eddiee

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  • in reply to: If You Were a Goy #2247980
    eddiee
    Participant

    you are talking about two different things,. There is one thing to not antagonize the goyim around you. That can include telling them how to dress, what music to play, or the volume it is played at, and such kinds of things. (It doesn’t mean that amongst ourselves we can’t kvetch.)
    The examples that the OP gave are vastly different. Noone is asking them to conform to our way of life. We live our lives the way we see fit, and are not demanding that they change their way of life to conform to ours. America is a multicultural society. As long as we can get along somewhat amicably, everything can be fine. It stikes me that the issues that the OP raised, are issues that he personally has, not what he feels that the nonjewish neighbors have. (Perhaps with the exeption of neighborhood demographics change. But as we have learned through our own experiences, that is the way of things, all over not just in neighborhoods that are becoming more Jewish)

    in reply to: Aliens/UFO/Extraterrestrial Beings #2165714
    eddiee
    Participant

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    in reply to: Lessons Learned from the False Arrest of the Innocent Tzadik in Flatbush #2161949
    eddiee
    Participant

    AAQ: All that you have told me is that since you are not allowed to insult someone, sensitivites count. Well, to me that is pretty obvious,: if the person won’t be insulted, you can say it. The other example was 2 different methods of chinuch. Pick your approach. (I am not condoning all approaches to chinuch, just that this was the justification.)

    With regard to your reply to my question of which posek changed this halacha, you didn’t answer the question. Also, the examples that you brought are not relevant. With regard to Kesubah, the takanas chachamim was that there should be a Kesubah, not how the Kesubah should be handled. That was based on custom. With regard to Shemen Akum, it is still assur. they were only matir it for that year.

    eddiee
    Participant

    Besalel: Please tell me at least 1 posek, by name, who who said that this Halacha has changed due to changes in societal norms and sensitivities.

    in reply to: Lessons Learned from the False Arrest of the Innocent Tzadik in Flatbush #2161541
    eddiee
    Participant

    Besalel: Whether someone, or even if everyone, is offended, it doesn’t change what the Kitzur says. You can argue that the poskim disagree ( if you can point out one that does), but you can’t say that since people would be insulted the halacha changes.

    eddiee
    Participant

    My question to AAQ is, why is MY action obviously inappropriate, because YOU reported it? If you see me holding the hand of a crying child ( you never met me before) you might choose to call 911, Shomrim, ASPCA, PETA,or whatever authority you choose, to report a kidnapping. You can even argue that it is the right thing to do. But if you take a step back and find out that I am taking my child to the doctor for a very painful ear infection, you would realize that obviously what I am doing is not inappropriate, even though you chose to exercise extreme caution, rather than finding out the story.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2125117
    eddiee
    Participant

    First of all I am NOT advocating breaking the law. I all my comments are in a scenario that there is no law. (The complaints that started this issue, purportedly are that the schools failed some individuals, and therefor they are complaining. They are using the law which does exist to get back at the school, and l to give them the benefit of the doubt, to help the next generation of students. Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with upholding the law. It is about using the law to get what they want.) I do feel that the laws are ridiculous, but if there is a parent who is so law abiding that they cannot handle seeing anything being done that is not following the law, such as double parking on 13th Ave erev shabbos, or “feeding the meter” and parking longer than the allotted 2 hrs that the sign says, then perhaps you are right. But please understand, there has been an understanding between the NYS DOE and the Yeshivos that as long as the children are in school, off the streets and getting some kind of formal education, there will be a “don’t ask don’t tell” (sorry for the term)policy. It is only now that people are making noise, that this issue is coming out. Sort of like double parking on alternate side of the street days. There is no law that says that it is ok, just an understanding that allows it to go on for practical reasons.
    I would also like to clarify: When I refer to having a right, I don’t mean the legal right, I mean a moral right. If someone blocks your driveway for an emergency, you have a legal right to have him ticketed, but one would question your moral right. In my opinion, the same with a school. You may have a legal right to register a complaint, I won’t venture an opinion on the Halachic right to report to the govt as I am not a halachic authority, but in my opinion,given the options in schooling, no moral right.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124948
    eddiee
    Participant

