[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
There a dispute taking place between chareidi residents of a building in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Yerushalayim and Sheirut Leumi girls living in the building. The chareidim accuse the girls of failing to maintain an acceptable level of modesty.
A notice stating just that was displayed in the building in the name of “all the tenants and representing all of us”, citing the girls sit at the entrance to the building with bare feet while avreichim have to get by, or males wait outside for a period of time until the girls prepare coffee for them. “If this continues, we will do what is necessary that you will not continue living here”. A number of residents signed the note.
A second letter apologies, stating the first does not speak for “all the tenants” and expressing disapproval of the tone and language of the first letter. It explains people come from different backgrounds and what may appear insulting to some is normal, respectable and acceptable behavior to another. “You are wonderful neighbors” it says, adding “I remind those tenants who throw trash in the elevator are no less bothersome than some of what they claim bothers them”.
The person who runs the ‘אזרחים למען חיילים בודדים’ Facebook page uploaded the letters to the page.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: ‘אזרחים למען חיילים בודדים’ Facebook page)
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6 Responses
By stating “all the tenants” they also include the Shulchan Aruch and those tenants who disapprove of this letter do not include the Shulchan Aruch. That’s the difference.
Wow. Even in Eretz Yisrael some people don’t get along with their neighbors? This is shocking. I’m sure that elsewhere in the world, everyone gets along fine with all the people in the same apartment building.
The first letter is clearly not written by someone who seeks advise of Gedolim before acting. Furthermore, it’s clear to me that this is one individual that is trying to act as if he represents the whole building.
I can understand his frustration, but דברי חכמים בנחת נשמעים
Also, instead of thinking, “these girls are causing me a nasiyon” and getting mad, better he should think, “Hashem is reminding me that my Yeitzer is always there ready to attack. I’ll use this incident to remind myself to be more tzenius with my eyes!” (Oh, I guess people forgot that there are halachas of tzenius for MEN as well, including shomer einiyim.)
Kudos to the author of the second letter.
The residents of an apartment building have the right to demand certain tznius standards that are the accepted norm in their society. Whoever cannot or will not comply should not be living in that building or neighborhood.
There is, however, a tactful way of dealing with this or other kinds of problems. It appears that more discretion and sensitivity should be used in such instances.
do these people own the whole bldg. that they can tell others what to do?
I read both of them in their entirety. The second letter is written with much nicer language (in more than one way) and clearly had a lot more forethought.
Poster #1 I can’t really figure out what point you’re trying to make.
Also, they wrote an untruth, as attested to by the second writer’s request to not state things in the name of people who didn’t say them.
The bottom line is the משקל החסידות that was crooked here. It’s very nice to enforce tznius standards, but really, the tone of the first letter was shocking. How degrading to the girls! Do you know how hard tznius is for even the frummest? And these בנות שרות are coming from vastly different backgrounds! Remember, the mitzvah of tochacha only applies when it comes solely from love. And the first step is always to speak directly to the offenders before posting it publicly!
Anyway. To quote the second writer, have a good Elul, everyone.