Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis #fundie hineni.org

[Rebbetzin Jungreis comments on a woman's commitment to Judaism. The woman's family attend High Holiday services, were confirmed, and visited Israel. Her older brother married a non-Jewish woman and her younger brother dates non-Jewish women. Her parents do not particularly object.]

My Dear Friend,

I could almost dub your portrayal of your family's Jewish life, "The American Jewish Tragedy". This is a tragedy that is compounded by the sad fact that the protagonists are not even aware that they are choreographing a tragedy. Please do not feel that what I will now say is in any way a condemnation, but nevertheless, as I said earlier, I feel compelled to comment on the sad reality described in your letter. You, as well as many others are what our tradition refers to as "tinokot shehínaflu bíshevi" - innocent Jewish souls who were never given a true Jewish education and therefore are compared to infants who were kidnapped and did not have the privilege of knowing their real parents. Such individuals have no way of gauging what they are missing or what they have lost. Similarly, Jews who grew up devoid of Torah, who never tapped the vast treasures buried in its every word and letter, who were never nurtured by the Torah's life sustaining milk, have no way of comprehending their deprivation.

[...]

Without our Torah we cease to exist and are quickly swallowed up in the great melting pot of the nations. Intermarriage is the death knell of our people, leaving no memory in its wake, not even a kaddish. I realize that your parents would have preferred that your brother marry Jewishly, nevertheless, they accepted a gentile daughter-in-law for your older brother and are obviously prepared to do the same for your younger sibling, the rationale being that "they don't want to stand in the way of their children's happiness. Never mind that your brothers will be the last Jewish males to carry your family name; never mind that thousands of years of Jewish life will come to an end in them; never mind that which Hitler could not do through the gas chambers, they are willingly, if unknowingly doing to themselves - and it's all justified under the guise of "happiness".

If someone should claim that he feels "happy" taking drugs, would anyone in his right mind accept that rationale? Would we not warn such a person that he is on the path to self-destruction? Similarly, if someone obliterates his Jewish past, should we not warn him that he is committing spiritual suicide?

[...]

Again, I apologize if you find these words hurtful. G-d forbid - that is not my intention. I would never want to cause anyone pain, but in all good conscience, I could not allow your statements to pass without comment. Perhaps someone who reads these words will re-think his vacuous Jewish life, search out his heritage and discover G-d's holy words that were engraved upon his soul at Sinai

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