You may have noticed that the Agudah convention had a Russian Refusenik as its highlight, as did the Chabad Shluchim convention. Who came up with the idea first is anybody's guess. Yuli Edelstein may not be a Jew with a beard and peyos, and he may not have been in the gulags for 11 years, but he's an impressive story nonetheless. Besides, what connection does Mendelevitch have to the Agudah? Maybe you can fill me in on the details. I asked a friend of mine who tolerates Lubavitch what he thought: who "did" Russian Refusenik better, Chabad or the Agudah? So he gave me a self-righteous "Mendelevitch is a real frum Jew," so of course the Agudah convention is a better place for a frum Jew. The kinus haShluchim was all pump. Whatever. I suppose if maybe Rabbi Kotlarsky or Rabbi Krinsky would've knocked those who go up to the har haBayis he'd be happy. Or if we spoke about the tuition crisis, which is THIS close to being solved, as we know. To compare the two conventions is to compare ----- you fill in the blank. Apples, oranges, whatever. Although both conventions may be looked at as self-congratulatory events, the comparisons basically end there. One congratulates the work of shluchim, the other can be looked at as a way to spend some of the money salting away in the bank. Sorry, I couldn't help myself there. But why do we bicker and fight like children here? There's enough to go around.
The Agudah convention is a biggest annual non event for the last few decades.
ReplyDeleteYears ago it was a place where the shaved Hershies and Mechies met in the hallways for shiduchim. But by now its not serving that purpose neither.
They are trying now to make it effective,thru a symposium, they try to compete with Binah,Ami,Mishpacha, on this "my shviger does not like me" issues..
They used to say the Aguda is led by gedolim vs. Mizrachi, now they are going grassroots...
" But why do we bicker and fight like children here? There's enough to go around."
ReplyDeletePlease read what you yourself write.
You are the one who brings this
competition up than you don't want to "bicker like children???C'mon now...
Btw,
If you can be objective about the issue, it's Chabad blogs and bloggers, who are always busy sniping at Aguda.Just one example was a whole hoopla from last years Aguda convention (or maybe a recent,but not last year)where Chabad bloggers claimed (i don't recall if you also got on the bandwagon)that Agida specially took out a picture of the Rebbe from a video presentation.
Please grow up already.You had a very large, succesful Kinnus and to act like a baby because another group also had an event in just inappropriate.
BTW,
Why do you allow comments such as the above, where someone clearly uses a false name, in this case Rabbi Sherer, to mock him?
Again, you"ve had the blog for long enough that you can give it some class.We don't need to agree, but we can try and have basic civility, no?
"Years ago it was a place where the shaved Hershies and Mechies met in the hallways for shiduchim"
ReplyDeleteWho are these "shaven guys"
Is it a "big" aveira to shave?
Are they terrible people?
Is finding a shiduch for children a terrible thing
What a silly adolescent comment.
basic civility is good.
ReplyDeleteI will pay better attention in the future, Faish. But only if you promise to be nice too.
Nice and debating issues truthfully especially all things Lubavitch don't go along so well, that's why I thought "civil" would be the way to go.
ReplyDeleteyou're comparing apples & oranges in a major way.
ReplyDeletethe aguda convention's purpose is to show chareidi strength in the US, and to allow their favorite gedolim to vent on their issue of the day. cynicism aside, it serves a purpose that helps everyone in our interactions with local authorities for shabbos, education, etc.
Kinnus hashluchim is very simply a way for guys to let their hair down for 4 days, and get some group energy to tackle their daily work in for the most part very lonely places.
the dinner, symposiums, are all a side show, to the main thing, as the Rebbe said "ish es yeraihu chazak..."
You managed to seamlessly jump topics. Which convention is worth more depends on those who attend. I personally was not interested in either.
ReplyDeleteNow, when we want to honour a refusenik, doesn't it make sense that the one who channeled his idealism into Torah and Mitzvos should be better than the one who channeled it into politics. Unless there was another reason to honour him, namely a hopeful future influence on Knesset policies etc. Then the issue is moot. The Aguda was not trying to do that, so they chose a refusenik who closer matched the issue they wanted to address. Don't ask me what it is because I don't know.
I remember the time line: J Mendelovitch addresses Agudah convention. JM later praises R Meir Kahane, next year's Aguda convention is addressed by Russian rabbi Eliyahu Esses and JM disappears.
ReplyDeletehttp://col.org.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%97%D7%91%D7%93_45_%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%97%D7%A8_%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F_%D7%94%D7%97%D7%98%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%94_%D7%A1%D7%92%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%AA_%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%92%D7%9C_%D7%91%D7%91%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%91%D7%93_86614.html
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