Too often readers are presented with the harsh stories involving extremists, those who refuse to show a measure of tolerance to any way other than their own. This is particularly evident with the launching of the Chardak campaign intended to insult and degrade chareidim who entered and serve in the IDF. This story however shows the good that exists in Am Yisrael, a story involving a Neturei Karta chossid and a chareidi IDF soldier.
The story is reported by Kikar Shabbos News, involving chareidi soldier ‘R’, who was traveling to his base on a bus from a chareidi area of Beit Shemesh. ‘R’ has grown accustomed of the taunting directed at him by Kanoyim, chareidim who disapprove of his choice and prefer not to keep that disapproval to themselves.
On Monday, February 18, 2019 however, as he was seated on a bus, a chossid who was clearly a member of Neturei Karta got on a few stops after he boarded.
“I got on the bus in uniform and at one of the stops, a man who appeared to be identified with Neturei Karta sat next to me. He looked and me and we nodded at one another as is customary”.
“I was surprised that he sat next to me and smiled at me, as this alone was weird…” When the chareidi soldier got off his usual stop, the stop he gets off each day, he noticed that the man seated at his side got off too and followed him.
“He got close to me”, R continues explaining, “and said to me, ‘well done (kol hakavod) that you serve Klall Yisrael’ and then began asking me about my service and then gave me a pack of Bamba and a candy bar. I never tasted this particular candy bar, and it was surprisingly good.
“It was clear to me he was working to change the image of the extremists. Kol hakavod to him. I do not see much hostility. This is what I am trying to show here. Yes, there are the fanatics and they have even protested against me while I waited at the bus stop, but in the big picture, the tzibur appreciates the soldiers.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Thanks for the positive story.
there are good people and bad people in all groups….
This story demonstrates what I have told people for a long time. The Silent Majority of REAL Neturei Karta do not riot, they do not attack other Yidden, they certainly do not demonstrate with enemies of the Jews in downtown Manhattan with their Shtreimlach. They do not meet with terrorist leaders.
Real Neturei Karta are real frummer Ehrlicher Yidden, who follow the Shitta of the Satmar Rebb and other Gedolim as it relates to the Medina and Zioyonim. When it comes to Yidden they are full of Ahavas Yisroel. They sit and learn. Many work.
Unfortunately the extremists who call themselves by the same name gives the true followers of the gedolim a bad name.
Kol hakavod for this nice story
Halivi all the stories regarding neturi karta should be like this
I heard recently a similar story about an IDF soldier who was nice to a frum Yid. It showed that not all IDF soldiers are bad.
NK are not chassidim!