This past Shabbos, Parshas Vayishlach, Rav Eytan Feiner, rov of Cong. Knesseth Israel, the White Shul, in Far Rockaway, spoke about the Orthodox Union’s non-response to Open Orthodoxy and the havoc that Open Orthodoxy is wreaking on Yiddishkeit.
Rav Feiner said that he is willing to break the White Shul’s OU affiliation if the OU continues to be non-responsive on this important matter.
The OU has continued allowing Open Orthodoxy synagogues to remain as members of its umbrella organization.
Rav Feiner spoke out strongly about Open Orthodoxy’s apikorsus.
His comments come on the heels of two Open Orthodox shuls wishing mazel tov to people who underwent unconventional marriage ceremonies. Congregation B’nai David-Judea of Los Angeles is led by a male Open Orthodox rabbi, Yosef Kanefesky, and a female “rabbanit,” Alissa Thomas-Newborn, the latter of whom was given semicha at Avi Weiss’ Yeshivat Maharat. B’nai David-Judea’s weekly bulletin for Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, 2017, wished mazel tov upon the birth of a baby to a couple who have an unconventional marriage.
Then, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (HIR) wished mazel tov for another such unconventional wedding, as featured in the HIR weekly bulletin of Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, 2017. The regular clergy at HIR, the Open Orthodox congregation founded by Avi Weiss, who is now semi-retired and is currently listed as “rabbi-in-residence,” are two males who were ordained by Weiss at his Open Orthodox seminary, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT), and by two females who were ordained at his Yeshivat Maharat.
{CB Frommer-Matzav.com Newscenter}
Interesting. I’m not sure why the White Shul bichllal has to be currently affiliated with the OU. It’s not like they live in some far flung town where you can barely get a minyan. It’s right in the heart of Far Rockaway, across the street from the Agudah, so I don’t see what the issue is. What is there to gain, in todays day and age, from having your Shul affiliated with the OU or any other Organization for that matter? Every individual makes up his own mind as to which Shul he calls his own. Friday night and motzei Shabbos, you daven in the closest shul to your house anyway, so it’s only nogia Shabbos morning, so who cares about affiliations and labels? Grow up.
Its not about the white shul its about the ou associated with anti torah institutions. The white shul can and will show its disdain for this abomination or the Torah Hakidousha. And thank you rabbi feiner for speaking out
Thank you Rav Veiner for standing up for Kavod Shamayim!
I was at Rabbi Feiner’s Drasha. This speech was not about the OU.
Rabbi Feiner spoke out against Open orthodoxy’s violations of the torah,
and their Treif philosophy. Any mention of the OU was only in passing.
While Rabbi Feiner stood up against Open orthodoxy; I don’t beleive that he he actually launched a protest against the OU. As usual, Rabbi Feiner delivered a wonderful drasha.
Just thinking
What would Rav Gifter Ztzl have said
Moshe
Find the recording of rav gifter about lam (if you haven’t heard it yet) its on line if you search
That will give you an “idea” of his reaction.
Kudos to rabbi finer for saying what needs to be said
I didn’t know that there are still people today that aren’t afraid to speak the emes.
Where is Rav Gifter’s speech online?
Is Rav Feiner also willing to call-out Satmar for their on-going public protests against the State of Israel, the members of the Israeli government, and the IDF, which cause massive Chillul HaShem?
Rabbi Feiner DID call out the protesters! He called it a gross Chilul Hashem! I was there when he said it. He spoke out very strongly against the way they block traffic, cause delays and tzar for other yidden. 100% he is strongly against it and has verbalized it!
Rabbi Feiner DID explicitly speak out against the public protests and what a chilul Hashem it is! I was there! He spoke out very strongly against their behavior and the way they choose to get their point across. So yes Mr. Gross, Rabbi Feiner is willing to and HAS ALREADY done so!
Chillul Hashem according to……Kiddush Hashem according to……
There is no comparison between the two here HIR has validated an Issur that is Chayev Kares. Satmar is a philosophic debate. Gay marriages is not up for debate.
I meant Sekila
Last I checked, Satmar shuls weren’t members of the OU. They don’t even trust the OU hechsher.
to s d gross
“mah inyon shmitta atzel har sini’? massiv chillil hashem??
chilil hashem is not when its about something that you dont like.
