I’m sorry. I cannot understand the Hashkafa
that has done what the Israeli Yated has done. If one looks a the carton featured
in their back to school issue, I don’t
know how anyone that calls themselves the offspring of the Patriarchs, can do something
like this.
You have two pictures side by side comparing the first day
of school in the Chasidic world and the secular world. In one picture - the
Chasidic caricature has a smiling kindly Chasidic teacher warmly
welcoming his student back for the new
school year. In the secular picture you have a cowering teacher in the background
while in the foreground you have a nasty looking student with a tattoo on his
arm; and Mohawk haircut. He is holding an ‘evil’ smartphone in one hand; some marijuana
in the other; and a bottle of booze in his backpack; holding a leash to
his dog while a cowering police officer looks on.
The Yated is the main newspaper of the Yeshiva world whose
political party is Degel HaTorah. They do not move without the approval of
their rabbinic leaders. This cartoon must therefore reflect what they really
think of the secular Jew in Israel.
Now I’m sure they did not go to R’ Shteinman or R’ Kanievsky for
specific approval of this picture. But they would not publish something that
they thought would not be in concert with their attitude. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that someone
informs these leaders about this disgusting picture and they tell the Yated’s
publishers to pull it and issue an apology.
But if past is prologue, I’m not going to hold my breath.
How in heaven’s name are you going to convince the Israeli
public, most of whom send their children to secular schools that they care
about their fellow Israeli citizens? How are the Charedi political parties
going to convince the secular public that they have their interests in mind
too, when they consider legislation in the Keneset? How are they going to be
able to reach out to their fellow Jews if they publish insulting cartoons and caricatures
like this?
I have seen arguments that say that religious Jews should
only focus on themselves… improving their spiritual status. Outreach is seen as
a waste of time at best; and counter-productive at worst since a Baal Teshuva
will unwittingly bring residual secular values into the religious world and
thus contaminate the purity of their lives. This is counter to everything I believe
in.
Is the hashkafa represented by the Chasidic caricature so
wonderful anyway? Is that the way God wishes his people to live? Here is a recent example of what’s wrong
with this segment. It is in this story Which I read recently. The
mother of a handicapped child needed to get a driver’s license so that she
could transport that child to the various places she needed to go. Like
hospitals, doctors, and school. So great was her need that the national
insurance of Israel supplied her with the funds to purchase a car.
For getting a driver’s license, she was fired from her
teaching job. Why? Because of the rule against women driving. It is considered
immodest for a woman to drive a car. When the principal was asked about it, she
said that there are no exceptions to the rule. Women are not allowed to drive
for any reason. End of discussion.
This story may sound extreme. And I’m sure that most
Charedim are as appalled by this story as I am. But that such enclaves exist in
any significant number means that this type of Hashkafa is an acceptable one. Even
if it creates undue hardships on the parents of a handicapped child.
Why would any Jew want to become a member of a community
like this? Maybe that’s why they think it’s a waste of time to reach out to
others. One might ask, what’s keeping people in a community like this? Well if
your are isolated from the rest of the world and are not taught how to function
outside of your own community, you will not know any better. And if by chance
you find out that there are other ways to live Jewishly in a world that is so
radically different culturally and Hashkaficly that a transition to it would be
virtually impossible.
Being opposed to the kinds of groups that promote these
values is not being anti Charedi. It is being anti extremism. It is therefore
high time for the Charedi world to call out these extremist groups and
ostracize them no less than they ostracize the left.
Unfortunately they
won’t They will continue to tolerate them as a legitimate Hashkafa. Live and
let live - as long as they are God fearing people and do the Mitzvos, no one has
a right to tell them how to live their lives. Well, that is exactly what’s wrong
with these groups. Their leaders tell their Chasidim exactly how to live their
lives – well beyond the limits of Halacha. Which causes undue hardships on people
like that mother of a handicapped child. Which is bad enough. But it is also an
embarrassment to the rest of the Jewish people. And hardly being a light unto
the nations.
Sadly cartoons like this will continue to be published. And
every time I see one, I am going to continue to condemn it.
