Not So Easy to Contain the Disgust

Cross-Currents' Rabbi Adlerstein reports that rumors have been verified that the Lakewood Mashgiah Rav Mattisyahu Solomon is fed up with the marketing campaign of Kupat Ha'Ir which has reportedly taken many a person looking for a salvation to the cleaners. I share this disgust and believe the advertising crosses the line of honest business practices.

While Rabbi Adlerstein does not contain his disgust for how Kupat Ha'Ir is changing the face of Orthodoxy, he nevertheless warns his readers to be careful and "not throw the baby out with the bathwater." Further in the comments, Rabbi Adlerstein advises, "I would suggest an intermediate position [to not donating at all]. Mail in your usual check. But when the fundraiser comes to town, make a point of going over to him and telling him that you can't support an organization that engages in this kind of advertising. Couch it in such a way that it is not a lie.] Excerpts below, emphasis mine.

It is important to separate the advertising from the point of the organization. I can think of few regular, familiar features of Orthodox life that bring more disgrace to Torah life than the KH brochures and ads. They proclaim to the public that Torah is the province of worshippers of miracle-rabbis. Nonetheless, the information that I get also points to KH as an effective and responsible organization for distributing tzedaka funds. The needy who are serviced by KH should not suffer because of the overzealousness and deception of the advertisers.

It should be easy to contain our disgust to the marketers. Those writing the horrific copy play on the fears and vulnerability of their audience, while coming close to promising miraculous results. They even come close to encouraging making a pledge to KH in place of following medical advice. They are playing with people’s lives, not just their money. They also diminish the real power of personal prayer, which always remains the best strategy for securing what we think we need for ourselves when the forecast looks bleak. Readers should mentally review the stories they undoubtedly know about the great Rebbes of the past who made a point of emphasizing to their Chassidim the potential of their own tefilos, rather than relying upon the intercession of a third-party intercessor, regardless of his stature.

I find it very troubling that after scathing commentary re: Kupat Ha'ir, we are essentially told to ignore the despicable and continue to send in our checks (note: I don't give to this organization). In light of the fact that there are many worthy tzedaka organizations, I see no reason to give to an organization that:

1. Popularizes a version of black-magic/quick fix Judaism, seemingly with the rubber stamp of the Rabbonim that grace its brochures, that is a far cry from a normative mesorah,
2. Preys on the vulnerable through questionable marketing tactics,
3. Has little transparency and a clearly large overhead (I haven't forgot about the Areivim "Life Insurance" program),
4. Promotes an ideology which contributes rampant poverty (thank you to the Cross-Currents posters that make this important point),
5. and ultimately disgraces the mitzvah of tzedakah.

While I have no doubt that the organization does perform valuable work, I choose not to ignore the unseemly.