It was difficult in recent days not to be exposed to the valuable 'Israeli Friday' campaign, as well as the discourse it managed to provoke from both sides - religious and secular - on social networks and in the media.
''Israeli Friday' is - according to its Facebook page - an association founded by secular businessmen, which aims to bring hearts closer together within Israeli society and to emphasize strengthening the value of family and unity. ""To this end, the association is putting on the agenda something that has existed for a long time, but over the years has become less popular – Friday dinner.".
And indeed, in an advertising video for the association, you can see the Israeli Friday dinner, devoid of tradition, in which the children disassemble the computer, fight among themselves over the cornflakes that dirty the kitchen, cling to their iPhones, and tell with terrifying joy that they are alone in the living room.
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In contrast to the Israeli apocalypse, the traditional family appears, smiling, content and kind-hearted around the Shabbat and Kiddush table, as if to say: "Watchers, see the difference.".
The video that appeared in the media, as well as billboards, provoked many reactions among non-religious viewers - some praising, but others angry.
The angry people ranged from claims of arrogance and 'gratuitous hatred' to statements that even secularists 'have a Sabbath'.
""So Kiddush? Is this what will bring the hearts of our divided society closer together? It seems that these businessmen did not consider the division they are creating by presenting the secular family as dysfunctional in comparison to the traditional or religious family.".
""Are all secular families disconnected and do parents not care about their children, and are all religious or traditional families a model of parenting and family?" wrote Danielle Rosenblum of Walla.
also Einat Barzilai from Ynet, article byThe headline reads, "The Arrogance of Israeli Friday": "The religious view of secularism as an empty option, devoid of content, in need of a cultural contribution from the religious side - is a mistaken view, which does not serve the noble goal to which the people of 'Israeli Friday' aspired.".
""The secular public knows how to fill their Shabbats very well: visiting a museum, a nature reserve, family camping - all of these are options that consolidate and unite and are no less valuable than sitting together around the table.".
On the other hand, on the association's Facebook page, you can also find positive responses: "It's simply amazing how much self-hatred or shame there is in this people for their tradition... Simply pitiful! - We have a glorious, ancient tradition! The responses here are literally the Jews' war on the Greeks," writes Hadas.
Yitzhak Biton also explains: "Think about it, how fun it is to be a Jew once a week, to leave behind the whole routine of life, the iPhone, the problems, the arrangements, the... On Shabbat, there is no phone, there is no way the bank will call to harass you! In short, you and your family eat, sing, talk, and not just through WhatsApp.... go to synagogue, pray in peace! Thank God I didn't make you a Gentile!!! May you have a Shabbat Shalom and a happy Hanukkah holiday.".
So is it a welcome initiative to instill traditional values, or an embarrassing arrogance that also contributes nothing? Watch the video and decide.
Israeli Friday: Believers in Tradition
And what do they say at the 'Israeli Friday' association?
Eran, a spokesman for the association, told Haredim10: "This is a campaign by an association that is mostly made up of secular people, businessmen, who think it is appropriate to return family values to the people of Israel, and since most of them remember from their father's house the kiddush at Friday dinner as something positive and solidifying and unifying, they think it is right that Israeli families gathered on Friday.
""If the excuse in double quotation marks is the consecration, it will only do good to the people of Israel, and will restore unity to the family, first of all to the nuclear one, but also to the factions and divisions in Israeli society, which, even if they do not unite, will at least create understanding between the religious and the secular.".
Are there any accusations against you that you are responding to?
""Since we are traditional Jews, and we have a tradition, we thought that one way is Kiddush. We We begin with kiddush, but that doesn't mean we end with repentance. There is no act here of repentance or missionary work or moral preaching. Each person has their own Sabbath.
""The goal of this campaign is to unite the people of Israel, and we think the right way is through the Shabbat meal with Kiddush.""
