This is an interesting letter, reported on by Ishay Cohen...
הראשון לציון הגאון רבי יצחק יוסף לקהילות היהודיות באוקראינה: לדאוג שאם עולים לארץ - שיוכלו לחנך את בניהם ובנותיהם על דרכי התורה הקדושה. גדול המחטיאו יותר מההורגו. pic.twitter.com/WdIm69UPwB
— ישי כהן (@ishaycoen) March 8, 2022
Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef sent a letter to someone (I do not know who this is but it seems to be a rabbi involved in getting refugees out of Ukraine and getting them to Israel.
Rav Yosef writes to this person saying that if the Ukrainians are going to be brought to Israel, it should be taken care to make sure they educate their children to Torah and mitzvos - it is far worse to cause them to sin than to kill them. Each case should be discussed on an individual basis.
I just dont understand this. Only in Israel is this an issue of education them to Torah and mitzvos but if they remain in Ukraine or move to France or Germany or the USA or wherever else it is ok to save them but not encourage them to go to religious schools? And, it is better to let them die in Ukraine, where they arent getting a religious education either, than to bring them out and save their lives? case by case basis - really? they are trying to escape a war and get out as quickly as possible and someone is going to spend time and make them hang out in the danger zone while they try to figure out the options for religious education? This just doesnt seem realistic. Besides for that, most people would probably say anything and agree to anything just to get out and then do what they want when they get to their destination.
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I believe you misunderstood the letter. If you read the letter, he agrees that coming to Israel is a mitzvah. He's not telling them to stay in Ukraine if they're not religious. Rather, he is saying that if they plan to come to Israel but will not educate their children in a Torah school, then it's better for them not to come to Israel and educate their children where they are - in a Torah school in Ukraine - or elsewhere where they would get a religious education. In other words, saving their physical life by sending them to an irreligious school in Israel is destroying their spiritual life.
ReplyDeleteThis has unfortunately happened often enough where families come to Israel and pick the wrong school for their children, causing OTD issues.
sorry but I still dont get it. You suggest that these are religious people in Ukraine sending their kids to religious schools but if they come to Israel Rav Yosef is concerned for some reason they might send to secular schools? why would he think they would do that? and wouldnt this be a concern no matter where someone comes from - should he be telling all people to not come to Israel because they might send their kids to secular schools even if they are religious abroad? I dont get what he is worried about according to your explanation.
DeleteI think this came up a few years ago regarding some other country- France, maybe. It was pretty clear from the context there that he doesn't think most religious schools are religious at all. So if you're going to come to Israel and not send your kids to a charedi school, best not to come, he's saying.
Deleteso if you are going to be not religious, better to do it outside of Israel? is that his point?
DeleteObviously staying in Ukraine when the parents have to escape either due to personal safety concerns or to avoid the draft is not an option. But in general, yes, absolutely, the concern is that they will send to mamlachti schools which do not produce as successful outcomes as had they remained under a Chabad-run or Stolin-run school there up to the age where they can attend a yeshiva gedolah in Israel or elsewhere. Rabbi A.L. Steinman told the same thing to the Argentine community when the economy there tanked in the early 00's.
Deleteare chabad and stolin producing many frum Ukrainian jews from their school systems there?
Deleteand as you point out, staying isnt an option, so it is not like there is a choice of should we stay in Ukraine and send to chabad or move to Israel and send to secular. They are leaving anyway and many of them seem to only have the option of going to Israel. Should they be told to stay anyway even considering the danger?
In fact, they are. My chavrusa here in Detroit, who spent several years in the region, just helped several baalei teshuva from Stolin schools escape into Poland. They need to be integrated into a school system that will not impair their growth; the best place for that may be in the UK or North America (including, possibly, Mexico).
ReplyDeleteIt's very tough. I saw many Soviet Jewish children have difficulty acclimating to frum schools in America in the 80's, when things were beginning to open up. But the difficulties were mainly due to them not having frum homes to go back to at night. Lots of variables. Let's pray for the best!