In a column appearing in the Sunday, 4 Iyar edition of the newspaper, Hamodia stresses the state will not dictate the lifestyle of the chareidi tzibur. However, it continues, one does not have to davka elicit pain and anger emotions from those who do not understand and therefore, one is suggested to remain silent an in one’s place if one is outdoors when the Memorial Day sirens wail. The newspaper adds “we do not have to fall prey to the hostile media”, explaining the latter waits to capture chareidim on film ignoring the siren towards inciting more hate against the community.
Hamodia explains that for many secular residents who are unfamiliar with the chareidi way of life, their only source of information regarding chareidim is what the secular media feeds them. They are unaware that mishnayos and Tehillim are recited. They do not speak of the many bereaved chareidi families, but prefer to paint the chareidi tzibur at large in a disparaging light during the time the siren sounds.
As such, readers are urged not to be sucker punched and serve as fodder for the secular press but to remain still and silent during the sirens if one is in a public area.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
You know, I think this is a bit of a step in the right direction, but there is still so much wrong with this article. Hamodia says that “one does not have to davka elicit pain and anger emotions from those who do not understand”, implying that the fault is with those who don’t understand Chareidim. Perhaps the fault is with Chareidim, who do not understand how their actions affect the feelings of others?
The comment that “Mishnayos and Tehilim are recited” is a bit of a cop-out – most Chareidim do NOT recite Tehilim or Mishnayos L’iluy Nishmas those who were killed either defending Jewish lives in Israel or because they were Jews, though there are certainly those who do (and who are accordingly praiseworthy). If Chareidim visibly stopped at the siren, took out a Tehilim, and started to Daven, the vast majority of non-observant Israelis would be fine with it – they might think it a bit odd, but they’d acknowledge and appreciate that it’s a gesture of respect. The issues that arise are the flat-out disrespect that some Chareidim show to the memory of the fallen, by either ignoring the siren or by making a joke of it.
I can personally tell you that last year, on Yom HaZikaron, one of my children’s teachers in an “American Chareidi” elementary school in Beit Shemesh gave the students a whole lecture about how awful the Israeli Government and army are, and how they are completely undeserving of respect or acknowledgement. The teacher then davka sat down when the siren sounded – and a number of the students, including my child, davka stood up. Part of the reason? A good friend of another one of my children – and alumnus of that school – was killed in a terrorist attack, and that victim STILL HAD A SISTER IN THAT SCHOOL’S GIRL’S DIVISION!!! I just can’t understand it – is basic human decency, such as taking into account the feelings of a young girl who lost her brother, something not to be taken into account in Chareidi Chinuch???
A number of years ago, a good friend of mine was at a Shalosh Seudos with the previous Bostoner Rebbe ZT”L just before Yom Hazikaron where the Rebbe said that we MUST stand out of respect for the feelings of the families of the fallen – in his words, we can not be callus to the tears of a mother mourning her son (an all-to common occurrence in Israel). Afterwards, this friend was approached by Israeli Chareidim who asked how the Rebbe could say something like this. When my friend asked them if they disagreed about being sensitive to the feelings of others, they said that of course they didn’t – but in Israel, one does not say things like this out loud.
I hope people at least think about the above – and may this be the final Yom HaZikaron before the final Geula.
an Israeli Yid
This is simple derech eretz. And, as we all (should) know, derech eretz kadmah laTorah.
Finally, some basic human decency and hakarat hatov.
Mitoch She’lo Li’shma Ba Li’shma
That chareidim need to be given such advice without understanding it on their own, is in and of itself a sad commentary.
Finally dealing with an issue instead of typical ignoring. Of course, a Ben Adom L’chavero is chashuva enough to stand quietly & use ur time productively.
anIsraeliYid:
The implication of the article is correct. There is no good reason why a person should have to stop what they’re doing just because the Zionists decided to make up this bizarre ritual on their made-up Memorial Day when, liHavdil, the Torah has its own “Memorial Days”, such as yahrtzeits and yizkors, which are obviously not observed with sirens during the Zionist Memorial Day.
