Monday, November 5, 2007

R' Orlofsky on "Why Be Jewish"

Today I listened to an lecture titled "Why Be Jewish" (click for mp3) given by Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky. I found the speech at SimpleToRemember.com. The site doesn't say when the lecture was given but it is certainly relevant today.

I'm no fan of Orlofsky but I found the following quotes interesting (skip to 43:13).

The previous generation's reason for being Jewish:
"If you ask somebody why you Jewish they will give you the answer... because my parents were Jewish, and their parents were Jewish, and their parents were Jewish."
What if you question the validity Judaism:
"Either it's real and it's the best way to live, otherwise...y'know, ditch it, ditch it tomorrow."
[LNM: I feel this way about Halacha all the time.]
On selling Judaism to the next generation:
"These kids are either going to have a good reason to be Jewish or they're not going to do it... When your kids come to you and say 'Mom, Dad, why be Jewish?' its going to have to be something better than dreidel, dreidel, dreidel."
I couldn't agree more.

13 comments:

DrJ said...

I lived in Long Island for several years (my parents still do) and I knew David Orlovsky and his family. David was charismatic and funny, and my daughter loves listening to his lectures online.

At the same time his answers that you quote are a little simplistic, basically, black and white thinking. All or nothing. In real life, most things aren't like that.

jewish philosopher said...

If kids want to know "Why Be Jewish", send them to my blog!!

Anonymous said...

Most people are Jewish because they were indoctrinated that way. It's that simple. After a while most people dont even think about it anymore. They do it by rote because that is what they have done for years. At some point some people start to think and realize that is's mostly a sham. Others just continue doing it without even giving it any thought. Avi

jewish philosopher said...

"At some point some people start to think and realize that is's mostly a sham."

That's what happened to me with atheism.

Anonymous said...

That's what happened to me with atheism.

Well Mr Non Philospher. Then you are not much of a philosopher. Does God ( yeah he probably does exist ) really want you to wrap leather straps around your arm and wear little strings on your garments ? Did he tell you that ? You believe in a book thats written by men. Just like the Christians and the Muslims believe their book was told to them by God. But the truth is that God never revealed himself to anyone. In fact he is probably sitting on a beach somewhere and sunning himself while you mummble hebrew words that he is not listening to. What you really think that God gives a samn what you think or have to say? Avi

jewish philosopher said...

"What you really think that God gives a samn what you think or have to say?"

You wish.

Anonymous said...

JP

"If kids want to know "Why Be Jewish", send them to my blog!!"

I have visited your blog, but I see very little to inspire a young person to remain in the fold, if he is thinking of leaving. For someone who is struggling with mindless fundamentalism, you seem to offer simply more mindless fundamentalism.

Rich said...

I have heard Orlofsky speak, so I figured the lecture you posted may actually be a good one for me in my present state of orthopraxy.

However, he never answered the question at all, but rather that we must have answers if we expect our kids to be religious.

One line i found interesting was when he says near the end that "We can't expect our kids to be religious just because of guilt". Of course, that is partially why I am orthoprax and not completely non-frum because of what "everyone" would say and how I would be ostracized from the community.

JP - your blog might reinforce people who already believe what you say but want backing for their opinion. For someone who is going off the derech, I have found you offer little backing. You just always love to fall back n your tagline that anyone looking at something other than OJ is just doing so because of their interest in sex.

Miri said...

"At the same time his answers that you quote are a little simplistic, basically, black and white thinking. "

except that I have to agree with rich perkins; he doesn't seem to be answering anything, only saying that there ought to be answers. which is one way to approach Judaism, of course, but I personally haven't found it to be effective, nor particularly satisfactory.

Joey said...

I do not like Rabbi Orlofsky. He is too simplistic for anyone who learned in Yeshiva. On the other hand, I understand that he has been learning a lot more from superior Rabbeim later, so perhaps some things changed. But he gets into these touchy-feely terutzim, assumes the lowest common denominator in his audience and fills far too much of the message wit humor.

My wife used to listen to him, but I pushed her to Rabbi Yisroel Reisman and Rav Pincus instead--both of whom, I believe are far more suitable expositors of JEWISH values, insight and greater talmidei chachomim.

Lubab No More said...

Joey,
I agree Orlovsky can be a doofus but he has his moments. I'll have to check out the mp3s ofR' Reisman and R' Pinchus.

Anonymous said...

"Either it's real and it's the best way to live, otherwise...y'know, ditch it, ditch it tomorrow."

What a false dilemma!

Maybe it (Rabbinic Judaism) is "real" but is not exclusively so (e.g., multiple paths to truth.) Maybe there is no way to say what is real but it is still a worthwhile model to base one's life on. Maybe it isn't real but the downsides (too disruptive to one's life) of "ditching it tomorrow" are too great.

Anonymous said...

here is the link:
http://tinyurl.com/2hdwpw