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Revision as of 08:15, 25 December 2002 by IZAK (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The term Baal Teshuva refers to a return of a Jewish person to a Jewishly observant lifestyle. It has also been referred to as "Born-Again Judaism", because of its revivalistic aspects.
Appearing in the 1960s, a very noticable number of young Jews who had previously been raised in non-religious or secular homes in the U.S.A. started to develop a strong interest in becoming a part of observant Judaism; many of these people, in contast to sociological expectations, became attracted to Orthodox Judaism.
Many opted for a very Orthodox Jewish way of life. This was partly related to the prevailing counter-culture, anti-establishment atmosphere of the 1960s. Among those seekers who were willing to experiment with alternate 'liberated' life-styles were hip young men and women who thought it was 'cool' to experiment with Sabbath observance, intensive prayer, and deeper Torah and Talmud study. A great many of these people temporarily adopted a fully Orthodox Jewish way of life, and although many eventually "dropped out" of Orthodox Judaism per se, a great many of these people stayed within Orthodox Judaism.
In the USA the movement itself has taken on new forms with the passage of time.In 1987 an efficient organization called National Jewish Outreach Program : NJOP was founded. Headed by a leading dynamic Outreach rabbi, Ephraim Buchwald in the first 15 years of its existenace it had managed to create, co-ordinate and guide thousands of volunteer teachers and and tens of thousands of Jewish adults who came to study the Crash Course in Hebrew Reading, Crash Courses in Shabbat and Judaism,and other programs advertised via the mass media and taught at locations of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and cultural organizations.
This movement also appeared in the former Soviet Union, which at that time had almost completely secularized its Jewish population. The rise of Jewish pride came in response to the growth of the State of Israel, in reaction to the USSR's pro-Arab and anti-Zionist policies, and in reaction to the USSR's anti-Semitism. The return to Judaism movement was a spontaneous movement from the ground up; it came as a great surprise to the Soviet authorities, and even to the Jewish community outside of the USSR.Two of the young leaders were Yosef Mendelevich and Eliyahu Essas, now both prominent rabbis actively teaching other Russian emigres in Israel
The Israeli victory of the Six Day War in 1967 was a strong flash of Jewish prowess that ignited the pride of Jews in Russia. Suddenly there were hundreds of thousands of Jews that wanted to go to Israel, although they dared not express their desire too openly. Several thousand applied for exit visas to Israel and were instantly ostracised by government organs including the KGB. Many hundreds became 'refuseniks', willing to suffer jail time to demonstrate their new-found longing for Zion. In the middle of this there arose a new interest and longing for a learning about and practicing Judaism, an urge that the Communist government had long attempted to stamp out.
Many Russian Jews began to study any Jewish texts they could lay their hands on. Foreign rabbis came on visits in order to teach how to learn Torah and how to observe Jewish law.Now there is a rich resource of Russian religious texts that flourishes, and caters to Russian Jews living in Russia, America, and Israel.
In Israel, the euphoria of the 1967 Six Day War victory was interpreted even by secular Jewish Israelis as a miracle. Somehow a new era had dawned, and it renewed Jewish pride all over the world. Battlefield soldiers and commanders came face to face with Biblical cities, air-force pilots could not believe their luck and paratroopers openly wept as they stood before the holiest site in all of Judaism that they had just liberated : The Kotel (Hebrew, Western Wall.)And unfortunately known to many as the Wailing Wall because of all the bitter Jewish tears that had been shed there by Jews mourning the destruction of the ancient Jewish Temple.
Over time a stream of young Israelis became known as "Baal Teshuva", or "Chozrei BeTeshuva"; this term describes a return to the observant form of Judaism that most of their ancestors had once practiced. Within Orthodox Judaism the term baal teshuva is restricted to refer only to those non-observant Jews who affiliate with Orthodox Judaism; this is so as most of Orthodoxy does not recognize the validity of any denomination of Judaism other than itself. Outside of Orthodoxy this term has a wider use, and can refer to any formerly non-observant Jew who returns to more traditional and observant Judaism in any denomination.
During this time there was a movement among secular Jewish Israelis that essentially was a search for spirituality. At the time, most Israeli parents were secular Zionists who did not want to teach their children about Judaism; their dreams were of a secular Jewish state. These dreams, however, did not transfer over to all of their children, many of whom grew up to ask about spiritual issues, and whose parents were unwilling or unable to give them Jewish answers to the their questions. As such, thousands of young Israelis flocked to Hindu gurus and ashrams in India; over the years the number of young Israelis who went on annual pilgrimmages to India increased to the thousands. However, as time passed fewer Jews remained hostile to Judaism, and so an increasing number of Israelis began seeking answers closer to home.
