Note About Orthodox Gathering in Brooklyn

Articles have been popping up all over the web about a recent gathering of 60,000 Orthodox Jews (40,000 men in Citi Field and 20,000 women in a nearby location). The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the internet and how it has and will affect the Orthodox Jewish Community.

A group of "counter-protesters" gathered across the street, rallying against the supposed unreported acts of child abuse and molestation. They believed that a gathering of the Orthodox Community to discuss the internet was not important when these disgusting acts were being perpetrated and not reported.

The media response ranged from subtle understanding to sympathy to complete ignorance. A piece by Paul Miller at The Verge fell into the latter category. Paul describes his confusion over why members of the Orthodox Community attending the rally were reluctant to speak to him. This theme characterizes a major shortcoming of this article - lack of perspective. Paul is not a member of the Orthodox Community and only knows what most outside of the community understand - they keep to themselves. While he does admit that he is definitely out of his element and is ignorant to the nuances of the community, his lack of understanding makes his conclusion seriously flawed.

The most egregious part about the article is when he brings up the idea (not his idea) that limiting the internet in the Ultra-Orthodox community is akin to the internet controls in China and North Korea. The point of the gathering was to discuss the internet and how it has affected the lives of the community. The rally was closer to a family discussing a new obstacle than a synod of the powerful in an oppressive regime. His claim that limiting information in a so-called "information age" is hypocritical is a generalization. Again, the purpose of the rally was to discuss the internet and it's affects on the traditions of the community.

Then, there are the protesters. The purpose of their protest was seriously flawed. A gathering to discuss the affects of the internet on the Orthodox Community and allegations of sexual abuse are not intertwined. The proliferation and cover-up of molestation is a problem that must be addressed. But, the restrictions that the community wants to put on the internet for IT'S MEMBERS has nothing to do with these allegations. So, their protest is irrelevant.

The reason I specifically picked on Paul Miller was because his article is a good example of a misguided, outside perspective. While, he goes into details about his experience and admits that his outsider status limits his ability to gain credible information, less detailed articles (or more user-friendly, depending on your attention span) claim that the community thinks the internet is evil.

It may seem to outsiders that the Orthodox shun modernity and try to live much like the Amish. It is true that the Ultra-Orthodox and the Amish have a lot in common (they even met up in Brooklyn a couple times). While some in the insular community reject the internet because of their beliefs, many look to integrate it into their religious lives. They turn off their phones for Shabbat, unplug the ethernet cable or wireless router and actively restrict what they deem inappropriate for their children.

For a nice, and short, debunking of myths about Orthodox women and the community from an Orthodox Jew, click HERE.

A couple notes for context: When I say "Orthodox" or "Ultra-Orthodox," I mean it to be all-encompassing. There are various sects of Orthodox, some of which are much stricter than others.While I defend the purpose of this rally against attacks by outsiders who lack perspective, I do not agree with a lot of the doctrines of the Orthodox Community regarding the rejection and treatment of Jews of non-Orthodox status.