Aug 4, 2019
extreme only gets more extreme in Modiin Ilit
Actualic is reporting (and I received it in a news alert, posted below) about a change in policy made by the "Spiritual Committee" of Modiin Ilit. This committee is made up, I believe, by a group of local rabbis. The change of policy seems to have upset many around town.
The new decision, the policy change, states two points:
1. local papers are not allowed to accept or print any advertisement for cosmeticians that are larger than 1/4 page.
2. that no advertisements for the company "Debbie Wolf" can be accepted at all.
No reason given, but presumably they are worried about tzniyus issues with too much publicity and lifestyle promotion for cosmetics and cosmeticians and beauty.
The second issue, why a specific company cannot advertise at all while others can, is even less understandable - what have they done more wrong than any other fashion company? They advertise without using pictures of girls and women, even though they are selling girls and womens clothes - in the ads I have seen they generally use pictures of little boys (I never understand how they sell girls clothing by showing pictures of boys dressed nicely, but that is their marketing strategy).
According to Actualic, many locals are upset about this, saying it will hurt their parnasa, the rabbonim did not hear them out and did not take any of their concerns into account, complaining about all sorts of ads that were rejected by the rabbonim because they mentioned body parts - such as eyebrows - and the body parts were even abbreviated and not said out fully, an ad using a picture of a watermelon rather than a woman, was rejected - I wonder what the advertisement was for that she felt appropriate to replace the woman with a watermelon, and more. They say the rabbonim are turning people into idiots and not taking their concerns and needs into consideration.
So they are upset that the rabbonim have gotten a little more extreme than they already were and that was considered acceptable. That's the way the community seems to work. As time goes on, one extreme limit just gets moved to a further extreme, little by little. If they don't like accept that the rabbonim will not change. So, either change the rabbonim or move out. Move elsewhere to a community you consider more normal or reasonable - each deciding for himself and herself what that is and how it is defined. It is sad, but I don't see how they can change anything in such a lifestyle. Everybody wants to be extreme, but everybody thinks this extreme is normal and anything more extreme than that is crazy.
Online I have seen many complaints that the rabbonim are dealing with these types of issues rather than dealing with sick cases of sexual and physical abuse - someone was arrested just today in Modiin Ilit for abuse, and a few weeks ago the rape of a 7 year old girl was publicized. I do not think they are mutually exclusive, but many people are not happy. They think the rabbonim are dealing with trivial matters rather than the important ones. They should stop talking anonymously and raise these issues in public in their town. Or else nothing is going to change. Yes, they will be chased out of town for doing so, and perhaps someone, a few people, planning on leaving anyway should be the ones to do it and make the waves, but nothing is going to change without it. Even that is unlikely to do anything. That is what most of the people there seem to want.
The new decision, the policy change, states two points:1. local papers are not allowed to accept or print any advertisement for cosmeticians that are larger than 1/4 page.
2. that no advertisements for the company "Debbie Wolf" can be accepted at all.
No reason given, but presumably they are worried about tzniyus issues with too much publicity and lifestyle promotion for cosmetics and cosmeticians and beauty.
The second issue, why a specific company cannot advertise at all while others can, is even less understandable - what have they done more wrong than any other fashion company? They advertise without using pictures of girls and women, even though they are selling girls and womens clothes - in the ads I have seen they generally use pictures of little boys (I never understand how they sell girls clothing by showing pictures of boys dressed nicely, but that is their marketing strategy).
According to Actualic, many locals are upset about this, saying it will hurt their parnasa, the rabbonim did not hear them out and did not take any of their concerns into account, complaining about all sorts of ads that were rejected by the rabbonim because they mentioned body parts - such as eyebrows - and the body parts were even abbreviated and not said out fully, an ad using a picture of a watermelon rather than a woman, was rejected - I wonder what the advertisement was for that she felt appropriate to replace the woman with a watermelon, and more. They say the rabbonim are turning people into idiots and not taking their concerns and needs into consideration.
So they are upset that the rabbonim have gotten a little more extreme than they already were and that was considered acceptable. That's the way the community seems to work. As time goes on, one extreme limit just gets moved to a further extreme, little by little. If they don't like accept that the rabbonim will not change. So, either change the rabbonim or move out. Move elsewhere to a community you consider more normal or reasonable - each deciding for himself and herself what that is and how it is defined. It is sad, but I don't see how they can change anything in such a lifestyle. Everybody wants to be extreme, but everybody thinks this extreme is normal and anything more extreme than that is crazy.
Online I have seen many complaints that the rabbonim are dealing with these types of issues rather than dealing with sick cases of sexual and physical abuse - someone was arrested just today in Modiin Ilit for abuse, and a few weeks ago the rape of a 7 year old girl was publicized. I do not think they are mutually exclusive, but many people are not happy. They think the rabbonim are dealing with trivial matters rather than the important ones. They should stop talking anonymously and raise these issues in public in their town. Or else nothing is going to change. Yes, they will be chased out of town for doing so, and perhaps someone, a few people, planning on leaving anyway should be the ones to do it and make the waves, but nothing is going to change without it. Even that is unlikely to do anything. That is what most of the people there seem to want.
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When I first lived in Kiryat Sefer, there was a little library in one room of an apartment. THERE WERE NO SEPARATE HOURS for men and women! How things have changed.
ReplyDeletedoes it still exist? are there now separate hours?
DeleteThe library is now about twenty times larger, and there are only separate hours.
DeleteI bet Debbie Wolf can't advertise because the name is that of a female. When will people realize that the religion practiced in Modiin Ilit isn't even remotely connected to Judaism? They replaced Hashem with their committee, and continued from there.
ReplyDeletethat could be the reason. a suspected reason is that they havent paid the protection money (in whatever form that comes), but I have no idea...
DeleteOh, I'm sure that's it.
DeleteThis is one of the main reasons there is such extremism (fanaticism) on both sides of the spectrum. When the rellgious become extreme (crazy), the pendulum swings to the opposite end and brings out the extreme sinners on the opposite side, just as is happening now. Who would have ever thought there would be toeiva parades, r'l, in Eretz HaKodesh? There is something called 'normal' which a few decades ago existed at least in the mainstream. If these problems aren't fixed and turned around to normal, the world is in huge trouble!
ReplyDeleteWhen the religious become extreme, and that becomes or viewed upon as norm, other perfectly normal people (including "normal" religious) become less religious as a natural reaction. Why would anyone want to be associated with extreme yet accepted practice? So, it doesn't lead to extreme sinners as you write. It just leads to perfectly good non-religious, or even anti-religious people.
DeleteJust a guess:
ReplyDeletePerhaps the real issue is that these Rabbonim want Kiryat Sefer to be like it once was, exclusively for kollelnikim and with very few working people. They don't want kollel wives to wish that their husbands would leave kollel and get jobs, s that their families could have a bit more money for nice things. The solution is to drive the "fancier" people out of town.
Sounds like a great way to have a slum for a city. I guess the idea of practicing all that Torah they learn is beyond their ability?
DeleteWasn't a slum when I lived there, which was when there were practically no working men, other than those who worked in klei kodesh. Just families who lived very simple lives.
Delete