The Zionists should not expect the Chareidim to participate in strange Zionist rituals that are alien to Torah. At the same time, the Chareidim can be sensitive to the surrounding populace and try to not be in a public place when the sirens go off.
As to your personal story, the teacher is correct. You are promoting the Zionists’ creation of a new framework outside the Torah that the Zionists’ Memorial Day should be a nechama for people, instead of, lihavdil, the Torah’s ways. This is, of course, terrible chinuch for these children.
This poor young girl does not need the Zionist Memorial Day as a nechama for her brother. LiHavdil, the Torah has other ways of nbechama, which are perfect, unlike Zionist nonsense.
If an Israeli happens to see a Chareidi not observing this Zionist ritual, they can politely explain that they show respect to the dead the Torah’s way, not, liHavdil, the Zionist way.
Hain am liVadad yishkon uVaGoyim lo yischashav.
it is simple:
If you are learning Torah in the Beis Medresh, keep on learning.
If you are out in the street with non religious people stand still and have the respect for the fallen soldiers and don’t make a chillul HaShem.
If you are in your own home, do what you want.
1) The secular press will find some way of making Chareidim look bad whatever they do. Still, saying Tehillim sounds like a good idea to me. This week’s “Halacha u’lMaaseh” relates that during the sirens on Yom HaShoah last week Arab university students at Hebrew and Haifa universities played music and sang as the Jewish students stood in silence. When the latter complained to the university administrations, they received evasive answers about “freedom of expression.” The mainstream media practically ignored the whole thing.
2) If the Zionists hadn’t killed DeHaan and he had proceeded with his plan to foster peaceful coexistence between the Jews and Arabs (a plan which the Arab leaders supported) very few of those Jewish victims would have been killed. Similarly, just before the founding of the state Dr. Nochum Goldman, head of the World Jewish Congress, told ben G that he was in contact with the king of Egypt and that if ben G would wait another few weeks, Goldman could get him a state without a war, to which ben G replied that the state had to come about davka through a war. Ben G also ordered the forcible eviction of hundreds of thousands of Arabs from their homes and confiscation of their personal belongings, along with the belongings of hundreds of thousands of others who had fled their homes in the face of fighting and Jewish terrorism by the likes of Begin and then refused to allow them to return after the fighting had stopped. (All of this is based on Israeli documents declassified during the 80’s and mined by respected Israeli historians.) Ben G justified all this by saying “The older ones will die off and the younger ones will forget.” He was right only about the first part, and Jews are still paying for it with their lives, but the Zionist propaganda machine warps it for their own purposes. We should take the trouble to find out the truth.
3) Meanwhile, families of fallen soldiers and terror victims are boycotting the ceremonies tomorrow in protest of the release of Arab prisoners.
shameful article only do it so the media will not attack you, not because you should have respect for the people who dies protecting you.
Even it one thinks that this is not the frum way to honer the dead there is nothing wrong with standing still for a minute or two if the country decided to honer its fallen solders that way.
HaKatan – you are contemptible. You dance on the graves of Jews and glory in their misery.
Do you know why this particular day was set aside as the day to mark the deaths of those who fell defending Jewish lives, or on account of their being Jewish? It is because it IS a Yartzeit – the Yartzeit of the defenders of Gush Etzion, who were massacred after surrendering to the Arab Legion – the most “civilized” and disciplined of the invading Arab armies. On account of this being the first major casualty event in the war defending against the Arab invaders, the Yartzeit of the fallen was chosen as a day for the entire country to mark those who have fallen. This does not in any way take away from marking individual Yartzeits; rather, it is a way for an entire country to come together and say that yes, we are “Am Echad”. “Imo Anochi B’Tzara” – I share my brother’s pain. That is the mark of a Jew, not the superiority complex you are the perfect example of.
