On the morning of Holocaust Remembrance Day 2014, two teachers from Yeshivas Ohr Elchanan were questioned by Beit Shean area police for making a barbeque with students near an IDF/Holocaust memorial in the Yarden Park area. Police felt the actions of the teachers, who were leading some 100 students, was an affront to the solemn Memorial Day atmosphere.
R’ Eitan Meir was one of the rabbonim questioned. He serves as the dorm counselor for the yeshiva. He spoke with Kikar Shabbos, explaining that as a result of delays that occurred during their trip, they remained at the location to eat. They planned to finish the trip by 19:00 but it did not happen and they felt due to the late hour the students had to eat. “We looked for a secluded area and found the park, so we decided it was suitable as it would not disturb anyone” he is quoted saying. Rav Meir pointed out they made certain to be away from private homes as not to create a disturbance.
Meir adds that as the students were eating a patrol unit arrived and the policemen were rude and indifferent. “The policemen explained to us that it is Holocaust Remembrance Day. We told them we are planning to leave the area very soon and there was no intention to compromise the solemnity of the day or to offend anyone. The policemen were insisted that I accompany them for questioning despite the fact their actions compelled us all to remain there far longer than intended”.
The rav added that after he was taken for questioning police lost control and one slapped a student in the face for daring to be photographed alongside the IDF memorial. As a result, reinforcements were dispatched without need, and he was detained for an additional time before being released.
The rav concluded “The puzzling behavior of police does not end here. Suddenly a Yassam commando arrived and instructed us to remain at the location. We did not argue with him. A few minutes later I asked why we are being detained and he responded ‘Because I feel like it’. The behavior of most of the police at the event was accompanied by hatred. One of them threatened to smash our skills. We do intend to file a lawsuit.”
Police were unavailable for comment at the time of this report.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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35 Responses
and people think theres a mistake about how much hate there is to chareidim. “Its all because the gedolim want to keep us in the dark and not let us know the truth -that theres really no animosity towards us” kav.
I am not excusing the police actions. However when you have an hashkfa that your childrens blood is more holy than theirs- When they know in your shuls you refuse to say even tefliah for them. Do expect roses?? You have become the Al Sharpton’s of Israel. Sad but true. BTWY why can you sue in the secular medinah’s courts against a fellow jew? While your students are tailgating maybe there children are in GAZA!!1
so what is new? the hatred of some of the Israeli police for frum Jews is disgusting and out of control!
yes hatred. many in your “frum” world for them. It is also disgusting- while their chirdren are in harms way. you choose to have rallies in new york and elswhere were not one tefliah was said for their children. next time you will have a trip and barbacue during yom hazikron-why not it is not your yankel. you reap what you sew.
making a barbeque brabim when everybody takes this so serious ,its like frie yidden honking their horns at you on tom tov ,as you are dressed up and going to shule. Your in their country , messiach did not arrive yet.Dont u get it. This type of hashkafah creats chillul hashem.Frume tipshim thei dumber then bad
2. “When they know in your shuls you refuse to say even tefliah for them. Do expect roses??”
nobody says a tefilla for the cops. and my lack of praying for you shud NEVER be a reason to slap me.
“that your childrens blood is more holy than theirs”
and ya, i think children that go to yeshiva are holier than children who go fight. boohoo. lock me up. im not gonna change my beliefs cause a pig cop doesnt like it.
and i never hated a christian even though they believe my children are less holy than their children
Tzvi Kook, you are upset. You are not excusing their actions, but in the next sentence calling chareidim Al Sharptons. Do you even know Sharpton’s history of behavior vis a vis chareidim? If chareidim=Sharpton then the police ought to beat them daily.
if u dont want to observe a moment of silence or observe the day in a way – then dont – but to specifically party at this time is highly insensitive.
