I consider myself a talmid of Rabbi Weiss, the Grush Lieberman, Hakham Sassoon, Hakham Faur, Rabbi David Novak, Rabbi Marc Angel, Rabbi Yuter, and others, and identify with the YCT/UTJ hashkafa. I am pained to see many slandering those who devoted and continue to devote themselves to shmirat torah u’mitzvot and limmud hatorah. Talmidim of the Grush Lieberman have left the Conservative Movement 30 years ago, and are Orthodox in their practice and belief. Just check out the UTJ website and UTJ Viewpoints, authored by Rabbi Yuter, who has semicha from YU’s Rabbi Moshe Tendler. YCT advocates a brand of Orthodoxy actually falling to the left of UTJ, but regardless, I am in agreement with Open Orthodoxy’s efforts to create an inclusive, just Orthodoxy open to converts, women, social justice, pluralism, and academic and critical methodologies, practices and approaches with firm halakhic footing (Eduyyot 2:2 reads, “Lo ra’inu eino ra’ayah.”) Who gets to define what is Orthodox and what is not? Instead of attacking those with a different mehalech, we should unite around our common observance of shabbat, kashrut, taharat hamishpacha, and other mitzvot, and strive to advance torah observance in a non-politicized manner. Yagdil torah v’ yadir.
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