    It is true that the consumer can voice complaints to effect change. Those complaints are designed to make a store/company aware of what the consumer wants. Then it becomes a business decision as to whether or not the company wants to reconsider their decision. No one was claiming that they are entitled to have parve Stella D’oro Swiss Fudge Cookies. That Is the difference. A parent is not entitled to have a particular school change it’s educational philosophy to accommodate them. You wouldnt expect a catholic school to make accommodations for a orthodox jew who wished to attend for any reason. A parent CAN discuss their viewpoint with the school in question, and perhaps even make the school aware that most of the parent body is in full agreement. At that point the school has a right to do what they wish with that information. And so do the parents. As far as the legal aspect, I cannot discuss that. (before advocating using the law as a stick to affect change in schools, make sure that your school of choice, which I am sure is a paragon of virtue and upholding the law, is really squeaky clean.) I am certainly not advocating breaking the law, but I do believe this law is unfair, unrealistic, and subject to abuse. What about the public schools that are not up to par? are there going to be changes there too? Please don’t tell me that they are fulfilling the basic requirements, with the kind of pass/fail ratio that they have. The parent body of these primarily inner city schools have been complaining for years about this, and in practice nothing is being done to change things.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124698
    eddiee
    Participant

    Ubiquitin- If a member of a particular chassius (I don’t want people to think that I am beating up on Satmar, so lets just use the generic term “chassidic”) wants to educate his child in a manner that is diametrically opposed to the chassidic philosophy, I would tend to believe that there is a larger issue at hand. For a school to start teaching secular studies properly, it requres more than hiring a few qualified teachers, buying books and allocating time. You are changing the entire outlook of the school. I would venture that we could compare it to asking a mainstram yeshiva to institute a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy.(Which obviously wouldn’t fly). In addition, schooling is almost always a factor in where people choose to live. I personally send my children to a school that necessitates traveling between an hour and an hour and a half every day. This is because I feel that the chinuch is more in line with my values than the closer ones. This is my choice. I have no right to demand the closer schools change the way they do things. As far as price, there is an expression” You get what you pay for”. You want to send to a school because the tuition is lower, and then you feel that you can make demands on them to change the way they do things??? It sort of smacks a little of hubris.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124699
    eddiee
    Participant

    I would like to make a disclaimer. I also have my ideas to improve education in various mosdos. I also don’t understand how or why they do or don’t do certain things. I only question anyone’s right to demand that they change the way they operate. It is no different than me going into your grocery store and demanding that you have no right not to sell Cholov Stam products because you are the most convenient store and I want it. What gives you the right to foist your chumros on me? ( BTW I don’t eat cholov stam, it was just an example) Obviously this is ridiculous.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124610
    eddiee
    Participant

    YMribiat as with anything, parents prioritize what is most important to them. In order for a school to be ideal for a parent , there would be only one person consulted for any decisions to be made. That person would be the parent him/herself. We find that no two parents have exactly the same outlook on any major topic. we all try to find the school that most identifies with our philosophy.
    Ubiquitin: Call me naive but I thought that following daas torah means subjugating your opinion in hashkafic matters to your choice of Hashkafic mentor. If the Rebbe of that particular sect feels that there shouldn’t be secular studies in any amount, why are you disagreeing? and if you choose to disagree, then why would you want to send to the school that is run on the foundations of his hashkafa. I wont send my child to Satmar, and I also wont send to Yeshiva of Flatbush. Not that I know that they are wrong, but rather Why would I choose a school and Hashkafic mentor that I don’t agree with?

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124485
    eddiee
    Participant

    What I meant was that the parents, in general do not want to hear that decisions are made by an administrator. They choose a school because of the torah philosophy that they follow (this excludes out-of-town, where there is one community school).I choose the school that I send my children to based on the fact that I respect the hanhala
    ah of that school. If not, I shouldn’t send there. This includes in a chassidic community. My school was considering a major change in its program. When consulted, I told the hanhallah that it is their school, and they can do what they want. But understand that the type of boys that come will change. A school is a business. Its profits are successful students, and it markets education. The difficult part of running a school is finding the balance between what the parents want and your educational/torah philosophy.
    In response to your second point, in theory standardized testing would be a good metric. However, as in most things, theory does not come out in practice. The regents are a good example. They should show how a child is doing, but if the scores are low, the state just changes the curve. All that standardized testing gives you is comparative information
    ; how your child is doing relative to the other students in the state. The issue is that I cannot figure out the inherent value of a secular education. The mark of a successful school should be based on where the students are 10 years later. If I am happy with the results, it was a success. I know parents that thought that their child was a failure because he became a doctor and not a lawyer. (this is a true story.) In the public school system there are specialty schools. A child has to be above average to get into those schools. There are always issues as to which students can get ahead by going to those schools. I don’t understand the issue, just mandate all schools to be on that level. Obviously not all parents want such a level, and not all students can maintain such levels. The point is, when choosing a school for your child, look at the results of the schools in question and use that as a starting point. Like a restaurant, if you don’t like the food, don’t go there. It is ridiculous to think that you should start demonstrations outside the store to force change.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124313
    eddiee
    Participant

