Reply To: Clarification to mod and DaMoshe

Arso:

“What percentage of unmarried kids in, say, Satmar, Belz, Ger, Vizhnitz, Tsanz etc have access to unfiltered internet and to unfiltered smartphones? Now what is the percentage in Lubavich? I don’t know figures, but I do know that the percentage in Lubavich is many many times greater than in the other groups. The same is unfortunately true with kids – even kids of committed shluchim – going OTD. (If you deny any of this I will conclude one of two things: either you are lying outright or you are completely insane. I KNOW exactly what I am talking about, and I have been asked many times to deal with the problem specifically in Lubavich. I’m sure you’re surprised at that, but it’s true.)”

A gutte voch from my locality. Like I said, you cannot compare numbers where one group- everything is legislated from above, and those who do not keep the standards, do what they do, under cover, so they don’t suffer communal repercussions, (yes I have personal knowledge of this as well), and a community (us) where the responsibility lies with the individual to care and guidelines are suggested but not enforced (so that every child can have a proper chinuch for example.)

I was discussing this with a very frum local woman, not lubavitch, and she said lubavitch is ahead of the game, because in the rest of the chareidi world, the top down system is in danger because devices are so accessible.

My relative- who dressed more modern than he looked was told by a family friend’s son, in probably one of the most enclosed Chassidusin, that he has a smartphone with WhatsApp groups with all the hot stuff with his young feelings…

My relative was surprised because obviously the outside impression didn’t match, and ironically, he didn’t share this fascination with the “hot stuff” despite the fact he looked more modern.

Take this as an illustrative example. No I am not suggesting that there are no true Yarei shomayim in the other communities, but rather you cannot judge because of the different cultures, and ultimately, they’re more vulnerable than we are.

In my case, my husband and I experimented with the different limited filtering options available on our iPhones when we got married, and found the highest one too restrictive, so we settled for basic. This was not to prevent us for searching forthings we shouldn’t, because we had no interest in that. Rather we didn’t want to be surprised with vulgar sites that appeared to be something else. This is how it’s been for years, and we’ve learned more and more how to use our phones and move away from our phones using us (focus mode, 613tube, passion for learning etc etc), and now we’ve recently found a new interest in filters and bH to our luck, tag has told us that there is a new filter which is more smart at blocking out not tznius images or ads that pop up, while still allowing websites so we’re excited to try it out.

I know in the local Mesivta they teach the boys about the concept of filters (although they probably allow smartphones then, as is general policy) and of setting up password buddies for each other.

So it’s not that we don’t care, but it comes from within and you cannot compare to your world.

The only fair comparison, I think, is when the Soviet Union took away the whole communal pressure system by exiting the Rav and Shochet etc to Siberia. What happened to Berdichov which was 80% frum Yidden? And Zhitomir, at least 50%? We all know that Lubavitch was the only one overall (I’ve heard of one non lubavitch teacher who taught in Chabad’s hidden chadarim), who not only didn’t go frei themselves but kept up Yiddishkeit and community life (Mikvah, shochet etc) underground with extreme mesirus nefesh.

Yes there are the modern within Chabad, and the ones who go off. We have bechira chofshis. But our modern dress that way etc.