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Photo: Gabbi Menashe
Rabbi Yuval Sharlo
Photo: Gabbi Menashe

Rabbi Sherlo: Alcohol abuse in religious public alarming

Prominent religious-Zionism rabbi says recent surge in violence cannot be perceived solely as secular public's problem

Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, one of religious- Zionism's most prominent figures, urged the sector to curb its alcohol abuse, which he defined as "alarming".

 

According to Sherlo, the past few years have seen the Hassidic community's sanction of drinking seep into the religious-Zionist sector. "We have to deal with it now, just as we began addressing the problem of drug abuse several years ago," he said.

 

In an article published by the Tzohar Rabbinical Association, which aims to bridge the gaps between the secular and religious communities in Israel, Sherlo protests the religious community's viewing of the recent surge in violence as "the seculars' problem".

 

"The subject of domestic abuse has taught us that the religious community is not free of such cases, even if some try to ignore them," he wrote.

 

Sherlo went on to note several violent conducive factors, listing alcohol abuse at as one of them.

 

Another factor Sherlo believes encourages violence is exposure to the media. "The religious society spares no effort in protecting its youth from improper and immodest content, but at the same time, it is seemingly oblivious to the amount of violence tainting so called 'proper' media content," he said.

 

"We have been taught to believe that violence is far less grave than immodesty. Most of us would prefer to have our children watch a violent action film over a drama, because it is devoid of male-female interaction… that is the kind of message which allows violence to permeate."

 

Sherlo also noted the legitimacy given to political violence as an encouraging factor to street violence.

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.07.09, 08:27
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