Ynet printed results from a recent poll sadly showing that most Israelis are unaware that Shmita starts in just two weeks. (The poll was conducted by the Smith Institute among 500 adult Jewish Israelis found.)
Here are the results: 71% knew what the term Shmita (91% of the religious public and about two-thirds of the observant and non-religious public), 62% of them did not know that the coming Jewish year of 5768 was a Shmita year.
When asked for their view on the practice of Shmita, 43% of the non-religious public said that the concept of Shmita was relevant for times when most people were farmers, and that it was no longer relevant today.
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A must to read “COERCION IS NOT CHINUCH”, article by JRosenblum in this wk Mishpacha. Most of Yiddishkeit taught in Israel has been the ‘Coercion’ type not the Chinuch mode. Not unusual that the secular kehilla has no idea what or when is ‘Shmittah’. Check the Jewish population in America and ask them the same question, the statistic will be quite abit lower !!!!!(even in observant circles)
What is surprising is that 9% of the religious public did NOT know what the term Shmita is.
A befeirush mitzvah in the Torah should be known by 100% of the religious public.
Unless they interviewed a lot of 2-year-olds. (:-)
And the fact that most Israeli’s do not know about shmita can be lain on the feet of Mertez. The religious community – knitted and not simply do not discuss this. Its like this hidden card we pull out every 7 years. And if it is discussed its always in the most negative light. These statistics are mirrors held up to our community showing areas of needed improvement.
As a side note about Shmita. You should know the chesed Hashem, the last while now in Eretz Yisroel the weather has been extremely HOT. People don’t apreciate this, however the frum olam that keep shmitah and need Esrogim do. Every year most of the esrogim only ripen between Rosh hashana and Yom kippur. This year Hashem hastened up the ripenning by giving intense heat so that by now most of them are ready to be cut before Shmitah and there will be plenty “shmitah free” esrogim
Who here trusts any (even the weather) of the pure sheker and loshon hora printed in Ynet?
The presumption should always be it is part of its anti-religious agenda.
Huh, what, are we making fun that they dont know ? Blaming Meretz ? Blame yourself for not supporting Keren Hashviis to the hilt. They promote and deserve everyones $upport.
Not that we deceided why the Israeli oleim does not know about Shmittah, go up and down Pico blvd, Ave J, Central Ave, Jog Rd., Rogers Park, Route 19,Fifth Ave., Grand St, and other Jewishish neighborhoods, and ask these questions?
1. What is a Shmittah year?
2. When is the next Shmittah to be observed?
3. What do you do/not do on a Shmittah year?
Get back to YW in a week and you will see that the ISRAEL PEOPLE are once again the winners!!!!
# 7 why don’t you sayitlikeitis?
If you were talking about Shobbos I hear you,
but Shmitta what shaychus does it have regularly to the american public.
But in Eretz Yisroel people should know that they are being oiver issurim with every food purchase.
kol shekain if you are a farmer!
can anyone explain the logic that davka if roiv yidden were farmers is there a din shmittah,
efsher I could CH”V here the tayna farkert.
what we have to do is not look that some don’t know about smithah but make sure that those the do know obsurve it the right way (mor. orthodox, mizrachi,…) the more people the don’t buy smithah prodo. the more farmer will know about smitha (“no sales I wonder why…?”) in the usa there have found to be smitah prodo. for sale in super market 7 years ago so watch out!
#8 “but Shmitta what shaychus does it have regularly to the american public”.
Good question, and the answers are:
1. Check out all the Jews that travel to E”Y the next 13 months, (majority from USA)
2. Many Jewish people show their support for Israel by buying Israeli produce and products (among wine purchasers, the majority of Jews buy Israeli wines).
3. For the frum American kehilla, an amazing way to teach emunah and bitachon is to learn about the simple farmers who will be giving up 13 months of parnosa to be an aved hashem.
THEREFORE SHMITTAH SHOULD BE ON THE MINDS AND POCKETS OF ALL JEWS..