Two different articles, on two different news media websites, making a very similar point, offer something very interesting to consider.
Basically, two journalists, Tali Farkash of Ynet and David Newman of the JPost, have both pointed to the recent yahrtzeits of Rachel Imeinu and PM Yitzchak Rabin and have commented on how the two are so close together, and share a yahrtzeit, yet are worlds apart from the perspective of who paid visits to those graves.
When we talk about one land for two people, it is generally referring to the Israelis and the Palestinians. But perhaps it is just as appropriate to be referring to the secular and the religious like that, as practically two separate nations...Newman even suggests that integrating some more haredim into the army, and some more into the workforce, might do good for them and their communities, but it wont bring the two sides closer together...
Do the visitors of one, care at all about the other, or about the visitors to the other? Is it symbolic of our seeming inability to live side by side with some sense of a live and let live philosophy? mutual respect despite our differences?
It is an interesting observation to consider..
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I'm pretty sure that the Yartzeit Of Rachel only became a major holiday taught in schools after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first moved to Israel and lived in Efrat we knew of the date or Rachel's Yartzeit only because of the traffic jams in Beit lechem from the few thousand people who showed up. It wasn't taught in Schools or a big deal on the radio etc.
After Rabin was murdered, I think many schools felt uncomfortable placing such a big emphasis on "Rabin's Legacy", so they wanted another event to take away some of Rabin's spotlight.
So today, both events are observed together in many MAMAD schools, but I think only because the schools are trying to downplay Rabin without avoiding it altogether.
interesting thought. thanks
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