What I expect in 2013

After writing my why it sucked to be frum in 2012, I felt bad.  What if 2013 could be better for the frum wold? What would happen to us? Here are things I expect to happen in the frum world in 2013.  It would make me much happier:

1. In January, Charedi and Chardal leadership join the OU, RCA, Agudas Yisrael, SHAS, Degel Hatorah, and Badatz and issue a join statement followed by a binding agreement that deals with the Agunah problem for good. Any man who uses religion to harm his wife will have religion used against him until he stops, and if that doesn’t work, financial and legal sanctions will follow. SHAS insists to add a clause reminding husbands not to beat their wives.
2. In February, all shuls remind people that shalach manos are supposed to bring people together, so this wacky business about selecting all names on some reciprocity list to authorize anonymous group bags of trader joe’s products that are packed by shul volunteers, delivered by the shul, and are a fundraiser for the shul will be replaced with the good old-fashioned business of people actually sharing their food with others, and the others not getting obsessed about predicting kashrus standards based on how long it takes for someone to say shmone esreh. They will also be reminded that it’s a good idea to be friendly in shul and say hi to people they don’t know.
3. In March, a new takana is issued that tells frum people to stop caring about whether people are gay or not.  It’s just not their business.  In a related takana, we no longer have to worry about kitniyos. It was never chametz anyways. Pesach is approaching and Jews are actually looking forward to it.
4. In April, charedim in Israel decide collectively to give back to society. They clean up the garbage in their neighborhoods, sign up for civic service and army duty, and in a stretch move they even plant trees and decorative plants in religious neighborhoods to make the place look nice. They commit to paying taxes and they agree to stop gouging the Israeli public by enacting silly rules designed to make them money for no good religious reason — like insisting on mezuzos on elevators in public buildings just to get a financial kickback.
5. In May, someone does not suggest that getting married at a ridiculously young age is the only solution to the sidduch crisis.
6. In June, there is a convention where rabbis get together to see how they can start to understand others, instead of just trying to get people to understand them.
7. In July, Jews of New York head to the Catskills and don’t make a chillul hashem there. Also, Grossinger’s reopens with a new shvitz house. Amachaya!
8. In August, the Breslovers put up solar panels on Reb Nachman’s grave and use it to power a wifi hotspot.  The password is “Na Nach Nachma Nachaman meUman”
9. In September, the OU declares a truce on their war on parve and restore parve status to the thousands of items they label dairy which are in fact parve.
10. In October, Moshiach comes, and decides to stay this time instead of leaving out of disgust. He brings peace to the Middle East and attempts to bring peace to the Jewish community too.
11. In November, web-sites dedicated to selling seforim to the Jewish Community don’t hold “Black-Friday” sales heralding the start of Christmas shopping.
12. In December, Applebee’s, TGIF, and Bertucci’s all goes Kosher — to the delight of thousands of BTs and gerim.

It could be a pretty cool year to be frum, you know. I guess we have to think about some resolutions now. What do you think should happen in 2013?

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