A small apology

Was I too quick to say that black hat Judaism is "on its way down with a wasting disease?" Perhaps. Though a disease of some sort may indeed be starting to assert itself in our culture and communities, the black hat Jews are a long way from being down for the count. Marc Steyn, author of the lovely obituaries that appear on the last page of every edition of the Atlantic, famously says that the future belongs to the fecund and confidant. I'm not sure we are confidant - can a community that defines itself against everyone else, while stifling questions and punishing non-conformity be called confident? - but there's no doubt we know how to breed.

(Yes, trolls, I used the pronoun "we." Halachic Jews are one people, one nation and frumkeit is one culture - despite the very best efforts of the Haredim to throw the left-wing of halachic Judaism under the bus.)