STAMFORD (VINnews) — While appearing at a panel about antisemitism at the Agudah Convention Friday, Rabbi Dr. Ahron Twerski spoke out against the lack of Chassidic representation within the Agudah in recent years.
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He said, “I used to come to Agudah conventions and feel comfortable…because there was a Chassidishe olam…for the last ten years we have been uninvited, not formally, but uninvited. The problem starts because Chassidim are not represented on the Moetzes Gedolei Torah.”
He called it “shameful” and said “there’s no excuse for it.”
Dr. Twersky predicted that “Agudath Israel will become irrelevant to Klal Yisroel” in a few years
https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh/status/1598749484149665794
The always gracious and even-tempered Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel responded. He first joked about how this proves that the Agudah carefully censors each speaker’s speech in advance. He then thanked Dr/ Twersky for raising the issue, and assured the audience that it is being addressed.
— Shmuli Kaufman (@RabbiJoeShmoe) December 4, 2022
Chasidim don’t want to be part of Agudah, they are not aligned with them at all and have very different priorities
They will never get behind the moetzes in a vote that they don’t agree with
For Twersley to make this an Agudah issue is not correct and not fair on the highest level
Maybe chasdim need to go back to the drawing board, and follow the ways of the besht and his talmdim. Chasdus is about welcoming others, the poor down trodden wagon drivers. Yes it’s about drawing litfaks and misnagdim into your fold. It isn’t about being exclusive and only embracing the prefect shtriemel with its white wiskers. Down hats should have a place among chasdim too. That’s why 50 years ago they were part of aguda bec they had downhats too. (I don’t mean to pick on the dress but the general inclusiveness) Take by of Williamsburg 50 years ago, they had chasdisha rebas and litfisha Rosh yeshiva daughter all in the same class. (Same with Torah vodaath) . We all need to stop being so exclusive
Aguda is already irrelevant. It is just a club of machers trying to look important.
Agudah has been heavily weighed down defending Hasidim for years recently, whether their metzitzah bifeh practice, or their lack of secular studies.
And this is how they respond, with complaints???
The aguda is irrelevant because it’s l about the $ of askanim NOTHING ELSE
Chasidim already control Agudah.
Where are the nusach Ashkenaz siddurim at the convention?
What Rabbi Twersky means is not just that there are no Rabbanim on the moetzes. What he is referring to is the agenda and priorities of the Aguda no longer align with chasidim, and therefore Aguda is marginalized against huge portions of klal yisroel. They also no longer align with other huge portions of klal yisroel and therefore will become irrelevant. The percentage of orthodox jewry that subscribes to aguda and its principals is shrinking. Avi Schnall and Srully Besser are the faces of aguda. They both don’t represent any faction.
Agudah has not been relevant for a long time now, one thing they did was hijacked the dad yomi as if it’s theirs, that’s basically what they live fun and pump the last 15-20 years.
Which relative of his was he campaigning for ?
I believe he happens to be incorrect If you look at the percentage of chasidishe rebbes etc., who were always on the “moetzes.” Today there are two. Other than the fact when the Noviminsker Rebbe ztl was yoshev rosh so I’m not including him, what was the percentage of the chasidishe? I think it was right around the same.
Let’s face it, it’s all about drawing power. The convention needs to make money. They’re not going to draw that many extra from the different chasidishe rebbes. If you have Rebbe A, then Rebbe B’s chasidim won’t come because how dare you. And now especially with many of the splits in the מלוכה In many groups, if you have one that the other side gets upset. Aguda does very well by sitting on the fence in many cases.
One thing that they changed years ago was that it used to be the highlight of the convention was Motzai Shabbos That is no longer the case. Many of us remember of the years gone by where the main speaker Motzai Shabbos would be Rav Gifter ztl or the Bostoner Rebbe of Boro Park (HaRav Moshe Horowitz ztl) Just to name a few. Now that main night is Thursday night maybe.
In general I don’t think they have the drawing power that they used to. People don’t necessarily look forward to that Shabbos, even over the last 10 years. It seems it’s died down.
The organization still does what it does and BeH continue to do what they do, and even better. However, maybe The convention is overrated by 99% of the population they would love to get.
The relative of mine used to say, the topic at most conventions is, what did they speak about last year that they said they were going to do that they didn’t do, and what are they talking about this year that they’re going to do that they’ll speak about next year that they didn’t do.
It’s great to see a Law Dean with Hasidic Religious practice play the Race Card.
