I went to the Salute to Israel Day Parade yesterday with my wife, kids, and some friends. I wound up right next to the reviewing stand on 61st and 5th Avenue. We arrived relatively early and really had an opportunity to enjoy seeing the diverse groups of Jewish marchers and other guests marching in support of Israel.
Despite cool weather and spotty sunshine, the parade was really enjoyable. Even one potentially ugly moment led to a benign outcome. I watched as a lone protester strode down 5th Avenue holding a bright orange sign that was handwritten with something along the lines of "Get rid of Olmert, yada yada yada."
One of the parade organizers, a woman, ran up to him and grabbed the sign from his hands crumpling it up and throwing it behind the sound system. I had noticed the sign and despite wearing an orange T-shirt under my own white polo shirt, sort of my own subtle statement, I felt annoyed to see such overt politicization on a day when I feel all Jews, at least those at the parade, should try to demonstrate as overt a sense of unity as possible.
A shouting match quickly ensued and in a heartbeat, four of NY's Finest huddled around the pair. After a moment or two of information gathering from the two combatants, the police officers demanded the furious woman return the man's sign...but they warned the man to keep he and his sign in the periphery and not try to march the parade route.
The protester, who was clearly not interested in getting arrested, promised to do so and after calling the parade organizer an 'idiot,' disappeared into the crowd, crumpled sign in hand. The woman looked furious and the man seemed cowed as he slunk away, but at least the First Amendment wasn't thoroughly trampled.
Standing on the sideline, I found myself ruminating two thoroughly counterintuitive points:
1) Watching an African American marching band, with its teenaged, scantily clad, leggy majorettes shaking their money makers to a crowd of young kids, 30-something parents and middle-aged to senior citizen Israel supporters, it occurred to me why the so-called frummer oylam, aside from their feelings toward the "State of Israel," would encourage their students to stay away. While definitely PG, probably even G-rated fare, some of the marchers still provided images the typical Rosh Yeshiva probably sits up nights thinking of ways to prevent talmidim from seeing. Certainly no less benign than the be-miniskirted Catholic high school girls I used to ride the city bus with every morning going to yeshiva, but a justifiable concern nonetheless.
2) Seeing the diverse range of Jewish people marching, thousands of Jews who seemed to range from completely secular to fairly religious frum, it struck me as unfortunate that a vast number of the so-called Chareidim will never fully see the true breadth of the Jewish nation, let alone view them as equals. Jews come in so many different varieties, but they are all still Jews. I know that in most cases the feeling is mutual, where more modern Jews look down their noses at "frummer" jews as ignorant, close-minded boors. Barely illustrating this point, but instructive nonetheless, standing right next to us were a few girls from Shulamith High School, an all girls school in Brooklyn, who loudly booed when another all girls school, that I know is slightly "frummer" than Shulamith, but of a very similar hashkafa, marched by. Though I know teenagers are by-and-large moronic, and wont to such pointless, petty elitism, I still couldn't help but chuckle knowing the Central (YU's girls high school) students who came marching past a few minutes later probably seemed pretty urbane to these same Shulamith girls. I noticed they didn't snicker at them. Needless to say, I remember from my own days in high School, the Central girls, though in my case it would have been the MTA guys, if they noticed at all, would have quite chuckle if told how cool these Shulamith thought they were. Apparently, everyone needs to look down or up on someone. and teenage pettiness aside, many Jews seem to have this tendency (myself included), which is to sneer at some Jews as provincial, and in the process elevate those who appear to be more sophisticated.
To punctuate this point of Jews viewing and appreciating each other as different parts of the same big, wacky family my brother-in-law, who is not completely observant, joined us at one point during the parade and was talking to my wife. A friend from shul passed by a few minutes later and stopped to chat. He glanced at my wife and then asked me who she was talking to. My friend, who grew up in a fairly modern background, surprised me, when i told him my wife was talking to her brother, by asking where his yarmulke was. It's possible he was joking around, he has a funny sense of humor (funny as in weird), but I found myself wondering why anyone would ask that question and why anyone would have to answer it. Instead I just said, "There are all types of Jews out there. And I love all Jews."
I really think all Jews, myself included, should practice saying those words in the mirror every day. "There are all types of Jews out there. And I love all Jews." It's a cleansing affirmation and it would do a whole 'lotta good. The fact is, there are a whole 'lotta Jews out there, and by hook or by crook, we all 'gotta get along.
