Many are troubled by the rift created in the nation following the election results, the formation of the new government, and the steps it is taking. Slogans about 'civil war', 'civil rebellion', and the like were floated into the air, although it seems that even those who uttered them were a little frightened of themselves and toned down their tone a little. And yet the growing polarization is worrying and disturbing.
Certain elements in the political arena and in the media are stirring up the atmosphere. Very blunt articles are being published against the Haredi public. Try doing a simple exercise: take these articles and replace the word 'Haredi' with 'Arabs'. No media outlet will publish such an article, and if someone were to publish it, police complaints would be filed against them for inciting racism.
""If everyone were like you""
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This propaganda has created a sense of concern among parts of the public, which gives rise to angry and hostile reactions. The result is that walls are being raised between sections of the people, and each side is intensifying its attacks and entrenching its positions.
We can't change politics and the media so quickly, but we can change the public atmosphere. Not through polemics on burning issues, but through human connection and personal acquaintance.
We all know the situation: an ultra-Orthodox Jew meets a non-observant Jew. It could be at a bank, in line at a government office, at a patient's bedside in a medical center. They start talking, take an interest in each other's lives, and find a common language. At the end of their conversation, they say goodbye warmly, and the non-observant Jew says to the ultra-Orthodox: "If everyone were like you, the country would look different"...
And that's the crux of the problem. The general public's acquaintance with observant Jews is usually through the eyes of the media. It presents them as a black, alien, and threatening mass. But when you meet the one person and talk to him, you see before you a person like you, likable and with a sense of humor, who is troubled by the same problems that bother you. And yet you can't shake the feeling that he is exceptional and that not everyone is like him.
The connection model
This work is done every day by more than a thousand Chabad emissaries throughout the country. They meet Jews in times of joy and mourning, at bar mitzvahs and weddings, at holiday activities and during routine home visits. These encounters create closeness and bring to the surface the common denominator that unites us all.
Many of them can tell that at first, when they came to the city, town, or neighborhood, some were afraid of them. Some even fought and attacked them. It soon became clear to them that the threatening bear was nothing more than a young and kind couple, whose only intention was to do good, to enlighten, to connect, to add love, and to bring hearts closer together. Soon the adversaries became friends and comrades.
This wonderful connection could be seen at the huge salute evening held last week. Representatives from all walks of life were there. Everyone showered praise on their 'messenger' and his contribution to the local community. This is the model with which it is possible to heal the rift and connect all walks of life to the common Jewish unity.
