BUY BADATZ !

BADATZ (Beit Din Zedek) Hechsherim (Kosher Certificates)

B"H

Maybe it is a mistake reading the secular newspaper "Yediot Acharonot" almost every day. One of my excuses for doing so is that I have a Cafe Aroma membership card and thus drink my first cup of coffee in the morning there. And Aroma offers its customers  "Yediot Acharonot" to read.

Anyway, any time when I have been opening the paper lately, I found articles from all kinds of journalists against the haredi world. Israel's secular journalists don't make a difference between those Haredim from the Agudat Israel who do vote for the Knesset and those who are anti - Zionist. No matter whether Litvak or Chassid, Israel's secular society generalizes. 

The secular public itself is not that interested because those Jews have heard all kinds of anti - haredi propaganda over the past years. For instance, there was the former Minister of Justice (under Ariel Sharon) Tommy Lapid whose Shinui party only had one goal: Getting rid of the Jewish religion and all the religious in Israel. 

Today there is the present Tel Aviv mayor and known leftist Ron Chulda'i as well as opposition leader Zipi Livni or even Benjamin Netanyahu. All of them have one thing in common: They would like to get rid of the Haredim. However, Netanyahu is limited in expressing his anti - haredi views, as the haredi parties SHASS and Agudat Israel are part of his government. 

It has become popular lately, making politics on the back of the Haredim. Thanks to Zipi Livni who speaks out against Haredim but, at the same time, embraces the homosexuals. Ron Chulda'i, on the other hand, wants to introduce his own left - wing party and thus is in need of attention. Why not making some remarks against Haredim and get into the headlines ? Chulda'i's plan worked and now haredi society has to justify its education system, as the Tel Aviv mayor sees them as a whole generation of "Burim" (stupid and a welfare burden to society). 

Almost daily, "Yediot Acharonot" confronts its readers with negative reports about the haredi world. Child abusers in Yeshivot, Haredim don't join the army but only study, not even that, as most of them just hang around unemployed and receive welfare.

Last Friday afternoon after arriving in Jerusalem (from Tel Aviv) I witnessed a very typical scene at the Machane Yehudah Market. 

 The market was packed (as usual on Friday afternoons before Shabbat) and some young Israeli Chabadnikim were standing right in the middle of one of the main alleyways asking Jewish men to put on Tefillin. For Chabad, this is a great Mitzvah, as their last Rebbe claimed that every Jew doing one Mitzvah has a place in Olam HaBah (the World to Come). 

The Chabadnikim were asking every man passing until one of the Chassidim asked this young Israeli rather Hippie looking. The secular "Hippie" was schlepping his shopping bags and obviously wasn't too happy about the young Chabadnik asking him to put on Tefillin. The Chabadnik said "Tefillin ?" and the secular answered in a rather rude way "If you are going for me to the reserve duty !"

Meaning "You don't go to the army but I do. Why should I put on Tefillin if you do nothing ?"

Such statements are very common in today's Israeli society. 

I am neither justifying nor glorifying haredi society, as every society has its pros and cons. However, if anyone was repeatedly publishing negative statements about one particular society, lets say the national religious, people belonging to this particular group would protest. Haredi society, on the other hand, has no real lobby within Israeli society and the haredi press is too weak. Of course, the Knesset member Yaakov Litzmann (Chassidut Gur) may protest but who cares. Not even too many Haredim care about what Litzmann has to say. The secular hate him anyway because he is seen as a fanatic and ruining the health system (Litzmann is the deputy minister of health). Let alone the whole fuss about the pagan cemetery in Ashkelon. 

A few days ago, Israel's secular press had a new idea:

The Haredim boycott our army, Egged buses, the state - owned airline ELAL, our justice system, don't pay taxes, you name it. So, lets get some revenge and start a boycott against them. From now on, we won't buy products with a Hechsher (kosher certificate) from the "Edah HaCharedit". The Edah is responsible for all the crazy demonstrations and now let them suffer. Let them see how it is to be boycotted. 

Secular politicians as well as their press forgot to differentiate between the Edah Hechsher and the other Badatz (Beit Din Zedek kosher certificate) from the Belzer Chassidim. Badatz is Badatz, no matter what and who. 

One secular Jew following the boycott walked into a grocery store and asked for Badatz free products. Unfortunately, there wasn't too much to buy (food) for him, as most products were certified by Badatz. Apparently boycotting is not that easy !