There can be no doubt that former Shas Party leader Rav Aryeh Deri is slowly making his return to the political arena. Deri on Tuesday took part in a symposium including former Minister of Education, MK (Labor) Prof. Yuli Tamir, and former chief of IDF Personnel Branch, Major-General (reserves) Elazar Stern.

In his latest statements, Deri expressed his disapproval over recent chareidi coercion tactics, stating the shabbos protests are not the ideal situation. “Most of my friends are simply against the protests. There is nothing to do other than live with it for now. We cannot control them anymore than they can control me”.

Attending the Herzliya Conference, Deri spoke of the importance of our heritage, and the problem resulting from the ignorance and the unwillingness to discuss the reality of that heritage. The non-frum must define what being Jewish means to them he explained, accompanied by a belief.

He turned to Labor MK Prof. Yuli Tamir and stated “If it was not for the fact that I am a religious believer, if I were on your side, I would level much harsher complaints. You are simply too polite”.

Making reference to the troubling education system, he stated the Ministry of Education has become the Ministry of Labor, teaching students professions instead of values. He questioned if we really wish to raise the next generation on the concept of the “Big Brother” show. “The teachers stopped being teachers. What do the children have today, internet, computers? What values do we wish to impart on the next generation.”

Deri pointed to the failure of the education system, stating the idea that the world was created as a result of a collision must vanish and we must realize there is a Creator and one power running the world. We must all accept the basics, and understand Avraham first worshipped idols and them came to the realization of Hashem. After we all learn and understand the Torah was given at Sinai, then there is room for discussion, differences of opinion and dialogue.

“This is was separates me from the other nations, that I know Hashem created the world in six day and on the seventh day we much rest…On the other side, we must see the other side, the bracha of the creation of the state, the gathering of the exiles, from Morocco and elsewhere. There is some that unties them all, Shabbat and Shabbos, tefillin and tehillim. One is a round sefer Torah and one like a megilla, but they are one…We must learnt to live side by side. There are no alternatives. The assimilation abroad is killing us. Before WWII there were 6 million Jews in the United States. It’s simple math. We can calculate how many there should be today, but they are disappearing. Assimilation – we no longer have the luxury of not getting along…We have a security cabinet and an economic cabinet but no one discusses education and values. We must address their critical issues”.

He spoke out firmly against coercion and shabbos protests, stating those taking part in protests on shabbos are “undisciplined” and they do not contribute to efforts towards dialogue.

“I wish everyone would keep shabbos as I view it should be observed. I dream that shabbos should be like Yom Kippur, with food of course,” but this is not the reality and we must live with one another. Shabbos is a central concept and we must learn about it. Call it ‘chamin’ or ‘chulent’ but we must understand the significance of the concept, the day, the Jewish values and who were are.

“What is the fear? Why are all these things disappearing? The aleph bet of being Jewish is vanishing. Why?” Deri continued at length, speaking of the absolute need to make education, a Jewish education, the nation’s highest priority, suggesting that next year or the following year, the conference should be dedicated to Jewish education.

Tamir fears that the group, namely the chareidim, does not include her in their discussion and definition of being Jewish. She explained that some are categorized by the shul they do not attend. She added that even in the dati leumi school system there is the separatists, parties, positions and ethnicity. Tamir stated the chilonim; the secularists are seeking to define their Jewishness in their own way. “My absolute greatest experience of the last year was to listen to the music of Avishai Cohen playing teffilot in a jazz mode”.

She concluded by saying the dialogue cannot be one-sided. She questioned how far the dialogue will go and if the chareidi schools are willing to open their doors to secularists.

Former chief of IDF Personnel Branch Major-General (reserves) Elazar Stern, a member of the dati leumi community, voiced his opinion as well, speaking out a as a strong proponent for integration. He reaffirmed his opposition to segregated religious units in the IDF.

During his tenure as chief of personnel, Stern tried to dismantle the hesder units, insisting the religious and non-religious soldiers mustn’t serve separately. “Religious life is difficult. It’s not a picnic” he stated, adding the attraction to be non-frum is greater than to become religious.

Stern stated it is entirely legitimate for those seeking to hold on to their Jewish identity without remaining shomer shabbat. This is a necessity to remain a democratic nation he stressed. He stated that there must be a tangible action that to one’s Jewishness and the secular schools must learn the practical concepts such as the chagim and shabbat.

He stated that he is burned out from the dati leumi because their entire yiddishkeit is a square meter, a piece of land in the territories, referring to Yehuda and Shomron. These very same people closed the schools to the Jewish religion he stated.

“My children are far more familiar with secular life than secular Jews are regarding religious life. The ignorance is not equal” he stated, and “the secular public schools have much to learn about the Jewish religion”.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)