Observant Jew.
If I read or hear another person ostensibly rate one Jew compared to the next by calling one more observant than the other, I think my head is going to explode.
Some self define as “frum” Jews.
Others use words like “das Torah.”
Can we just stop this talk.
HaShem isn’t interested in whether or not your shirt is white or blue.
Are you a good person? Do you treat other people with respect and integrity? I know observant Jews who go to shul, but who offer respect to others and give back to the society in which we live through volunteerism and philanthropy.
Somehow the word “observant” has been co-opted to mean Orthodox, because it is believed that Orthodox Jews observe more mitzvot than other Jews.
But that might or might not be the case at all.
The point is that there are observant Jews who attend Baltimore Hebrew or Beth Am or Oheb Shalom or Chizuk Amuno or Beth El or Beth Tfiloh or Suburban Orthodox or Herzberg’s or Tiferes Yisroel just to name a few. Point is, we’re Jews, we’re all Jews. And the greatest observance of all would be if we would stop finding and using these meaningless labels to separate our very souls and beings. Let’s strive to be good to one another and to be a shining light to the society in which we live. It’s Purim time and soon Passover. Let our freedom from Egypt this year be to loosen the bonds of our restrictive labels, working together to form a wonderful Baltmore Jewish community.
Let’s learn the names of one another’s children and do what we’ve been saying all these years we’d do, but didn’t do so well. Let’s become observant because families at Shaarei Zion invited families from Temple Emanuel over for a meal. Let’s become more observant because families from the Owings Mills JCC invited Ner Israel families over for a picnic at the JCC this summer. You get the picture I hope. Observance has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. It has everything to do with the work you do on HaShem’s behalf to improve this world for others.
Want to be observant? Get involved. The Associated only has about a thousand ways for you to help out, to become more observant of your community. Same with Ahavas Yisroel, Project Ezra and other groups. Observe, then help.
Then we’ll call you an observant Jew. If you really need the label.

Please even here we take sides. One on side it’s not all about Torah torah torah and on the other does negate Torah by bringing up “what about the Jew who learns all day but doesnt do basic mensh stuff on and on”.

What it is about is respecting and participating on both ends. Learn Torah, tradition, kashrut, and grow religiously,  don’t get turned off by the minority who are intolerant and at the same time love one another, spew love, understanding, look at what’s good inside each Jew and don’t lay “Torah guilt and belittling” because they haven’t found the path like you to understand and love Shabbat or learning Torah. Love and respect is the only way they can one day see the beauty and reason. Enough is enough on both sides.

Let God fix the world, all you need do is what the Torah says to do. Anyone attending a reform “temple” is not observant at all. Especially if they drive there on Shabbos. The other stuff just makes you a nice person, not an observant Jew. At least this and at least that doesn’t count for squat.

It’s not our job to make the world a better place. Tikun olam is some madeup excuse for not putton tefillin and keeping Shabbos.

Excellent post and a much needed reminder ... thanks, Phil.

I can think of few things that are greater “turn offs” to today’s Jewish teens and young adults—many of whom were raised in “observant” homes—than the constant infighting in our community and the attempts on the part of some to delegitimize those whose sincerely-held Jewish paths are divergent from their own.

What about the flip side?  If you are nice to your fellow and support The Associated and “make the world a better place” but don’t spend any time studying Torah, is that OK?  There needs to be a balance.  Torah is part of Judaism.  Derech Eretz Kadma LaTorah but the Torah still has to be there.

Great post, Phil!  If a person is a Torah scholar and studies 3 hours a day and is not nice to his fellow, that all that studying and knowledge is a waste.  Your level of commitment to religion is a personal matter, but “do you make the world a better place?”