Why does Dr. Twersky represents Chasidim? I have no doubt that his world views are very different than many Chasidim. He wants diversity and inclusion. Where is that coming from?
When the large machanos of chasidim we’re invited to the internet asifa of 2008, they took over the floor and there were almost no English speeches. Besides, Rabbi Zwiebel said it is hard to find chasidishe askanim to participate
What is he talking about? There were plenty of Chasidim there. Look at the bigwigs in AIA, Chairman Sol Werdiger, David Zwiebel. Both Chasidim. Just because they don’t dress in 18th century Polish fashion, as Twerski does, doesn’t mean they are not Chasidim.
The Agudah will continue to show how irrelevant they are by showing how inept they are with playing politics. (& Their post election letters trying to explain how while it looks like they were wrong they were really right aren’t helping)
The Lubavitcher Rebbeh must be appointed chairman of the Moetzes right now. Enough of the Agudah dissing Chabad-Lubavitch.
AIA should sponsor a set of Hasidic garb for Chaim Duvid Zwiebel, and other staff members. Shtreimel (low, or new high style, with option of spudik), regen shtreimel, several bekishes, Chasidishe shich, pairs of veise zoken, etc.
Sol Werdiger to start wearing spudik immediately.
This is like saying that the Hisachdus Harabonim is irrelevant because it has no non-chasidim on it. Agudah will always be a far larger , more influential and more active on behalf of the klal group than the Hisachdus Harabonim is and ever will be but neither group will ever be irrelevant to Klal Yisroel due to the groups who aren’t interested in aligning themselves with it.
It would also be a lot easier for a member of the Hisachdus to join Aguda and speak at the conventions than it would be for say some Agudah type Rav from Chicago to join the Hisachdus and have his opinion taken seriously within it.
The tone of most of these comments proves that Rabbi Twerski really has a point and he hit a nerve……
Though the aguda had become irrelevant through its own actions over the last several
Years. They spend more time energy and money trying to defend their actions that are causing problems for all frum yidden
Agudah needs an affirmative action policy! More diversity and inclusivity!
So I’ve had more time to think about this and I I think he was totally wrong. I’m sorry. There’s really no other way to put this .
Who would he recommend, which Rebbe would he recommend joining Aguda to sit on the moetzes ? The answer is very few or if any will do it. No one wants to be accountable to anyone else. Viznits doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Skver won’t listen to anyone because they don’t care what anyone thinks. The bottom line is, I’m sorry for picking on those two, no one cares what anyone else thinks. They’re not going to sit there and say oh I agree with the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood for example. It’s the smaller chasidishe rabonim who have the guts and the courage to sit down on these meetings and hear what other people have to say and then come to a consensus.
He’s a Twerski/Twersky so he has a lot of relatives that he can recommend. Unfortunately none of them will be willing to serve unless, maybe the one from Milwaukee.
Yes the Agudah is becoming irrelevant as Lakewood, Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley continue to see explosive non-Hasidic Haredi growth (sarcasm intended).
“predicted that “Agudath Israel will become irrelevant to Klal Yisroel” in a few years”
What is that? An implied threat?
AIA should call Twerski’s bluff. In a few years, Hasidim will call upon Agudah again when they need help, as they have done in the past.
I am still at the convention and am appalled that a ‘news’ outlet can find one statement out of thousands of divrei Torah and chasidus and disseminate it for the sole purpose of creating diviseness about an organization which every single frum Jew in the world benefits from their askanus.
I am done with VIN and hope you come to your senses very soon.
the structure of the Jewish community changed in the last 70 years and if the
Something else I forgot to mention what he is wrong about, is that so many of the Torah projects they do involve chasidishe rabonim and magiday shiurim. And I think in that case the hasidics far out number the non-hasidics.
Why did Twerski speak in English, not Yiddish? Maybe Chasidim don’t feel comportable due to lack of speakers in Yiddish.
The Aguda never had any of the large rebbes they however used to have some of the smaller rebbes like the Bluzhever Rebbe, kosover rebbe, and skulener etc.
The great leaders who formed the American Agudah as we know it today, namely Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Yitzchok Hutner and Rav Mordechai Gifter, would be very pleased with how it has evolved.
Rav Moshe Sherrer and the Novominsker, were talmidim of the above Gedoilim.
Hasidim have alread moved up there. I noticed four misspellings on the webpage of their just concluded convention program, and four missing commas. Seems they have adopted Hasidic improper English usage.
Is Professor Twerski the torts specialist threatening a lawsuit here?
He should stick to his area of expertise, academic law, and not become a politicized activist, an area where does not belong.