Jun 5, 2012

Haredi Image And Public Relations

A Guest Post by Dr. Harold Goldmeier


Jonathan Rosenblum obfuscates criticism of the haredi community by claiming they just have lousy public relations acumen (JPost, May 24, 2012).  Haredim, he claims, fail to impress with their sizable charitable organizations.  The high value of their learning and teaching Torah, and their influence through prayer for Divine intervention and spiritually uplifting the Jewish people are given short shrift. Overall, haredim are made to look like they are indifferent to and detached from their Jewish brethren, because they cannot get their message out.

Let’s stipulate haredim have a network of charities that do good deeds, and their commitment to Torah and prayer are unquestioned. But. the world stands on three things: Torah and Good Deeds are not the sole purview of the haredi.  Secular Jews and Jews of all shades of religious practice do charitable work and believe in Torah sometimes without following the Law in the strictest manner of the haredim.  The third pillar is Avoda: work. The claims against the haredi are not cavils that haredim fight their draft into the IDF and public service programs; are grossly underrepresented in the workforce; receive too little secular education to make them viable employees, researchers, and professionals; receive special benefits from the State; and more.

The haredi community has an image problem due to its reliance on the political system to enforce its positions and beliefs. The haredi minority parties have made unholy alliances with other political parties to legislate and capture government offices in an uncompromising campaign for the control of people’s lives. It seems to the non-haredi community that reason and sanity have given way to religious delirium sometimes bursting into hysteria.

In the tenacious web of politics and religion, all good things get distorted not by inadequate public relations, but by the touch of money and the smell of power. Mark Hanna once wrote: “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can’t remember what the second one is.” It seems it is all about money, and the rest is talk.

Dr. Harold Goldmeier

The writer is a former business owner, Research and Teaching Fellow at Harvard University where he received his doctorate. He served in the administrations of three U. S. Governors, is Managing Director of a business marketing and development company, and consults on education and community/business development matters. 


------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------

7 comments:

  1. Garnel IronheartJune 05, 2012 5:56 PM

    Although this is a good post and I agree with most of it, I must point out that most major commentators say that the "Avodah" part of the three pillars refer to Divine Service - the Temple worship way back when and prayer nowadays.
    The point must be emphasized: the Chareidim claim their prayers and learning maintain the State but honestly, how many of them have that kavannah? How many guys in Litvish or Chasidish yeshivos are sitting there saying to themselves "I've got to shteig harder! The State depends on me!" And if they really are doing it for the State then why do they assiduously avoid any prayer for its welfare, even a watered-down version? And frankly, if they are the true army of the State why are they the first to run when rockets start getting fired by the Arabs? Shouldn't they be deploying themselves to the front lines?

    Garnel Ironheart

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. By the way, I don't think learners say or believe their learning protects the state, but that it protects the Jewish people.

      Delete
  2. Avoda means avodas Hashem - the service in the Beis HaMikdash, and prayer, not working for a living (not to minimize its importance, but that is not what the quote from Pirkei Avos ia referring to.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Was going to say the same as the first two commenters: Avodah is the service of God, not paid or unpaid employment.

    ReplyDelete
  4. while the common drash of the word "avoda" is obviously referring to tefilla, I felt there is space for someone to expain it as "ain mikra yotzei midei pshuto" there is room for the normal, simple, translation as well that being "work", especially because Pirkei Avos has so many other expressions supporting that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's no need to say that, since working for a living to support your family is definitely already included in gemilus chasadim. Even if you're self sufficient without working, a job normally provides benefit to the community that would also be characterized as chesed. See Michtav M'Eliyahu, Kuntras HaChesed.

      Delete
  5. Much of the great charity of the Charedim is solely to service the people that they force into poverty with their policies. Still charity, of course, but ....

    ReplyDelete