Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Internet asifa, does it have to be grand ?

Why these grandiose events? cant we get the same point across by doing it on a smaller scale. Is it not called a success if we wont fill a stadium. With the amount of money spent on this event we can do more by investing in filters that will work as a solution to the problem. We can have a huge event in Brooklyn or Lakewood with 5000 people is that not enough? We can have satellite events take place in other cities at the same time. The organizers, after unilaterally deciding to make it in Citified stadium home of the NY mets, are now faced with a problem How do we fill it up? It will also be a chilul hashem if they cant fill it up. For this, they reached out to all Rabbonim and admorim who have control over thousands of talmidim and Chasidim, who in turn issued letters calling on everyone to attened. There will be buses from new square Monroe and williamsburg. The Lakewood roshei yeshiva issued a letter too, calling on everyone to go. In a letter from the Gedolim in EY it states that even youngeleit should attened due to the importance of the event even though it will cause Bittul torah ( the event will be a few days before Shavuos during the zman right before kabolas hatorah) since בטולו זה קיומו.


 On a Sunday in May, many wont mind a trip to the ballpark, but, are they going at there own will ? if they fill up the stadium will that make it an effective campaign?
It would be better if they put more energy and money into the message as opposed to having a grand event. The same anonymous organizers who spear headed the first Internet  asifa have failed in the follow up  resulting in more people having Internet access with out proper guidelines and education on the dangers of technology. Should we trust them again. Apparently they changed course realizing that the Internet is here to stay But a bit too late.

 Perhaps its time for a transparent vaad of mechanchim that are not hiding behind rabbonim but out in the for front speaking their mind. Yes, the Rabonim are behind it and everyone agrees there is a problem. How to tackle it and fight it is another issue. By forcing a grand event on people it might make some noise, however it might not be as effective if we hold smaller seminars or have rabbonim  who understand the need and use for Internet, talk to people and help in getting the proper filters and safeguards.

10 comments:

  1. I think the idea is two-fold. First of all, to show us how important the issue is, that it is worthwhile to rent Citi Field.

    But more importantly, to show the world that there are people who still care about morals. Recall the Bob Turner election where the Democrats ran David Weprin, thinking him a shoe-in, that Toeiva is a done deal and it is not worth fighting it anymore.

    Well, NY'ers made a Kiddush Hashem and voted in the non-Jewish candidate.

    Similarly here, packing several halls in the Jewish communities will not make national headlines. Filling a baseball stadium will. Hopefully it will be a KH and not backfire with the man on the street thinking that religious Jews are backward.

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  2. Somehowfrum

    This is not about showing the world. I have no idea where you got that from. This is about dealing with a serious issue and trying to reach as many people as possible.

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    1. Let me quote from page 7 of the Ichud booklet that was distributed with newspapers this week....

      ... Possibly more importantly, attendance at the gathering will allow one to be part of the greatest public display Kiddush Hashem ever in the U.S. ...

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  3. Could be.

    But if you are trying to reach as many people as possible, why not make it locally, in Brooklyn where most of the Chassidim reside? Doing this in Citi Field seems to me that they are trying to make a national statement.

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  4. Maybe it's about upstaging Agudah's Daf HaYomi extravaganza.

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  5. I will be telling my children not to go. Let's face it, they do not have the Internet nor are they planning to have. I see no heter to go, and my kids will hear that from me. No way they are going.

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  6. How about we stop being afraid of the internet and started embracing some degree of modernity?

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  7. we are not privy to the many hair raising stories that the rabbonim hear. they obviously know much more than we do if they decided on this it must be rampant and this is the only way to deal with it.

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  8. My kids wouldn't go if you paid them. They've heard enough of these speeches to last a lifetime.

    The Gedolim are irrelevant to them. It wasn't always like this in my home, but it's been so many years of lectures and bans that they've truly had enough. And I can't blame them one iota!

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  9. Someguy
    I wouldnt blame them either Id blame you. When the parents have a cold attitude towards Torah and Daat Torah the kids pick it up. Who knows what lurks in your internet history....

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