Haredim remember and mourn for Assaf Ramon

by Lurker

Assaf Ramon z"l and his mother Rona, at his Air Force graduation ceremony a few weeks ago

The article from the Tzofar website about which Jameel wrote in the previous post is incredibly revolting. However, people should not mistakenly assume that this sick article represents the overall haredi attitude towards the tragedy of Assaf Ramon z"l. Because it most certainly does not.

In fact, the very reason why that website put up that disgusting article, was, in their own words, to "warn about sycophants, masquerading as 'Haredim'". In other words, they are trying to attack the very positive, warm, and sympathetic attitude towards Ramon and his family, that has been seen in the haredi community over the last two days.

In particular, they are angry about this wonderful, heartwarming article in Ramon's memory that appeared on the haredi website B'Hadrei Haredim. The article speaks of the importance with which Assaf Ramon treasured his Jewish heritage, as did his father Ilan z"l.

Even more than that, the haters at Tzofar are furious about the campaign that has been launched throughout the haredi community by the same website (B'Hadrei Haredim), for people to learn mishnayot in Ramon's memory. This is a traditional Jewish mourning practice, that represents an effort to contribute "extra points" in heaven for a beloved person who has passed away. Even the usually haredi-bashing Haaretz wrote about this:

An ultra-Orthodox Web site dedicated to studying Mishna in memory of Israel Air Force pilot Capt. Assaf Ramon was set up on Sunday.

The "Behadrei Haredim" Web portal devoted its headline to the initiative, which represents a small breach in the official Haredi policy of distance from Israeli national tragedies in general and in the army in particular. People who respond to the memorial effort will commit to study all six books of the Mishna, as is customary in times of mourning.

The manager of Behadrei Haredim, Rabbi Dov Povarsky, said the strong response to the initiative shows that "the Haredi public, really all of it, identifies with and is pained by the death of Assaf Ramon. As opposed to the rabbis, who carefully weigh how such a move would be interpreted, we don't make such calculations. We are Internet journalism that grows from the bottom up and expresses the public's true feelings."

As Jameel said, "unfortunately along with the crazy riots in Jerusalem, the Chareidi population looks worse and worse on a daily basis". Often, however, this negative image is a distortion of the truth, perpetrated by a minority of low-lifes in the haredi world. The despicable people at Tzofar would like to distract us from the outpouring of love and sympathy for the Ramon family that the haredi community has shown, as have the Jewish people as a whole -- and instead focus exclusively upon the sinat hinam spewed forth by the miscreants at Tzofar and their ilk.

Let's not let them do that.


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