Opinion  Sever Plocker
The new Israeli Jew
Sever Plocker
Published: 04.04.07, 11:38
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12 Talkbacks for this article
1. What????
Logic ,   Israel   (04.04.07)
2. LOVE IT
Ani Mageah ,   Tel Aviv   (04.04.07)
Its the essence of Israel
3. failure of Zionism
Michael ,   Haifa   (04.04.07)
I am afraid that it is indeed a failure of Zionism. The political Zionism of the Yishuv was to create a new Hebrew Man, who would be free of the hocus-pocus of religion. It was a decent society until Zionism was hi-jacked by the religious. What a pity that the religious did not remain anti-Zionist...they have turned the dream into a nightmare.
4. FREE AT LAST!!!
al mann ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (04.04.07)
Let's take all these terms and throw them out. First, the term religion, which has no source in our Torah, and second, the term Judaism, which is a result of JUDEN or those from the tribe of Judah. Today because of the ingathering of B'nai Menashe, we should return to our first name the Children of Israel, the people of Israel, living in the Land of Israel. The legitimacy of living in Eretz Yisroel is based on the Torah given at Mt. Sinai which our ancestors accepted after the deliverance from egyptian slavery. Secular Zionism sought to sever the connection with those past events and deny our special status as the chosen ones. Instead, Zionism sought to disconnect the children of Israel from its constitution given to it at Mount Sinai. The law became culture, optional choices for the secular zionists. All the holidays and events of the past have been given a miniscule role in the lives of many people who lack a good education. The lack of meaningful, emotional feelings about all the events in our history have been set aside. They have freed themselves of all obligations to the Torah, both the Oral and Written law. The religious Zionists attempt to bridge the gap between the Ultra and the modern. There is synthesis between modernism and the ancient thinking of philosophers. It's about time that we all return to our souces and stop denying who we are. Read history. Stop rejecting who we are. Although we have been redeemed physically, spiritually we are still enslaved by new, irrelevant concepts in our attempts to be like all nations of the world. I guess, Passover has just become an excuse for a family gathering for it has failed to arouse within the people the empotional content of the holiday and its historical significance. "...and they cried out" Is there enough belief today to cry out? The entire Children of Israel must cry out as it did in Shushan, Persia, and in Egypt at the time of slavery. We purposely ignore these events because modern man rejects responsibility for his own fate. Have we all given up on ourselves? Will our existence be given over to the nations of the world whom we wish to copy while rejecting our own history? What will have to happen for us to cry out? When we learn to cry out as they did in Egypt and Shushan, then there shall be freedom at last.
5. mishpacha echad
Yisraeli   (04.04.07)
Good post al mann. Despite our personal differences in what halacha we may adhere to or not, we must NEVER forget we are one family Kol Yisrael arevim ze la ze. For in the end we all know that we can only depend on ourselves and not the other peoples of the world. We must be united even in our differences. And dont let the haters the bigots divide us. Even such as Government and theyre bad decisions that cause divide and especially the media with their consistent attacks on either the religious ones amongst us or those that still have faith in Eretz Yisrael. Done let these elements use you just to pop up theyre ratings. We collectively are more important and must stick together and care for one another. Let us not forget this. Please.
6. A zionist dream or a stalinist dream
Ilan ,   Ariel   (04.04.07)
Michael describes the "new Hebrew man" as some clone of Stalin's "new communist man". I guess both goals failed because the you can out fascist the fascists and the Germans made their plans go sour by creating a "new man" that was closer to animal than to people. A true human being has a soul and seeks godliness.
7. Ilan of Ariel
Michael ,   Haifa   (04.04.07)
Ilan of Ariel has a twisted mind and puts words in my mouth that I did not say. I did not equate the New Hebrew Man with any Stalinist or communist concept. The first pioneers were more influenced by the humanism of Tolstoy and the political philosophy of Bakunin. Only the third Aliya were Marxists. A.D. Gordon, Busel and Baratz were decent men who had a soul based on the ideal of a Zionist cooperative entity. This was rejected by the "godly" Jews at the time, only to be hi-jacked later on when it paid off(monetarily) to do so. Ilan of Ariel will have to make the calculation how much public money was spent to put him in Ariel and how much more will be spent to remove him from there. Sever Plocker can one day write a piece here on the cost-benefit analysis of national-religious Zionism. Ilan of Ariel might one day have to face the comparison between different forms of Zionism...those who contributed, as opposed to those who parasitically took out of "divine inspiration".
8. #5. Thank you
(04.04.07)
9. #4-Thank you. #6-Before you get too upset,
A real Jew ,   Haifa, Israel   (04.04.07)
consider the differences between the average secular Jew and the average newer immigrant from the Soviet Union. HUGE gap in loyalties to what gave the Jewish culture its strength and warmth. Your fellow Zionist Sabarim aren't so bad, even if they prefer to work for a living instead of collecting welfare for sitting on their __s all day and issuing commands.
10. Put word into the mouth of antisemite; perish the thought
Ilan ,   Ariel   (04.05.07)
11.  Welcome to normal judaism!!!
Esther ,   Barcelona   (04.05.07)
OK, so this article reflects the noraml way of livieng judaism all around the world. Respect for tradition. NO militant anti-judaism or self-hate from Jews. Judaism is about being Jews, not angels. We do some mitzvot, we do some sins. we try to do our best as far as our forces allow to. And if possible, all of us, we try to do not forget that " the most difficult commandment to accomplish it is to be always happy". Hag Sameach... and let's be normal
12. to #7-Michael
Nia ,   West Galily   (05.26.07)
those who contributed, as opposed to those who parasitically took out of "divine inspiration" - You must be very unhappy or jealous of them having such faith. Sir, those people are zionists and serve in the army in combat units and do "milouim" like many in the other part of the country, so are you one of those hatemongers against Settlers. they ARE our brothers you like it or not. God bless you!
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