What Was Aish.com Thinking?

Someone once said that if two people are always in agreement, then one of those people is not necessary. I think that statement applies 100% in this case, and have enjoyed reading the different points of view posted here.

Shocking that anyone took offense to such a blatant truth. Shocking that there are some people that don't see that minorities, African Americans in particular have carte blanche when it comes to punishing White people for wrongs done in the past. Jews were once slave and we're forced to wander through the desert until the slave mentality died out and people were able to think like free men. Maybe if we'd had a political party who told us we couldn't make it without welfare, HUD, affirmative action, and all the other so-called 'entitlements' that come from the political parties who want to maintain their voting leverage- we'd still be wandering that barren desert. Here is the Emes. If it weren't for White America, Barack Obama would not have had two terms in office because without the White vote he never would have gotten elected.

I am African American and I take offense to your comment. I have and never will blame any race for the things my ancestors or myself have endured. Yes, we are still passed over and degraded on a daily basis. Other groups also face the same daily battle. I hope you realize that most people on welfare are white. Affirmative action now includes white women as minority. Yes, President Obama would not have had two terms in office without the white vote, but he would not have had two terms without the BLACK vote either. You seem pretty angry and I don't know why. I really hope you are not Jewish. In reading the articles on this site they portray Jewish people as joyful and giving people. It seems that they leave the judging to God. I agreed with most of the article, but to say that America does not look at race is absurd. My help comes from God. Man can deny the physical and material, but not the spiritual. God supplies the increase!
Have a Blessed Day :-)

Tal's article was wonderful. I am for more "flabbergasted" that anyone, especially anyone Jewish, would object to it. Several years ago I wrote something similar, though not nearly as eloquent, in response to a controversy that erupted at Duke University when an opinion piece was published in the school newspaper complaining about Jewish "privilege".

Could not agree more! Thank you for posting this!

What was Aish thinking? Aish was and is thinking correctly. Please, may Aish continue to think correctly as they have been doing for decades. Hats off to Aish!

I liked the piece “Checking My Privilege” so much I immediately shared it on my FB wall. It said EXACTLY what I would have wanted to say if I were eloquent at all. I have a friend who is constantly posting about "White privilege" and I always simply say, "it doesn't exist." The Aish article made a better case.

There sure is a lot to think about here. And to go back, read, digest, think again. I really like that aish published a bit abut the filter bubble. I know I surely don't have a need to read only what google things I want to read. I always thought many Jews want to read opposing viewpoints in order to think, learn and enjoy those things that are different from what we know to be the truth. And maybe to learn more about what the truth may actually be. (Kinda surprising that some people just like to read their own "stuff").

I read a scifi story recently where they had to disband the WWW making it a crime to attempt to become an ISP. No PC's, no internet. Because of the hacking and privacy issues this story is quickly becoming reality. It is not reactionary to want to go back to the old methods of news and comment. The stories and comments on the 'net are becoming so offensive that we will be using it less and less.

I'm not Jewish and I come here to learn. So what if Tal didn't suffer like his parents? Most of us were fortunate not live through the hardships our parents did (my grandfather was in the camps during WWII). I am so tired of the BDS nonense, and check your privilege, and the generally bigoted attitudes embraced by extreme liberals on our campuses towards Jews or anyone who is pro Israel. And this is going to get a whole lot worse unless we all speak out against hate (of any kind), and stop worrying about being so PC!

Two thumbs up on this one.

We should not be afraid of saying the truth. Young Jewish people whose parents or grandparents are survivors had to work hard and we like any other minority should take pride in our accomplishments and it should not be limited by the color of ones skin.

Regardless of political affiliation(s), there was nothing provocative about Tal's well-written, legitimate article, with valid viewpoint. Nancy is correct. One problem is that no one wants to analyze in this ADD society. Read something fast, find something to object to, take a political stance on the topic, make it provocative, and cast aspersions or demonize anyone with opposing opinion. I was pleasantly surprised that this article was printed, and I found it utterly predictable that there would be virulent responses thereto from some quarters.