We don’t arrest them for eating on yom kippur…
The officers actions were not OK but this was not specifically anti charedi if some one was a desecrating a charedi gadol’s memorial they (charedim) would do the same to anyone else
Police who get out of control or who harbor hatred for any segment of society and as a result may be violent are disqualified and should never be hired to police. Policemen who act ‘Because I feel like it’ are acting illegal and are brutal thugs. The government must apologize and make clear this will not be tolerated no matter who is involved.
All the Mumchim here are so good!
For those that haven’t spent much time in Israel, allow me to teach you something you may not know.
Question: What do Israelis do on Holocaust Memorial Day?
Answer: They go to Gan Sachar and make BBQs.
Yes that’s what secular (and many Frum) Israelis do.
As far as a prayer for IDF, you seem to be forgetting that every Monday and Thursday we say prayers for people who are in Tzarah all over the world.
Acheinu KOL Beis Yisroel-ALL OUR BROTHERS of Jews
Hanesunim Batzarah Uvashivyah-Who are in places of danger or captivity
Ha’Omdim Bein Bayam Ubein Bayabasha-those that are by sea or dry land
Hamakom Yeracheim Aleihem-May God have mercy on them
V’yotzi’eim MiTzarah Etc,
Does that include soldiers in the IDF who are in danger-YES
Does that include our Jewish brothers in Ukraine-YES
Does that include anyone who is struggling with pain and suffering-YES.
So stop moaning and complaining that we don’t pray for them.
In fact, the only Jews that pray for their suffering brothers, are the people that actually pray (Jews that keep the Mitzvos basically)
Nowhere in the article does it say they were partying. They were eating. Plenty of Chareidim were killed in the Shoah too. I doubt they were being disrespectful to the memories of the kedoshim. Besides, if using the park is considered disrespectful then why wasn’t the park closed?
There’s no excuse for police brutality and there’s no excuse for sinas chinam and there’s no excuse for some of the chareidi bashing that goes on on this site. When the chilonim get blown up on buses or killed in accidents it’s the chareidim from ZAKA who clean up their blood and body parts and bring them to kever Yisrael. (They don’t say “Look, a chiloni finger” and throw it in the trash. They treat it with the same dignity and respect they would give the biggest gadol’s finger.) When the chilonim are in the hospital it’s the chareidi bikur cholim and physician referral services who come to their aid. When the chilonim are childless it’s the chareidi organizations who help them. The chareidim run tomchei Shabbos, Yad Eliezer, Yad Ezra v’Shulamit and a host of other organizations that serve all Israelis of all denominations. The chareidim have a greater love for Eretz Yisrael than the chilonim with all their Zionist patriotism have. The chareidim will live there no matter what. As for them, as soon as they don’t like something they leave and run to American to open pizza shops, shlep furniture and sell lotion in malls. So stop bashing chareidim. And during sefira yet too. Sheesh.
This made up day is a new taanis? Bad enough they were m’vatil a day of sfira for their “independence” day.
Poster #2. I guess you don’t daven too much but my shmoneh esray dies have t’filos for Eretz Yisroel. Ahh, they are for ERETZ YISROEL and not for Israel.
nonetheless it doesnt deserve a response like that
Commentator #2, what do you mean by “in your shuls you refuse to say even tefliah for them” – We say for them the same exact Tfilah we say to all good Jews: “Acheinu kol beis yisroel…”, and “Sim Shalom tova Uvracha…” and so on, as we say for all Jews.
And besides, why in the world are you suspecting that they did anything wrong? – Your comment is very odd.
#6 jewish soilders and police some as young as 18 and you defend not davening for them. if it was your child your whole pespective would chang and to think you children’s blood is more holy then another jew your are sick. many in your charedi yeshivas “learning full time” are only Because for the most part are a bunch of cowards. I studied in a charedi yeshiva and the majority could not care about others children in the army. as long as it was not thir kids. keep having your ralies against the IDF. Keep having barbacues on yom hashoa. I bet those sudents and rebbiem are real masmidim for being so stupid.
