of the problem were different, but the problem was the same. After a 25-year hiatus from practicing the religion, I can see that not too much in this area has changed. Those that want to go back to Israel…it’s a brave and noble choice…BUT, make sure you plan well. Do not allow yourself to be victimized or controlled by any religious group. Rely on your abilities, education and of course Hashem.

    I guess you could call me the ‘anarchist’ of Ba’al Teshuvim, because I will not affiliate. The beauty of being from Sephardic origin is that you do not have to align yourself with Charedi, Lubav or any other sect for that matter. You must only align with Israel!

    My coming back to the religion is between myself and Hashem and I could personally care less what any of the ultra-orthodox sects think of me, nor will I allow myself to depend on them. After all I have not given up being a revolutionary, I just made a voluntary choice to go back to living like a Jew.

    They preach Ahavat Yisroel and cry for Moshiach, but he isn’t coming until they can practice the Ahavat Yisroel they preach.

    C’mon Orthodox Union, get it together and show some love and support for your own people.

    Blessings and Success!

  • Sandori
    By Sandori 1/17/10 at 2:31 p.m. UTC

    Ignorance is bliss.

  • By Jeff Eyges 1/15/10 at 11:37 a.m. UTC

    I question their conclusion that “Orthodox Jewish marriages are stronger than in society as a whole”. I’d like to see a breakdown of the data by age group. I suspect the older couples may be giving the researchers the answers they’ve been conditioned from childhood to give , and the BT couples, in their – well, let’s be kind and call it “enthusiasm” – are loathe to admit that everything isn’t perfect.

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