On Chareidi-Bashing Rants

Luke Ford posted an email on Rabbinic Corruption.

A.B. emails: Anyone who is unfortunate enough to read the chareidi New York newspapers the last two months has been bombarded by previews and then reviews of all the conventions in the charedi world which were held during the worst recession in the US in eighty years in expensive hotels.

Look, I don't think they would have any attendees if it would be held at a homeless shelter. Why are they different that any other competent organization that hold a convention. How many org's can you list that downsized or cancelled an event in order not to show off during a recession?

These include Agudah’s national convention, Agudah’s Midwest and Agudah’s Florida convention and Torah u’Mesorah’s convention.

Most of chareidi Jewry doesn't consider them to be their proper representatives.

What is unique about these conventions other than their despicable ostentatious focus on gashmius and food in a time when many in the frum and secular worlds are battling with job losses and economic deprivation, is who is in attendance at these conventions, the Rabbis and so called gedolim and the very rich.

And very many people who are neither. Beautiful stereotyping.

The unholy alliance is what has destroyed yiddishkeit and will continue to do so in the future.

Is Yiddishkeit destroyed? Maybe you mean the yiddishist movement?

The obvious question is, how do the rabbis afford weekends in these luxurious hotels and who is footing the bills? Besides for the obvious waste of money, when so many organizations and individuals are in need, a more fundamental question arises, the chareidi world, which claims to be focused on Torah is glamorizing wealth and showing too much reverence to the rich.

Where do you see the rich being idolized here? The convention is mostly comprised of speeches and forums dealing with today's issues. Have you seen any rich people honored at any recent convention? Please enlighten me.

You may ask, so what. Aren’t they the ones who are supporting all the mosdos hatorah? Yes, but at what price? We have seen how the so called Torah world ignores the foibles of the rich even when they get caught money laundering, being involved in human exploitation, paying non livable wages, ponzi schemes, illegal immigration etc. The excuse is “well he’s a big baal tzedokoh”.

Does anyone think that the rabbis of yesteryear like Rav Shach or the Brisker Rov would have approved of these conventions where real issues like rabbinic abuse and corruption are swept under the table year after year.

Do you know that they wouldn't?

The truth is that as long as any institution or individual is beholden to a donor or group of donors, there will be corruption. The Rabbis provide these wealthy individuals with the kovod they so deeply crave and in return they line the pockets of the mosdos in the best case and in other cases the Rabbis themselves.

 Kovod they deeply crave? Back up this statement. Otherwise, pure hate.

If you're still interested, you can read the rest there.