By Rabbi Yosef C. Golding
Executive Director, RCCS
It’s hard for me to believe that your (usually) astute readership does not realize what really precipitated the events leading to the award being given this coming Sunday night to The Jewish Observer.
Plain and simple. It is a way to circumvent the reluctance of the Wolpin family to accept any personal honors, and to give Rabbi Nisson Wolpin a small slice of recognition due him for his forty years of service to the Klal.
As the former managing editor of the JO, I had the zchus to work hand-in-hand with Rabbi Wolpin for over twenty years. It was a zchus I did not take lightly. Through our morning strategy sessions (over office-brewed Starbucks coffee, together with home-baked oatmeal cookies), I often picked up tidbits of inside information on the early years of the JO, of which I was not a part.
I guess the number one insight came from hagaon Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky zt”l. When Rabbi Moshe Sherer and Dr. Ernst Bodenheimer, zt”l first approached Rabbi Wolpin to assume the editorship of the JO back in 1970, he was serving as a mechanech par excellence at Yeshivas Ohr Yisroel, in Queens. Rabbi Wolpin was reluctant to give up a career in chinuch, groomed by his formative years in Mesivta Torah Vodaath and Beis Medrash Elyon. Of course, he would have to discuss the offer with his rebbi, Reb Yaakov zt”l, and abide by his decision. Reb Yaakov listened carefully and then gave his da’as: “Until now you were a mechanech of children; from now on you will be a mechanech for adults.”
Thus began an illustrious career of serving as a conduit to disseminate Da’as Torah, under the tutelage of Gedolei Torah. And it wasn’t always easy.
I recall the internal debate within our offices in November of 1999, when the JO was preparing its blockbuster issue on the problems of Children at Risk. Because of the sensitivity of this topic, members of the Moetzes Gedolei Torah were sent pre-publication drafts of the articles. One of the Roshei Yeshiva called Rabbi Wolpin, and with a tear-choked voice, implored him NOT to publish the issue, as it will cause untold grief to parents suffering from this malady. Another, after listening to that point of view, responded that the overarching need to bring this subject to the fore, in the hopes of helping those already suffering, as well as with the goal of preventing further such tragedies, pushed for its publication. The rest is history. The issue sold out within days of publication, necessitating a reprint equaling to triple the usual amount of copies, followed by another special issue of Readers’ Responses to that issue.
The JO delved into the topic of Shidduchim years before the term “Shidduch Crisis” became a household term. One of the several special issues on Shidduchim included a cover blurb with a quote from Rav Matisyahu Salamon, shlit”a: “If one becomes sidetracked from what his focus should be, and concentrates on extraneous matters – such as beauty, wealth or honor – he is in effect losing sight of the purpose for which marriage was created.” This was just one example of the instructive purpose of the JO.
To give your readership an inkling of the depth and consistency of Rabbi Wolpin’s work, one has but to look at the eleven volume ArtScroll Judaiscope Series, a compilation of hashkafah- filled books, collected from the pages of The Jewish Observer. Besides for the five biographical books on the Torah world, also published were Timeless Parenting, Of Home and Heart, The Ethical Imperative, A Path Through the Ashes, and Shidduchim, Shalom Bayis, and Beyond, each one an instructive and informative guide for various facets of Torah-true Judaism.
I guess the memories that remain with me most are the many times I walked into his office, seeing him exhausted from marathon phone sessions with Rabbanim, Roshei Yeshivas, or editorial board members. The article(s) he was working on had to be correct; had to be as perfect as possible. Like a master mechanech, mistakes could be costly and efforts were always made to try to avoid the inevitable faux-pas. But no matter what, he followed the directives of the Gedolei Torah.
The HaGaon Rav Aharon Kotler Memorial Award for distinguished service to Torah, should appropriately be bestowed upon those who were most responsible for the years of accomplishments of The Jewish Observer.
Menu
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
19 Responses
Excellent letter! Really puts in perspective what the JO was about. Unfortunately, now people need to be stimulated, and overwhelmingly want to buy magazines that primarily entertain them, rather than educate them with Torah ideals.
Thank you for the story behind the story.
Found the JO to be superb under the editorship of Rav Nachman Bulman zt”l, if anyone can remember back to those days.
As a subscriber to JO for the last 15+ years, I can tell you that Rabbi Wolpin does deserve every Kovod & recognition he can get! My wife & I loved receiving and reading each issue. The articles were very professionally written covering so many of the relevant topics of the day with a real Torah perspective. I wish Rabbi Wolpin Hatzlacha in his future endeavors and I hope JO can get back on track.
Beautiful letter, thanks so much. The JO has been a source of Daas torah articles since its inception and has definitely contributed to overall Kovod HaTorah. Thank you Rabbi Wolpin Shlita. And thank you Rabbi Golding.
I remember the “at risk” issue well. That was the last issue I ever laid hands on. An at risk child was described in a story as “talking to non-Beis Yackov girls.” Nuff said.
I think I have read every issue since I was a yeshiva Bochur. that about 35 years! What a magazine it is. Its well written and presented, with the right Hashkophoh but not opinionated.. a great balance.
