What does it mean to be yeshivish?

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  • #614018
    Letakein Girl
    Participant

    It’s funny, but I don’t know the answer to the above question. Can anyone help me out?

    #1037327
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    white shirts vs. colored shirts

    certain changes in language (shprach)

    walks around with a hat and jaccket

    #1037328
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    It means “like a yeshiva”. In any aspect.

    So if you never can pay your bills-youre yeshivish

    If you are old and decrepit-you are yeshivish

    If you are in NY or NJ- you are yeshivish

    V’chuli

    #1037329
    screwdriverdelight
    Participant

    to be masbir a machlokes btwn the ketzos & r’ shimon

    #1037330
    showjoe
    Participant

    there is no set definition

    #1037331
    sirvoddmort
    Member

    The first rule of being yeshivish is you don’t talk about being yeshivish.

    #1037332
    Letakein Girl
    Participant

    So being “yeshivish” means nothing more than superficialities?

    Is there a mindset that they have, or an outlook on life that differs from the rest of the frum community?

    #1037333
    oyyoyyoy
    Participant

    issal relative

    #1037334
    Joseph
    Participant

    Being Chareidi but not Chasidish. (Now ask what it means to be Chareidi.)

    #1037335

    If you drive the kinda car that satisfies the requirements on Oorah’s list of when you know it’s time to donate it.

    #1037336
    showjoe
    Participant

    to different ppl “yeshivsh” means different things, as clearly shown by this tread. again, there is no standard def of yeshivish

    #1037337
    sirvoddmort
    Member

    What it should mean is where ones learning impacts on every facet of their life. That is to say, not just the the way you speak and the way you interact, but the way you think.

    Unfortunately, what yeshivish is often taken to mean is the way you dress and the like.

    #1037338
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    no college is a big one,

    #1037339
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    To be part of a community under that title.

    #1037340
    Letakein Girl
    Participant

    I like sirvoddmart’s answer.

    I do have a question on it though. Chassidish people also incorporate Torah into every aspect of their lives. Why aren’t they referred to as “yeshivish chassidish people”?

    Ugh, I hate the whole typing thing we do in the frum community.

    #1037341
    sirvoddmort
    Member

    I do have a question on it though. Chassidish people also incorporate Torah into every aspect of their lives. Why aren’t they referred to as “yeshivish chassidish people”?

    Sorry, but that’s not a question, that’s exactly the point. That is what should be the case, but unfortunately isn’t.

    #1037342
    Letakein Girl
    Participant

    Ah. Thanks.

    #1037343
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Ok.

    So let’s define that you might be asking any of three questions:

    1. How can you recognize someone who is yeshivish? This spawned answers such as white shirts.

    2. What ideas must you believe in to be considered yeshivish? This spawned answers such as “no college.”

    3. What are the central tenets of yeshivishism? This didn’t spawn any answers, although it is probably the one you were asking.

    But you see, the question makes no sense because there is no such thing as yeshivishism. The term was invented to describe a communal group–namely the right wing of litvish, and associated with the leadership of the large litvish yeshivos other than YU. But it doesn’t have rules, and it doesn’t have rites of entry. It isn’t a movement, it is (or at least purports to be) the establishment.

    While you might have articles and books defining “Modern Orthodoxy” (See. e.g. Rabbis Lichtenstein and Lamm) you will never find a book or article defining yeshivishism.

    #1037344
    sirvoddmort
    Member

    But you’re 100% right about the typecasting issue.

    #1037345
    Joseph
    Participant

    popa: Your point is equally applicable regarding “Chareidim” and even “Orthodox”.

    #1037346
    Chortkov
    Participant

    What it should mean is where ones learning impacts on every facet of their life. That is to say, not just the the way you speak and the way you interact, but the way you think.

    This seems to be an accurate definition of ?? ????. Yeshivish, Sir Voddmort wants to say, should mean simply the same thing.

    #1037347
    Chortkov
    Participant

    “Yeshivish” would define the sociological situation of Yeshiva students in Yeshiva environments. This, obviously, has many different aspects, which changes as often as the students do.

    It describes the mode of speech, the mode of dress, the way of thinking, and the things yeshivish people do and have.

    #1037348
    Baruch10901
    Participant

    Here’s my observation. In a shul on a Friday night, if the men are wearing yarmulkas, it’s modern orthodox. If they are wearing black hats it could be right wing modern orthodox or yeshivish. Also the general perception is the wider the brim on the black hat the more frum the wearer is. Of course we all realize this is not really so

    #1037349
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    I like popa’s answer the best, but I don’t know about purporting to be the establishment.

    I think there are a lot of parts and perspectives to the definition of yeshivish. I don’t think one can easily define it objectively. When asking the question “is he yeshivish?” or “how yeshivish is he”, you have to know who you are asking, and to answer in any meaningful way, you have to know who’s asking.

    #1037350
    showjoe
    Participant

    “When asking the question “is he yeshivish?” or “how yeshivish is he”, you have to know who you are asking, and to answer in any meaningful way, you have to know who’s asking”

    exactly my point, that theres no set def of yeshivish

    #1037351
    golfer
    Participant

    Baruch1,

    Based on my own (admittedly somewhat limited) observations, it looks like men are starting to wear their black hats with narrower brims.

    So I’m confused.

    Does this mean people are becoming less yeshivish?

    Or are the narrower brims indicating that those specifically wearing the narrower brims are now less yeshivish?

    Or are they cool yeshivish?

    Or what?

    And of course we’re not even getting close to figuring out-

    How can you tell if a woman is yeshivish?

    Can a woman even be considered yeshivish?

    Or do you determine her level of yeshivishness based on the black hatter(s) accompanying her?

    What if she’s not attached to a man wearing a hat?

    And, most important of all- is “yeshivish” a pejorative? A compliment?

    I always find myself stuttering and clearing my throat uncomfortably when people call me for shidduch information about friends /neighbors/ acquaintances and start with the questions:

    Are they Yeshivish? Heimish? Balabatish?

    (Nobody seems interested in hearing me tell them about the time I was under the weather and the person helped me out, without me even asking, etc etc.)

    Maybe I can get a little help here…

    #1037352
    showjoe
    Participant

    golfer: “And, most important of all- is “yeshivish” a pejorative? A compliment?”

    its none of the above. its a term to identify oneself or others. not inherently a good or bad term, though ppl turn it into either a compliment or pejorative

    #1037353
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Showjoe, sorry. I’ll amend my earlier comment to read: I like showjoe’s answer the best, and popa’s second best.

    #1037354
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    golfer,

    you see youre talking about middos, who cares about middos when we have to worry about folding the tablecloths what kind of car their parents drive

    #1037355
    showjoe
    Participant

    DY:i wasnt trying to belittle your point, i was just pointing out that im not a dass yochid 😉

    #1037356
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    🙂

    Of course you weren’t trying to belittle my point, and you were correct to point out that we were in agreement.

    #1037357
    showjoe
    Participant

    ok srry if i though there was sarcasm in there, hope all is forgiven

    #1037358
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Of course.

    #1037359
    jewishness
    Participant

    Most things boil down to extent of facial hair or lack of.

    In other news, here are some wicked terms to continue polluting the air by painting with wide brushes and stereotyping yada yada yada

    Kollelish. Rebbish. Greasy. Chinyuked. Veppish. Boroparkish. Flatbushish. Lakewoodish. Five townsish. Toradik. Tomadik. Out of townish. In town ish. Yekkish. Oiberlandish. Hungarish. Americanish. snottish. weirdish. yupish. Pretty much anything you can think of then add an Ish.

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