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| Image from Mishpacha for illustration purposes |
That means I am probably not as objective as I would like to be about his columns. (Although I do try to be. In fact I don’t always agree with him.)
Once again I think he nails it. In what I think is a key statement in a recent Mishpacha column about the divisiveness in Israel, he says the following:
The questions we as a community ought to be asking ourselves are: Where did we fail? And what can we do now? Have we, for instance, ever tried to explain to the secular public that we do not seek to impose a theocracy as a political goal, and are content to wait for that day when Hashem will fill the entire world with knowledge of Him? Iran is not our model.
Or have we rather cut ourselves off to such a degree from the larger Israeli society that it never occurred to us that there is a need to explain anything, or, conversely, to listen to their concerns? What besides a self-willed isolation could have possessed United Torah Jewry representatives to introduce, suddenly, in the middle of the heated debate about limiting the High Court’s ability to apply a “reasonableness” test to government actions, a Basic Law equating Torah study with military service? What can explain such complete tone-deafness? Did no one realize that such a proposal at that moment could only add fuel to the fire and provide opponents of judicial reform with new talking points?
As Jonathan notes judicial reform is pretty much a dead issue. The recent passage by the Knesset of a law eliminating the use of the ‘reasonableness’ standard from the Supreme Court (to strike down a law it doesn’t like) is about as far as they are going to go.
But the battle rages on. The division has never been greater. The issue is not about democracy. It is about demographics. The fear by secular, Dati (MO), and traditional Israelis is that Israel will turn into a country where the increase of Charedi representation in the Knesset will result in imposing extremist religious legislation upon the entire population. Which is of course the furthest thing from the truth. That will not happen. Not in an era where everyone is as divided as they are now. Not in a country where the vast majority of the nation, (including even most Charedim that do not subscribe to the extremism of far religious right) - does not want it.
But that fear did not come out of thin air. The Charedi community shares the blame for that erroneous assumption. Perhaps even the lion’s share. In what is a near identical observation to my own, Jonathan says the following:
Last week, a video went around of a chareidi family on a train shouting insults at a group of women soldiers. “Shiksa” was but one of the epithets used, but it captures what is most disturbing about the video — the feeling of the kids hurling insults at their fellow Jews that they bear no connection to those female soldiers. That is obviously an attitude they have imbibed in their homes: They were traveling with their parents.
Now, I’m well aware that the behavior of those kids in the video is generally confined to a very small percentage of the community. But the underlying attitude is more widespread. And it is wrong on multiple grounds. First, as a matter of Torah hashkafah, we are bound, for better or worse, to all our fellow Jews. We received Torah together as one, and we have an obligation, as both individuals and as a people, to reflect that Torah to the world.
IN ADDITION, an attitude of complete alienation from other Jews is dangerous: K’mayim panim l’panim. If we feel alienated from them, so will they feel alienated from us, and as such, they will be far more closed to Torah and far more capable of acting against us both physically and politically.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. And probably already did. Another area in which I am in complete agreement is in his criticism of the isolationist policies and practices of the Charedi world:
Isolation was once the chosen path of the Torah community. And that made eminently good sense when we were a tiny, embattled minority. But we are no longer a small community. Nor is our very existence under threat. At this point in time, if we want our voices to be heard, we have to be at the table.
Again, I could not agree more. The question is whether there is the will by Charedi leadership to change that isolationist paradigm? I fear that the answer to that is mostly no. Which was demonstrated by the recent stupid proposed legislation by Charedi Knesset members equating Torah study to military service.
This is not about the importance of Torah study. No one that call themselves Orthodox would deny the importance of Torah study. It’s about the Chutzpah of presenting a law that will equate those who risk their lives with those who sit in the safety and comfort of the Beis Hamedrash thereby exempting them from that risk. I can’t think of too many things that would increase the hatred of Charedi Jews than that.
Jonathan and I would surely disagree about requiring the military service of Charedim. If there is going to be compulsory military service, everyone ought to be in the same boat. Charedim included.
Leaving that aside - as much as Jonathan would like to see a sea change from isolationism to integration and dialogue (as would I), I just don’t see it happening. Those that are attempting to do so - are a relatively small minority and are basically spitting in the wind.
On the other hand, Jonathan is a widely read author and columnist whose reach is exponentially greater than mine. He has some influence. Will that be enough to make a dent? I doubt it.