You may remember Avrohom Birnbaum edition from the angry, hate-filled screed he published against Gil Student a few monthes ago. Well, he's back. In his new Yated article, (see it after the jump with a fisking) Birnbaum is now claiming that all of the other Jewish sects owe his own personal sect a huge debt of gratitude.
After all the Haredim (aka God's special guys) run the best chesed organizations. Or at least the seven or eight chesed organizations he lists. Fine. Haredim spend a lot of time helping other Jews. Haredim and non-haredim alike. We admit it.
But who are their funders?
Who pays their bills?
Who keeps the chesed machine humming?
I don't know the answer, but doesn't it seem likely that the bills are being paid, not by Haredi Jews who tend to be underemployed, but by MO Jews and Haredi-lite Jews? (Haredi-lite Jews are MO Jews who wear hats and daven sfard.)
Doesn't that count for anything?
And I would like to tell Birboum something else: The hatred and resentment flows both ways. You may think that MO Jews can't stand Haredim, but its inarguable that Haredi Jews consider the MO Jews, their Rabbis, and their institututions to be illigitimate and unworthy of respect.
The top Haredi Rabbi of the last 50 years is revered as Rav Moshe and beloved by all. The top MO Rabbi of the last fifty years is disdained as J.B and you find punk kids on Twitter who are proud of the fact that R. Aaron Kotler allegedly used to disrespect him. That counts for something, too.
But who are their funders?
Who pays their bills?
Who keeps the chesed machine humming?
I don't know the answer, but doesn't it seem likely that the bills are being paid, not by Haredi Jews who tend to be underemployed, but by MO Jews and Haredi-lite Jews? (Haredi-lite Jews are MO Jews who wear hats and daven sfard.)
Doesn't that count for anything?
And I would like to tell Birboum something else: The hatred and resentment flows both ways. You may think that MO Jews can't stand Haredim, but its inarguable that Haredi Jews consider the MO Jews, their Rabbis, and their institututions to be illigitimate and unworthy of respect.
The top Haredi Rabbi of the last 50 years is revered as Rav Moshe and beloved by all. The top MO Rabbi of the last fifty years is disdained as J.B and you find punk kids on Twitter who are proud of the fact that R. Aaron Kotler allegedly used to disrespect him. That counts for something, too.