    In reply to YM Ribiat. In my position as a Yeshiva Secular studies principal, I think that I am better qualified to venture an opinion on that. I have found that in the over 20 years that I have been in the business most decisions that Yeshivos make in issues related to curriculum have been made by the schools (usually in-house) halachic authority. This is generally so they can answer to their parent body.

    in reply to: Can we have an adult conversation about education? #2124194
    eddiee
    Participant

    The answer is no we cannot have an adult conversation about education. The reason is that this is not about education. It is about some disaffected former students who found a way to get back at a system that failed them. The fact that the system needs or does not need improvement is irrelevant to the discussion. Most mosdos that are frum have a Rov/Rebbe giving guidance, or at least a Vaad Hachinuch which makes major decisions.
    Far be it from me to question a torah authority for the decisions that they make within their own mosdos. But please don’t for one second think that this issue is about education. It isn’t, and it never was.

    in reply to: Why Does YWN Ignore GOP Antisemites #2064569
    eddiee
    Participant

    Why are you equating GOP with pro Trump? The OP was “Why Does YWN Ignore GOP Antisemites”. The question does not reference Trump at all. Not all GOP supporter are pro Trump. Being pro Trump is not part of the GOP platform.

    in reply to: What Steps Will the Charedi World Take to Try to Prevent Abuse #2050917
    eddiee
    Participant

    No, just I know 2 people that were wrongly accused. One was by an unstable child who did it in retaliation for her being told no to something she wanted. The man lost his job and was pilloried by his community, even though it was common knowledge that nothing happened and it was all made up. His boss told him that even though everybody knows that it isn’t true, he can’t afford to keep him because of the repercussions in the media (i.e. the “Blogs”). The second case actually went to the authorities, and the DA cleared the man of all charges. In the meantime, he was put through the wringer in his community.

    in reply to: What Steps Will the Charedi World Take to Try to Prevent Abuse #2050862
    eddiee
    Participant

    Why do you jump to extremes? If I suggest that we are a little more cautious in trusting someone that you don’t really know with uncontrolled access to your child, it means abandoning them? This is a child whom ostensibly was not abused yet, but rather going for therapy for some other reason, considering that the therapist is the abuser. All I am suggesting is that we treat our child like he/she is a million dollars. I suspect that most of us would not loan a stranger, no matter his title, a million dollars with no rock solid guarantee that you would get it back.
    Treat your child the same way. Kabdeihu V’chashdeihu.

    in reply to: What Steps Will the Charedi World Take to Try to Prevent Abuse #2050844
    eddiee
    Participant

    To all those that say that the interests of the victim comes first, what are you going to do when someone falsely accuses YOU? Will you have alot of understanding for all the Choshuva CR posters that are tearing your life apart? I know that this doesn’t solve any problems, but lets put some perspective on those that focus on the Loshon Hora aspect.
    I also may suggest that when a child goes to therapy, a parent should always be there. We, as a society, are too trusting of people. Even if the therapist says that it won’t work well, then find a different therapist if necessary.

    in reply to: Chug Chasam Sofer Petach Tikva #2049484
    eddiee
    Participant

    One would assume that this question is better directed to your Rav rather than to anonymous posters on the Coffee Room.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1939536
    eddiee
    Participant

    Emes: Whether or not the MSM lied about the election or not, is not material to this conversation.What is material is that they constantly slant the news to the anle they wish. White on black violence is reported on front page. Black on black violence is barely reported on. If a white cop performs an act ov violence, justified or not, it is reported as “a white policeman did… to an african american. If it is a black policeman, it is just reported as a policeman did… to a black man. As terrible as violence against minorities is, the reporting is totally unbalanced. There is no report of what the victim was doing or his criminal history. The point is that many people are jaded by anything the MSM publishes.
    BTW I get no information from the right wing press. I am one of tthose that are jaded , andsaid 6 months before the election, that the situation is totally open for fraud, by either side. I just never thought that it would reach such levels of swearing by the election or swearing at the election.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1939455
    eddiee
    Participant

