Hamodia’s “Inyan” (27 Av 5779, p. 32-33) interviewed Rabbi Yechiel Kessel of Kefar Zoharim (Kiruv for “Off The Derech” youth).
Rabbi Kessel said this:
“That is the reason Rabbi Grossman invested millions of shekels in this project. All the boys here, without exception, are from chareidi homes. Every society has some ‘neshira’ – youth who leave their particular culture. But there’s a difference. When a boy grows up on Torah and mitzvos, then all his values are based on the Aseres Hadibros. When he leaves Torah, he loses all of them. And when he loses his values he turns criminal. He doesn’t know that even if you’re not chareidi, you don’t steal, because a person doesn’t steal. When a chareidi family deals with a son who is nosher, they’re dealing with a son who not only doesn’t keep Shabbos, they’re often dealing with a son who’s a criminal.
“Rabbi Grossman opened the Kefar to save these boys from criminal lifestyles. As far as teshuvah — it’s something we ultimately want, but it’s not up to us. It’s their own choice, their own bechirah. But at least they should be functional people.”
At the Kefar, the boys are given a vocation so that they no longer need to turn to crime…
Sure, “Derech Eretz precedes Torah”, says the Torah (!). As we have said before: “Those who heal such youth focus on turning them, firstly, into human beings, and rightly so. This isn’t merely about which sins are worse, but a form of “אל תרשע הרבה”.” Also, read Rabbi Hirsch quoted here. But Rabbi Kessel is speaking his mind to us all.
Let me get this straight.
- Indeed, כל שאינו מלמד את בנו אומנות כאילו מלמדו ליסטות. But there are plenty of places to gain a vocation! If the immediate, not “ultimate” goal is not comprehensive Teshuvah, is Rabbi Kessel then in the business of creating “functional” Meshumadim? What if some of them refuse to do Teshuvah?
- Without religion, a person shouldn’t steal? Exactly why not (including Bnei Noach)? It sounds like the traditional yeshivish twisting of מצוות שכליות/שמעיות. Furthermore, should loyal Jews, then, stop basing our values on Aseres Hadibros, Heaven forfend?!
- I quote: “They’re dealing with a son who not only doesn’t keep Shabbos, they’re often dealing with a son who’s a criminal.” Right… Stealing = Criminal. Desecrating Shabbos ≠ Criminal. Why “often” dealing with a criminal? Unlike theft, Chillul Shabbos is a capital offense!
(I interpret “Chareidi” above as plain “religious”, as is clear from the rest of the interview.)
The articles continues (p. 36):
The Kefar stands behind the boys until they can stand on their own two feet. “There aren’t too many other institutions, even very good ones, that put this as their goal,” says Rabbi Kessel. “Our goal is to do everything possible so that our boys will build good, healthy marriages and be able to succeed in this world.”
But what about returning to Torah and mitzvos? Though this isn’t the Kefar’s stated goal, it is the ultimate rehabilitation the staff hopes for.
Rav Kessel says that more of their graduates are shomrei Torah than not. And of those who are not Torah observant when they leave the Kefar, most return to Torah observance at some point down the road.
…
There are no rules about Torah observance in the Kefar. There’s no pressure. We expect our boys to be respectful, so when the’re in the Kefar they must be shomerei Shabbos and they need to wear a kippah, but that’s it…
- “Build good, healthy marriages” without Hilchos Niddah?! בת ישראל לא תילד את הנכרית מפני שמילדת בן לעבודה זרה.
- What good to God is a secular’s Jew ability “to succeed in this world“?!
- Note well: I don’t know percentages, but most ex-religious return to Torah observance “at some point”, either with or without Kiruv.
This is not chiefly about Rabbi Kessel or Kefar Zoharim. I read identical descriptions of Kiruv for “Off The Derech” youth in many publications. I am sure many of them achieve great things. And I have the same Torah disagreement with each and every one of them.
As stated in the title: Half the Time, Kiruv Artists Are Just Efficiency Experts for Meshumadim