ZIONISM-----stuck in a zionist yeshiva

FlippedOutFish Posted - 31 December 2006 15:07

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Sorry to interrupt the flow of the topic but I found no other topic spot to put my case - I am in a Zionist Hashkafic yeshiva as of now.

What should I do or do I have to do anything if I am forced to go to rallies for Zionism or in the issue of saying hallel on yom haatzmaut, or do I have to say hallel with them can I not say it when im there to I have to follow derech of yeshivah??

What should I do my parents are Zionist and so on??

taon Posted - 31 December 2006 17:23

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You're unable to get out of doing those things? you can't miss the rally for any reason, for example? Can you explain, without getting into an argument you know teachers won’t let you win even when you're right, that you are not a Zionist. then stick with it. It'll impress them, more likely.

I'm a little jealous of you; I've been able so far, with the Help of Hashem, to avoid these problems. you're able and willing to stand up for what's right, and that's great.

MODERATOR Posted - 10 January 2007 14:35

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Flipped out,

You should not go to rallies for Zionism and you should not say Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut. This is not an issue of various legitimate "derachim" but rather simple right and wrong. And those things are wrong. Very wrong.

The question is how to get out of them. Taon has a point, that you can surreptitiously be absent when these events occur (I once taught in a Zionist school - well, more than once, actually - and I successfully avoided these chilul hashem assemblies by taking off those days).

I know some people who send a child of theirs to a Hebrew Academy-type school because they have the only special ed program available in their area. The father came in one day after he heard that attending the Yom Haatzmaut program was mandatory, stating that his son will not attend under any circumstances.

The school was shocked, and said - I am not making this up - "But celebrating Yom Haatzmaut is part of Judaism!" (afra lepumai). The father said that since the school publicizes that they do not discriminate based on religion or race, he is invoking his right to Freedom of Religion and attending Yom Haatzmaut events are against his and his son's religion.

The school was so frazzled - they had no idea what to make of this guy - they didn’t make an issue of it and let the kid sit out the Zionist assemblies.

If being nice and avoiding confrontation still doesn’t work and they want to force you to do those things, you have no choice but to take a stand. If it comes to that write I back and I'll help you do it in the least confrontational way possible.

In general, with parents who don’t do the right thing, you need to try to do what’s proper without causing fights. Especially - but not exclusively - if your parents don’t know better.

It is a great zechus for parents when their children do the right thing. Remember they are still your parents, and they are still frum Jews, and besides - confrontation is probably counter productive anyway.

But you still don’t need to compromise your standards. You should try hard, and pray for syata d'shmaya, to do what you need to do and still keep the peace.