A Modest Suggestion for MK Rabbi Dov Lipman

MK Rabbi Dov Lipman’s vision for charedim in Israel has been summarily rejected by Charedi Leadership. He has even been called a rasha by an American Rosh Yeshiva. It seems MK Lipman’s message is not getting through to charedim in Israel or even in America.

I have a suggestion.

Don’t talk about massive overhauls and revamping the entire system. Instead, simply suggest that Israeli Charedim learn from the American Charedim.

American Charedim get a secular education. American Charedim go to work (eventually). American Charedim even moderately support the State of Israel.

The plan for Charedim is not that they should become secular. The plan is that they should be more like American Charedim. Just a little less insular and little more productive. It’s not massive change. But more importantly, it’s not treif. It’s okay for American Charedim, and it should be okay for Israeli Charedim.

The resounding rejection of MK Lipman and all he stands for might be reversible. It might be as easy as embarking on a slightly different marketing strategy. It seems to me that if MK Lipman would reach out to American Charedim and propose that their standard become the Israeli Charedi standard, his ideas might find a bit more acceptance in America and eventually in Israel as well.

Adapted from this post on my home blog: Not All Charedim Are The Same