Your editorial, “Beyond Beit Shemesh” (Jan. 6), states that the behavior of some haredim calls for “for deep reflection and introspection on just what it means to call one’s self Orthodox.”
Who is it exactly that needs to reflect here? Is it the Orthodox victims of this chillul Hashem [desecration of God’s name] or is it the so-called haredi perpetrators that need to engage in contemplation? To whom are you referring to when you talk about “the Orthodox”? There is much diversity within the Orthodox segment of society but you paint with a very broad brush.
You are right to be concerned about religious militancy among the fervently religious. (It was the Rambam himself who urged moderation in the pursuit of Godliness.) But has there ever been an editorial in The Jewish Week condemning well-documented secular anti-religious/anti-Zionist militancy in Israel?
The media implies that the haredim are responsible for this outrage. If you and other journalists did not engage in labeling you would consistently refer to them as “Sicarri” as you do when you write about the Neturei Karta, etc. What does Chabad (they’re considered haredi) for example have to do with this? Nobody has shown more Ahavat Yisrael (love for Israel) than Chabad.
Making gross overgeneralizations about the haredim has become sport in the media and is also generating enormous sinat chinam (hatred between Jews).
As I write this I heard that a chasidic man was beaten ups by thugs in Ashdod. Will the media take responsibility for their incitement? Will the media look inwardly in deep contemplation and ask what does it mean to call one’s self a journalist?
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