Jerusalem vs. The Asifa
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Photo Credit: Noam Moskowitz/Flash90
I missed the Asifa. Admittedly, I wasn’t planning on going, though I do feel jealous of those software developers who managed to get 50,000 men (and an unknown number of women who participated remotely) to pay actual money to listen to a multi-hour sales pitch of their products, and then have their community leaders tell them to go buy them, which on top of that, they probably will.
Now that’s marketing to a captive audience.
Obviously internet filtering is important if you have kids in the house, and I guess for a closed, insulated community being hit on the head with the outside world it warrants an outing to Citi Field on a Sunday to find out how to protect yourself (and to get out of the Beis Medrash on a Rabbinically sanctioned field trip).
But in my mind, I was comparing it to another mass gathering that same Sunday – one I participated in with my family.
The Jerusalem Day Parade.
30,000 people, a significant number of them teenagers, mostly religious, gathered together to celebrate one of the modern, open, unexpected and important miracles of our day, the reunification of Jerusalem.
I admit that at one point I wondered, which gathering was the bigger Kiddush Hashem?
But mostly I asked myself, which one would inspire my children about the beauty and possibilities of Judaism?
A public gathering that demands yet even more conformity to community social pressures and standards, this time only to buy a kosher phone, or use an internet filter with the proper hechsher, or a gathering that thanks God for the incredible gift he gave us that actually we prayed for.
Obviously, one gathering isn’t mutually exclusive of the other.
I’m sure many of the Israeli yeshiva students who marched yesterday have internet filters in their homes.
But I wonder, how many men at the Asifa said Hallel that morning, or at least didn’t say Tachanun in commemoration of the miracle that occurred for all of Klal Yisrael, that they too benefit from whenever they visit their national homeland.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Jameel blogs at the Muqata: http://www.muqata.com Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of The Jewish Press.
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Well, supposedly it turned out to be another time where rabbis banned the internet for every use except for work. Overall, as a female, non-Haredi, I am not impressed. I believe that this says it all.
http://finkorswim.com/2012/05/20/the-asifa-is-done-i-was-fooled/
Well said Jameel – kol hakavod to you and the other wonderful participants of the Jerusalem Day parade in commemorating one of the most miraculous events of our time. Not to say there aren't problems with the internet and that the asifa wasn't necessary without good reason but its so much more inspiring to see such gatherings for a positive cause that's truly worth celebrating for. The miracle of the state of Israel is not to be taken for granted and Yom Yerushalayim reminds us of that.
I couldn't agree more. Well said.