The Seculars Get a Taste of Their Own Medicine

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kikar-shabbosDear Editor,
I share with you an important piece of analysis by Rafi G. of the Life in Israel blog, who examined the treatment of chareidim in the secular Israeli press and a recent incident involving a secular Israeli. The general press is all agog about the headline in the charedi website Kikar Shabbos about a father, Asaf Goldring, who murdered his daughter. The headline read, “Secular Leftist Murdered Daughter.”

The headline is unusual for two reasons:

1.Generally the charedi press would ignore such incidents and not report on them at all. Violent crime is usually ignored by the charedi press, as it is considered the topic inappropriate for its audience.

2.The sensationalist title “Secular Leftist” is perceived as an attack on the secular.

Basically, too bad. It is about time.

Every time a charedi Jew, or even a DL Jew, is caught for a crime committed, the headlines in the general press always describe them as “Charedi thief” or “Charedi abuser,” etc. For other sectors, it usually drops the descriptive title, at least from the headline, and often from the article as well (you often have to figure it out based on the location – e.g. city – where it took place).

Yes, there are religious people who commit crimes, violent and non-violent. Religious people are human too, and are susceptible to the same weaknesses and temptations as anyone else. Some control themselves, and some do not and commit crimes. If the secular public can smear the charedi/religious community with sensationalist and accusatory headlines, it is about time the charedi press hands it back to them.

Gut gezokt, R’ Rafi.

Sincerely,

Akiva L.


8 COMMENTS

  1. Now we really needed THIS on erev Tisha B’Av.

    Not that I don’t feel the pain and annoyance, I do, but I definitely don’t feel any triumphalism over this.

  2. So now we frum Jews believe in nekama?
    It is really a shame that during the Nine Days, sinas chinam is only spreading.
    Yes, it is true that chareidim are discriminated against by the secular press, but that is because we are held to a higher standard. It is our duty to ensure that our behavior does not cause chillul Hashem, instead of blaming the press for the chillul Hashem.

  3. “Basically, too bad. It is about time”–Two wrongs make a RIGHT is the lesson to be learned from this newspaper.

  4. Although it may seem like a nice comeback the charadim should hold themselves at a higher level of maturity and not stoop so low as they do with this disciminitory behaviour and outlook on other jewish groups. An ignorant jew is an ignorant jew their offilation and ignorance is between them and G-d.

  5. to the writer of this story…are you telling us that taking revenge on a fellow jew is ok? im not saying they shouldnt have to answer (to G-d, NOT us) for the way that they purposefully rip apart the religious sects in their headlines. have a little self control with the way you write your stories…it is erev t’sha b’av, is it not? you sound educated enough….you know why the bais hamikdosh was destroyed….for fighting with your fellow jes! WOW! what an epiphany! maybe relaying messages of loving one another no matter what instead of “handing it back to them” would bring our Moshiach a little faster.

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