Kook: And the police says tefilot for the chareidim? I don’t think so. I don’t expect roses, I expect the police to obey the law. If a cop’s attitude is, “these people don’t give me the proper respect, so I’m gonna beat them up,” then he’s a thug, and deserves to be in jail like any other gangster. Even if he’s a holy chiloni.
Ironically, if some of the yeshiva boys had smartphones they could have taken video of the behavior of the police.
Tzvi kook [4]
Most of Israeli youth are not in “harms way”, 60% of inductees aren’t on the battle field, and many more Chilonim dodge the army than chareidim, instead they are having a grand life of Hefkerus while our boys are learning Torah 11+ hours a day…
As for Yom Hazikaron: We do things the Jewish way. We recite every Shabbat (!) Av Harachamim, and we do many things the way your grate-grandfather would’ve done them. We fast many days of the year for the troubles that befall our nation. But do they? – Do you yell at them for not fasting on Tisha B’av which was observed for thousands of years and instead having sports and entertainments on that day?
We do not hate them Ch”v, but we are wondering why don’t they respect the real and authentic, just a fraction of how we respect their child’s-play regulations.
Highly insensitive to these torah hating chilonim who are just tremendously broken up over the loss of millions of fellow yidden.
Or offended because this is part of the heilige medinah’s pomp and circumstance and how dare you live your life while we are being national?? so insensitive…
This has been the typical behavior of zionist storm troopers since the founding of their State in ’48 until now and continuing.
You have no one like Rav Shumlevitz ztl, Rav Gustman ztl etc Rav Ovadyah Yosef ztl say “misberiach for the IDF evertime there is layning” You lakewood, agudah etc have made your shidduch with satmar. Good riddence any RZ/MO who supports agudah is nuts. Why support an orgainazition that sponsors a rally with satmar against the IDF with not even one tehlim for those boys. disgracefull.
rkefrat,
calm down, i wouldnt be suprised if the reason for their “partying” was actually because bein hazmanim is almost over and he wanted to be mechazek the talmidim
it should never be against the law anywhere to have a barbecue any day you want. even if the person having the barbecue is doing so in order to incite the passions of another (e.g., a chiloni on shabbos or a chareidi on yom hashoa) the civil rights humans have to freedom of speech (no matter how offensive that speech) should override the lack of decency displayed by the actor.
This wasn’t a planned barbeque “party.” The article states that one of dorm counselors even explained this to police: as a result of delays in the trip they felt they had to go ahead and feed the kids. They even made a point of looking for a secluded area so as not to disturb anyone. IOW, they were trying to be respectful.
But the police didn’t care because the police just simply HATE chareidim. Do the police ever react the same way when chilonim have (very public and planned) barbecues on Yom Kippur or Tisha b’Av? NO! Not even remotely!
Wake up people. Zionism hates Judaism and it is hypocritical to criticize Torah True Jews who were MORE respectful to a state that holds them in such contempt then that state is to them.
Akuperma!
Please explain to us what is taking place here! We need your expert guidance!
In Nissan we were redeemed. Nissan is not a time of sadness. Yom HaZikron is part of the Kenos said on the 9th of Av. Only ignorant Jews observe Yom HaZikron during Nissan. A torah observant Jew knows that we don’t celebrate sad events in Nissan. It make sense that a state/ government founded by irreligious people decide to observe Yom HaZikron in Nissan and not in Av. Do our Gedolim observe Yom HaZikron in Nissan?!….
May Hashem Himself bring salvation speedily to His beloved nation!
28, Did you say Av Harachamim this Shabbos, during Nissan?
Do you listen to music and have weddings during these weeks in Nissan?
Tzvi kook:
Your name kind of says it all, but your words further underscore the Brisker Rav’s written description of “RZ” as a drop of religion mixed in to a sea of heresy.
As to your deceitful post: nobody claims their blood is “holier than theirs” as you wrote.
It’s actually rather simple: the Zionists decided they wanted to be like all the other nations so they wanted to play country. So the Zionists insisted, and against the repeatedly expressed wishes of the Chareidim going back way before 1948, to greatly antagonize the Arabs thus creating the need for their shmad army in the first place.
