Religious, secular must work together

Secular, religious Israelis should harness energies to create more just society

Reuters | Published: 01.22.06, 09:35

The Heichal Shlomo building in Jerusalem is one of the great symbols of the religious-Zionist establishment, the establishment that supported the settlement movement and burdened the rest of us with religion.

Over time, the place has deteriorated into a round-the-clock "minyan factory," sizzling with activity but neglected in appearance.

Tel Aviv University, where I work, is a symbol of enlightened, liberal Israel. The campus is esthetic and the grassy patches get the hormones going.

But it was at Heichal Shlomo, following the fast of Asara B'Tevet earlier this month, that I experienced an amazing clash between image and reality.

Cycle of Justice

The conference was organized by a little-known group called "Cycle of Justice," a group of religious-Zionist young men and women, full of energy and with lightening in their eyes, hoping to "inject religious discourse into the national debate about social-economic issues from a Jewish-halachic (Jewish law) point of view)."

The group organizes educational activities in schools and youth groups, runs a study hall for social issues and organizes public conferences around public fast days.

The one following Asara B'Tevet was about "Breaking our silence and exposing the faces of transparent people: Hundreds of construction workers, janitors, security guards and other workers are being exploited and taken advantage of."

Failed attempts

For the past eight years I have been involved with a group of senior staff at Tel Aviv University in a frustrating attempt to get Israeli universities to ensure their contracted workers receive benefits, respect and fair compensation. We have held several conferences intended to put pressure on an unbending administration.

In the best case scenario, and only by promising them a movie, we managed to attract a few dozen students.

But here on a cold winter's night in Jerusalem, you've got 2000-plus young people, calling on the religious-Zionist community to take action, starting with their own yeshivot and other institutions.

Right-wing, left-wing

The evening began with a series of lectures, given by rabbis, educators, and social activists. I listened in on a lecture by Rabbi Yoel Bin Nun entitled "Therefore, because of you…" (a hint to the second part of the verse, "Zion will be renewed”).

In front of 200 people, the rabbi pulled no punches and gave a modern, contemporary explanation of the prophet Micha's terrible prophesy: Their humble prayers to save Gush Katif went unanswered because they were unmoved when Netanyahu's economic reforms hit thousands of poor Israelis too hard and deprived them of their (financial) independence.

Speakers at the conference included men and women, religious and secular, rabbis and social activists. The lineup included the head of the right-wing Ateret Cohanim yeshiva, located in the Moslem Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, and speakers from Israel's left-wing.

It was a virtual miracle: Right-wing Knesset Member Effi Eitam said openly that the behavioral norms in the territories have permeated Israeli society. In other words: Occupation corrupts.

Many attendees spent their summers in Gush Katif, but an open call on the religious-Zionist community to re-prioritize The Land of Israel from the top of the group's list of priorities drew healthy applause. A parallel statement at a left-wing event would have been welcomed with a storm of boos.

Lost ability

While busying itself with settling the Land of Israel and Palestine, the religious world has lost the ability to connect with general Israeli society. Most Israelis have heard of Joseph's Tomb, but had no idea that Asara B'Tevet was this month, and would have had no idea what the day symbolized even if they had.

We secularists, terrified of being overtaken by the religious, have closed our eyes and failed to see that the energies that could lead to social change in Israel are to be found amongst the religious community, much more than at Tel Aviv University in Ramat Aviv.

Employing workers through contractors is a result of greed and a lack of solidarity. The pain of these workers will be alleviated only if this practice is discontinued in its entirety.

But the issue is not just legal-economic, and the solution requires fundamental change in our hearts.

Harnessing energies

As a secular Jew I believe our wagon is not empty, but also not full enough to affect the required shift in values.

The failure of anti-disengagement movement must convince the religious-Zionist community to change directions. It must harness both wagons in order to build a more just society.

But in order to do this, both religious and secular Israelis must be willing to compromise. Israeli Orthodoxy must reject the idea of ruling another nation, and internalize a deep revulsion for the occupation.

But secular Israelis must learn a bit of humility and excise all manifestations of hatred for Jewish tradition.

If only.

Ariel Rubinstein is a professor at the School of Economics of Tel Aviv University and is a regular contributor to Israel’s leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth