The Matzav Shmoooze: Thank You, Matzav, for Doing the Right Thing

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chareidim1Dear Matzav.com Editor,

When I sent a private email to your website last night inquiring as to why you didn’t report on the protest in Yerushalayim involving chareidim dressing in Holocaust attire, my desire wasn’t for you to provide coverage of it, but rather to read your response. I had heard about the protest from my son who is learning in Yerushalayim, and I was curious what your intentions were in not providing coverage or pictures of the event. And your response, I must say, was surprisingly encouraging. You wrote back to me as follows:

“Thank you for writing.

In general, we endeavor to report stories that reflect positively on our community. If a story has no redeeming value and will simply tarnish our image or give ammunition to those who despise us and wish to denigrate us, we see no purpose in reporting it.

Thank you again for inquiring. Please feel free to share your questions and suggestions at any time.

Shavua tov.”

Concise and succinct. I wasn’t expecting that response, but it instilled me with some renewed faith that at least that are still some people out there who care about doing the right thing and actually think about the image of our Jewish community first, before reporting something that can be seen across the world. The charade with Holocaust clothing and Jewish yellow stars was uncalled for and worse, but I won’t say more. Obviously, you felt the same way.

I am constantly dismayed that so-called “frum” websites seem to gravitate toward reporting any and every embarrassing mistake and gaffe that is made by a frum, or chareidi, person. I never could figure out why. Why are some in the frum media providing “ammunition to those who despise us and wish to denigrate us,” as you so eloquently put in your email to me? Aren’t there enough left-wing, anti-religious, anti chareidi, anti-frum mediums and websites reporting every story they can find that will paint us in a negative light? Is it all just to get dozens of comments from people mocking chareidi people?  Why don’t these websites and blogs, ostensibly run by frum people, care about what they are doing to our image?

Maybe they don’t care, but I do.

And thankfully, Matzav.com, you do too.

Kol hakavod. Keep making us proud. You may be a lone voice out there in cyberspace, but know that some of us appreciate it.

Keep up the good work.

Gut voch.

G. L.

*****

The Matzav Shmoooze is a regular feature on Matzav.com that allows all readers to share a thought or analysis, long or short, one sentence or several paragraphs long, on any topic, for readers to mull over and comment on. Email submissions to [email protected].

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19 COMMENTS

  1. If we plug our ears and loudly say “lalalala” maybe we won’t realize the horrible desecration of the Torah as it happens.

    Sorry, but if Drudge picks up a horrible Chillul HaShem, then millions of people have already seen it. Is it better to know about it or not?

    Moreover, if there’s something we can do, as people like R’ Horowitz have suggested, then there are valid reasons for acting on the information provided.

  2. And now, GL, that this was published, Matzav will now be letting its readership – who might not know otherwise – that this happened….

  3. I disagree. The story of the protest by the chareidim in meah shearim wearing yellow stars definitely has “redeeming value.” The value is finally showing the truth about what is going on in Israel. Frum Jews are protesting media attacks on chareidim due to inappropriate acts by a few hooligans; from one of your own articles: “Israeli secularists are on an absolute attack against chareidim.” Photos of the demonstration in Kikar Shabbos clearly show hundreds of protesters. These are not just a few kitzonim, as some would like us to believe. Seeing them dressed in Chassidic garb with yellow stars SMILING broadly is one of the most sickening, revolting things I have ever seen in my life. Dressing their children in Nazi uniforms?!! How can it be possible to condone or excuse this? Are we going to hide behind the lame excuse of media discrimination? No one in the Israeli media, in the US media, or anywhere except perhaps Iran or Syria, would allow the desecration and defilement of the memory of those who suffered in the Holocaust in such a disgusting manner. It is important to show people what kind of people we are dealing with, and in what numbers, so that we can decide how to respond to the inexcusable, unforgiveable acts of HUNDREDS, maybe thousands of our co-religionists. Certainly we need to stop encouraging and emboldening them by siding with them as if the secularists are the real villains here. Yes, you should post the pictures of what went on in Meah Shearim! Let your readers know who & what we are dealing with. If it brings them to tears and then to action it will be worth it.

  4. Seems like Matzav works for the camp that likes to brush things under the rug. We see how far putting our heads in the sand and pretending everything is fine has gotten us.

    Not reporting the news is akin to covering it up or akin to saying we don’t think its wrong or news worthy.

  5. Well put “G.I.” , well put “MATZAV”.

    “You may be a lone voice out there in cyberspace..” Seems like they are unfortunately

  6. I understand and agree with Matzav’s and CL’s attitude, I ask only why in this whole mess is there no concern among Yidden involved about Chilul Hashem? Is what is being fought for (segregation), even if it were to be considered “the Halacha L’Maaseh”, worth or being oiver on the segregation a bigger aveirah than Chilul Hashem.
    I’ve heard it said, rachmanletzlan, that the Nazi’s, yemach shemam, learned from the Jews how to treat them. All will agree we are put on this world to grow, we should have learned from the mistakes of previous generations, however it appears that history is repeating itself. There is the natural hate of a goy to a yid. However, our own are strenthening them (the goyim) by their attitudes and behaviors.
    Just think, what is happening at the same time, right now. I am a second generation Americanborn, New York born,Orthodox, religious Jewess. Regretfully, our generation, as well as I believe my parents’ has not experienced the open anti-Semitism we are experiencing and suffering from today. “Nachpsah drachenu v’nachkora v’nashuva…”

  7. It is better to speak out against stupidity than to close your eyes. You don’t have to over expose it, but something needs to be said about people without seichel using the holocost for their own gain and laughing about it.

    I seriously can’t fathom how such a stupid thing was organized.

  8. I mean, you really do not have to report all of the news of course, but I will testify that your own credibility as a fair and impartial news source is lessened when all of the other jewish sources are making some report to keep us informed. So of course, there are other news sources and I will learn the story so I am not in any way upset of your choice, but I will know that your news service is biased and of course as we have all seen, when you post things like notes from Ann Coulter, you are clearly a right wing news service model as well. Have fun.

  9. I applaud your decision to spare the Matzav readership the agony of seeing the pictures of Yerushalmi yungeleit grinning broadly (stupidly!) as they take pictures with their cell phones of children dressed as concentration camp prisoners complete with the Yellow Jude star an their chests. The carnival atmosphere coupled with the use of the Nazi symbols combined to disgust me as I am sure it did many others.

    But the pictures are out there, The damage is done.

    Now we want to read on Matzav about how these pictures were shown to those who are rvered by the denizons of Meah Shearim are it was denounced

  10. I may not agree with the application, but I appreciate that this site has A filter – something many others should consider creating.

  11. #1…Just because one groups makes a Chillul Hashem berabim…doesn’t mean Matzov has to “EXPAND” on it…furthering it. It is enough that it is out there, that part cannot be controlled obviously. There is no need to advertise…we have plenty of places to get our news from…trust me, we know exactly what goes on in Israel…it comes home. Furthering the cause has no tachlus at all..You have to use your brains. We are in golus…I guess you forget that and every small thing we do, doesn’t reflect well in the world…if it is negative.We don’t need to expand it like a virus. The virus is already out there. You don’t need to catch it.
    There are ways to deal with our issueS..plenty ways…you don’t go advertising if you have a bad child that needs help…you protect your child in spite of his crimes in order to help him and you get the help. They are our brothers and sisters, whether you like it or not, inspite of being lunatic and crazy. I would say the same if the secular did something wrong, which of course is a way of life with them. But they are still our brothers and sister and we need to work ‘TOGETHER’…UNDER ONE UMBRELLA…TO BRING THE LIGHT BACK…NOT TO ILLUMINATE THE DARKNESS!!!!

  12. #1….4…
    Who said that your chillul hashem is less than theirs by plastering it all over the interne? If someone is going to plaster it, then at least let it not be us!!!
    If we are ashamed with something…do we go out and publicize it..or what??? Don’t worry,the whole world DOESN’T HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT,In order for things to change….and change they will. There are enough people B’H IN Israel that know how to handle things and deal with them.
    Most frum yidden are against them. Do you only trust your judgement and outcry as a way to get things changed? That the goyim are watching, that doesn’t bother you??? My heart bleeds to see these pictures all over the place, why doesn’t it stir something in you?? After all, are we not in this together.?.kol Israel areivim ze luzeh…they don’t care if you are different, you will be labeled the same, no matter what.When they hate the jew, they don’t really differentiate between you and them…they don’t really care. A jew is a jew is a jew…get that through your head. We here are the ones making the bigger chillul hashem by posting, printing, advertising, fighting between each other, calling each other names…shame on us…how many wake up calls do we need?Do we need another Leiby Kletzky???
    Yes, they need to be reprimanded,no question, as does every issue we have in our midst…hanging it out for the world to see, is a bigger sin…after all, we are supposed to be the Light Onto the Nations!! We have community leaders, shuls,plenty avenues to discuss and mitigate the circumstances. Let’s use them. Let’s advertise our chesed, our talent, our brainpower, our love of Hashem. Let’s bring the world close to him, instead of pushing them away by advertising the loose links in our long chain of glorious history.AM YISROEL CHAI…

  13. SHTIKAH KI HODAAH DAMI.
    SHAME ON YOU ALL. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE TO DECLARE THAT SOMEONE OF YOUR ILK IS WRONG AND CREATING A CHILUL HASHEM. OTHERWISE YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN THERE ACTS. THERE HAS TO BE AN EGLOH ARUFOH HERE.

  14. Thinking of how much money they look to have invested in their social action prank of dressing as holocaust victims, I can not help wondering if they might have had more gifts with our G-d and heaven had they actually donated that fund of money to a charity and not to their own shenanigans. They made themselves a public statement in the press of course, but the fact is that their children’s shenanigans of doing aggressive counterrevolutionary behavior that is not with Torah value is the reason that the communities in Israel have found some sense of opposition and public outcry for their own conduct and maybe presencee in the Israeli Community.

  15. LOL! so matzav gets to mention the story and pat themselves self rightously on the back at the same time and bring the hateters out of hibernation. not bad for one badly written article.

  16. In this particular case I agree with the article. However, the best remedey towards mud-slinging (on a personal scale, that is) is to simply bear it out humbly. (I know that this is hard to do.)When you publicize lauding comments about your atitude, (even if they are correct) you will only invite a barrage of blasting critism to counter it.

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