If you actually bothered to look into something, you might find that there is, in fact, a Jewish basis for what is being done. I doubt you will, though – you’re too full of self-righteousness to do so. Or is it that you’re just too afraid that your carefully-constructed theology of lies will not stand up to the harsh light of an honest examination?
an Israeli Yid
HaKatan: Well said like a Torah-true Jew.
We have a siren every erev Shabbos at candle lighting time. I have not noticed any secular Israelis honoring that siren when they are outside during its sounding.
por – you are repeating many incorrect and fantasy ideas.
Klal Yisroel needs the zechusim of ben adom l’chavaru and showing respect, honor and unity with those who lost loved ones during wars is an honor. Or would you rather participate in a fireworks celebration given by the Arabs in honor of the day? Pick your side and be truthful.
The above picture reminds me of the holocaust. The guy standing there is the lone Jew surrounded by haters and Nazis.
Sensitivity goes a long way
It saddens me to read all of these hateful comments. Does chesed shel emes end once the meis is dead and buried?
These are human beings, Jewish human beings, that gave their life for all Jews. They didn’t ask if they were chareidi. They fought for everyone.
Shame on all of you. I wonder how many will show up to your levaya and will you leave instructions to only allow chassidim to attend the funeral.
And you have the ultimate chutzpah to daven for moshiach?!! Why would you expect him to come with people like you in the world.
Very sad.
If YWN would ban any discussion of the merits or otherwise of the state 90% of the unpleasant flamewars here would disappear.
A poster from the Beit Din of the Sefardi Eida Chareidit (on which Rav Ovadia Yosef once sat) says that all the observances of these days, including the sirens, are taken from חוקות הגוים laws of the goyim, and that it is an איסור חמור a severe prohibition to take any notice of them, including standing silent. It’s known that the Chazon Ish once ordered that Tachanun be said in his minyan on 5 Iyar even though he was to be sandek that day, and he explained that he was concerned that people would report only that he hadn’t said Tachanun and would ignore the fact that he was sandek.
zionflag – it’s a long discussion about the sources and truthfulness of my earlier statements. DeHaan’s killers confessed at the end of their lives, they felt they had done the right thing but wanted the historical record to include the truth. Where was the ahavas Yisroel in that?
The statements about Dr. Goldman are based on an interview with him I read in 1980, about two years before he passed away.
Chicago Maven – Certainly the victims deserve respect, the question in my mind is whether they were victims of Arab violence (which I don’t deny or defend), or of Zionist misjudgment. (I was once standing near a hornets nest and someone came by shook the tree and then ran away. When my friend got stung he didn’t attack the hornets, he attacked the one who provoked them.) Reb Elchanon Wasserman, zatzukel, wrote (it’s printed in Kovetz Maamarim) that when he called the Zionists Amalekim whom the land will surely vomit out, he was referring only to the leaders and opinion moulders and not the masses of their misled followers. He was the talmid muvhak and ideological successor of the Chofetz Chaim and his not to be suspected of sinas chinam. Personally, I would like to see an organization set up to make sure Kaddish is being said on the yahrzeits of all the victims.
The vast majority of the Haredi community always stands during the siren. And in many yeshivot, they specifically say that during the siren, they dedicate one hour of learning Le’Ilui Nishmat the soldiers.
anIsraeliYid:
Zionists (and their defenders) like to project their own faults unto others.
The world’s greatest example of those who “dance on the graves of Jews and glory in their misery” are, of course, Zionists, who, even during WW II made sure that Jews would pre-pay with their blood for the Zionist State because “Rak biDam tihye lanu haAretz” and “Palestine shall not be flooded with…the old and undesirable”, etc.
The mark of a Jew is not to invent rituals alien to the Torah as do Zionists.
The mark of a Zionist, religious or otherwise, is to follow Zionism. Lihavdil, the mark of a Jew is to follow the Torah.