Twersky, Lions, Whiskey, etc.

Steve Weiss wrote about rumors concerning removal by Rabbi Mayer Twersky of the lions and whisky in Talner Shule in Boston. I do not know about the whiskey but a member of the shule wrote to me that "the lions are indeed gone, replaced by the blessing hands..."

Years ago when Mayer Twersky was still in Harvard studying Greek and Latin I ask him why? His sincere answer was that he "wanted to understand a cultural context of Talmud". We left it at that. Now Rabbi Mayer�s thinking seems to take a different turn. In this Audio lecture �Living as a Jew in Gentile Society� Rabbi Mayer Twersky advises Jews against going to college. In fact he admits that he made a mistake himself.

Can Judaism function while in defensive posture? We were led to believe that the legacy of Soloveitchik was to bravely take on modernity outside of the ghetto. It seems that Mayer concluded that we need to retreat.

Can any defensive culture endure? Yes I know we lasted thus far