school for orthodox jews

if you have a different opinion, that's cool, but here goes...


as a high school student, i feel as though much of the information we study in Jewish school isn't going to help me in my future life as a professor.

Hebrew subjects are largely a matter of memorization. and is anyone ever going to point a gun at me and go "and what does Rashi say on...?" granted, as a girl i don't learn gemara, and have heard it hones analytical skills. but I'm talking girls here. what do Hebrew subjects translate into practically int the real world for us?

secular subjects are substandard. i went to a gifted public school for 2 years, and i can tell you, there is no comparison. no one really checks up on Jewish schools. try calling the Jewish board if you want proof. i can't tell you about regular public school, but my friends there seem to learn more than me.

socially? we miss out on plain normal friendships with the opposite sex. how do you react to someone who is very different from yourself if your school only accepts a basic type?

how do people spend 6K a year per child for this?

how is it for boys overall? the ones i know don't really learn much either.

how do people who aren't scholastically gifted cope with college and having no connections?

the problem(s) with tznius

If the only girls you see for more that 10 seconds at at time are tznius, then you get attracted to tznius girls, right? You know, adapting to your environment?

The fact that "IF THERE ARE ONLY TZNIUS GIRLS AROUND, they would seem attractive" has been overlooked by everyone just seems weird.

Am I missing something here?

Frum Comments?

A frum blogger left some comments on the last post.

I was thinking of approving them, as it was on the Israel situation, and not in any way disrspectful of OTDness. However, I remembered the rule (frum comments are not really welcome). This is mostly a private OTD blog, by and for OTDers. On my personal blog, I may subject myself to frum comments, but I don't see why I should subject others on their blog to it. So sorry frum blogger, it's a no-go.

Racism

[Related post]

A recent video has been circulating on Youtube showing frum kids candidly saying racist remarks. It's interesting to see all the frum apologetics, with many of the comments trying to blame OTDness (those kids were OTD!! - yeah, right) or that they were just drunk and stupid. Many comments also attacked the character of Max Blumenthal, claiming he's a radical left-wing scumbag who only wants to make "frum Jews look bad." Conspicuously missing from all these apologetics is actual discussion of the issues at hand, or a calm, non-emotional, rational explanation of why the opinions expressed in the video are to be disregarded, and serious proof that general frum opinion is diametrically opposed to those views. Probably because most of the apologists know they're lying, and are on very thin ice on this topic. It's a fairly common consensus among most former Orthos that the frum world has serious issues with xenophobia. We weren't sold the kiruv krap to think the frum world is all fun and games, rather we grew up in the often-horrible world, and saw for ourselves most of the disgusting behavior that the apologists try so hard to deny. Further, many of us also know that most of the racism has less to do with the fact that we've been victimized in the past, more to do with religious beliefs of superiority. (The religion is the problem, not the people.) As Obama said so eloquently, "any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail."

your first on-purpose aveirah

Have any of you out there felt any guilt on your first aveirah?

I can't say I have.

I remember my first "sin"- silencing my cell phone on succos. I waited for something- anything- to happen to me. I waited to feel something- regret, glee, anything. But all I felt was "ah, I don't have to listen to the ringtone for the next 5 minutes" Really deep stuff. Surprise of surprises, nothing did happen. It was really liberating- I was free! I had already given up on frummies' fire-and-brimstone warnings, but, I had to prove it to myself.

What do you think? Was it that easy for you, or was it more of a struggle? Please let me know- I don't know any other otders.

Welcome

I thought it would be nice to have a blog that would be accessible to the public with an OTD focus. The purpose of this blog will be to provide a forum for those who are off the derech or SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING GOING off the derech. If you're frum, and would like to do kiruv, you'll just have to go elsewhere.

It will be a group blog. That means it's not about any one person, it's about the group. Comments and posts will be welcome from anyone and everyone, provided they are within the general mission statement of this blog. Additionally, frum comments MAY be accepted, provided they're absolutely respectful. However, this blog is primarily for ex-frum people and those who have never been frum, so frum content isn't really welcome.

(Hint to frummies: Start a blog called "Frum but fun" or something. Allow posters to post anytime about anything. It will be lots of fun too. You're welcome. It's not my fault you guys don't know how to run decent blogs.)

If you'd like to be a contributor, simply send me an email (offthed@gmail.com), and you're added. Comments will be moderated for now, to make sure they are within the goals of this blog.