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May 5, 2010
Look - chilonim are as bad as us!
The other day, former MK Yisrael Eichler, speaking about the wave of anti-charedi sentiments being expressed publicly, said that the way to deal with it is to go on the offensive. Eichler suggested that the charedi media should investigate and publicize chiloni corruption.
I am not sure, other than revenge, what he intends to achieve by doing this. Go ahead and expose corrupt chilonim, by all means. But using that as a tactic in exchange for people hating charedim? Is that going to make people love charedim instead?
What's the purpose of his proposal? To show that just like there are corrupt charedim there are also corrupt chilonim? Really? The haredi media needs to waste its time trying to expose that chilonim are "just as bad" as charedim?
That's what it sounds like from his proposal.
Especially coming from Yisrael Eichler that is very strange. In general we are taught to believe we are far better, far more moral and far more honest than the average chiloni (true or not is not my point right now, just that that attitude exists), and Yisrael Eichler is the best example of somebody who constantly pushes that idea (read his weeky articles and you will see that to be the case). So now all he wants, all that will make him happy and satisfied in exchange for a few charedim caught with their hands in the till, all that will solve the problem is to show that we are as bad as everybody else?
I don't have any good suggestions as I am not a public relations expert, but I would think the right way to counter it is more by showing that those who are corrupt are the exceptions, and not the rules. Not by showing that everyone else is just as bad.
I am not sure, other than revenge, what he intends to achieve by doing this. Go ahead and expose corrupt chilonim, by all means. But using that as a tactic in exchange for people hating charedim? Is that going to make people love charedim instead?
What's the purpose of his proposal? To show that just like there are corrupt charedim there are also corrupt chilonim? Really? The haredi media needs to waste its time trying to expose that chilonim are "just as bad" as charedim?
That's what it sounds like from his proposal.
Especially coming from Yisrael Eichler that is very strange. In general we are taught to believe we are far better, far more moral and far more honest than the average chiloni (true or not is not my point right now, just that that attitude exists), and Yisrael Eichler is the best example of somebody who constantly pushes that idea (read his weeky articles and you will see that to be the case). So now all he wants, all that will make him happy and satisfied in exchange for a few charedim caught with their hands in the till, all that will solve the problem is to show that we are as bad as everybody else?
I don't have any good suggestions as I am not a public relations expert, but I would think the right way to counter it is more by showing that those who are corrupt are the exceptions, and not the rules. Not by showing that everyone else is just as bad.
Labels:
corruption,
haredim,
secular
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This is terrible for anumber of reasons.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, lashon Hara with all this mUd slinging.
Amd the headline made me laugh. Chilonim are as bad as us. The very essence of being religious, G-d fearing, is that we can't be bad at all. If all he wants to do is say the chilonim are as bad, then the Chareidi world is in a very bad situation, and should do teshuva immediately
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3885304,00.html
ReplyDeleteNo no Rafi. If you get stung, sting back. No one likes to appear hypocrytical so show the agressors that they are. Next time they'll think twice.
ReplyDeleteEichler is finally returning fire. Good on him!
I understand that it is stinging back, but look at the result.. you say we are bad? look at your being corrupt!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, but we are supposed to be better than them! And according to Eichler we are better than them. So according to Eichlers plan, he is not showing we are better, just that they are just as bad. Or maybe worse if he finds enough corruption.
Very nice. And he is the master mouthpiece for haredi jewry (he calls himself the director of "Hasbara Yehudit")
Maybe my daughter can talk with this guy. She is only 7 but she already knows that her bahivior is neither dependent nor reflective of her brothers behavior. Most people learn that skill somewhere during adolescance, unfortunatly this guy missed that skill.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if he, as a charedi, believes that hes is better then me, as a chiloni, then how does pointing out any failings of my group mitigate the failings of his group? All it shows is that we are equal, which is what chiloniim always say.
The reason why it is big news when Charediim are corrupt is because they claim to be better and more moral and lead large groups of people in being better and more moral. Are there any chiloniim rabbis that lead communities and have followers? Do chiloniim claim that they are inherently more moral? or rather, do we claim equality and perspective?
As they say in Yeshiva - you can't ask kashyas here (since asking a kashya assumes logic hiding in thhe subject not being understood)
ReplyDeleteHe is a rabble rouser not much unlike Jessye Jackson and Al Sharpton. No interest in solutions, just in making a fuss.
This has been MK Eichler's line long ago, as well as the Machane haChareidi newspaper - Belz's official newspaper, which I believe that Eichler has more than a saying there.
ReplyDelete(I remember a headline once from the main page years ago - '2 Chilonim caught robbing in Tel-Aviv...')