The very least the Zionists can do, after the incalculable mess the Zionists have created, is to not require the non-Zionists to clean up the mess that the non-Zionists tried to stop the Zionists from making in the first place.
The “Religious Zionists” have created a new religion for themselves, which is based on the Nationalist revisions and additions by Rabbi Kook and others, to, lihavdil, our holy Torah.
You have no right to impose your new faith on anyone else.
As well, the thuggery that we have read and continued to read about by Israel’s various armed forces against our brethren is nauseating.
As the Chazon Ish said, the secular Zionists we could have managed, but not the “Religious Zionists”.
yea sure lakewood mamma. as soon as the bombls fly ela-al was booked with yeshiva boys leaving and yu boys going
only 40% in harms way but not your son yankel
Hesder boys have died in geat numbers then your olam lakewood mama tell that to the mothers that you can specfiy a payer for the idf soilders i guess ROY zl was to modern for you.
our gedolim do RHS shilta Rav Aviner Shilta R willig shilita RAL shilta r meshulem roth ztl R ahron solevtchick ztl rav nerya ztl rav herzog ztl you do not have a monoply on gedoliym stop gorouping idf soilders protecting your homes with other issues.
and zaka is amazing and i would include them as RZ all charedim should be like them i went to charedi yeshivas your lack of respect for mothers of idf soliders is sick
and i will ad a tefliot for chardim get a meanigful job and support your family like my zadie did in Bialystok and have hakros hatov for 18 year old boys in a tank fighting hezbullah they are not in a heated beis midrash for “11” hours all of you are learning that much. i have a bridge to sell you. they the seculars are to nice to you. imagine if you behaved this way in america as boys were coming home in body bags. you would run to lakewood and KJ no differience
It may be ten years before any money is collected from a lawsuit. The police and their lawyers will be busy researching the best answers to give and taking acting lessons as well. Of course the judge will be sympathetic to cronies that they work with all the time. In addition they may have played the same games before they became judges, too. They will also know the right answers to give and what questions not to ask.
Please don’t make any difference – Police means cortesy, trust and whaever the best to keep you and yours… Ok, Bobemasses, in Israel it is ridiculous!!!!! At least this and some other alike stories!!!! Why they don’t fight criminal and prostit… and other several social problems instead of “petch” bovhrim that are just aside – BELIVE ME, FUNNY AS IT SHOULD SOUND – I DON’T BELIEVE THEY WILL FIGHT ANY OTHER KIND OF PROBLEM IN THE SAME WAY!!!!
Of course the story of religious people that are parasites……… and so on, well still doesn’t explain the full extent CHUTZPA of the Police and Autorithies!!!! This doesn’t replay about secular people had been misguided and became grown up stupid to jewish tradition or judaism or make this a flag of behave as in BET SHEMESH – No religious get riots with words like: Anachnu lo mevatelim al Beit Shemesh… after Cohen had lost… Please stop with this kind of misinterpretation – justifing mediocrity as social problems and and make scape goats is the goish welt tatics over us ever – not us on us, please where is the authorities to fix this, oh sorry yelah, yelah, yelah….
It was Yom HASHOAH and NOT Yom HAZIKARON!
A large perecentage of religious Jews were murdered in the holocaust and we mourn them dearly – most specifically on Tishah B’Av when we cry and pray (There is a specific kinah on the sad topic).
The argument of blood thicker or sending sons to fight is totally irrelevant in this story’s context – it is not about Zionism or Israel, its about the Churban of Europe.
Yom HaShoah is just one of many symbolic days in the Holocaust Calendar Timeline chosen to represent this day.
One may respect the choice of the masses to donate a moment of silence or watch a holocaust video on this day if one will,
but boys who have been on a full day tiyul, are hungry and tired and are returning to a full and gruelling schedule just days later do not need to be physically manhandled and abused by police who wish all the chareidim were included in the six milliom )chas veshalom).