I am Jewish and identify as a liberal Democrat. With that said, I believe it is CRUCIAL to read viewpoints which may very well be different from my own. If all I ever did was read articles by people with whom I agree, I would never learn anything new! There is absolutely no need to apologize for publishing this article. Tal Fortgang is an articulate and intelligent young man. Why should anyone apologize for being privileged? The only other thought I have is that perhaps Mr. Fortgang can use his considerable gifts to help individuals who have not been as privileged as he. To quote another Aish contributor, that is something to think about.

I was stunned and overjoyed by the article as I read it [bold, underline] Although I almost passed it by because of the title. It awoke images of shunning and unspeakable words and deeds in the 1950's done against my youthful innocence simply because I was another stereotype, 'a Christ killer' It's horrible when things said in private are aired and rebuked in a public forum like the recent brouhaha over a bigoted man's private venom to a questionable source, but this? This is among us and deserves comment. One, we have the RIGHT, even the mandate to think, speak and question aloud. Second, I wish I could type and applaud at the same time! What does seventy years teach one about? Time - the hidden nature of bigotry and its dangers, and to stop to think before I splat ....but then, that's me, eh? A megshugna old biddy in Spokane

Tal's article is honest and strong and presents a valid point of view. Bravo to Tal for having the courage to write it and bravo to Aish.com for having the courage to publish it.

"Check your privilege" is an abhorent method of inhibiting and ultimately shutting down free speech and indeed any ideas that fail to comport with the prevailing politically correct orthodoxies.. After one has been slammed in class with this nasty sobriquet, you can be sure that the speaker will hesitate to ever speak his mind again. Hard to believe that this Orwelian technique is acceptable at American universities in the 21st Century. I guess history is no longer a required prerequisite at Princeton..

Some friends & I were talking about this, and I said, "My great-aunts and uncles died in Europe, even tho' they were white. My grandparents escaped in time and came here penniless and worked hard so that I could go to college." My friend answered, "They could hide their religion to get a job, if they chose to. Blacks can't hide their color." She had a point, & I agreed with her. My grandparents did change their name to get hired. In that respect, blacks have a harder struggle than we did, and I can see that now. I'm glad we discuss this.

My grandparents, parents and I would not consider hiding our religion nor the external markers of it, in times and places where we suffered plenty of bigotry and discrimination, loss of income and opportunity. This is as true today as in the past; perhaps more so, as today the black people are far more antisemitic than the average white person, and so too for 'progressives' worldwide and especially those in Israel who have consciously rejected antisemitism while unconsciously internalizing it.

I recently told a black coworker who constantly went on and on about the slave ships etc. that the difference between my people and his is that we talk about freedom all year and slavery only once a year, while his people talk about slavery (racism, struggle, resistance etc.) all year and freedom once a year if they are lucky.

I told him I sit next to people in synagogue who actually were slaves personally, while his great-great-great grandfather was not a slave on a ship. But Jews are free even when they are slaves, while (culturally) black people are slaves even when they are free.

But they don't realize that they are the products of a political industry that uses them as props. Much more to say on this, but not on the flippant level of the 'check your privilege' crowd.

The young man said nothing particularly controversial. The rabbi is right about attention spans, but some people have agendas and apparently look for any excuse to display them. The rabbi's summary of the points of the article were correct and to the point.

Having declined princeton 40 years ago I still however would think that back then just being white and male would not neccesarily automatically equate to privileged.although white some of us had parents who had not attended college or even high school,were on full scholarship,and had direct relatives who had paid the ultimate price of admission.

the point is that blank racism, even directed at whites, is not acceptable and shallow
its the person inside that counts
that's the moral bankruptcy of the political correct movement, they only see the outside, not the inside

This article needed to be seen by Aish.com readers. Nobody should be intimidated by any groupthink, which is exactly what "check your privilege" represents. Nor does a "heritage of suffering" give any member of the "suffering" group moral authority over anyone else. Finally, someone's motivation for holding a political issue position is relevant only if flaws are pointed out about the political issue position itself.

