AGAINST Doing ‘Hasbarah’ (Public Relations) for Jews – Especially Charedim

The whole idea is disgusting auto-idolatry, and counterproductive besides. Indeed, Jews ought to be held to a higher standard than our counterparts, and, as frail, somatic humans, sometimes fall short of that standard! (See more on this here.) Shouldn’t we change our actions to merit different impressions (מעשיך יקרבוך), instead of messing with “Image Management”?!

Wait, why can’t we do both? Let’s change, and let’s also do publicity.

Because we aren’t doing both! That’s why! Besides, when successful, this facilitates continuing specific policies (pick one). And those policies are, in fact, evil!

Antisemitism, not unlike large anti-Charedi parties, is bad as a symptom and bad as an illness, but Hasbarah is the wrong solution. The right solution is to do what Kiruv activists tell their targets (or used to, anyway): Do Teshuvah!

As for Charedim, doing Kiruv feels like awkward “missionizing”, right? So, the newest goal is, instead — per the name of “Hidabroot” (“Dialogue”) — showing the seculars we are humans, too; we are rational (…); we love them (inaccurate!). Before we can stop sin, the claim goes, we must first ease alienation, break stigmas.

(And, well, if we can ensure anti-Charedi parties don’t garner huge masses of voters, that doesn’t hurt, either, right…?)

No! This is the wrong goal (and just plain wrong, besides). Is hatred for Charedim\Dati’im all a result of Sin’as Chinam, of ignorance, of impurity? Are not some of their opponents’ claims correct? Is not some Charedi behavior a true Chillul Hashem? Do the rebukers observe the whole Torah themselves?!

In short, doing “Hasbarah” is equivalent to killing Zechariah, akin to firing a rehabilitation physiotherapist!


P.S. We do not mean to address here whether or how to respond to actual attacks (physical\verbal) on groups or individuals but to reject the direct but misguided proactive approach in general.

19 Superstitions: To Support Occupational Licensing by Government Is to Believe…

Proponents of occupational licensing believe that without licensing…
  1. Barbers would give customers bad haircuts.
  2. Cosmetologists would ruin their hair.
  3. Fire-alarm installers would incorrectly wire fire alarms.
  4. Bartenders would mix us the wrong drinks.
  5. Coaches would never win a game.
  6. Funeral attendants would not properly dress one’s dead grandmother.
  7. EMTs would allow patients to die.
  8. Travel agents would book travelers on wrong flights.
  9. Accountants would prepare incorrect financial statements.
  10. Security guards would allow burglars to break in.
  11. Child-care workers would molest children.
  12. Skin-care specialists would damage customers’ skin.
  13. Taxi drivers would drop passengers off on the wrong street.
  14. pest-control applicators would not be able to kill bugs,
  15. Sign-language interpreters would tell deaf people the wrong thing.
  16. Pharmacy technicians would give out the wrong drugs.
  17. Taxidermists wouldn’t stuff a dead pet properly.
  18. Auctioneers would not be able to sell anything.
  19. Milk samplers would allow sour milk to be distributed.
(From chapter 6 of “The Free Market, The Free Society“, by Laurence M. Vance.)
As Laurence Vance concludes:

There is absolutely no reason that all occupations could not be privately certified just as auto and truck technicians are. Government licensing, aside from its many other problems, crowds out private certification and should be eliminated.

Fact: Jewish Leaders Are Imperfect. So What?!

Who Deserves to be Our Hero?

מדוע טרם הוקמה ממשלה עולמית?

פסחים פ”ז ב’:

אמר רבי אושעיא מאי דכתיב צדקת פרזונו בישראל צדקה עשה הקדוש ברוך הוא בישראל שפזרן לבין האומות.

והיינו דאמר ליה ההוא מינא לרבי חנינא אנן מעלינן מינייכו כתיב בכו כי ששת חדשים ישב שם וגו’ ואלו אנן איתינכו גבן כמה שני ולא קא עבדינן לכו מידי אמר לו רצונך יטפל לך תלמיד אחד נטפל ליה רבי אושעיא אמר ליה משום דלא ידעיתו היכי תעבדו תכלינן כולהו ליתנהו גבייכו מאי דאיכא גבייכו קרי לכו מלכותא קטיעתא אמר ליה גפא דרומאי בהא נחתינן ובהא סלקינן.

קונטרס התקנות משנת תשמ”ה – לרומם קדושת ישראל בישיבות

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