Letters to the Editor - October 23, 2026

A Skewed Portrayal of the Yeshivish System

Sam Millunchick’s “Are Modern Orthodox Learners Merely Tourists in the Beit Midrash?” (Oct. 2) raises important questions. Schools should be able to explain what they are trying to accomplish through Torah study and whether their students are accomplishing it. Modern Orthodox institutions should welcome that discussion.

But I think both the comparison and the definition of educational success deserve closer examination.

There is a familiar problem in arguments between communities: We compare the best of our own with the worst of someone else’s. Here, the comparison seems to run in the other direction. The shortcomings of Modern Orthodox education are measured against an idealized account of what education in the yeshiva world is intended to produce. An educational aspiration, however admirable, is not the same as an educational result. We should apply the same scrutiny to both.

Any fair assessment must also recognize the outstanding graduates of Modern Orthodox yeshivot: serious, learned, scholarly men and women deeply committed to Torah and its study. I would be delighted to compare our finest graduates with anyone else’s. We have every reason to be immensely proud of them. Excellence is something we have in abundance.

But the more fundamental question is what we expect a Torah education to produce. Surely that includes scholarship and the ability to learn independently. It also includes preparing people to earn a living, contribute through their professions, lead their communities, and assume responsibility for Klal Yisrael. These are essential expressions of the Torah they have learned.

Here in Israel, that responsibility includes service in the IDF and defending our fellow Jews when they are in peril. Can a Torah education be considered successful if its graduates do not recognize that obligation? If years of study have failed to instill responsibility for the lives and welfare of fellow Jews, something fundamental in that education has failed.

The accomplishments of Modern Orthodox graduates in the beit midrash, in their professions, in communal leadership, and in the defense of Israel belong in this discussion. They tell us something important about the education those graduates received and the understanding of Torah they carry into their lives.

I have lived long enough, and been involved in enough communities, to know that every community has great successes and serious failures. Modern Orthodoxy’s failures deserve honest scrutiny. So do those of the chareidi world. Neither community should be judged solely by its finest graduates or its most disappointing outcomes.

I would welcome a discussion that examines both with equal honesty – and asks whether our students are learning Torah deeply and understanding the responsibilities it places upon them.

Shalom Lamm

Jerusalem

Embrace Early Voting

The Jewish Press has offered many excellent editorials. The best, though, was published in the July 8, 2026 edition (“Stop Whining, Start Winning: Why the GOP Must Trade Grievances for Ground Game”).

The title tells the story.

Mea culpa: I can’t count how many times I find myself in conversations with friends about how elections are “fixed” and how the other side is “stealing the election.” This is not productive if we want to preserve America and its relationship with Israel.

As the editorial properly instructed us, let’s stop whining. Let’s be smart and do what we must to win. Obviously, the key right now is to vote and to encourage others to vote. Ultimately, that – and not grievance – is what wins elections. Bring your family members, including grown children. Bring other members of your minyan and their family members.

A finer point, which is new to me, is the availability and importance of early voting. Get on record sooner rather than waiting. Suppose, G-d forbid, we become ill before Election Day and can’t vote. Early voting ensures that we will have voted. Despite its controversial history, early voting is now an established procedure and is freely available to us. It is not immoral or improper for an individual to avail himself of the opportunity.

Early voting in New York City and Rockland County begins on Saturday, October 24, which for Sabbath observers means our first opportunity is on Sunday, October 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours vary from day to day. While early voting continues through November 1, the earlier the better in order to be on record. Go to https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/ for your early voting location in New York City and https://www.rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/board-of-elections/early-voting-extended-hours in Rockland County.

Mark Fishman

Fairfield, Conn.