My Thoughts on Modern Orthodoxy

After hearing Mrs. Krause speak, I couldn't help but feel a tad guilty. Here I was, claiming to be a "modern orthodox" Jew- which Mrs. Krause defined as someone who maintains a balance of judaism as well as secular life- yet I wasn't quite sure that I had actually achieved that balance. I'm ashamed to admit that it is true that I know more famous movie stars than famous rabbis, more quotes from "Friends" than quotes from Tanach, and have more English songs on my iPod than Hebrew ones. Hearing her speech made me take a step back and truly ask myself the question, was I really living a balanced life? While her speech inspired me to try to be better, it also caused me to feel ashamed and confused.

After pondering for some time, I came to a realization that made me feel better about myself. Modern orthodoxy, unlike the charedi culture, is not about perfection. We are allowed to make mistakes because we realize that mistakes are great learning experiences. Of course, the way Mrs. Krause defined modern orthodoxy would be the ideal, but unfortunately it is not so easy or simple to reach that ideal. The best we can do is strive to get as close as we can to that perfect balance. Hopefully we will all be successful in achieving that goal.