And what comparison is it to a SHITA that is a rebellion against the the whole torah. a rebellion of yesods vikrey huaminah…?
Yes, he actually does.
Knowing r feiner he would
Non sequitur, Shooloom. This article is not about you.
The shul is affiliated with the OU but not with Satmar.
What Rav Feiner is asking is obvious. How can we even eat OU products if they support Open “non orthodoxy”??
Rav Feiner is an adam Gadol and the OU should do what he says. Its very simple.
Perhaps if they do not listen to Rav Feiner, a boycott of all OU products would be necessary.
Never going to happen. Every Chassidish hechsher relies on the experts at the OU for their own hechsher. You obviously don’t know how the multi million dollar Kashrus industry works. It’s no kuntz to just slop your own kashrus sticker over the automatic OU, OK, Star-K, Chaf-K, etc…that’s already on the package. Having a Shteeble in the basement of your million dollar home doesn’t make you an expert in Kashrus or ingredients.
There is a good chance you would starve to death if you boycott all OU products.
The OU gives hechsher on marijana, I don’t support OU anymore.
we have nothing better to do than spend time heresy-hunting?
Probably not, if one judges the comments here 😉
What does an unconventional marriage mean?
It all depends. In the Yeshivishe velt, an “unconventional marriage” is one where the husband – and not the wife – goes to work and is the main bread-winner.
🙂
That question was really uncalled for. I’m sure you are sufficiently intellectually gifted to figure it out yourself
Yasher Koach R. Feiner for true leadership.
“…the birth of a baby to a couple who have an unconventional marriage.” Wow! How did they manage that?!
Shulem Duvid,
Is Rav Feiner a Satmar member or is his shul a Satmar member shul?
It is an OU shul.
Perhaps this distinction is too fine for you, and that is why you made such an inane comment.
Satmar needs to be exposed for its vile stand against the State of Israel and the IDF.
Everyone knows about that
Why is that the white shul’s problem? The OU is associated with them and OO, so they are demanding the OU drop OO. Satmar has no sheichus to either and doesnt care what the OU or the white shul thinks.
satmar doesnt need guys like you for support. you still didnt answer where satmat comes in here
Ed Ferrel,
And we all thought that Ed the Talking horse was no longer putting on live shows. Thank you for proving us wrong.
Who is Ed Ferrel? What was his post about? Please explain.
see brochos 19a top 5 lines
חזק חזק מרן הרב פיינר יש לי את השכ
I’m confused by the lack of awknowlgemnet on this anonymous panel of commentators. Is gay marriage allowed in orthodoxy? Yes or no? Did anyone say we shouldn’t respect them or love them as our brothers? No. In fact for those of you who did not hear this drasha live, let me fill you in. Rabbi Feiner did say we should show them kid and support, But to accept THIS arrangement in an orthodox Shul is hypocritical. What difference does is make if Rav Feiner does or does not speak out against the ongoing chillul Hashem of the protests against the idf (he does by the way). It DOES NOT NEGATE the fact that open orthodoxy is completely unorthodox.
Nice! Truer words will be hard to find.
It is long overdue for the Orthodox public to demand that ORTHODOX UNION stop its mega-support for “Open Orthodoxy.” ORTHODOX UNION supports “Open Orthodoxy” aggressively by giving its hekhsher to the congregation in Riverdale where the Chovevei Torah seminary ordains guys and where the Maharat School ordains ladies. Both of those “Open Orthodox” seminaries operate out of the ORTHODOX UNION’s HIR congregation in Riverdale. Beyond that, ORTHODOX UNION gives a hekhsher to other Maharat congregations and to additional temples that flout mainstream halakhah. Scores of mainstream Orthodox rabbanim have been meeting with ORTHODOX UNION personnel like Allan Fagin for years regarding this, to no avail.
Shulum dovid is confused what does Reb feiner have to do with Satmar? satmar also have a role in pointing out the evil of the Zionists like forcing men and women to sleep in the same room in the army, forcing kol isha, forcing young men to shave beards etc. Open orthodoxy is WORSE than conservative and they have one goal in mind is to bring all of us down. the OU must kick open orthodoxy out or we must not trust the kashrus of an organization that tolerates the promotion of toeiva.