Considering the hissy fit that has resulted Tal must certainly have hit a sore point. How dare he offend the academic thought police at Princeton! Ah," insensitive, hurtful" you'd think he had thee temerity to defend Israel.

Sterling? Oh, isn't that the octegenerian NAACP's 2009 Man of tht Year? He trash talked his 'ho' who secretly taped him in his ownhome. So fire him, fine him, confiscate his business! G-d bless "Reverend Al."

I thought Tal made his point very clearly and I was glad that it appeared on Aish.com. I am Jewish, white, and Republican. I am not a racist, nor a "right-wing fanatic". It's so sad that we have become so politically correct in America that if someone refuses to accept blame for past injustices, in which he had no part, he becomes the target for vehement criticism. I applaud Aish.com for it's fairness. Sterling is a creep, pure and simple.

thanks aish for publishing this...i first got tal's essay via an email that was sort of blocked out...by quotation marks...i had to highlight to read the essay..so i was glad that aish published it...
i thought the essay was delightful...and was disappointed in the negative comments...

I am saddened that people reacted poorly to one of the best articles to appear on this site. It is unfortunate that people are poisoned by liberal thinking(or lack thereof) and therefore think they need to bend over apppologeticlly for everything. The fact that there was negative feedback reinforces how much his words were necessary and true.

Tal stepped into the quicksand when he published an article that goes against what is the preferred viewpoint on college campuses and the current messages of political liberals in the US. Since when is Judaism in sync with all of current culture? Not everyone may agree with Tal's perspective, but it's his perspective and if we are going to be truly tolerant, and allow freedom of speech, then he has the right to his point of view. The media has had a field day with his piece, made all kinds of poor journalistic inferences out of it. Post a rebuttal if you wish, but the media has already done more than enough. If you felt it had value, don't back down on that.

Dear Rabbi Coopersmith, I think you did the right thing in posting the original article, and your response to the negative responses is thoughtful and cogent. Todah rabah.

While it is true that the internet has caused some to not read as carefully as he/she should, it does not mean that those who opposed the author's views have not read it properly or missed the point! This assumption is inaccurate! It may the case for some people but it is definitely not a default rule! I read it carefully as I read all pieces carefully and while I would not say that I completely disagree with the author, I did find many his arguments rather weak and flawed!

Just because something is outrageous, provocative or debatable, it does not mean that an organisation should publish or endorse it. Unless of course all you are after is increasing internet traffic and exposure of the website. If that is your primary goal, then sure keep doing this and good luck! I think that an organisation that portraits itself as a Jewish spiritual portal should stick to certain principles that are aligned and consistent with the set of mission and values it claims to represent. Doing otherwise is dangerous because it makes the public and supporters question the integrity of the organisation; you lose credibility. At the very least you could include a disclaimer at the bottom of the article, because that article may appeal to some, but not necessarily to other supporters of Aish. Aish posted that article with a certain tone of endorsement and that is not ideal for an organisation of its nature. This is my view. If you agree that the article is from an inexperienced kid whose argument could have been better constructed, then why post it? Because he's a kid and you think it's cute coming from a 20 something? That makes no sense! It seems to me that Aish.com wanted to be controversial and provoke debate for the sake of increasing clicks and views of the site, and that is something that I find problematic. PS: I am a 20-something!

Thank you for your comment. Getting lots of traffic is great, but that is not the sole criterion we use in deciding what to post on the site. Every piece of content needs to convey something of genuine value to our readers. Controversy for the sake of controversy may attract some attention short term, but in the long one it will undermine the site's integrity and lose traffic. AIsh.com gets a lot of traffic because we post high caliber content consistently. This article in particular, as i wrote in the blog above, was posted because the author indeed makes a legitimate, thought provoking point worthy to consider, even if you don't agree with everything he says. IF it's on our site, it means we are saying it's worth a read, nothing to do with the age of the author.

