Reply To: The Modern Orthodox “Mesorah”

Avira, try explaining your “history” to the American Jews 75 years ago who learned Chimash with Rashi.
The current kolel system did not exist in pre war frum Eastern Europe there was no social welfare system to support it and Jews by and large were poor. The vast majority of Jews basically had a cheder education and then , except for the superstars, had to go to work. The average shtetl Jew did not have much knowledge and this was evidenced by how many , in Post ww1 Eastern Europe abandoned Yiddishkeit willingly. Prior to 1800, this was not a problem the gedolim had to face as Jews were barred from universities and many professions and ” non religious ” was not an option as the only way to not live in jewish areas was to convert. The gadolim were not prepared for a world that afforded Jews options and entry into the secular world. . The Misnagdim and Chassidim were so busy fighting each other that they didn’t realize, too late, that more Jews were becoming not religious.