Apr 24, 2014

Survey shows most people dont hate haredim and dont care about them

I have not known what to do with this information. I have been sitting on it for a while now, considering it, since it was publicized right before Pesach, but I haven't known what to say about it.

Here it is.

A survey was conducted, by Israel's top pollsters, about haredi-hiloni relations. The results are found to be astounding by some, though it barely generated any discussion. Mishpacha dealt with it intensively in their Pesach edition of their newspaper-magazine, but besides for that, it went almost unnoticed.

Here is the salient points of the poll, courtesy of Channel 10:
* 90% think the Jewish identity of the State needs to be safeguarded
* 48% wouldnt care if their daughter married a gentile
*27% think their is nothing positive about the qualities of the haredi community
* 6% pointed out about chessed of the haredi community being unique
* 77% think that the lifestyle of the haredi community does nothing to help safegaurd the jewish nature of the State.
* 73% think Yair Lapid has not targeted the haredim in any way
* 85% are aware of the "million man rally" of the haredi community but nobody could identify the point of the rally
* 49% think the educational system doesnt do enough to safeguard the Jewish identity of the State
* 89% want their kids to know more about Jewish tradition and ancient Jewish values
* 63% think a minister in the government should not refuse to sit with haredim
* 82% of secular employers say they would hire haredim
* 93% think there should be dialogue between haredim and hilonim
* 77% of secular say they personally know a haredi person. 85% of those people have a positive impression of that acquaintance.
* 62% of workplaces dont have any haredim
* 62% of secular would not mind living in the same neighborhood as haredim
* of those that already live near haredim, 77% see no problem living near haredim

Mishpacha had publicized some more details from the survey, and they all pointed to the same trend. Most people are basically ambivalent to the Haredim. People care about them very little. there is very little hatred towards them. Mostly ambivalence and unfamiliarity.

I have not known what to say because this poll basically supports everythign I have always said about haredi-hiloni relations. The hilonim, largely and with exception, don't hate haredim. They don't know about them, they don't think about them, they dont care about them. But they dont hate them.

This reminds of something I was once told in the name of a Reform Rabbi who personally became Orthodox (in Chicago). He was asked what, from hsi days as a Reform rabbi, they had thought of the orthodox community. His response was that they rarely thought about the, He said the Orthodox are such a small percentage of the Jewish population that they are basically irrelevant. At times, issues came up, but on a day to day basis, people just did not think about them.

Mishpacha dealt with the ramifications of the survey, exploring the whys and hows of what to them was surprising information. They did come to one interesting conclusion - that almost all haredi pr and publications are only internal - nobody else is getting the message. All that Haredi PR is almost completely "patting ourselves on the back".

A lot of blame for perceived hatred was heaped on the media and some activists.

One thing I think they did not broach, and I think this might be a large part of why the haredi community thinks they are always under attack, is politics. Specifically haredi politics.

To explain briefly, I have been in Israel over 25 years. I do not remember a single election in which the haredi politicians did not campaign on the theme of this being the most important election ever with the entire israeli system ready to attack the haredim and their lifestyle and everyone must rally around the haredi party to protect the community. I think, in addition to blaming others who have some part in the role of the perception of hatred and anger, haredi politicians bear some blame as well. They rile things up, even if just internally, creating an impression of victimhood, in order for people to rally around them.




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13 comments:

  1. half of israelis dont care if their kid intermarries?!

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    Replies
    1. half of secular israelis.
      not clear if that also includes mesorati.
      if yes, then that's half of 80% = 40%
      if not, that's half of 50% = 25%

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    2. I dont remember the exact breakdown. mishpacha had more parts of the survey, but they were interspersed through articles and not in a list of the survey itself.

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  2. I understand from some MKs, that some or many of the Haredi politicians are truly get Knesset members and parlimentarians and work in tandem with religious and non-religious comrades. Their public image, generated in cooperation by themselves ( I confirm this by personally being exposed to the Haredi media) is unfortunately poor. I enjoy listening to Kol Bramah and Kol Chai, but the one thing I despise is the consistent lack of asking the Haredi politicians challenging questions and doubting their actions. I think this is a big diservice by the Haredi media, and it also does not build credibility.

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. I don't read Mishpacha anymore so can someone tell me if it has occurred to Grylack to contemplate his own role in perpetuating this, um, misconception?

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    Replies
    1. of course he spoke about the media, but I dont remember him speaking much about haredi media, including himself. mostly (or completely) it was secular media being at fault for fanning hatred

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  5. Fanning what hatred? Didn't we just learn that there really is no hatred? He's talking in circles again. ::eye roll::

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    Replies
    1. for giving the impression of hatred. the hatred comes from the media, not the public

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    2. Does he not realize he IS the media?!

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  6. I really do think he ought to review every. single. one. of his editorials over the last 5 years or so and then tell me who fans the flames of hatred. This happens to be the exact reason why we stopped buying Mishpacha, Hamodia, et al years ago: the blatant Us. Vs. Them attitude. We noticed this years ago. He really needs to take a good long look in the mirror.

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  7. sometimes hatred comes from within

    http://thepartialview.blogspot.com/2014/04/making-light-of-minhag-yisrael.html

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  8. "77% think that the lifestyle of the Haredi community does nothing to help safeguard the Jewish nature of the State". This would imply that Halonim feel that the Haredi do not stand with them on equal status, which implies that the Haredi are worth less then the Halonim, which would technically imply that they are less deserving and which could easily be translated as hate, as has happened past Jewish History.

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