    Emes: Please let’s get the correct definition of “Lie”. A lie is to deliberately give over false information. My “justification” is not a lie- it is an opinion. The fact that you don’t agree with it does not make it wrong or a lie. To remain on topic, please remember that all your information about court cases, etc. comes through the media. As the OP asked, since at this point many people have difficulty believing anything the media says, Right or Left, how could we make an infomed decision?Saying the media doesnt lie is foolish, and even you would have to admit they cherry pick the news they print.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1939055
    eddiee
    Participant

    I personally don’t trust any media, right or left. There is no unbiased media, as I said before. To use the expression, anything I read in any form of media I take with a grain of salt (or the whole saltshaker). The fact that the election was not overturned does not mean that fraud wasn’t there. I personally subscribe to the school of thought that elections are “too big to fail”. Once you overturn one election, there will be doubt cast on any election, past, present, and future. Sort of like when a policeman is caught falsifying evidence. It casts doubt on all his previous cases. Threfore, unless the fraud was so widespread and evident that all parties agree that it happened, the courts should throw the cases out even with the flimsiest of excuses. I believe that in many of the court cases in this election, that is exactly what happened, amnd while I may not be happy with the overall election situation, this is a case that for the greater long term good, we have to ignore the irregularities. If a court were to actually hear the evidence at an open trial, it could not ignore the evidence. So in many cases, based on what I am seeing in the media, the courts threw the case out (refused to take the case) so as not to have to deal with the terrifying possibility of overturning an election. Sort of the courts way of pleading the fifth.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1938957
    eddiee
    Participant

    The issue in this thread is not whether there was fraud or not. The issue is, since all the info that most of us get is funneled through the MSM, how do we know what to believe? ALL media is biased. Was itt the American revolution or the American revolt(1776)? One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter- NOT referring to the current situation. I am strong minded, you are stubborn and he is a pig-headed fool. Just how we subconciously word an article reveals our inner bias.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1938848
    eddiee
    Participant

    So you are assuming that when the MSM responds that there is no proof, or that there proof is not valid, the MSM is telling the truth. Perhaps they are, but why should I believe them? This is not a court of law, that I need burden of proof. I would assume, given the last four years of Trump bashing, that that the MSM would not support anything that is pro Trump. The MSM need to earn the trust of the public before we can assume that they will have honest reporting with regard to Trump, and the whole Conservative Republican wing. The idea that the media is unbiased has not been true for as long as I can remember.

    in reply to: Election fraud, how would we know? #1938787
    eddiee
    Participant

    Emes: I do not know whether there was “massive voter fraud” or not. I wasn’t there, as in all the places that there are issues being raised. I also understand the concept of innocent until proven guilty. But YOU also must understand that the fact that voter fraud cannot be proven (if that is the case) does not mean it didn’t happen. It just means that we can’t act on it. We can compare it to the OJ trial. OJ was aquitted on murder, but in a subsequent civil trial was found guilty of depriving the victims of civil rights.Well, did he kill them or not? the point is that there is a level of proof needed to to have soomething be found guilty in a court of law, but not having reached that level, does not mean that it didn’t happen. As such, anyone is free to believe what he wants, but not to act on it in a harmful way. So, you choose to believe that there was no fraud, and all the claims of people that say they saw fraud are lies. And you can believe that OJ did not kill his wife. the thing is, your startng point is that there was no fraud so you can believe the media, and you know there was no fraud because the media said so, unless you have a direct source of information that bypasses the media. Remember, no proof does not mean it didn’t happen.(also does not mean it did happen)
    R’ E. Mirsas means that they fear the consequences of their actions. I don’t think that in this climate the Democrats fear any consequences, the same as they accused President Trump for the last four years.

    in reply to: What incitement?? #1937412
    eddiee
    Participant

    With all due respect, all I see now is that the social media platforms are using the excuse of “inciting violence” to suppress conservative free speach. One after another, they are scrambling to shut them down, and everyone is too scared to stand up to it. I am not referring to President Trump, although it is true for his rights too. There was no court that deemed him a danger, your opinions not withstanding.

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)