Seeking to prevent Israeli school children from being ‘brainwashed’, Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz is proposing a bill that will make it illegal for Chabad Shluchim to set up a tefillin stand outside a school or any educational institution. While it is clear to all that the pro-secularist MK is targeting the Chabad shluchim who are moser nefesh around Eretz Yisrael [and the world], seeking to bring the mitzvah of tefillin to the many that would otherwise not merit it. Horowitz explains his bill is directed against all religion peddling, including Jews, Buddhists or other religions.
Seeking support for his anti-Torah position, Horowitz sent a draft of his bill to the ultra-secular Ramat Aviv Action Committee, which is engaged in an ongoing war with local Chabad shluchim, seeking to distance their message of yiddishkeit form their neighborhood.
In his letter to the Ramat Aviv secularists, Horowitz states that while the activities of such people are by and large within the framework of the law, many find them most objectionable. He feels that once such actions are directed at minors, without their parents’ consent, the actions of such individuals are no longer legitimate.
He acknowledges the pain and suffering of the action committee members, who have been waging their battle for the past year against the Chabad shluchim who set up a tefillin booth weekly outside the Alliance School, pointing out that not only do they seek to get youths to put on tefillin, but they also try to persuade them with other educational materials intended to bring them back to religious observance.
This he explains and other cases prompted him to push for legislation that will make it illegal to peddle religion outside of schools. His bill was submitted last week, and he hopes to enlist enough support in Knesset to ban religious booths in proximity to schools.
Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod stated perhaps one should present a bill opposing this sad and absurd bill, pointing out that ironically, Horowitz was a journalist and “fought like a lion” regarding freedom of expression. Now, he is doing just the opposite, with tenacity, seeking to stifle the voice of free choice that seeks to provide people with an opportunity to become acquainted with their heritage.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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12 Responses
I AGREE!
These booths should NOT be outside secular schools!
They should be INSIDE, and all these tinokot she’nishb’u should be given a chance to have what has been stolen from them, a Torah education and the chance to perform mitzvot!
How about saving Israel from MK Horowitz?
How ironic. In a country such as the United States where state and religion are strictly separated and where religious expression is protected, the government could not prevent such booths if placed off school grounds. Another reason to bemoan the state’s involvement in religion in Israel.
BS”D
Hmm….shuls slated for destruction…..attempts to ban Chabad tefillin stands…arresting Jews for resisting having their homes destroyed…what country are we talking about?
Not Ukraine, not even Poland – there the government now helps reclaim shuls and sends representatives to Chabad events…so where is this again?
Venezuela under Chavez? Iran under Mad Mahmoud? Ah, it is the ISSR – Israeli Soviet Socialist Republic.
A Horowitz would make such a bill? What a shanda!
So putting on Tefillin is brainwashing? It sounds like someone here believes in the power of Tefillin.
They allow you to sell anything, from — magazines to ‘cigarates’, they alow parties in the school that teach violence, but yiddishkeit is worste of all…
It’s a pathetic attempt by a beleaguered Meretz to stem the tide. If he had any self-respect, he would just organize a competing booth manned- or womanned- by an attractive young lady distributing Richard Dawkins’ latest trash. It’s a marketplace of ideas, and if you can’t take it, be quiet. Truth is, Horowitz is not serious about this. He’s just playing to his electorate to ensure that he retain his sinecure.
BS”D
To 8 – they tried to do that in Ramat Aviv with an “alternative sukkah”. I don’t think they succeeded in doing much.
#6 – you are so on target! The best defense is offense.
In Israel’s first election, Meretz’s predecessor party Mapam won 19 Knesset seats.
As recently as 1992, Meretz won 12 seats.
In the most recent election, Meretz won 3 seats.
This is one of many reasons.
Afraid of teffilin; sounds serious; but missles he is not afraid. He is afraid of brain washing
seems his was washed with treife and he has not been able to be himself [as a Jew] since