Dear Avrohom:

Thank you for taking the time to write and for expressing your opinion in a forthright manner.

Part and parcel of the painful but crucial process of self-improvement – on an individual and/or communal level – is to honestly evaluate the facts on the ground. This allows us to take pride in what we are doing well and to reflect on how to improve things moving forward. Failure to engage in self-evaluation is a surefire recipe for disaster as substantive issues that are far more manageable in the early stages fester and grow until they explode into full-scale emergencies (and then get publicized in a much more embarrassing manner). That is why Mishpacha deserves a great deal of credit for creating the venue for such proactive discussions to take place in a responsible manner.

Before I wrote my first column on at-risk teens twelve years ago, I was strongly encouraged by several of our leading gedolim to write about the subject – even though it meant raising topics that were not discussed in polite company at that time. I’ve received similar hadracha over the years regarding the propriety of writing columns about abuse, drug use, etc. At Agudas Yisroel Conventions and other public venues, I’ve spoken about these issues in the presence of members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah s’hlita, and never once was I asked to refrain from having these discussions. In fact, I was – and am – given chizuk by our gedolim to do so due to the critical nature of these topics.

Because I see what I see on a daily basis, I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to shine the light of day on the issues that sorely need to be addressed. Suggesting that kids and adults go off the derech from reading my articles, is like saying that it is dangerous to take CAT scans, because so many people who take them are found to have illnesses.

For the record, while it would be fair to say that my writings insinuate that (some) “parents don’t get it” nothing I have ever written can even remotely suggest that I feel that “schools are messed up” or that “rabbeim are bad.” And I always strive to maintain the balance between accentuating what is positive and beautiful in our charedi society, with unflinchingly addressing the pressing issues of the day. Even the title of the column you mention, (Issue #207; “Retail Beauty and Wholesale Unsightliness”) reflects that balance, as does the body of the article which gives prominent mention and many examples of all the ‘retail’ Kiddush Hashem activities. It is because I take such pride in our society and all we stand for, that I feel obligated to write about these issues to help all members of our community live and thrive with simchas hachayim until the time when Moshiach comes and relieves all suffering.

Respectfully,

Yakov Horowitz