Despite cool weather and spotty sunshine, the parade was really enjoyable. Even one potentially ugly moment led to a benign outcome. I watched as a lone protester strode down 5th Avenue holding a bright orange sign that was handwritten with something along the lines of "Get rid of Olmert, yada yada yada."
One of the parade organizers, a woman, ran up to him and grabbed the sign from his hands crumpling it up and throwing it behind the sound system. I had noticed the sign and despite wearing an orange T-shirt under my own white polo shirt, sort of my own subtle statement, I felt annoyed to see such overt politicization on a day when I feel all Jews, at least those at the parade, should try to demonstrate as overt a sense of unity as possible.
A shouting match quickly ensued and in a heartbeat, four of NY's Finest huddled around the pair. After a moment or two of information gathering from the two combatants, the police officers demanded the furious woman return the man's sign...but they warned the man to keep he and his sign in the periphery and not try to march the parade route.
The protester, who was clearly not interested in getting arrested, promised to do so and after calling the parade organizer an 'idiot,' disappeared into the crowd, crumpled sign in hand. The woman looked furious and the man seemed cowed as he slunk away, but at least the First Amendment wasn't thoroughly trampled.
Standing on the sideline, I found myself ruminating two thoroughly counterintuitive points:
1) Watching an African American marching band, with its teenaged, scantily clad, leggy majorettes shaking their money makers to a crowd of young kids, 30-something parents and middle-aged to senior citizen Israel supporters, it occurred to me why the so-called frummer oylam, aside from their feelings toward the "State of Israel," would encourage their students to stay away. While definitely PG, probably even G-rated fare, some of the marchers still provided images the typical Rosh Yeshiva probably sits up nights thinking of ways to prevent talmidim from seeing. Certainly no less benign than the be-miniskirted Catholic high school girls I used to ride the city bus with every morning going to yeshiva, but a justifiable concern nonetheless.
2) Seeing the diverse range of Jewish people marching, thousands of Jews who seemed to range from completely secular to fairly religious frum, it struck me as unfortunate that a vast number of the so-called Chareidim will never fully see the true breadth of the Jewish nation, let alone view them as equals. Jews come in so many different varieties, but they are all still Jews. I know that in most cases the feeling is mutual, where more modern Jews look down their noses at "frummer" jews as ignorant, close-minded boors. Barely illustrating this point, but instructive nonetheless, standing right next to us were a few girls from Shulamith High School, an all girls school in Brooklyn, who loudly booed when another all girls school, that I know is slightly "frummer" than Shulamith, but of a very similar hashkafa, marched by. Though I know teenagers are by-and-large moronic, and wont to such pointless, petty elitism, I still couldn't help but chuckle knowing the Central (YU's girls high school) students who came marching past a few minutes later probably seemed pretty urbane to these same Shulamith girls. I noticed they didn't snicker at them. Needless to say, I remember from my own days in high School, the Central girls, though in my case it would have been the MTA guys, if they noticed at all, would have quite chuckle if told how cool these Shulamith thought they were. Apparently, everyone needs to look down or up on someone. and teenage pettiness aside, many Jews seem to have this tendency (myself included), which is to sneer at some Jews as provincial, and in the process elevate those who appear to be more sophisticated.
To punctuate this point of Jews viewing and appreciating each other as different parts of the same big, wacky family my brother-in-law, who is not completely observant, joined us at one point during the parade and was talking to my wife. A friend from shul passed by a few minutes later and stopped to chat. He glanced at my wife and then asked me who she was talking to. My friend, who grew up in a fairly modern background, surprised me, when i told him my wife was talking to her brother, by asking where his yarmulke was. It's possible he was joking around, he has a funny sense of humor (funny as in weird), but I found myself wondering why anyone would ask that question and why anyone would have to answer it. Instead I just said, "There are all types of Jews out there. And I love all Jews."
I really think all Jews, myself included, should practice saying those words in the mirror every day. "There are all types of Jews out there. And I love all Jews." It's a cleansing affirmation and it would do a whole 'lotta good. The fact is, there are a whole 'lotta Jews out there, and by hook or by crook, we all 'gotta get along.
I loved this post, especially the last paragraph. I wish I could have attended the event. The only thing I would like to add, is that the charedi world could probably have the event more suited to their needs IF THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE FIRST PLACE!