The Bereavement Map Has Changed

Haaretz says: “As the ultra-Orthodox once were, Tel Avivians are vilified for shirking duty to the nation.”

Do Tel Avivians believe, heart and soul, that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?

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18 Responses

  1. Jewish Observer says:

    “Do Tel Avivians believe, heart and soul, that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?”

    should this be the barometer for exemption?

  2. Bob Miller says:

    We’ll know we’ve made progress when the search for people to blame has become our lowest priority.

  3. Jewish Observer says:

    “We’ll know we’ve made progress when the search for people to blame has become our lowest priority.”

    – this will greatly reduce blog fodder (fog blotter?)

  4. Joel Rich says:

    I don’t know the answer but it would be an interesting study (though likely impossible to do or to get unbiased answers) -” do all those groups that do not currently serve and are not eligible for call-up, believe that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?”
    KT

  5. Nachum Lamm says:

    “Do Tel Avivians believe, heart and soul, that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?”

    Do Charedim?

  6. mycroft says:

    “Do Tel Avivians believe, heart and soul, that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?”

    should this be the barometer for exemption?

    Comment by Jewish Observer — August 27, 2006 @ 9:15

    agreed

    But let me paraphrase:“Do Yeshiva Students believe, heart and soul, that what they are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?”

    should this be the barometer for exemption?

  7. mb says:

    Do Israelis( or Jews around the world) believe, heart and soul, that what the Cheredim( or Tel Avivians, whatever that is) are doing in lieu of military service protects the entire Jewish nation from harm?

    I certainly don’t.

  8. Bob Miller says:

    Whoever holds back from spilling out his/her bile in a blog comment is protecting the entire Jewish nation from harm.

  9. Jewish Observer says:

    “Do Charedim?”

    Having learneds in Mir Jerusalem, I would bet that many do, but surely many are victims of the system amd are going through the motions.

    Even if they do, it would go down much easier with those who serve if those who don’t would do something – anything – to show appreciation, versus the attitude of “we don’t need to apologize for not serving”

    here is my idea – during bein hazmanim have a national hakarat hatov hafganah across the charedi world, where yeshiva bochurim across the land demonstrate their appreciation for the ones they are protecting with their learning. how can you argue on this?

  10. Bob Miller says:

    Why not dedicate blocks of learning time to specific officials in the Israeli government? The learners can send their beneficiaries nicely engraved cards stating the number of hours logged and the subjects covered. The subjects can be chosen to be relevant to those officials’ often misunderstood or neglected duties.

  11. Nachum says:

    Exactly my point, JO. It would be easier to swallow the excuse if it didn’t come along with a nice serving of anti-Zionism.

    Look, many people don’t serve because they’re afraid. Fair enough. Many don’t because they’re not too thrilled about participating in anything to do with the state. (For example, I doubt that the UTJ members of governments refuse to be called “Minister” because they think it somehow protects the land.) Again, fair enough. Many don’t serve because they’re born into that system. Once again, fair enough. But let’s not delude ourselves that every charedi learning in Israel is doing so to defend the land/state.

  12. Jewish Observer says:

    “let’s not delude ourselves that every charedi learning in Israel is doing so to defend the land/state.”

    – anyone who is so deluded cannot be intimately familar with charedi society. For most charedi bochurim that I know, defending the land / state is so far off the radar that they don’t think in terms of articulating their reasoning at all. It is simply something chilonim do and we don’t do.

  13. Jewish Observer says:

    “Why not dedicate blocks of learning time to specific officials in the Israeli government?”

    – same direction, but I think there needs to be something non-learning done, to show that this appreciation and solidarity is worth picking up our heads out of the books. In general, demo’s of appreciation should be done in a form appreciated by the recipient. This is why we give flowers to a woman and cigars to a man, and why it is a bad idea to tell your wife on your anniversary “in lieu of a card or gift, I will dedicate tonight’s learning seder to you”

    I didn’t mean to come across as sarcastic (really!) just trying to drive home the point 🙂

  14. Shimon says:

    I dont think the chareidim learn in order to protect the country – they do so because its a mitzvah, and its a life style. An added benefitto this, is that it protects the nation, as per the Gemara.

    An added reason as to why Chareidim do not serve in the army is that is a “treif” environment with more than their fair share of immorailty, desecration of shabbos and other things which the chareidim find not to their liking.

  15. hp says:

    “Whoever holds back from spilling out his/her bile in a blog comment is protecting the entire Jewish nation from harm.”

    Bob: The most honest and to the point comment I’ve seen till now. Thanks for the reminder.

  16. Jewish Observer says:

    “spilling out his/her bile”

    – bile is in the eyes of the bileholder

  17. Bob Miller says:

    Or maybe the observer.

  18. Jewish Observer says:

    “Or maybe the observer”

    – touche

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