The first post made a point, which was that we all have the right not to be stereotyped which is dehumanizing and socially destructive, and this followup made a point which is that the critics of the article are primarily guilty of that stereotyping.

Your post actually proves both points, in that it does not engage the logic of the articles at all but merely plays an ironic game of undermining the credibility, competence and motivations of the writers and of Aish. Of course there is no end to this common game in which all are losers.

No thoughtful reader had a problem understanding the article, and Rabbi Coopersmith deserves the benefit of any doubts based on his batting average with all of the other content on the website.

P.S. It was redundant to mention you are a 20-something. Obvious 1.0.1. Oh well, back to your Rhetoric and Critical Thinking homework.

First let me state that my parents were both just pre-WW II refugees from Germany proper (before any annexations and conquering).

My mother went with her night HS class to Washington DC (the Capital of "the land of the free and was appalled that the Black girl in the group could not sit at the counter (while she a victim of prejudice on the "other side" of the ocean could.

Aish was correct in publishing it.

My take on the response to Tal is that the USA blacks do have a counterpoint in that they were enslaved and discriminated for 300 years and only recently given much fairer treatment while Tal grew up in a middle class suburb and usually not treated differently than WASPs.

However other minorities (mostly those who came after WW II) have no similar beefs. Yes there was some discrimination but no worse than White Jews suffered. For them the playing surface was roughly equal.

Bravo on publishing Tal Fortgang's article. There is a Torah principle at stake in this controversy: the principle of justice. Leviticus 19:15 directs judges not to be partial to the poor or the elevated. The same principle should govern our evaluation of the ideas and opinions of others, not some crude reductionism that is itself as discriminatory as the state of mind it purports to combat.

I am of the "...words will never hurt me." People are being pilloried by the word Nazi's of today. I appreciated Tai's article, appreciated that Aish published it; I appreciate this one. Have shared them on all my media. Nasty words are the mirror of sad souls.

I was very surprised that some people took offense at Tal's article. I wonder if they really read it carefully?

Applaud prior comments incl those from Inbar and Katie. See two important points in Tal's article, worthy of separate discussion. First, is the point that in so far as knowing what societal "privilege" a person has had, you cannot "judge a book by its color." For better part of 2,000 years, only privilege Jews have needed to respect has been their hard working parents, as they've been insulted, professionally restricted, segregated, stolen from, murdered, and raped off and on as a function of this supposed "societal privilege." A recent Aish article on the plight of the small, beleaguered community of Ukrainian Jews is a great example. If through the grace of G_d, assistance from fellow Jews and righteous gentiles, possibly safe haven in Israel, and the hard work of self-sacrificing parents these suffering people manage to have grandchildren going to Princeton - would it be fair to ask their descendants to "check their privilege?" G_d willing, the lineage of anyone surviving such brutality would forever feel a kinship with and compassion for the downtrodden (whoever they may be), but suggestion that standing on the "shoulders of giants" (i.e. hard working parents) means your voice cannot be heard is not only absurd but the opposite of tikkun olam. Who exactly is supposed to help the world progress if those raised by the most self-sacrificing are denied a voice? This segways into the 2nd point raised by Tal's article - what exactly does it may mean to empathize with and defend the downtrodden? Not suggesting a "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" laissez faire mentality, but one would have to be blind to not see the dismal results of a great many decades long experiment in societal "compassion" (which usually is just an insidious intercourse btw lip service and ill conceived/monitored bureaucracies). Not promoting any "political" viewpoint on this subject, but cutting discourse short due to political correctness will not be of service to the downtrodden.

I read the article in its entirety, understood the message that there is more to anything or anyone than what may be on the surface. I even make note that he speaks as if he experienced those things, when he was actually the beneficiary. Even acknowledge that everyone has an opinion. Wish at times that the "see, even some African Americans agree" was not used because it is meaningless- some fought for the Confederacy and some Jews actually helped to kill millions during the Holocaust. I guess I am just grateful that I grew up around Israeli Jews who may have been fair skinned yet they never thought of themselves as being white.