Yasher Kochacha, Rabbi Golding, for an excellent essay.
However, we know that in matters Bein Adam LaChaveiro — Al Achas Kamma VeKamma, Pgam in the Kovod of Gedolei Yisroel — Tshuva is not accepted until one begs the slighted individual for Mechilah.
We are all aware of the terrible Pgam in the Kovod of Mori VeRabi HaRav HaGaon Reb Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik ZT”L by JO. I respectfully recommend that this be corrected at the Agudah dinner. We are sure that the Ribono Shel Olam will respond appropriately.
We hope and pray that — as a result — the JO be restored to its role of Madrich for Klal Yisroel.
We also hope and pray that the Ahavas Yisroel generated by this noble gesture will prompt the Ribono Shel Olam to bring us the Geulah Shleima, BB”A.
Jersey Yid–“That was the last issue I ever laid hands on” (no 5):
We all can find something to criticise about Agudas Yisroel, if we try hard enough.
Certainly, many of us feel that Rabbi Zweibel should not be honoring Mayor Bloomberg at the Aguda Hilton New York Hilton dinner this coming Sunday, since Bloomberg is the main supporter of the GayMarriage Bill.
But, notwithstanding these points, Aguda is the main address for all of us who need an organized voice of Torah Judaism,and the people there are fine, dedicated askonim who honestly try to help their fellow Jews.
Chazak, VeEmotz!
I guess it would have been nice if Rabbi Golding would have mailed that letter to those who decided to close down the Observer . Obviously they did not share his viewpoint or sentiment .We wonder sometimes what the leadership of “TorahTrue” organizations deem important.And what is allowed to fall at the way side. Times are tough . true. But……..
Rabbi Yosef C. Golding has been and continues to be a tremendous Shliach for Klal Yisroel.
Thank you for your insight and for your very inspiring words about another amazingly accomplished Yid, Rabbi Nissan Wolpin Shlita who through the pages of the JO has literally been the torah-true voice for Das Torah in America for decades.
p.s. azi dont flatter yourself
deepthinker:
What about Misaskim, FEGS, Met Council on Poverty, Bikkur Cholim, Orthodox Union, and Bonei Olam?
Don’t they also advocate for issues near and dear to our kehilla? Are they not also made up of fine, dedicated askonim who honestly try to help their fellow Jews?
Why is Agudah the “Main” address for an organized voice of Torah Judaism when you yourself gave examples of disunity?
Jersey Yid,
And you found that somewhat, uh, offensive? Inaccurate? Huh?
Kol Hakavod to Rabbi Wolpin, Rabbi Golding, and all the other dedicated individuals who have provided us with such an exceptional magazine over the years. I saved many of my old ones, and find them helpful still today.
Chazak V’Ematz!
I feel trerible that I did not realize that Rabbi Wolpin was being honored. He was an outstanding Mechanich in Ohr Yisroel and many talmidim reflect positively on those days. Rabbi Wolpin has made the Jewish observer into a truly intelligent outspoken and articulate forum for the many issues facing Klall Yisroel.. Kol Hakavod
to Agudas Yisroel and continued Hatzlocha to Rabbi Wolpin
deepthinker:
The Chofetz Chaim teaches us in Hilchos Shmiras Haloshon that one “shouldn’t overly praise someone because inevitably, another will hear this praise and find something negative to say.”
Thats the whole sum up of this posted essay and the comments that follow. What was meant to bestow Kovud and clarity on the JO and Rabbi Wolpin has become another venue to attack the Agudah. That even you, an obviously intelligent individual, allowed yourself to get sucked in to the negativity, should cause you to stop and
think deeply before you post again. You don’t get a pass because you said something nice to camouflage your criticism.
You couldn’t miss the opportunity to take a shot could you? Bloomberg is not getting honored, he is giving a speech as the Mayor of NYC, not as man of the year, how many times must I set the record straight? If you have a problem with this choice of speaker, that is your absolute right and privilege but at the same time at least be consistent and fair.
The JO delved into the topic of Shidduchim years before the term “Shidduch Crisis” became a household term.
Lmaan Hemes:
They were begged to publish an article discussing the age gap and they turned it down. That article has since been published in other publications
Anonymous#16: They turned it down because gedolei yisroel shlitta do not believe that the reason you espouse has anything to do with the shidduch crisis.
nuff said.
7,
Sorry you were ba’leidigt that your rosh yeshiva didnt get the press he deserved however I am sure knowing the people involved that there was a good reason. Of course that wont sit well with you either and that is something you have to live with. I dont think the JO is suffering because of the m’chuh that you are making and I dont think its suffering from any m’chuh being made by the people on the eastern end of Washington Heights either.
TO ASKAN:
Strange coincidence that Nortre Dame honored Obama, king of Abortion, on the same day that Aguda honored Bloomberg, king of GayMarriage.
Is there a message here?
Avraham #7: Get over it; R. JB Soloveitchik was not slighted in the least in the obituary.