[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
In an interview with Kol Berama Radio Adina Bar-Shalom spoke about being selected to light one of this year’s Independence Day torches. She stated at the ceremony that she continues her activism towards opening academic doors to the chareidi community. Bar-Shalom saluted the women who played a vital role in building the Torah world and the higher education and the doors they have opened and their “Kiddush Hashem” by their actions. She praises their integration while maintaining their unique chareidi lives.
Bar-Shalom told Moti Lavi that she has not yet become accustomed to refer to her father in terms of “ZT”L” and this added a measure of emotion when she was speaking in a choked voice at the ceremony.
Bar-Shalom:
Let us go back a number of years at which time Abba said ‘We don’t live here. Aren’t we part of the country? Don’t we have to have hakoras hatov for what we receive, the blossoming of the Torah worl?’ This was stated in the forum of a family discussion. I am not a talmid chacham and never opened a Gemara but saw the need and I abandoned all else to dedicate myself to the chareidi college. My agreeing to light a torch and accept the Israel Prize in no way can be viewed as taking part in any act to destroy the world of limud Torah!
Abba acknowledged that the Torah world is blossoming and we must know how to have the proper regard for this.
Kol Berama:
How would Maran have commented on your remarks and that you were a Israel Prize recipient?
Bar-Shalom:
On my comments when I lit the torch I would like to believe he would think my words were a Kiddush Hashem. I am 69 and knew abba for almost 70 years and believe this is the case. Regarding the Israel Prize, abba did not think in terms of what is good for us on a personal level but for the tzibur.
I use the word “poverty” for we generally like more comfortable terms like “living modestly” but the truth is today we must have a university education as poverty is spreading. We mustn’t permit our children to enter a regular university chas v’sholom and today there is an alternative.
I put everything else aside including my grandchildren to advance this cause and abba was behind this and had much nachas. There are five other sisters after me but I was selected because I dedicated 15 years to build this vision.
Kol Berama:
What about the cuts to the chareidi world, yeshivos and the new draft law? Did you think your participation and lending legitimacy comes at a most problematic time for our community.
Bar-Shalom:
I don’t see it like this because of my life’s work and who I am despite being Maran’s daughter. I worked tirelessly for 15 years without seeking a prize and I earned this for my accomplishments and not because Maran was my father. The college is experiencing financial problems, this is no secret and accepting the prize will significantly assist in its future and this is no secret. It is not about me but the greater picture and the community.
Kol Berama:
But you see what is going on over the past year, the difficulties.
Bar-Shalom:
But can we cut ourselves off from the state. L’havdil elef havdolos can we cut off from the Arabs or must we realize we must negotiate? This is the same thing. We must continue limud Torah but if we opt to cut ourselves off will be gain anything by this act. The compelled draft is not the way. We must have a dialogue and mutual agreement but there is a way from both sides.
Our own, those from Shas and Agudas Yisrael were on the committee and they could have worked to find the golden path but this did not occur. I do not have to say what I think. Our rabbonim and their shluchim in the political arena know exactly what has to be done. Every small child knows what the rabbonim want and we were on the way to compromise. We all say ‘amen’ to everything the rabbonim say and the path they lead us to.
The rabbonim want a portion of those talmidim who do not learn enough to serve in the IDF. Who they are exactly must be decided by rabbonim, not me. There was such a compromise on the table and the rabbonim were not opposed. They never said no to bnei yeshivos serving entirely.
Kol Berama:
I hear your words but I do not necessarily agree. They said those who are not learning but not those who do not learn sufficiently.
Bar-Shalom:
You know as well as I there are too many who don’t learn and they hang out and go from cigarette to cigarette. Please don’t change my words. The rabbonim were a part of a certain compromise and this did not happen and I say loud and clear the rabbonim are the ones that pave the road we must take.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
“The rabbonim want a portion of those talmidim who do not learn…” to be drafted. That is the position of the pro-zionist rabbanim, and has always been. For them the only issue was accomodation of religious practices by the IDF. This was the mainstream position of the three “establishment” frum parties.
The hilonim’s position is that most yeshiva students must give up learning and instead become full time soldiers. It is the hilonim who have rejected any meaningful attempt at compromise, thereby forcing the establishment frum parties into positions previously supported only by the anti-zionists.
Chachom Yosef.besides his legacy in Torah, avodas Hashem and Ahavas HaEretz is his diverse & capable & sterling family, with hatzlacha to them all!
Rav Ovadia shitah towards army draft was not echoed by the rest of the Charedei olam.
I finally registered today. This is the nicest article that I’ve read on this site. Why can’t the Maran’s “ZT’L’ sons speak with the same clearness and reality as their sister. The Jewish people must find ways to unify themselves instead of destroying themselves. Anyone who looks see that their are the real talmidim and the slackers whom just mainly hang around. G-d willing we will have solutions, and not the war of words and hatred.
bklynmom on the line “Rav Ovadia shitah towards army draft was not echoed by the rest of the Charedei olam”
What shift? Except for the anti-zionists, the entire Chareidi political establishment (Shas, Agudah, Degel ha-Torah) never really disagreed. They had no problem with people serving in the army as long as frumkeit was accomodated (a different issue), and as long as bnei yeshiva were exempted from conscription. There was no disagreement. If the seculars go back to the status quo ante (i.e. no drafting bnei yeshiva), there would be no problem. No one frum believes that bnei yeshiva should be conscripted (though anti-zionists oppose all service in the IDF, basically as conscientious objection to the medinah, whereas the “establishment” doesn’t oppose frum (non-yeshiva) people serving in the IDF if they can stay frum while in the army). The hilonim’s change in policy on conscription is forcing the bulk of hareidim to move towards an anti-zionist position.
The current “split” among hareidim is NOT about whether the bnei yeshiva should be drafted (all are opposed), but whether to try to work with the government, and to throw in the towel, admit the anti-zionists (previously a minority) were right all along, and adopt a policy of open opposition and total resistance.
She is quite within the mainstream of opinion of the hareidi establishment (Shas, Agudah, Degel ha-Torah).