His editorial last week was in response to an American Charedi individual who wrote a letter responding to a previous editorial by Rabbi Grylak. Wherein he urged European Jews to make Aliyah. The letter writer, an Americn living n Passaic, said that he refuses to make Aliyah because of differences between Israeli Charedim and American Charedim. Differences so stark that it makes it almost impossible for an American Charedi to adjust. Here is an excerpt of Rabbi Grylak’s response:
The main substance of your complaint seems to be that the chareidi community in Eretz Yisrael is not interested in absorbing olim from Western countries, does not look tolerantly upon the more open chinuch system of America, on studying for college degrees, and on joining the workforce; it values nothing but full-time Torah learning. What American Jews consider completely frum is considered foreign and tainted by chareidi society in Eretz Yisrael. Why should American Jews come to Eretz Yisrael if they are only going to be rejected and marginalized?
While Rabbi Grylak agreed with this analysis, he offered that there are pockets of Israeli society where acceptance of American Olim (immigrants) is quite common. American Charedim can feel comfortable in their own skin in places like the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem and Ramat Bet Shemesh (Aleph). Where for example English is what Rabbi Grylak calls the ‘official language’. And then he adds that it can’t be as bad as this American says because if it were, how could there be so many transplanted American Olim living there successfully ?
And then in a somewhat strange refutation of one of his complaints Rabbi Grylak says the following:
No one here is rejected by society because he took a job. Those who take a job and as a result begin to reflect secular influences and stray from chareidi values may be rejected.
Although he personally believes this attitude on the part of Israeli Chardim is wrong, the fact is - it exists. Which kind of undermines his argument that having a job is accepted
That said, he agrees that these problems do exist. And they do discourage American Charedim from making Aliyah. His solution is for more Americans to make Aliyah and help change things.
Easier said than done. The very real and significant differences between American Charedim and Israeli Charedim are not going to change no matter how many American Charedim make Aliyah. What ends up happening is that those American Charedim that do make Aliyah bite the bullet and try to adjust to the Israeli standards.
There is no ‘influencing’ Israeli Charedim. Those that try to do their own ‘American’ thing by sending their children to a school like Ma'arava’ - which offers a decent secular studies curriculum - are seen as second class citizens and not Charedi at all. Additionally, those children are considered at a disadvantage when they enter the major Charedi Yeshivos. Their level of proficiency in Limudei Kodesh is far below those who have attended high schools that did not ‘waste’ part of every day on secular studies.
My personal observation is that most American Charedim try to fit into the Israeli model. Even in American oriented enclaves. It is in the education of their children where this is most evident. They end up foregoing a secular studies education for their sons. And rationalize that in the case of every secular subject it is not all that important to life anyway. And that their children will do just fine in the Israeli system. (Not that this really helps their image as second class citizens to Israeli Charedim.)
So no… I don’t blame American Charedim one bit for not making Aliyah. The sacrifice is too great. It is also no secret that those American Charedim that make Aliyah with children old enough to have acculturated to the American way of life have a much higher probability of going OTD. This phenomenon is so prevalent that R’ Elyashiv, ZTL advised parents with children over 9 years of age – not to make Aliyah.
For those that have and made successful transitions even with older children - that’s great. Kol HaKavod! But I would not put my own child at risk that way. (I should add that I do not believe that buying into the Israeli Charedi way of life is optimal in any case. Even for Israelis. What would be optimal in my view is the reverse: Israeli Charedim adopting the American Charedi way of life. The reasons for which are many - but are beyond the scope of this post. Unfortunately that is about as likely as my setting foot on the moon.)
Making Aliyah has many challenges even for modern Orthodox Jews. While it is true that they can more easily find communities that share their values, there are still a major cultural differences that makes adjusting difficult, not the least of which is the language barrier.
Which makes my admiration for anyone that makes aliyah successfully very great.
Most Orthodox Jews make Aliyah for idealistic reasons. Whether they are religious Zionists weaned on the ideology that making Mitzvah of making Aliyah is almost what Judaism is all about… or just wanting to live one’s life among one’s own people in their own country… or just wanting to be a part of building up that country. They are all willing to make sacrifices in exchange for a noble goal. My hat is off to them, regardless of their Hashkafa. These are our idealists and should be honored for it by all the rest of us that have not made Aliyah. Unfortunately I find that doing so is rare between people with differing Hashkafos. Sad.