You know that feeling of righteous indignation- where you see something going on, and you feel so passionately about it- you just HAVE to do something?
Well, it seems to happen a lot here in Israel.
All those signs put up every day and night on the walls of Geulah- telling the world about people's practices that have gone wrong, or the injustices of the world- those are people feeling passionately about an issue and doing something about it, even if that doing something is just as simple as hanging up a sign that most people ignore and few read.
The flyers that got dropped from the sky into my mirpeset about how a grocery store is being Mechallel Shabbos (violating the Sabbath laws), not to mention that it has expensive products as well, well- the person who did it felt that he needed to DO something, not just watch it happen.
(I don't know who these people are- it could very well be that they are biased, like owners of a rival company or something.)
The bag hanging on my door yesterday described how we in Yerushalayim are in desperate need of seperate seating buses for all the bus lines. Whoever put that one on my door felt it was a desperate issue and something had to be done.
I don't know if this is Kanaius- zealousy, in its best form, or these people should tone it down a bit...but either way, these people noticed what they felt was a problem, and tried in their own way to do something about it.
I don't necessarily agree with the idea of involving the entire city on issues such as these, or littering the streets with the flyers, and personally, I don't really feel too zealous on any of these particular issues being discussed.
But it does show one good thing. People want to DO something, not just sit around apathetically.
Recently, I noticed an issue that bothered me in my community, and it's something that could be fixed for the good of all concerned if someone became an activist. I'm a newcomer here, so I feel that it probably isn't my job to get involved. But, maybe if I do get involved, something might get done, and accomplished for the good of the entire community at large.
What do you think? Get involved, or mind my own business?
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2 days ago
8 comments:
Get involved- it's your community now, you have the right to affect change.
You might feel more comfortable enlisting the help of some neighbors who have been living there for a while. As you're a newcomer, they may know the ropes better than you do.
Good luck and let us know what happens!
Unless you're afraid you're going to be one of those zealots with a cause nobody cares about. You should probably talk it over with others in the community first and see if they feel similarly.
My brother once attended a zealot conference on how to make the women in the local shopping center dress more modestly. And he stood up and said, "Maybe we should take a break from looking outward and look inward for a minute. How about we also make an effort to return shopping carts, instead of leaving them in the street, connected in rings so we could get our shekels back?"
No idea if it worked.
What was said before and also recognize that it takes a lot of strength. A lot of people will simply ignore you, a lot will say that's great but do nothing to help, and a lot will say they'll help but not follow through. Figure out ways to encourage people to take part that allows them to gain as well, and you're more likely to succeed. And realize that it takes a huge amount of time and energy to get anywhere... and for a long time, you won't. If you can handle all that, then keep going. :)
SR- Yep, but since I'm a newcomer I'm a bit hesitant. But thanks for the encouragement.
B4S- Nope, not a religious zealot yet...although if they leave one more flyer in my mailbox I may just protest against them!
How did they get shopping carts though, if they didn't use a shekel to get it?
Ezzie- Very true about the time and energy part. That's one of my hesitations- I'm worried if I start, I won't have the willpower to follow through, because it'll take tons of time.
well it never hurts to try. worst case scenario you fail, but you'll learn how to do it better next time. oh, and if OTHER people think that it is important, they will jump on. otherwise i would say that it is just "your" problem, and not theirs
I don't think they should be putting up fliers asking for money to start a new bus company because "Egged is the #1 enemy of Kedushat Yisrael" in the name of K'doshei Hodu. Sorry, do that in the name of only your own. Not in the name of those who loved all Jews, when you're causing hate.
And I got so mad, I started ripping them down in the middle of Me'ah She'arim, only to turn around and find about 30 men looking at me, asking me questions, and threatening to call the police and publish my picture (none of which daunted me). ("Hey, you're the ones who put your heads down, why are you all staring at me?!")
Nunu, we all have our own forms of kano'us.
Harry-er- It's not really only my problem- I'm sure I'm not the first to notice it. But, I may be the first to actually want to DO something about it. Wish me luck!
Chanie- You are very brave to face them down- the religious zealots can be nasty when thwarted. I didn't even read the packet they propped up on my door, just threw it out.
Wasn't brave- I just got sick of it.
Logically, their threats didn't even make sense. They can take pictures all they want, but in five minutes they'll delete them, because I'm a girl. They don't know my name, and they won't report anything, for their own sakes. The police can't and won't do anything- what I did was not illegal. People take down signs all the time, and neither putting them up nor taking them down is illegal.
Again, they won't publish anything, because I'm a girl, and they have no one to report me to who cares and can do something. Sooo...no point in listening to empty threats.
But yeah, do something. Don't sit there...silence is agreement. And they don't know that you just threw the packets out.
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