Religion Magazine
Kikar is running an interesting, and out of the ordinary for that site, editorial (op-ed, I guess) regarding the recent kneidlach issue.
To remind you, a panelist on a recent show on Galei Tzahal spoke about diluting, killing, haredim, saying they smell because they eat kneidlach, matza balls. The show host did not stop him, did not cut his mike, did not speak out against the statements that had just been said.
The haredi askanim, rightfully, demanded apologies, and more. They wanted the higher-ups at the radio station to censure the program, to apologize, to make drastic moves. When apologies came, the haredi askanim went on air talking about how it is not enough...
this editorial asks a simple question - why has no haredi ever apologized to him. The writer is, seemingly, a secular Jew. He says he has been called, numerous times, by rabbis and other leaders, all sorts of horrible names, such as "rasha", "amalek", animal, nazi, cossak, goy.. he been told his "wagon is empty", his army uniform is garbage, he is an ignoramus, when he will die his memory will not be a blessing, among others.
He says, no matter who said these things, the one thing in common between them all is that nobody has ever apologized. When called out, haredi politicians and askanim go on air explaining that the person had been misunderstood or that only a minority of people - on the fringe - say those things, or other sorts of explanations to get out of the uncomfortable position of what had been said, but never an apology.
he goes on to say what he says, you can read it there.
but he is right. if there is no respect or even decency going in one direction, from us religious people, whether specifically haredi or not (I am not sure all upsetting statements have been said only by haredi rabbis) to them, what right do we have to demand that level of respect, or even decency, from them to us? We can call them names and disparaging insults, but they can't say things about us?
I am not going to say we should be better than them, and I am not going to say they should be better than us. Whether true or not.
I am going to say, if we want respect, we have to give respect. If we want dialogue, we have to be a part of the dialog. If we want to be treated with decency and dignity, we have to treat others with decency and dignity.
------------------------------------------------------ Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel ------------------------------------------------------
