[Avodah] Kiruv & Liberals

[Steven J Scher]

R'Yonaton Kaganoff:

>  I find it disturbing when when young idealistic Jewish activists who
have been active in liberal, left-wing political causes, are told by Kiruv
professional that these ideas could be find in Judaism, when the Kiruv worker
knows, quite well how politically and culturally right-wing most Orthodox
Jewish communities are.

Rn' Toby Katz:

>But most of the values that move young and idealistic Jewish activists
>really DO have their source in the Torah!

Like many, I am shocked to agree with Rn'TK.  As a not-so 
young, but plenty idealistic left-wing Jew, I do think that many of the 
progressive ideas that we lefties promote are Torah values.  However, 
R'YK's point is also absolutely correct: It is a problem if people 
become BTs on the basis of a belief that their liberal values are 
expressed in the Orthodox world.  As I became more and more frum, I 
quickly learned that it was a mistake to express some of my political 
beliefs in certain communities.

The solution, though, is not to deny the Torah-source of progressive 
values.  The solution is to try and build more left-leaning Torah 
communities.

And, of course, ad khan agreement with Rn Katz:

Of course, as these young 
>people
>learn
>more Torah, in most cases they will come to see how leftists have
misapplied
and misinterpreted these values of righteousness and justice.   But the
values
are still Torah values.

As is obvious from what I wrote above, I disagree with this.  I think that 
the Torah can certainly support many of the progressive values.

- Steve