I admire Tal Fortgang's courage in writing and Aish.com publishing his article, "Checking My Privilege."

One may be in favor of pre-judging (i.e., prejudice) someone else, but they should be honest that that is what they are doing.

Mr. Fortgang's classmates who look at him and request or require him to "Check his privilege" are the essence of prejudice. Before he says another word, they apparently judge that what he has to say is of no value, based only on their preconceptions of him.

There was no need for Mr. Fortgang to justify his right to express his opinion based on the discrimination his forebears suffered. He has an equal right as a human being to do so. But by reciting this past discrimination, he helps point out the hypocrisy of those classmates and critics, who should check their own self-appointed privilege to demand self-censorship of others.

Finally, I don't see anything wrong or controversial with Aish.com publishing this much-needed corrective to the ever-increasing intolerance masquerading as "fairness."

Fear has stunted intellectual growth on the college campus. Conforming to stifling standards of political correctness has silenced students and even faculty members when it comes to core issues over which there could and should be free and thoughtful discussion. Far from being a well of learning and intellectual ferment, the university now resembles Joseph's pit - devoid of the waters of scholarship and populated by scorpions and serpents full of venom and hatred. Do not apologize for printing the essay. And as to printing a response - perhaps you should give these regressive forces of inverted prejudice a taste of their own medicine!

It is through different opinions that we grow and learn. How can we learn if we do not know. It was refreshing that a college student even took the time to express his opinion.

I liked the article. It made the excellent point that you never know what is going on with another person; that you can never judge someone else. The way someone appears on the outside is no indication of his/her inner battles. Ok, so certain minorities have had it rough. But so have others of us, who are white but filled with other challenges and pains.

I am dismayed that publishing this article was greeted with criticism and misunderstanding.
I am proud of Thai for his courage and clarity, and I forwarded to my e-mail list. All appreciated it.

One of the biggest problems that our over-sensitive, over-politically correct society has developed is a loss of ability to distinguish between that which we disagree with and that which offends us. To those who were offended by this article, let me ask you the following: Did Tal Fortgang say anything offensive in his article? Did he say anything bigoted? Did he use a derogatory term or slur? Did he insult you or a group you identify with? Did he put you down? Did he denegrate you? Did he call you a name? Did he mock you in any way? It doesn't appear to me that he did any of these things and, I think if you're honest about it, you have to admit that, while the article was thought provoking, it wasn't particularly controversial and it certainly wasn't offensive. Tal Fortgang posted an interesting and well written article. Certainly people are free to disagree with him and express why they disagree. What is unfair though is to claim to be offended when no offense was given and use that to argue that the article should not have been posted at all. The former recognizes that there is a marketplace of ideas that allows for healthy, even vehement, debate. The later is a cheap attempt to censor those whose opinions differ from your own. The entire structure of the Gemara, and the Halacha we have chiseled from it, is build on the concept of machloket, argument and respectful disagreement and debate. American society was built on the same idea. So if you disagree with Tal Fortgang scream it from the rooftops. Tell the world why. Write your own rebuttal piece. The same rights and values that have him a chance to say his piece will give you a chance to say yours. But don't confuse disagreeing with Fortgang and being offended by what he wrote. Feigning offense and claiming that his article shouldn't be posted is cheap and, frankly, antithetical to both Jewish and American values.

Our Constitution guarantees us the right to be able to try to achieve what we want, not that it is given to us. My grandparents fled the Pogroms and discrimination of Eastern Europe and Russia. They came here with nothing and worked hard. My brother, sister, and I worked hard. No one gave us anything. What we had and my husband's family had was a family and the resolve to better ourselves. This we have instilled in our children who also work for what they have. We are becoming a society of the government owes us.

Tal's article was true. Sometimes the truth hurts. Unfortunately, in our overly politically correct society his message seems to have been totally misunderstood by a few meatheads. I applaud him for writing it. The young man has a great future ahead of him.

