Bridge Building instead of Burning (kol isha)

[MaxwellSt <MaxwellSt...>]

In a message dated 03/09/2000 8:35:43 AM Central Standard Time, 
physchem (at) earthlink(dot)net writes:

<< Pressure applied gently but firmly helps.  Judaism survived events like the
 destruction of the Temple, and evolved in response to historical changes,
 because it is not inflexible.  We have seen it in my lifetime.  The Orthodox
 were opposed to Zionism; now, only a tiny minority are firmly anti-Zionist,
 and many more are the most fervent Zionists. >>

I agree with this, but also consider why Chabad is so successful: they meet 
people where they are, knowing that if there is no contact, there can be no 
conversion.  I wouldn't consider a concert for frum women so much concession 
to "their rules" as making the possibility for a relationship, and with that 
relationship, the possibility of influencing the community to your point of 
view.  We are all Yidn, not enemies, after all, and kol isha is not a bigoted 
point of view so much as a law, like all those other laws, that the Orthodox 
sign on to because they believe that they come from a higher authority.  

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