Henie Fialkoff, PhD, MD is a physician at Shaareן Zedek. She made aliyah with her husband David in 2013 from Los Angeles and is looking forward to having the rest of her family join them.
I recently attended a pre-election parlor meeting, thinking that it would be a synopsis of the current parties and their platforms. Due to there being a plethora of parties, I don’t always know their names, candidates, or how they are listed.
To my surprise, a new kid on the block was being touted--- Hatzibur Hachareidi. Although my family has been chasidish for many generations, with a stray Litvak thrown in, the name turned me off. Not another Shas or United Torah or Tzeva Shachor! But, to my surprise, my preconceived notions were rapidly dispelled.
This is a grassroots movement within the traditional hareidi community that is committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to their fellow Israeli Jews by serving in the army, pursuing higher secular education, working in whatever field they desire, and including women in this sea change, all while maintaining a hareidi lifestyle.
This is not your father’s hareidi party. It’s more like your great-great-great-great……………..grandfather’s party. Think Rashi, Ramban, Yochanan HaSandlar, Elazar Hakapar, and many others who were not afraid of earning a living in business, medicine, the trades, etc., and yet became talmidei chachomim known throughout the generations.
Prior to the last century, the only Jews in the shtetl who learned full-time were the rabbi’s son, the rich man’s son, and the “Ilui", the genius. Only a poor ilui was considered deserving of community support. In all of Europe there were perhaps 400 young men who actually learned full time. Everyone else worked to support their families and then spent their free time learning.
Skip to 1948, when Ben Gurion and Moshe Dayan agreed that young bochrim who learned could be exempted from the army. They had arrogantly assumed that Torah study was an anachronism and would quickly die out, so a measly 400 men were the proverbial drop in the bucket.
G-d had other plans, and now tens of thousands of bochrim claim that their learning exempts them from fulfilling their responsibilities to serve in the army and work. Gedolei Torah do not want their students tainted by a secular society, nor do chiloni parents want their children to be exposed to an outdated religious concept. Unless there is an open discussion, the twain will never meet
The lack of unity is what has plagued us individually, nationally, and internationally. The platform of Hatzibur Hachareidi helps foster this unity. While teaching both advanced Torah and secular studies, we learn to appreciate each other’s contributions. If Jews are strong enough in their convictions and see the beauty and support of their fellows, they will be a positive influence on those around them.
The current rabbinical heads of the hareidi parties either disapprove of such a progression or, even if privately in favor of change, are too afraid to stick their necks out. What will the neighbors think? How can I marry off my daughter? If leadership is not courageous enough to take a stand, the most efficacious step is to simply ignore the noise and let the change come from within.
Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier, and so Sherut Leumi is another avenue for service. Since hareidim agree that yeshiva study is so fundamental to us as a people, how about having a cadre of haredi students who go out to the bases and outposts to teach Torah?
Fine-tuning the marketing of this new party, finding courageous gedolim who will approve the platform, will take time. This is a process that should have begun long ago by many in the Jewish world. This new party is picking up the gauntlet, and they are climbing in popularity but still need our support to make it a reality. With the elections only a few days away, interested individuals must spread the word about Hatzibur Hachareidi’s important work and come out to vote in support. The election ballot letters are zayin-chaf. זך
Get out and VOTE!