Kiruv Cons

One thing I find distasteful about modern Kiruv organizations is the way they market themselves and their products. They typically shy away from using the word Orthodox, and for example present their lectures as just being about 'Judaism', rather than "Orthodox Judaism'. They try and sound all pluralistic, which of course isn't true in the slightest, because they'll hit you full force with Orthodox Judaism every time you really get into it with them. 

[Update: To double check, I just logged onto one of these kiruv Kollel's web sites. Not a word about Orthodoxy, but plenty of lines about 'uniting fellow Jews ' and 'building bridges in our community']

In fact I was recently talking to a kiruv player in one of these kiruv kollels and he told me how he doesn't like to call himself Orthodox, rather he describes himself as just Jewish. This might have been somewhat believeable, had it not been immediately followed up by a conversation where he wondered if a Conservative Rabbi could be meztaref to make a minyan. So much for pluralism.

Another example of disingenuous kiruv marketing is the annual 'Jewish Unity Live' event, put on by a handful of kiruv oriented 'community' kollels. The organization's mission is to  'build jewish unity through learning', and hosts a lavish affair each year, typically honoring some majorly rich secular Jews for being benefactors. Yet all the major players behind this organization are RW / UO style kollels, whose only possible conception of unity is for everyone to be Orthodox, and preferably Yeshivish / Chareidi Orthodox. These people don't even hold of the Modern Orthodox, never mind Conservative or Reform. How can they possibly claim to be building Jewish Unity? I guess if we're all being conned into donating money to the kollels, then that could be a pretty unifying experience.

The whole thing is very clearly geared towards getting wealthy, secular and guilt ridden Jews to donate money to the kollels.The one excuse they have is 'caveat emptor'; If the big movers and shakers of the secular Jewish world want to give their money to organizations like this, then I guess it's entirely their own fault. I bet you don't see Michael Steinhart getting fooled though.

Another perhaps more well known example is the Oorah 'Kars4Kids' program, where the ads on the radio talk about helping kids at risk or in need, but the entire program is really about OJ kiruv. This one was so disingenuous it made the national news. 

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised though. Since OJ Kiruv is inherently all about selling falsehoods, it makes sense that the methods they use to to raise the money to sell the falsehoods should be pretty dodgy too.

Now don't get me wrong. I do think that these Kollels do some good work, and their people are good people. I just think they need to be more upfront and honest about what it is that they are REALLY selling, and what their goals REALLY are, and what they REALLY think about unity with Conservative & Reform. Or even the Modern Orthodox. Yes, it might not be so attractive to potential BTs or secular mega-donors, but at least it would be honest.