This year, a surprise awaited the photographers who came to look for provocateurs in Saker Park in Jerusalem: in the center of the park stood a barbecue surrounded by dozens of Haredim. When they approached to document the "provocateurs", they were surprised to discover that they had fallen into a trap set for them by activists from the "Dosim Project", which is engaged in the war on incitement and the spread of hatred towards the Haredi sector.
A memorial display in the form of a traditional barbecue awaited the journalists, but instead of coals and meat, soul candles were placed in a metal pan to honor the souls of the fallen. The activists stood to a siren, after which they began reciting chapters of Psalms and a funeral for the fallen IDF soldiers and victims of terrorist acts.
The activists also handed out to passersby in the garden a letter from the chairman of the Bereaved Families Organization, Meir Indor: "Focus on what unites and not what divides." Among other things, the moving letter said: "We wish to protest against the fact that on a sad day when tens of thousands of citizens - in fact the entire country - are mourning the death of their loved ones, the media is busy, disconnected from the public sentiment, rubbing salt in the wounds. This is another round of incitement, and this time on the backs of the bereaved families! They are attacking an entire sector that supposedly doesn't care about them, and they are trying to fix their broken hearts anyway! Unfortunately, there are many bereaved ultra-Orthodox families. The pain of a stone is the pain of all, the terror that killed innocent people did not distinguish between sectors: Jews, Arabs, Haredim, secularists, knitted kippahs, transparent kippahs.
"This is not a behavior of solidarity, of sharing in pain, of identifying with bereavement, of communion with the fallen.".
Indore concludes his letter: "For the sake of the bereaved families, for the sake of the national pain, and for the sake of the unity of the country - especially and especially on this sensitive and difficult day, focus on what unites and not what divides. Increase love and not hatred.""
At the same time, the project's activists sat down with passing youth, both ultra-Orthodox and secular, for a discussion about memory and a unifying culture, and the meaning of today from an ultra-Orthodox and secular perspective. The discussion was moderated by Rabbi Lt. Col. (res.) Dov Povarsky, who presented his experience of memory as an ultra-Orthodox Israeli, and the importance of mutual respect that unites the various sectors of the Jewish people.
The reactions received from the secular public present, and even from the media, were positive and sympathetic. "I'm happy to understand the Haredi side," said one of the young secular people, "to know that we are together on such a painful day.".
It should be noted that this is the second year for the "Remembering Differently" event, which also took place last year in Shabbat Square, and aroused positive reactions.
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