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LETTERS
TO THE
EDITOR
Send us your comments
editor@mizrachi.org
Familiarity and fellowship ground between the Religious Zionist and Charedi discourse about non-Jews often goes
Charedi communities. Credit to the editors in a very different direction. One prominent
I VERY MUCH enjoyed your recent issue (Vol. for attempting to minimize dispute and Charedi rabbi in New York told an audience
5, No. 3) analyzing various aspects of the Reli- enhance unity. In particular, Rabbi Aryeh that theft from gentiles is not inherently
gious Zionist–Charedi divide. The dedication Meir deserves praise for a very impressive forbidden and is only a problem when it
on the cover to Kurt Rothschild was partic- and honest self-critical article about his involves a chillul Hashem. Rabbi Dan Kesten-
ularly appropriate. Kurt was the President Charedi world. We could all learn to follow baum’s Olam HaMiddot, overall a very fine
of World Mizrachi and a staunch supporter his model. sefer, says that all the compassionate acts
of myriad Zionist causes but also played a performed by gentiles are truly inauthentic
leading role in the establishment and support Despite these positives, I found myself and self-serving (p.174). The popular Bilvavi
of Charedi institutions throughout Israel and deeply unsatisfied with the issue. Efforts Mishkan Evneh by Rabbi Itamar Schwartz
the world. I’m sure Kurt would have been at fostering unity can gloss over differences shares the same assumption (p.119). The
proud of your efforts to understand and of immense significance. Two groups may implications of tzelem Elokim remain quite
bridge the Charedi–Religious Zionist gap. utilize the identical term but mean vastly
different things by it. For example, Rabbanit distinct for different communities.
There is a fascinating social process unfold- Shani Taragin cites Rebbetzin Tzipporah Rabbi Moshe Taragin and Rabbi Moshe Taub
ing in Israel today. The Zionist bona fides Heller-Gottlieb saying that religious women
of the Jerusalem College of Technology in different communities could learn the both write about joint efforts to filter out
negative elements of broader culture. As I
(Machon Lev) are so strong that its found- value of tzniut from Charedim. If tzniut refers
ing charter included the requirement that to humility and avoiding the hyper-sexual- have written against television, Friends,
all students and staff serve in the IDF. Nev- ization of the contemporary western world, and Facebook discourse, I obviously agree.
ertheless, nearly half of JCT’s students are then yes. However, I would insist that this However, how one phrases this matters. Do
Charedim and the college has created special value apply to men as well as women, that we depict the outside world as an essentially
programs to enable Charedim to achieve high it not focus primarily on sleeve lengths, negative forum which occasionally provides
level academic training in an environment and that it not serve as a reason to erase some helpful practical knowledge or do we
that fosters positive interactions between women’s pictures from magazines or build view it as a complex place that has some
the Charedi and non-Charedi religious shul women’s sections where women feel excellent elements as well? The broader
worlds that will enable them to become totally removed from the tefillah. Further- world of great literature provides consistent
an increasingly important part of Israel’s more, most Religious Zionists will not accept insight and inspiration. Some values adapted
high-tech and healthcare systems. The aca- Rav Elya Svei’s claim that men’s essential from the outside world have not threatened
demic training of Charedim enhances the mitzvah is Torah study whereas women’s is but rather enhanced our community. For
economics of the State of Israel and fosters tzniut. Once we enter all those caveats, do example, we learned from the larger soci-
a familiarity and fellowship that connects the two communities truly share this ideal? ety that all communal buildings should be
these communities. handicapped accessible. More controversial
Rabbi Reuven Taragin quotes Rabbi Aharon influences such as feminism have also had
Prof. Chaim Sukenik Lichtenstein stating that our basic affinity positive impact; greater secular education for
President, Jerusalem College of Technology is with others who share categories such women brought along more women connect-
Jerusalem, Israel as tzelem Elokim. For me, one of the crucial ing to talmud Torah. Of course, some forms
aspects of tzelem Elokim is its universality. G-d of feminism challenge our tradition and we
formed all of humanity in His image; there- should discuss the positives and negatives.
Points for consideration
fore, we should relate to gentiles as people of Thus, our description and evaluation of the
THE RECENT EDITION of HaMizrachi (Vol. immense moral and religious potential and outside world will differ greatly from our
5, No. 3) nobly endeavors to find common always treat them with decency and dignity. Charedi counterparts.
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