Yiddishkeit Thrives!

 

The Neis Gadol of American Yiddishkeit: From Churban to Geulah in Our Own Times

We must be makir and thank Hashem for the incredible hashgacha pratis that we are zoche to witness in our generation! The transformation of Yiddishkeit in America over the past decades is nothing short of a neis niglah that many of our current yungeleit and bochurim simply cannot fathom in its full depth and breadth.

The Yeridas HaDoros of Early American Yiddishkeit

The matzav of Yiddishkeit in America's early days was, Rachmana litzlan, in such a bad place that it's painful to recall. In the mid-19th century, Reform Judaism—that terrible deviation from our mesorah — spread rapidly across America, advocating a formal relinquishment of the very traditions that define our connection to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The assimilation was so rampant that many Yidden were, nebach, completely disconnecting from their roots.

The kehillos of yesteryear were, sadly, not what we would recognize today as frum communities. Many so-called "Orthodox" congregations didn't even have a proper mechitzah! Can you imagine? As late as 1997, 7 kehillos under the Orthodox Union still lacked a proper partition between men and women. Gevald! Such was the terrible spiritual yerida of those times. We still can find remnants of this with the president of an Orthodox kehillah actually married to a goyta in our times!

In the post-war era, many of our fellow Yidden were busy moving to the suburbs, becoming accepted by the goyishe society, and sadly, leaving behind the emesdiggeh Yiddishkeit of their forefathers. They were, chas v'shalom, redefining what it meant to be a Yid in America — focusing on fitting in rather than standing firm in their commitment to Torah and mitzvos.

The Churban of Assimilation

The nisayon of assimilation was tremendously powerful. Our communities were facing a spiritual Holocaust—where neshamos, not gufim, were being lost. Established Ashkenazi Yidden were pushing for the assimilation of new Yiddishe immigrants in a misguided attempt to mitigate antisemitism. Instead of embracing the beautiful mesorah of their ancestors, they were encouraging their fellow Yidden to become more "American" and less frum.

The early Jewish organizations were sadly focused on helping immigrants "fit in" rather than maintaining their unique identity as bnei Torah. These organizations often encouraged "the erasure of cultural markers and traditions in an attempt to avoid increasing antisemitism". What a tragic misunderstanding of our true purpose in golus!

The Techiyas HaMeisim of American Frumkeit

But Hakadosh Baruch Hu, in His infinite rachamim, was preparing a yeshuah! During and after the Churban Europa, a new wave of strictly observant refugees arrived from Eastern and Central Europe. These were Yidden who understood the primacy of Torah and the importance of mesorah!

The arrival of Rav Aharon Kotler, zt"l, marked a turning point in the spiritual landscape of America. In 1943, this giant among gedolim established Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. Unlike the compromised institutions of the past, Rav Aharon was determined to create a makom Torah that would be a true bastion of limud haTorah and yiras Shamayim.

Alarmed by the enticing and dangerous American environment, Rav Aharon turned his yeshiva into an enclave — a protected space where bochurim could grow in learning without the harmful influences of the outside world. Around this makom kadosh, an entire kehillah slowly evolved. This was drastically different from his pre-war yeshiva in Kletsk, where talmidim were merely one segment of the general Jewish population. The Lakewood model — a homogeneous, voluntary, and enclavist community centered around Torah learning — revolutionized what it meant to be a frum Yid in America.

The Hatzalah of a Generation

What a stroke of hashgacha that these new arrivals soon dominated the traditionalist wing of American Jewry! They forced the locals to adopt more rigorous positions, leading to a tremendous aliyah in ruchniyus across the board. The influence of these European gedolim cannot be overstated — they literally saved Yiddishkeit in America from spiritual extinction.

While the Conservatives and Reform were drifting further away, cutting themselves off from authentic mesorah, the true torch-bearers of Torah Judaism were building something remarkable. Under the leadership of gedolim like Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, and Rav Moshe Feinstein, Orthodox Judaism was developing into distinct movements with clear theological foundations and halachic frameworks.

The Neis Nigleh of Contemporary Yiddishkeit

And now, Baruch Hashem, look where we are today! Mi k'amcha Yisroel! The transformation is simply breathtaking. Where once there were barely minyanim that kept basic halacha, we now have flourishing communities of bnei Torah. The sound of tinokos shel beis rabban learning Torah echoes through communities across America. The kol Torah that emanates from our batei medrash would bring tears of joy to our ancestors who struggled to maintain even basic Yiddishkeit on these shores.

The growth of yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs is unprecedented. Where once Jewish education was sparse and compromised, we now have mosdos haTorah that rival the great pre-war yeshivos of Europe. Thousands upon thousands of bochurim spend their days and nights in the beis medrash, toiling in learning with a geshmak that was unimaginable just a few generations ago.

A Frum Society Beyond Our Ancestors' Dreams

Look at the incredible infrastructure we've built! Kosher food is readily available in supermarkets across America. We have eruvin in many communities, enabling Shabbos observance with greater ease. The proliferation of seforim, both classics and contemporary chiddushim, is astounding. Publications like Artscroll have made Torah accessible to all segments of Klal Yisroel.

The kavod haTorah that exists today would be unrecognizable to previous generations. The gedolei hador are respected and revered, their psak halacha sought on all matters great and small. The connection between Klal Yisroel and their manhigim has been restored to its proper place.

Even as we acknowledge the ongoing challenges — the pull of technology, the nisayon of gashmiyus, the creeping influence of outside values, and the constent attempts of rabble rousers to tear our community apart with machlokes — we must stand in awe of what has been accomplished. From communities where the very concept of mesorah was being abandoned, we have built vibrant, thriving centers of authentic Yiddishkeit.

Hakoras HaTov to the Mesiras Nefesh of the Builders

We must express tremendous hakoras hatov to those who planted the seeds of this remarkable renaissance. The roshei yeshiva who sacrificed comfort and prestige to build Torah in America. The baalebatim who supported these institutions with their resources. And especially the Rabbanim who stood firm in face of all their detractors.

These giants saw beyond the spiritual wasteland of their time and envisioned what could be. They were not satisfied with mere survival; they aimed for revival. And through their mesiras nefesh, they achieved what many thought impossible.

As we bask in the glow of their accomplishments, we must remember that we stand on the shoulders of these giants. Their vision and sacrifice created the olam haTorah we enjoy today. May we be worthy of their legacy, and may we continue to build and strengthen Yiddishkeit in America until the coming of Moshiach, bimheira b'yameinu, Amen!