I call on Rabbi Feiner to call on Satmar & R. Yechekel Roth, Karlsburg Rav of Boro Park, to condemn and defrock Ysoscher Katz of the YCT faculty (who was given semicha by R. Roth when he was Satmar dayan, which is advertised on the YCT website), to call on Lubavitch to condemn and take action against Lubavitcher R. Chaim Rapoport of the UK, a longtime YCT faculty member.
While he is at it, he can also call on Bobov to condemn Reb Avi Weiss, the son of a Bobover Hasid.
To commentator Shulum Duvid Gross:
I’m told that Rav Feiner is indeed breaking with Satmar.
R. Eyson – if you are such a shtarker – איתן – shtark, as the name means – you should not only speak such things to the O-U. Big deal. The O-U won’t throw something through your window.
Let’s see you call on Satmar and R. Yechekel Roth to revoke the semicha they gave to Ysoscher Katz, leading YCT faculty member and OO advocate, and Lubavitch to take action against YCT faculty member the Lubavitcher Hasid R. Chaim Rapoport from England.
If you are flexing your muscles I challenge you to turn them in the direction of Williamsburg, Boro Park, and Crown Heights as well. If you just take on easy things, that it is שוואכע מעשות.
Have some Derech Eretz! Who are you?
If you knew Rabbi Feiner you’d change your tune.
Their catering hall should boycott all OU goods. Good luck to them.
Everyone knows what “Unconventional marriage” means.
A big yasher Koach to Rav Feiner Shlita
@SDG – Have you ever learned על הגאולה ועל התמורה? Divrei Yoel על שלש שבועות? Before stating the Satmar stance is a vile one, you likely do so.
Chabad rabbis are beginning to scare me too. Local guy gets photo ops with female rabbis because the community of non-orthodox jews wants. Not a proper endorsement I think. The wrong is to support.
The Lakewood yeshiva headed by the Roshei Yeshiva shlita recognize Horav Fiener shlita as the Odom Godol that he is. We the people should follow suit. As an aside anyone who has been fortunate enough to speak with Rabbi Feiner shlita is awed by his breath of knowledge, sincerity, and eidelkeit. May the Rov be marich Yomim vshonim ad bias goel
Yasher Koach! We in Far Rockaway owe this brave man tremendous Hakaras hatov. Thank you Rebbe for taking a stand and showing that Yidishkeit is current and has a voice
Thank you Matzav for exposing the open orthodox heretics. Keep up the good work. And the commentator who is ranting about satmar opposing the draft of Yeshiva boys. Wake up an army that’s really an indictrination center to destroy Torah Judaism. This is the opinion of all religious Jews.
What’s with matzav’s writers and this “unconventional marriage” line? It makes it sound “not-so-bad”. Please call it what it is: Gay marriage, forbidden by the Torah with a chiyuv misas beis din.
I WAS IN SHUL AND I HEARD RABBI FEINER. HE IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
AS FAR AS THE WHITE SHUL NEEDING THE OU. THE ANSWER IS YES.AFTER HURRICANE SANDY, THE OU GAVE THE WHITE SHUL A VERY LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO DISTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED LOSSES.
RABBI FEINER DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT BOYCOTTING OU PRODUCTS.
HE SIMPLY CALLED ON THE OU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
@SDG – Have you ever learned על הגאולה ועל התמורה, and the Divrei Yoel על שלש שבועות? Before stating the Satmar stance is a vile one, you would likely benefit from doing so.
Another disappointment with the OU: They closed the OU Job Board, which provided job training and job placement to several thousand Jews worldwide. I wonder what they are doing with their Kashrus supervision revenues, which funded these essential activities?
Rav Feinstein is a great talmid Chachom and a Yirei Shamyim, and he is able to communicate with today’s troubled youth.
Thank you for answering my question, unconventional means gay. I didn’t understand how they could have a baby so I thought it meant something else. I never heard that expression before because I do live in Yerushalayim err hakodosh, and although they have the once a year הצעדה הגאווה (proud parade) ithere is very low key interest in this topic in the charaydee world and it is (almost) never talked about. When it is mentioned here people are still sensitive enough to want to throw up.
Yasher koach Rav Feiner
always standing up for whats right and taking a strong stance for what true orthodox values are, kol hakovod rabbi feiner