Agudath Israel National Convention 2007

Thurs Evening Plenary Session - Opening Remarks - Nov 22nd

R”Chanan (Antony) Gordon

Reshus, Roshei Yeshiva, Chashuva Rabbonim, the Presidium of Aguduth Yisrael … ladies and gentleman …

Poschin bikvod hachsanya … of course the “hachsanya” this evening and for the next few days that we I”YH have together is naturally Agudath Israel of America … I want to just take a few seconds from the outset to express my personal hakaras hatov to a some people that those of us that have been involved in Agudath Israel for several years know well … Rabbi Shmuel Bloom, the Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel for being a special friend over so many years and for working with me and our Committee in refining the concept of this year’s theme; to Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Agudath Israel for the many tireless hours of discussions and meetings to ensure that the historical opportunity that presents itself at this years’ Convention will be maximized and will have a le’emaysa toelis; to Rabbi Laibish Becker for interfacing with my office to ensure confirmation of the all-star kiruv cast that we have lined up for this years’ Convention and finally a debt of gratitude to a good chuver and fellow member of the Los Angeles community Reb Shmuel Lebovics for his constant chuvershaf … While it is no doubt a zechus to have been asked make some opening remarks as the Co-Chairman of this years 85th National Agudath Israel Convention, it also I believe carries with it a responsibility to set a certain tone and outline a basic vision for this years Convention and beyond … As I was thinking of what few comments I can make in the short time allotted so that the olam will truly appreciate how historical this year’s Convention is, it dawned on me that if I would simply offer some answers to the two questions that I have been asked by many people since the theme of this year’s Convention first appeared in print, I believe that we can not only set the tone for this year’s Convention, but furthermore, in my personal and admittedly biased opinion, help everyone sitting here this evening appreciate that every one of you can in fact play a vital role in a significant chapter in the legacy of the Jewish People … The first question that has been posed by many was HOW IT CAME TO BE THAT AGUDATH ISRAEL CHOSE THE

THEME OF “American Jewry at Cliffs Edge – Our Role in Bringing Jews Back to Torah” and the second question which flows from the first question is WHY CHOSE SUCH A GROUND-BREAKING THEME NOW? In order to briefly answer the first question allow me to outline a brief chronology of events by take you all back in time … It all really started on a beautiful Spring morning, April 14th 1992 … it was 4:30 am early on a crisp morning in Manhattan … the eerie silence was broken only by the thumping sound of The New York Times wrapped in opaque plastic hitting the sidewalk and doorsteps of thousands of its readers, a disproportionately large percentage of whom are unaffiliated Jews. To most New Yorkers who ripped open the plastic, coffee in hand heading towards trains and cars there was nothing extraordinary about the contents of The New York Times of that morning … Unfortunately for those of us who through nothing short of crystal clear Hashkacha Pratis have been forced to become mumchas in Jewish Demography, a quick perusal of page A3 would ensure 1

that life as we knew it would never be the same again… Because rabbosai the bold headlines on that page, which summarized the findings of the now famous 1990 National Jewish Population Survey screamed out “52% Intermarriage Rate” … Further down in that same piece, one of the other findings of the NJPS 1990 was also cited … namely that save for the Orthodox denomination, the average size of American Jewish families was less than 2.1 children/family … i.e. “Zero Population Growth” … In short, in lay terms my friends H”KBH was telling us through the many publications that began to appear in the days and weeks that followed that the insidious silent holocaust had begun in earnest in the goldene medina … the only remaining question is whether we are going to c”v be part of the problem or … as I”YH as will become clear over this years’ Convention, be able to chose to be part of the solution … October 12, 1996, together with my esteemed co-author and close chuver Dick Horowitz I was zochur to co-author a research article entitled “Will Your Grandchild Be Jewish?” which included the now famous inter-denominational inter-generational chart illustrating that in a nutshell the only denomination that would have recognizable Jewish protégé three generations henceforth would be the Orthodox denomination. It is no coincidence that this years Agudath Israel Convention also commemorates the tenth yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Sherer, Z”TL as one of the many brainchild’s of Rabbi Sherer after the Am Echad Campaign was launched at an Agudath Convention similar to this is to insist, literally weeks before he was nifta that our chart be featured as full page ads in The New York Times … the effect of this campaign was very profound and our article was soon translated into 8 languages and published in numerous publications across the country and the world. January 15th, 2007 at the annual AJOP Convention in Baltimore which is the largest assembly of kiruv professionals and askanim in the world, Moreinu HaRav HaGoen R” Aharon Feldman, Shlita cited our research and pointed out to the standing room only audience that we “all things being equal – unless we take positive steps to intervene – we probably have 20 years left in America before we reach the point – from a demographic perspective – of no return.” May 16, 2007 at an intensely debated meeting at Agudath Israel’s Mosher Sherer Headquarters we began honing in on the catch phrase used by Rabbi Feldman “unless we take positive steps to intervene” … To me in seemed that under the guidance of Agudath Israel and the Vaad Hatzolah thousands of Jewish lives were saved between 1939-1945 when our nation experienced the most graphic heinous physical genocide ever at a time when we had little warning and limited resources … Today when Torah through the guidance of our Gedolim who survived the chorbon of Europe has bli uyin hora never been stronger in America, as Moreinu HaRav HaGoen R”Aharon Leib Shteinman, Shlita pointed out in the short video clip, how can we stand by at allow tens of thousands of Yidden fall off the spiritual radar screen? Baruch Hashem following the appropriate haskamas and hadracha from our Roshei Yeshiva, the theme was

embraced under the tag-line of “American Jewry at Cliffs Edge – Our Role in Bringing Jews Back to

Torah” In order to answer to the second question i.e. why embrace this theme at this point in time, allow me to share with the olam some of the statistical analysis that is the product of much our research …numbers will speak louder than words: There are approximately 5,000 000 Jews in the States today; There are approximately 500,000 Orthodox Jews in the States today; There are approximately 2,500 full time “kiruv professional” in the field … 2

We have reached a critical tekufa in the demographic reality in America … 2,500 kiruv professional can at best win a few battles … but in order to win the war against the pernicious effects of assimilation, we need our olam to understand the profound effect that we can have as a community working together to help thousands of ignorant Yidden realize the beauty of living a life of Torah mitzvas and by so doing avoid thousand of lost brothers and sisters becoming a demographic statistic … I would like to end these Opening Remarks by telling two true stories that I”YH will set the tone for this years Convention and will answer the two objections that I hear repeatedly when I speak to baal habatim in various communities … Objection # 1: “Chanan … most Jews in America are thousands of miles away … maybe its too late r”l” and objection # 2: “Chanan, not all of us were trained to be mumchas in kiruv … I don’t even know where to start” … Objection # 1 - Maaser shehaya – Professor Alan Dershowitz introduced me to the Bostener Rebbe as the “best place to spend the Yomim Noraim” in Boston … Objection # 2 – Maaser shehaya – A simple smile and being warm to a young lady at Harvard Law School following the debate about the “Ne’eman Commission” … was the catalyst to this young lady beginning the journey back to Yiddishkeit … 7 years later at Gateways Pesach Retreat … In closing rabbosai what makes me excited is that not only do I know we can succeed if we pool our resources together … I know we cannot fail … H”KBH kiviyochel is saddened by our lost brothers and sisters … No doubt we will see huge Siyata Dishmaya and brocha if we only show the Almighty that we are at least as concerned about the loss of Yiddishe neshomas as He is … A little smile … perhaps an extra seat at the table … a one hour learning partner per week … until Beezrat Hashem we will see the tide turn and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash bimharay viyamanu … Amen.

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