To Rabbi Coopersmith and all of Aish.com's fantastic staff: You honestly are the primary source for news for me. I know what I read here will be though provoking and clean. When I saw Tal's article, it fit right into my view of AIsh.com and I loved the article. I often have similar feelings as a white, Jewish female. AIsh.com is providing a fantastic service! Please keep posting!

If anything, the comments treating his ancestor's Holocaust experience like nothing were horrifyingly insensitive, in my opinion.

I applaud Aish. com for posting the article on "checking my privelge" I am thankful for the honesty of the article and did not think it was racist. I am tired of people not being able to say anything wthout someone else taking offense to it.

Tal Fortang's article was a great treatise on the problems with so-called "discrimination." If posting the article generates a passionate discussion then Aish is doing a good job. Please post MORE thought provoking articles like this.

I am not Jewish. However, I thought Tal's article was well stated and to the point, nor should he have to apologize for the way it was wrriten. My ego can handle it! I shutter to think where we would be if not for the Jewish nation spreading their light. We already have plenty of megalomaniacs running (or trying to run) the country. We should stop being offended and start doing some soul searching!!!

Amen, sister!

My issue with Fortgang's article is that it really doesn't address what "white privilege" means. It doesn't mean that some (even many) white people don't have struggles to overcome or don't have to work hard to have things. It means that *in general*, white people in society are considered "the norm" while others are *in general* considered a "less than" and thus have more to overcome because of that attitude. Check out Jewish author and speaker Tim Wise's page (timwise.org) for his perspective. By the way, there are other kinds of "privilege" as well: male/female, able-bodied/non-able-bodied, etc. These are all worth looking into, in my opinion.

I totally agree with Mr. Fortgang's article,
Must all Jews be left leaning, Democrats, bleeding hearts, etc?
Where is it written?
Is it part of Jewish guilt?

I am not Jewish, so I can't answer those questions for you. However, I can say that I grew up on the "other side," thinking of leftists as "bleeding hearts," but the more I have been exposed to Torah teachings, the more open-minded I have become, and I have a very different world view now in which the "very conservative" view no longer fits. I also still say that those who write or speak against white privilege need to find out what the term really means and not make assumptions.

It never crossed my mind Tal's article would invite outrage and a demand for even more empathy to those less privileged. After all, wasn't that his point? Empathy and consideration for white males is constantly voided and preserved for others with a different skin tone or economic status?

When empathy is a response to another's humanity then it is rich and multifaceted and readily available to all. When driven by agenda it ultimately turns blind and cruel.

I happen to be black (not from the USA) and Jewish.
And I totally agree with the point made: the fact that he may look WASP and male and may seem well-to-do does not automatically mean that any point of view he has on a subject can be disregarded because of his looks or his background. Arguments should be judged fairly, on their own merit.
And yes, he may have been 'privileged' to have parents and grandparents who loved him, taught him to study, think clearly and get results at school. And that they were willing to invest so much in him. That only gives him the kind of background any child should have.
Even if it makes him believe that people who are at a social disadvantage today are able (with the right kind of support) to improve their situation!

Some people are "PC'ing" themselves into an oblivion of oneness which diminishes everyone. Individuals, individual struggles, and individual histories are vital to take into consideration. I think Tal's article was brilliant, and the only objection I had to this current article was to mention his youth. No apologies should be made for what he wrote and how he expressed himself!

Never avoid controversy !!

There is nothing offensive in the article of this young boy.He made his point clear, and it sounds to me exactly as it sounds to the author of the article above: "We should all be judged as individuals. "Reverse discrimination" and labeling of any kind is shallow and hurtful. We don’t really know anyone’s back story."

I personally admire the beauty and talents of all the nations and races, though I work on my worldview to be as much Kabbalistic as possible, but so far I may still not tell what is more beautiful for me: white, yellow, pink, red or black tulip or rose, which piece of nature is more fascinating than other. Beauty and Love have the spiritual roots in the Creator's Reality and that is why they are everlasting, while ugliness and evil have no place in the World to Come as they are the result of our incorrect attitude to each other and the world around and so are temporal and destined to die.