Dear Shalom,
The video on youtube recording for the world to see the horrendous
chanting of some of our youth is beyond words. When I saw it, I was
saddened, but not shocked. However, I do think we, as educators need to do
more than wring our hands.
I think Rabbi Haber is disingenuous and missing the educational point.
Both my wife and I remember, with joy and sorrow, having marched on Yom
Yerushalayim. The joy is invoked by memories of the wondrous celebration.
The sorrow is from reliving being pushed by the crowed through the Arab
market, while jubilant boys (I was pushed with the boys obviously) banged
on the doors waking and frightening the sleeping families. (This was over
20 years ago and things have only gotten worse.)
The chants this year included not only "death to Arabs" but also "we'll
burn your villages" and "death to leftists." If racist is not the correct
term, then perhaps "Chilul HaShem" is. When one begins down this slippery
slope, the next event can be violence even when used against the police
and Israeli Army -- which it has by the same type of boys.
Several of my students and my wife's students confided in us how disturbed
they were. This reflects their experience both at night and during the
day. (What were they doing in East Jerusalem?)What a shame. What a
potential positive Zionist educational moment lost.
But where does it begin? This past Friday, we celebrated as my daughter's
first grade completed Sefer Bereshit. The school organized a wonderful
event at Ma'arat HaMachpeal in Hevron. The guest speaker spoke of Avraham
and Sarah and then announced loudly how we need to kick out every Arab and
all other bad things from our land. She continued to scream it over and
over again. This is to a group of 6 and 7 year olds. I had heard about
this from other parents who were disturbed by this speaker in the past.
Many of our friends there were in shock. But aren't these the kids who in
a few years will be chanting those horrible things listed above?
Whether or not the Israeli army / police should have or could have
prevented some Palestinians from waving flags is besides the point. The
issue is how are those of us who support Israel (no matter which political
party) and yet are frightened by the violence being instilled in our youth
educating to a more civilized viewpoint?
If we don't stand up and tell our children and our students that this
unacceptable behavior, then we are responsible for the results. It is
critical for yeshivot in Israel to speak openly and honestly with our
students -- and just as critical to protest our schools when they present
inappropriate speakers to our little children.
Todd Berman
--
Rabbi Tuvia (Todd) Berman
Associate Director
Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi
972-52-598-4441
www.yehatzvi.org