With the growth of this movement came organizations that catered to the Ba'al teshuvas. One of the best known, and one of the earliest leaders, was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Chabad (Also known as Lubavitch) Hasidic Judaism movement, centered in Brooklyn, New York. He trained a large number of rabbinic emmisaries who carried Chabad's understanding of Judaism across the world. Rabbis and their families were sent to teach college students, to build day schools, and to create youth camps. Most of these were geared towards their secular or less religious brethren.
Chabad (Lubavitch) Judaism official website
Within Modern Orthodox Judaism, the Union of Orthodox Congregations created the National Conference of Synagogue Youth NCSY to reach Jewish teenagers in public schools. Headed by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper,himself a noted charismatic speaker and writer, the movement also developed its in-house literature geared to the newly observant mainly written by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan.
In the 1980s young Jewish adults all over North America responded to organized outreach efforts such that of the National Jewish Outreach Programs (NJOP). Using mass marketing techniques, they advertize via the media for the Crash Course in Hebrew Reading, Crash Course in Judaism and other programs. Headed by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald they have won the support of major Jewish philanthropists, and an ever widening audience.
In Israel, schools for the intensive study of Torah have been flourishing especially designed for the newly religious students who want to devote quality time to intensive study of classical texts with the ancient rabbinic commentaries. These schools opened in the early 1970s, mainly based in Jerusalem. These innovative yeshivot - schools of Talmudical Studies - were founded by men with vision from America.
Two significant institutions have been the Aish HaTorah Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Noach Weinberg, and the Ohr Somayach Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Nota Schiller. Both of these rabbis have degrees from American universities and are well able to speak to the modern mind-set. Not only have thousands of young Jewish men experienced a vibrant Orthodox scholastic and intellectual life, many have chosen to accept it as their life vocation, resulting in the growth of Aish HaTorah and Ohr Somayach Centers for Jewish learning in North America and the rest of the world.
= Reaching out to women
Traditionally, Orthodox Judaism has not regarded the education of women as a priority. In the area of study, women were traditionally exempted - and often banned - from any study beyond a basic understanding of the Torah, and the rules necessary in running a Jewish household. Women were discouraged from learning Talmud and other advanced rabbinic Jewish texts.
One of the first major breaks with the traditional role of women came from the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir HaKohen (1838-1933). He overruled the traditional prohibitions against advanced training of women on the basis that times have changed, and that in the modern world it is now important for women to have an advanced Jewish education. Soon after this, the Bais Yaakov network of Orthodox Torah schools for women was built.
One of the earliest pioneers of equal education for both women and men is a woman, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, the founder of the International HINENI movement in America. A Holocaust survivor she has unabashedly made it her life's mission to bring back Jews to Judaism. She has written popular Books and made Tapes. Another notable pioneer of Women's Orthodox outreach education is Rebbetzin Leah Kohn founder of the Jewish Renaissance Center : JRC in New York, where serious study of texts takes place from an Orthodox perpective.
Recently a few leaders in the Modern Orthodox community have set up schools that bring advanced Jewish studies to women, including Stern College at Yeshiva University, and the Drisha Institute (both in New York City). However Stern College is part of the mainstream Modern Orthodox community's establishment. Interestingly many Stern students , as well as Yeshiva male students serve in key capacities as advisors and youth directors of NCSY.
At recent conferences on Feminism and Orthodox Judaism, a small but vocal group of very left-of-center Modern Orthodox Jewish activists have proposed that it may be acceptable for the Modern Orthodox movement to ordain women as rabbis. This remains a very far-fetched prospect as no leading Orthodox rabbis, even within the Modern Orthdox camp,would approve of it.From the point of view of newly observant Ba'alei Teshuva the subject of becoming a rabbi is not usually on anyones agenda. In a growing number of places, some very Modern Orthodox women have established their own tefila (prayer) groups. It should be noted that this phenomenon is still an anomaly within Orthodox Judaism.What relationship it has with the Ba'al Teshuva movement at large is also not clear at this time.
Even at the flagship institution of Modern Orthodoxy, Yeshiva University, some Talmud teachers, basing themselves on accepted sources in Jewish law, publicly denounced and forbade the concept of women praying together in a women's tefila group.Particularly if these female gatherings conflict with regular synagogues and services.However, newly inspired Jewish women tend to enjoy seeking out intimate Orthodox congregations where they can enjoy services in traditional fashion. Orthodox Halachik legal authorities reject the idea of ordaining women as rabbis, as they feel that this is an unacceptable deviation from tradition, and detracts from the more immediate goals which are central to the Orthodox emphasis of traditional family values,and a family life devoted to closer to home worries such as raising a family, finding suitable spouses for children ,and supporting a large network of Orthodox educational and charitable causes at home and abroad.
Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance
Edah: The Courage to be Modern and Orthodox
Neve Yerushalayim
Founded in 1970, the leading institution for secular women seeking an in-depth college level introductory program Neve Yerushalayim College has expanded into a huge campus in Jerusalem .Thousands of young English speaking Jewish women have passed through its portals. Many have devoted themselves to marrying full time Torah Scholars learning in Kollel and to Orthodox rabbis. Considered to be a large 'right-wing' Yeshiva by some, it has nevertheless won a great following with a large cadre of alumna in Israel and America. It's founder and guiding Dean is Rabbi Dr. Dovid Refson.
Jewish Day Schools
A good barometer is after being inspired to lead a more committed life to Judaism, are the tens of thousands of parents who send their children to all day Jewish Day Schools and Yeshivot. The American national organization that tracks and supports the movement of schools, Torah Umesorah:The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, has affiliated schools with over one hundred thousand pupils.It nurtures and provides Special Resources to a vast network of hundreds of Schools across North America.Building on tghis growth, Torah UmeSorah launched a purely outreach effort to parents of childern and adults wanting to fill in their own gaps in Jewish learning. Called Partners in Torah it brings together Jews in far flung places with more learned tutors based the major Orthodox communities. The method is to learn on the phone for an hour where it is not possible to do so in person.Torah UmeSorah also sponsors the highly popular summer SEED Program,similar to a year-round program in the whereby young religious Yeshiva students spend their summers learning with groups of interested people in North and South America.
To be done here: Write a section about the Conservative movement's growing array of Solomom Schechter schools.
Kiruv Professionals
Kiruv Professionals, also called Outreach Workers, have been convening national conventions to bring together the professional outreach workers with leading Orthodox rabbis. The Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals & Programs (AJOP) was founded in 1988 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded by the grounde breaking Avi Chai Foundation that spearheads novel outreach programs.
Publishers of English Outreach Literature
The role of books and high quality literature made available for the newly initiated and on-going students is crucial to the grwoth and popularity of the Teshuva Movement. The leading current publisher is ARTSCROLL.Begun in 1976, they have grown into a vast operation bringing the words of rabbis, scholars, and laypeople , from all time frames into an easily read and English.From childrens stories to Translating the Talmud their productions are always very popular. Another major publisher has been FELDHEIM also publishing a mixture of classical texts into English translation and lighter literature.Another popular source for current reading materilas is JASON ARONSON with a more open approach to secular issues.[http://www.avotaynu.com/ajbp.html The Association of Jewish Book Publishers provides a detailed list of resources available.
Leading Orthodox Rabbis who have guided the Kiruv movement
==Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik== Former Rosh Yeshiva and Rav of RIETS at Yeshiva University, Leader of Modern Orthodoxy. ==Rabbi M.M. Schneerson== Last Rebbe of Lubavitch. ==Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner== Late Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. ==Rabbi Yakov Y. Ruderman==Founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Baltimore, Maryland. ==Rabbi Avigdor Miller== Prodigious Writer and Spokesman for uncomprimising Orthodoxy in America. ==Rabbi Noah Weinberg==head of Aish HaTorah International & Fellowships.
Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz==Founder of Torah UmeSorah, The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools.
==Rabbi Henoch Lebowitz== Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbinical Seminary of America : Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim & Graduates ==Rabbi Shlomo Riskin== Founder of the outreach Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, Chief Rabbi of Efrat,Israel, and Dean of Ohr Torah Institutions, Israel. ==Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald== Founder of National jewish outreach Program.
Full time Yeshivot for Ba'alei Teshuva in the USA
Yeshiva Ohr Somayach of Monsey,Upstate New York. Yeshiva Kol Yaakov of Monsey, Upstate New York. Yeshiva Hadar HaTorah of Lubavitch, Brooklyn,New York. Yeshiva Shor Yoshuv Far Rockaway, New York.
= Outreach on the Internet
The Internet has become an important vehicle for outreach,. Important outreach sites include:
Learn @ JTS - A Conservative Jewish site
The Jewish Outreach Institute - Reaching out to intermarried and interdating Jews
The Chavurah movement and the Jewish catalog
(to be written)
The Jewish Renewal movement
(to be written)
See also: Judaism