Rabbi Yigal Ariel of Moshav Nov in the Golan Heights published a book about haredi trends in religious Zionist circles. Here are some comments from a Ynet interview:
“While everyone else spoke of ‘disengagement’ we (Religious Zionists) spoke of ‘expulsion’. Instead of the ‘Amona evacuation’ we referred to the ‘Amona pogrom’….we are settling ourselves apart from the general public through this terminology, and are viewing the world through our own narrow and limited point of view. We are completely cutting ourselves off from the Israeli public.”
I agree. Our community can’t expect a dialogue with other segments of society while continuing to use loaded vocabulary.
Rav Ariel also brings up the case of the teenage girls who were recently jailed:
As a further example, Rabbi Ariel noted that he was recently asked to endorse the efforts of Right wing groups, who refused to recognize the authority of various law enforcement agencies, and to deem such actions as ‘heroic’ and as ‘sanctifying God’s name’.
“The girls involved in such civil disobedience said that they did not recognize the authority of the State of Israel no its courts, only that of God almighty,” said Rabbi Ariel. “Is this what Religious Zionism has come to?”
The rabbi further said that what disturbed him far more than these actual actions is the fact that rabbis refused to speak out against such phenomenon [sic]. “Somebody brainwashed and warped these young girl as is the case with many Orthodox youths, and the rabbis all remain silent.”
“These are young girls that don’t know which way is up just yet,” said Ariel. “They find themselves running across a hilltop in the West Bank one day and are convinced that they are saving the land of Israel.
“What about the Israeli people, its inhabitants, however? What about the IDF that protects them on that hilltop? These girls do not recognize [them] either, and deem them ‘a rule of evil’. If this is the way Orthodox people speak, then we have become detached from reality. We have become delusional individuals.”
Rav Ariel also laments religious Zionist rabbis who have recommended against reading certain books, including “Mekimi” by Noa Yaron (whom I heard speak recently). “We (religious Zionists) now want obedient followers that do as they are told and do not ask difficult questions.”
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My town has seen a proliferation of stores catering to religious women; I am sharing some highlights with my loyal readers.
For the first few years after I made aliyah, the only colors in women’s clothes were beige, brown, and gray. Then things improved, and for a season or two you could find kelly green and hot pink. What hasn’t changed is the way Israeli designers, especially those targeting the religious community, manage to combine such a bizarre assortment of colors, shapes and fabrics into one outfit.
Note: I am not making any statement about the “tzniut” standards of these items.
For more on local fashions, see:
Burkas: The New Fashion
A Clean City with Lots of Shoe Stores
Official Haredi Guide to Modest Necklines
Shoes and Fashions
Winter Fashion Retrospective
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Riveting. Moving. Inspiring. Such is the documentary A Lonely Man of Faith produced by Ethan Isenberg. The golden mind, heart, and tongue belonged to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik, known to his students simply as the Rav.
The highlights of the film for me:
- The early influence of the Rav’s mother. The film emphasized her love of secular knowledge and only hinted at her real contribution — the emotional warmth the Rav’s strict father could not provide.
- The Rav’s emphasis on higher learning for women, by insisting on teaching the first Talmud class for women at Stern College. Maimonides, the Boston day school he founded, had mixed classes through high school because the Rav feared that separate classes would lead to inferior education for girls.
- His support of the State of Israel, secular education, and cooperation with the non-Orthodox (on issues affecting the entire community), causing a rift between modern Orthodoxy and the Yeshiva world that has not been repaired.
- The Rav’s combination of a love of learning, personal integrity, and an emphasis on ethics and morality including business ethics. He believed that the goal of learning Torah and doing mitzvot is to lift us to a higher moral level. Too often they are seen as the ends in themselves.
- The discussion of faith that he brought into modern-day consciousness. He was disturbed by those who asked, “What can religion do for me?” instead of “What does God want from me?”
- His unique and well-trained mind–head and shoulders above any other — combined with unusual sensitivity, oratorical genius, and levelheadedness — placed him, arguably, as the savior of the precarious American Orthodoxy that existed when he arrived in the 1930′s.
