Lawyer Eliad Shraga, founder of the protest movement "The Movement for the Quality of Government in Israel" and chairman of the organization, talks with Avi Shoshan on the podcast "Everything is Open" - about the grandfather from Mea Shearim, his family from the "Jerusalem Faction", and the cousin whose grandson was killed in the bus accident at a demonstration in Jerusalem.
Eliad Shraga: My mother's family, the Erlich family, grew up in Mea Shearim. My grandfather was a rabbi. But he was a liberal rabbi. My grandfather, Grandpa Avraham, Avraham Erlich, in 1945, took all his children, gathered them in the small room in Mea Shearim, the street called 'Boni El-Moldat', and told them: 'Anyone who does not go fight for the freedom of Israel will not eat bread at my table.' And all his children, his nine children, went and were in the underground.
My uncles were in the Irgun and were in Lehi, they were in Latrun prison. And you know, I'll tell you a story here that I haven't told. But unfortunately, the Eisenthal family, one brother, my cousin, Roni Eisenthal, is the rabbi of Hispin, and my second cousin, Uri Eisenthal, is a rabbi of the Jerusalem faction in Jerusalem. Roni Eisenthal went and was a fighter in the armor. His father was an Irgun man, he was a fighter in the armor, he replaced five tanks in the Yom Kippur War. Roni Eisenthal and all his sons, and his grandchildren, serve in the army.
But Uri Eisenthal went to the Itari Yeshiva and became the rabbi of the Sanhedria. He is one of the senior figures in the Jerusalem branch. And unfortunately, his grandson, the rabbi, was killed in this bus accident two months ago. At a demonstration against conscription.
Avi Shoshan: Did you go to Nehem?
Shraga: Look, we picked up the phone, we didn't want to come, you know, I'll come... They came to comfort me when my mother passed away and when my father passed away. We're in touch.
Shoshan: Why didn't you go and comfort him that his grandson was killed?
Shraga: Because I called. I called and asked the grandmother whether to come to comfort her or if it could be a provocation. Look, we don't want to, after all, you know, we're on two ends.
Shoshan: But if you come to your family member's shiva, which is a sacred moment. Why could that be provocative?
Shraga: That's why we called.
Shoshan: And they told you, 'Don't come'?
Shraga: They said, 'It's better not to.'.
Shoshan: Really?
Shraga: Yes, you know, and it hurts my heart, and my heart really hurts for my cousin…
Shoshan: Do you want to tell me that they told you 'it's better not to' because of your public activities?
Shraga: Because we are on both ends of the fence.
Shoshan: Is it because you are secular?
Shraga: No, I don't think it's because I'm secular, but because of the very fact that he was killed in a demonstration against IDF conscription, and I've been leading the fight for IDF conscription for 30 years. So you know, even in the best families there are differences of opinion.
I love him very much, his grandfather, who is my cousin, he is blood in my blood. I felt very sorry for him, for Uri and for Sara his wife. You know, we called Nehem and offered to come, and they said it was better not to. So it's okay, we respect, we are very respectful. You know, we are a very respectful family.
Shoshan: But do you see in the end what distance is created? Because I'll tell you something, weddings don't come anymore, but Shiv is still something that is considered sacred. And if they tell you, 'Don't come on Shiv'...
Shraga: Okay, because it was against a very specific background.
Shoshan: But don't you see here the polarization that we have here and come up with an example in your family story?
Shraga: But listen, there is a polarization that was born on an ideological basis, whether you serve the homeland, yes or no.
''Everything is Open' - Avi Shoshan's podcast. The podcast is sponsored by the "Donitz Elad" real estate group - We have a common future. Filmed at Ido Minkowski Media Studios
To watch the full interview - Click here
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