Does Science justify anything ?

B"H

Israel Rubin is an American Jewish religious writer who wrote some great books about Chassidut Satmar. Just recently I read his reports and found them very interesting. He mentions many insights no one would find elsewhere. The reason is that already in the 60ies, Israel Rubin met the Satmarer Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, and asked him for permission to interview Satmarer Chassidim. After some time, Rebbe Yoel agreed and thus, Israel Rubin was able to write about the Satmarer society including its history and philosophy.

Just like Israel Rubin, I write because of religious reasons. I admit that through my writings I am trying to connect more to Chassidut in a whole and hope to find my way back into haredi society. This goal is very important to me and I have been thinking about it a lot. I very much enjoy talking to Chassidim and I wish I had a great advisor what and how I should improve my goal.

Others, on the other hand, write about Chassidut or chassidic society for different reasons. Not like Israel Rubin, myself or other religious writers. These others types write due to academic reasons. Science, sociology, whatever studies on chassidic society and groups.

First I have to clarify that I don't agree to academic studies inside the chassidic population. It does not include chassidic history or Chassidism in a whole but rather investigation about private life. There has to be a limit about what can be published and how someone should investigate or approach the Chassidim. If you do so, at least be open with the people.

Finally I should give an example and make very clear what I mean:
About two months ago, I read a Ph.D. of an Israeli Ph.D. candidate. I am not mentioning her name and not what she studied.
The Ph.D. candidate, let's call her P., chose the subject "The Women of the chassidic group of Toldot Aharon".

I read her 450 - pages report twice. Most pages I skipped, as I already know a lot about the subject myself.

The Toldot Aharon are an extreme chassidic group with about 600 families living in Mea Shearim and in Beit Shemesh. Even in Mea Shearim, the group is seen as extreme but highly respected. They keep themselves very separate from the outside world, and thus it was hard for P. to get in closer touch with them.

What do I criticize about her Ph.D. work ?
It bothers me a lot how the got her information.
She told some Toldot Aharon women that she studies at the University and writes something social on the subject. She told the Toldot Aharon Rebbitzen that she is interested in Chassidism and intends to get closer to religion. None of the women really knew that they would be part of a Ph.D. This impression I got from the writings of P. The Rebbitzen helped her talking to people, as she supposed that P. is looking for some chassidic roots.

What is so terrible about it ?
As I said, I don't agree to the methods. P. wrote her Ph.D. on an entirely academic basis. Her language, her approach, anything was entirely academic. The question is how far is science allowed to go ? Am I allowed to lie or pretend in order to get my Ph.D. ?

Last week, I called P. up. I had a few further questions and I really wanted to hear what kind of a person she is. Call it curiosity.

However, I had never expected the way P. reacted on the phone.

I introduced myself and had to do so a few more times afterwards.

The first thing P. told me was not to "steal" from her writings about the Toldot Aharon women.

Now, I have to say and I told her that I have been dealing with Chassidut Toldot Aharon for some time and all of P.'s information were already known to me. As a matter of fact, I have written about different matters months ago.

I myself had spoken to different women but, as I know Yiddish, I had overheard many of those subjects at the Tishes of the group. Young brides were talking to her friends about women's issues. I didn't even need to ask but got my information just like this.

P. concentrated her Ph.D. basically on two issues:
The education of the Toldot Aharon women and how they deal with the hair shaving one or two days after the wedding.

I wrote about the head covers etc. months ago but do not concentrate too much on the subject itself. For me it is important to write about different chassidic groups, their history, their rebbes, the synagogues, the customs, the Tishes, marriages, etc. The religious issues are very important. What I experienced is that chassidic women tell me a lot. The reasons are that I am religious myself, I completely identify with the subject, I know about the subject and I actually respect Chassidim very much. The Chassidim react differently if someone tells them that he comes from the university.

P. was upset and started a kind of yelling. At least she raised her voice and asked me about my background and if I am somehow connected to Toldot Aharon. I stressed that I am not connected to any group but write about all of them. Not only about Toldot Aharon. That I am religious and that this is my reason.
However, I just wanted to ask her a few questions.

P. agreed.

I was really interested in one thing: Has P. kept up her connections with the Toldot Aharon women ?

She finished her Ph.D. some years ago and I was interested in what had happened since.

P. admitted that right after she finished her investigations, relations had stopped. And now she is busy with a second Ph.D. or whatever you call it.

I told her that I deal with the Chassidim in a very different way. I could not get information and then just dump the people. "I got everything and now leave me alone. I have got what I wanted and you remain where you are. Stay away from me."

I also told her that for me, the Chassidim are people and many of them I consider as my personal friends. They are not a study object.
I would not use them and afterwards disappear.

This was the moment when P. went wild. She started a whole justification scream. She is too busy, she likes the people, but she has this and that. Again she asked me who I was. As if I am a Toldot Aharon spy.

I asked her if she at least knew that one of the grandsons of Rebbe David Kahn is getting married ?

P. didn't know.

Eventually she told me that she is planning to put the Ph.D. into a book and wants to publish everything. Yes, she knows that the Toldot Aharon might cause her problems.

If she had told the members her actual reasons for her inquiries, things would be more positive but she wasn't always too honest. She used group members and therefore, the Toldot Aharon probably look at the matter as if she was an intruder. So, P. might be right when she expects threats.

In the end, P. suggested that we should meet and she would like to hear my opinion on the matter. I sent her my e – mail address but she never responded and never will respond.

She made the mistake to let everyone think that she is the only person in the world who ever spoke to Toldot Aharon. The truth is that many Haredim know everything what P. wrote about from their own experience. Especially the education issue is very common among haredi society and therefore, it is well known. I had to skip the education pages anyway.

When I go to chassidic groups, I emphasize on other subjects, as I mentioned before. History, rebbes, synagogues or customs. Of course, social aspects also play a role but for these subjects I don't need to ask the Chassidim. I know the haredi world myself and thus can ask myself. Most social issues I write about, I have experienced myself.

What really bothers me is P.'s behaviour. As soon as she reached her goal, she disappeared. She wasn't interested in the women at all. She was interested in getting the information and now she wants to make money. Well, she can sell her stuff to secular papers or give lectures to the secular. I am sure that left wing papers like Haaretz always love some haredi scandals. To the religious themselves, she won't have too many connections because they already know.

A friend of mine said that P. wrote her study in an academic scientific way and not for religious reasons. This is her right and there is nothing wrong with it.

That's right but it doesn't get into my head that she let herself being invited, told the Chassidim some Blabla – stories and then just dumped them. I spoke to other Chassidim (not to Toldot Aharon !!!!) and they said: "So what. Let her publish the stuff. We won't read it anyway."

I expected P. at least to show up for the Shabbat Chatan yesterday. Okay, she hasn't spoken to the Toldot Aharon for some time but this was a chance to renew the connection. She could have claimed that she was busy and now she heard about Shabbat Chatan and wanted to say HELLO. As far as I saw, she didn't show up. For her, the subject is finished and now it is cash time.

I am not a scientist and I am glad not to be one if those are the methods and goals. I rather live without an academic title instead of turning out to be like this. I will continue writing about many chassidic groups because I honestly enjoy talking to the Chassidim. So far, I have met great people who I really respect and appreciate. It doesn't necessarily mean that I agree with all the issues but in a way I wish, I could be like them.

If P. is reading this article:
I am NOT going to the Toldot Aharon and tell them. I haven't done so far and I don't intend doing so in the future.
You can do whatever you want but maybe you should consider telling them the truth. You, and not me.

If not, I wish you all the best and great success. And I mean this seriously.