- The Rav’s personal and professional challenges.
- The unfortunate lack of a successor, or even a clear legacy, because every decision occurred in a specific context that cannot be reproduced.
I only mention a small portion of the vast material that the producers managed to include in an hour and a half. Even though it ignored or glossed over many negatives, A Lonely Man of Faith made me proud to call myself modern Orthodox and a religious Zionist.
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I’ve been too preoccupied to blog, so I invite you to read this excellent article from New York Magazine called Learning to Lie, summarizing recent research on lying. I found useful information for parenting both small children and teens.
Hat tip: Serandez
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New immigrant Rachel is undergoing culture shock on behalf of her children.
A friend once told me that I do my children a grave disservice by delaying their attendance in gan until they are 3, 4 or 5. She claimed that they need the gan experience in order to develop that tough exterior so useful in Israeli society. I don’t know if she’s right or not, but every action involves a tradeoff. If you only associate with American families, they will not learn Hebrew as quickly nor the ins and outs of Israeli society. And Israeli culture has positive values such as love of the land, close extended families, and less materialism. Even “protektzia” is positive when you are the beneficiary.
Rachel raises three specific issues.
- Neglect and benign abuse that are considered normal. Stick by your American standards regarding safety issues. Make sure the mother giving your kid a ride puts a seatbelt on him, and isn’t planning to leave the house when he is visiting. Check who is supervising your kids’ school trips and youth activities. Some parents will give you a hard time, but others will thank you even if it’s only in their “hard” (as my 4yo puts it). Schools are allowed to release kids after 12:45 (not sure from what age, but definitely upper elementary grades) without notifying the parents. Your kids have to know what to do in that situation.
- Junk food. I’ve gathered that junk food is also a huge problem in the US. I’ve given up this battle for the most part, I’m sorry to say. My first-grader’s classmates are constantly reminded not to bring junk, but the quantity given out at school makes up for this. I still control what I buy, but not always what comes into the house. My 4yo told a playgroup mother that we had had homemade pareve ice cream with food coloring and chemicals on Shabbat. In reality, a guest had brought cookies filled with colored gel. My kids know what’s healthy and why we don’t buy certain things.
- Manners. When we see others push into line, we can explain to our children how it feels to be pushed and the prohibition against “gezel zman” (stealing the time of others). Saying thank you and you’re welcome is important. However, our ultimate goal is for children to feel gratitude and be sensitive to others. I don’t insist that my children use these words, but hope they will follow my example. And they generally do. But that is more about my parenting approach than cultural difference.
Here are more tips on keeping kids close.
- Send them to gan as late as possible. Less junk food and bullying, fewer parent meetings and birthday parties–what more could you want?
- Look for like-minded parents, including Israeli ones. Find people who will teach you about the system, in order to understand and influence it.
- Focus on the positive–both in your children and in Israeli life. Israel has improved in many areas such as safety awareness and handicapped access.
- Limit the amount of time your kids spend with friends and get to know the parents. Remember that just because someone is American doesn’t mean they have the same values and standards as you.
- Invest time in building up a support network for your family.
- Depending on where you live, you may be exposed to a much wider variety of cultural experiences and mindsets than you were in the US. The parents who are unaware of safety issues may have grown up in a home where those issues were not on the radar screen.
- Limit time spent in gan, daycare and afterschool programs, hugim (afterschool activities), and youth groups, and stay on top of what happens there.
- Let your kids know why you do things differently, without criticizing other parents. Their approaches may be valid, especially in a different cultural system.
- Be realistic and avoid stereotypes. Are kids in American dayschools always welcoming to new kids? Do teachers always have complete control of the class? Do all American parents put their kids in seatbelts every single time?
- Teach children to respect their own individuality and that of others. Give them the confidence to withstand negative social pressure.
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My town has seen a proliferation of stores catering to religious women; I am sharing some highlights with my loyal readers.
