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| Jerusalem Day March last year (AP via TOI) |
As is my custom, I do not say Tachanun on this day. As per the instruction of my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik. Personally I believe that should be the custom of every single Jew. Unfortunately it is not. In some Orthodox communities (like Satmar and Netruei Karta) it might be seen as a day of mourning. Other more mainstream Charedi communities may not go that far. But there is no celebration… no joy… no pride… nothing at all to indicate what happened on that day. Just another day in which Tachanun is said. The feeling I suppose is that since it was the ‘evil Zionists’ who captured it, it isn’t really in our hands at all and should certainly not in any way be celebrated..
This attitude is appalling to me. How can there be no recognition of such a seminal event where the hand of God was so evident? No recognition of the sacrifice and lives lost on that day?! It is all completely ignored.
It was with this in mind that I had originally turned down a request this morning to Daven Shachris at the Amud (lead the services) in a Chasidic Shul I occasionally attend here in Chicago. This Shul is widely popular here because of its many minyanim throughout the day. This Shul does not recognize Yom Yerushalayim and therefore says Tachanun on this day. I demurred because I was not interested in getting anyone angry at me or worse causing a fight. Especially since the Chasidic Rav of the Shul decided to Daven at that Minyan this morning.
When I explained my reason for refusing, I was told to go up there anyway and not say it if that is what felt was right. Since there were no other volunteers, I reluctantly agreed - and hoped for the best. I did not say Tachunun. And then the strangest thing happened. There was not a single complaint. Tachanun was skipped by all – including some hard core Charedim that Daven there. The Rav didn’t say Tahcanun either. When one of the people asked me why I skipped Tachanun, I told him – and he nodded in agreement. Shortly afterward the Rav turned to me and smiled – almost with a sense of approval.
This is Chicago. We can all agree to disagree here and still remain friends. Even on matters as sensitive as whether to celebrate a Zionist victory.
That being said, there are some people that go too far in asserting their views about this day. Despite the obvious danger involved in doing so. As proud as I am of being a Jew on this day, I am not so proud of those who may incite violence in its name. Even though it is surely not their intent.
Marching through the streets of the Arab sector with Israeli flags raised high is not a good idea. There have been a lot of violent incidents there lately. Jews have been killed in those streets - even without the flag waving provocation that flaunting victory in the face of the ‘vanquished’ will surely be. Even now almost 60yers later, the resentment by the indigenous Arabs has not gone away. If anything. it has only gotten worse. While it might be true that Arab merchants hawking their wares to the massive amount of tourists passing through those streets since 1967are financially that far better off now than they ever were before we took over – it doesn’t matter. You cannot buy Arab pride with money.
I therefore agree with Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein who said the following in a recent Cross Currents column:
Do people not see what seems so apparent? How can the Flag March scheduled for this Sunday, Yom Yerushalayim, not lead b’derech ha-tevah, to Jewish deaths c”v at the hands of Palestinians who have been pumped up by hellish imams, armed by Hamas, and raised on a steady diet of the glory of martyrdom? Even if it were only a strong possibility, would it not make sense to simply avoid the flash-points of Sha’ar Shechem and the Muslim Quarter? Aren’t we smarter than that?
Indeed. I guess we aren’t. As of this writing I have no clue whether that march took place yet. Perhaps it did and there was no incident. I hope that’s the case. At the same time, I’m sure it didn’t make the Arabs of the Old City happy. Instead it may have planted additional seeds of hate and violence in the minds of some of them. Who will act out their outrage at a later date.
I hope I’m wrong. But the history of that place tells me that my fears and those of Rabbi Adlerstein are well founded. God forbid anyone gets hurt because of what took - or will take place today.