Next Tuesday: A Once in a Generation Opportunity to Change the Country
I’ve Been Accused …
Of being over the top. Well, if my passion here seems a bit much, it’s because I believe we have a once in a generation opportunity to shift the fabric of intra-Jewish relations and the trajectory of Jewish society in Israel. To squander that opportunity is to harden our march towards Jew vs Jew violence, towards an economically troubled future for us all, and towards a weakened and vulnerable country. If that’s a bit over the top, so be it.
In the Aftermath of October 7th …
We all knew that our precious country desperately needed fundamental change.
Yes, change in how we confront our external enemies, but even more, internal change.
Change in how we look at ourselves.
Change in how we relate to one another.
Change in how we relate to our place in the country.
I’m not Haredi.
Frankly, I gave up on the Haredi world, and I’ve never voted Haredi.
This time I will.
Why? Because there is only one party, Hatzibur Haharedi, that has fully embraced fundamental change in the areas that most threaten the wellbeing of the country: the way Haredim look at themselves, at the rest of society, and at the country.
How is the Entire Country Not Cheering, and Voting, For This Party?
Six months ago, it was inconceivable that a Haredi party would have a woman on its list.
Today Hatzibur Haharedi has two women in its top four slots. That’s not symbolic, that’s revolutionary. That should have every woman in the country standing up, cheering, and voting for the biggest leap forward for women in Israel, well, perhaps ever.
Six months ago, it was inconceivable that a Haredi party would unabashedly endorse army service for the majority of Haredi men.
Today Hatzibur Haharedi has done just that. That’s a tectonic shift. That is exactly what our military leaders have been saying is needed to meet our short and long term multi-front challenges. That should have every media pundit in the country cheering, and wondering, “Should I perhaps vote Haredi?”
Six months ago, it was inconceivable that a Haredi party would insist that Haredi ethos and society could champion the values of self-reliance and dignified employment and embrace all those that work to support their families as first class citizens no less than those that learn full time.
Today Hatzibur Haharedi has done just that. That’s revolutionary. That portends a fundamental societal shift. That is exactly what every economist has said is needed if we are to avoid a dramatic economic downturn. That should have every researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute and the Bank of Israel shouting at the top of their lungs, “Our future is brighter than ever!”
Six months ago, it was inconceivable that a Haredi party would insist that every Haredi child needs to be taught the basics of math, English, civics, and life skills so that they have the best chance possible to not only pursue excellence in their Torah studies, but to pursue any field of study and career they might choose.
Today Hatzibur Haharedi has done just that. That’s a historic change. That is precisely what our Minister of Education and every teacher in the country should be lauding and loudly supporting. And voting for?
Six months ago, it was inconceivable that a Haredi party would stand up and clearly state that the culture of ugly demonstrations that regularly disrupt the daily life of hundreds of thousands are a Chilul Hashem and the antithesis of Torah.
Today Hatzibur Haharedi has done just that. That’s not just groundbreaking, in today’s toxic, bullying environment, that takes courage. That stance should have the Israel Police Commissioner calling a press conference to say what a dramatically important development this is.
The Change We Wanted Is Here. Now It’s Time To Vote For It.
Here’s the bottom line: Today 34% of our country’s Jewish first graders are Haredim, and in just four years, not forty or fourteen, that number will pass 50%. So regardless of what anyone thinks or feels, the future of Haredi society, the future of Israeli society, and the future of the Jewish state are inextricably linked.
Speaking for myself, I can wholeheartedly say two things:
Thing One: While post Holocaust Haredi embers succeeded against all odds in building a great spiritual edifice from nothing, the course that current Haredi political leadership has set for its community is now a pathway to hardship, and God forbid disaster, for countless Haredi children, for Haredi society as a whole, and for the country.
Thing Two: The course that the Hatzibur Haharedi party is striving to set is precisely what both Haredi society and the country need to heal our most fearsome rift and ensure the brightest possible future for all of us.
Whose Konseptzia Has Changed?
In the Aftermath of October 7th …
We all knew that our country desperately needed fundamental change. Who could have imagined that the most staid and conservative sector of Israeli society would be the one to champion its most radical transformation? Thanks to the vision and courage of the Hatzibur Haharedi party, that transformation is within reach.
All that’s now required for this change to blossom is your vote.
But Will They Pass the Threshold?
Nobody wants to “waste their vote.” I get it, it happened to me once, and it’s an awful feeling.
And let’s be honest, there are certainly no guarantees.
However, before you make your decision based on what polls show and on “I don’t want to waste my vote,” consider the following.
- Polls now show that 30% of young, first-time Haredi voters plan to vote for Hatzibur Haharedi. In a society where people are exceptionally reluctant to openly voice an opinion that runs counter to the political and societal establishment, that’s an extraordinary number that may well be much higher.
- In 2006, the newly minted Pensioners Party shocked everyone by winning seven seats, at least two of which were widely attributed to young and first-time voters.
- Hundreds of Haredi women recently attended a Hatzibur Haharedi rally at the Jerusalem Convention Center while seven thousand others chose the anonymous path of watching the rally online. While this is anecdotal, Nechumi Yaffe, #3 on the list, and Ziva Glanz, #4, have received an outpouring of support from women in the Haredi community that may well belie a sentiment that will produce tens of thousands of votes in the private confines of the voting booth.
- Based on reports from Dati Leumi activists, and reporting in the Dati Leumi media, there is a growing number of voters from that sector that plan to vote for Hatzibur Haharedi.
- In one of our recent elections, a party that was projected to win 4-7 seats wound up with zero. So much for traditional polls and predictions.
Next Tuesday I’ll be voting for the party that embodies the bravest, boldest, most fundamental and consequential post October 7th changes in this election. As an American that lived in Maryland, I’m used to voting my conscience because in Maryland, no matter who one votes for, the state always goes Democrat. So I’m voting my conscience and I don’t think four or more Hatzibur Haharedi seats is wishful thinking. I think a vote for the party led by Moti Leitner, Asher Fradi, Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, and Mrs. Ziva Glanz is at least as secure as voting for a party led by Betzalel Smotrich or Ofer Winter.
Hatzibur Haharedi.
Next Tuesday.
Am Yisrael Chai.
