Welcome, unpious ones!
Out of the grit and grime of the Eastern European shtetl came a magnificent intellectual movement; Jewish, secular, and full of Joie de vivre: the Haskalah.
Times have changed. Jews began to take secularism for granted, the Holocaust supplanted Jews onto the soil of lands where they no longer carried the old cultural baggage of antisemitism, parochialism, and the need to define themselves as culturally, but not necessarily religiously, Jewish. Assimilation, intermarriage, and a general weakening of Jewish identity further eroded the vibrancy of secular Jewish culture.
Along with all the above came, out of the ashes of the Holocaust, a rejuvenation of Jewish religious life unseen for centuries, which has proven resilient for more than half a century. But that again, has caused a reaction that is only now picking up speed, gaining headway with each passing day, helped along in no small measure by the openness provided by our modern technological advances and its creative applications.
The Chasidic community is unique in the world of modern religious Jewry. Savvy in many ways to the modern world, it is still, however, a self-confining ghetto, tenaciously refusing to compromise its fealty to tradition. For decades, the prospect of its members severing ties from this community seemed almost impossible, the social ties bound so tightly that the ramifications of unbinding oneself were such that it seemed almost impossible.
That, my friends, is what changed in the last decade. The bubble, as was wont, has burst. Chasidim are leaving, slowly, individually, but with surefooted and resolute steps. And a new community is being created in the process.
Far be it for me to claim that today’s freethinkers leaving the Chasidic world bear even remote resemblance to the intellectual rigor and vivacity of the blossoming revolution of the old Haskalah movement. But in small ways we can draw historical analogies, and at the very least derive inspiration from previous movements that have come and gone but carried many of the same hopes and challenges.
This blog is the first step towards establishing such a community — a new movement even, if we dare entertain such a grandiose notion. The authors hail from the Chasidic communities of Boro Park, Williamsburg, Monsey, Kiryas Joel, New Square, Montreal, and London. They come from the Chasidic sects of Vizhnitz, Belz, Skver, Satmar, Ger, Lubavitch, and others. Some write philosophically, some cynically, some with humor and wit, some with profound and thought-provoking seriousness, and most combine many or all of the above.
This blog is for insiders, for those who wish to take part in this burgeoning community. But outsiders are welcome too. This is for anyone who wishes to join this new community of intellectual vitality raised from the stifling confines of the Chasidic environs.
Good things are to come. Stick around and join the revolution!
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And I always thought I was impious. I learn something from you Chasidim all the time!
Break a leg!
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Baal: Oh, that’s funny, cuz I thought you’d say ‘ohn payess’…
(Get it? pieyess/payess.)
Seriously, though, it was actually embarrassing. We’d already registered the domain name when someone mentioned we’re spelling incorrectly. But then we figured the pun made it worth it. That’s what you get when a bunch of Chasidim try to write in a language they have no business writing in…
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Just to note, for the official record, we maintain it was intentional. ‘Course we knew it was misspelled. Or mispelled. Or misspeled. We did it on purpose!
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Love this idea, but i dont understand what the name is implying. Please explain…
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Weirdly, one of the Google ads on the side of the site was for Chabad. I am sure it the best place for them to promote themselves, for ex-chasidim who know all their tricks of the trade.
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HR, I did say that, on your FB site!
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Mazel Tov and best wishes to the birth of this new beautiful blog.
The world’s been waiting…
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This is exciting!
All my favorit bloggers under one roof!
I’d love to wish you guys lots of success, and readers.
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“This blog is the first step towards establishing such a community — a new movement even, if we dare entertain such a grandiose notion.”
I’m afraid that there is a fundimental difference between those leaving Judaism today and those leaving a century ago.
A century ago, there was a mass movement to leave Judaism caused by a desire for comfort and security. Today, there are a few percent leaving due to a sexual compulsion. It’s entirely different.
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Hehehe….. We are “honored” by our “esteemed” fellow “blogger” Jacob Stein! Let the airing of grievances commence!
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Stein — You’re welcome to comment here as long as you make pointed remarks that are respectful and on topic.
Also, no spamming with links to your site. And yes, every link to your site will be considered spam and deleted. Make your point in your comment; don’t redirect a reader to yoru own material. If you’re lazy, that’s your problem.
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It’s almost amusing how frightened you are by the truth. Well, when you descend into the eternal fires of hell, don’t come crying to me. I told you so.
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The authors hail from… Lubavitch.
Thanks for letting in the fake hasids. Now I feel welcome.
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What about the non-Hasids? I just wore a different hat, it was still weird!
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I have thrown in the towel. I am joining you people!
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