It's Not About Education

Over the past several years, there has been a push by ex-chasidim and others to alter the curriculum of Jewish schools.  They claim their goal is to improve secular education.  However, in addition to making fallacious accusations, leaders of this movement promote anti-Semitic stereotypes and denigrate Charedi Jews and their beliefs.  It seems obvious that their crusade is not motivated by a desire to improve education, but by their bigoted opinions about Charedi Jews.

(We have used "Charedi" instead of the offensive term "ultra-Orthodox")

At the forefront of this movement is an organization called YAFFED.  While this page focuses on the anti-Charedi animus of YAFFED and their supporters, for a thorough refutation of their claims see Here, and Here.  

For a first hand account of YAFFED's misrepresentations listen below:

 

Nick Moster is the founder and director of YAFFED, the organization which is at the forefront of this movement.  

Moster has also called Jewish laws "nonsense":  “It's unhealthy and twisted. It's not in the Bible, it's laws that were written by Rabbis who are no more holy than you and me. When we start to open our eyes and allow our minds to ask questions, it all comes across as nonsense. "

(Agudath Israel is a rabbinic led Orthodox Jewish group.)

Moster has publicly attacked Jewish rituals.  While claiming he is not anti-Semitic, he does admit that anti-Semites "use his activism to bolster their hateful claims."

YAFFED sponsored a program featuring a consultant for the movie "Unorthodox,"  which propagates negative false stereotypes about the Chasidic community.  They also featured him as a guest on one of their podcasts. 

Ysoscher Katz is a poster boy for YAFFED and member of their rabbinic advisory board.  He has blasphemed God, accused Jewish texts of racism and misogyny and falsely claimed certain Jewish prohibitions were permitted.  He has also defamed an entire Orthodox community in NJ, with false claims about Jewish law. 

Vanessa Meghnagi is the Director of Operations and Planning at YAFFED.  She speaks in broad (and false) negative terms about the Orthodox community asking: "How can we expect that they will become anything other than parents who perpetuate the neglect and can listen only to their own leaders, because they cannot understand the world outside their community?"

She also libeled Orthodoxy's greatest Rabbi:

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, member of YAFFED's rabbinic advisory board has called "ultra-Orthodox" Judaism "radical", "self serving", and "a failing effort to preserve rabbinic prerogatives at the expense of Jewish tradition and good sense."

In an article entitled Reform vs. Ultra Orthodox: Israel’s Religious Reality he writes that the "ultra-Orthodox" in Israel are a "...divided, bickering, hysterical mess."  He even baselessly suggests that a certain hassidic rabbi and "his minions" pressed for increased Shabbos observance to stroke their "egos".

He has also said about the Charedi that their "...virus of radical separatism and fear of modernity, so prevalent in Israel, has also infected the Haredi community in New York City."

Anita Altman, is a YAFFED board member.  In addition to her support for YAFFED, she opposes Chasidic expansion in her town.  In an interview with her entitled MEGAPHONE: FIGHTING KHASIDIC CONTROL IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, she states her opposition to the Chasidic way of life and refers to one such Chasidic sect as "fundamentalist." Altman compares internal Chasidic opposition to that found in Iran.  When asked that perhaps "...you do have a recoil reaction to Jewish fundamentalism: the clothes, the obsessiveness, the treatment of women…?", she answers with the age-old anti-Semitic trope that "I have khasidim among my friends, and they’re among the finest people I know." She seems to only like individual Chasidim when they are in small numbers but not when they live as a group practicing their beliefs in her neighborhood. 

Malki Schwartz, who serves on YAFFED's Board, also founded Footsteps, an organization which helps Charedi Jews leave their faith.  Anti-Semitic hate group, Rise Up Ocean County has claimed that they have been in contact with Footsteps, sent them money, and that Footsteps was "excited" that they would be spreading their message in Lakewood, NJ. When confronted with these allegations, Footsteps did not respond.

Dr. Hannah Lebovitz is an  assistant professor at the University of Texas-Arlington and an advocate of YAFFED's goals.

She often promotes false anti-Semitic stereotypes to her nearly 11,000 Twitter Followers

 

She even mocked a rabbi who contracted COVID...

In fact some of her statements are indistinguishable from non-Jewish anti-Semites and racists

Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky, member of YAFFED's rabbinic board, referred to the sacred Charedi belief that those who study Torah merit Divine protection as "magical thinking".   

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz (who had his rabbinic ordination revoked) is a member of YAFFED's rabbinic board.  Based on a few anecdotes and "stories" he alleges "systemic corruption" in the Orthodox world, criticizes Orthodoxy's view of women, and says "The Torah has tragically been placed in a rabbinically induced solipsistic coma..."   

Rabbi Andy Bachman, a member of YAFFED's rabbinic advisory board, criticizes Charedi Jews, refers to them as "Jewish extremists" and seems to hope for their demise.

Jews reverently refer to God as "Hashem."  However, this is what Mordechai Levovitz names his dog.  Levovitz is one of the signatories to a public letter published by YAFFED signed by "100 rabbis and leaders."