ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

More than any other place in Israel, the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv symbolizes secular, leftist culture. The home of Tel Aviv University and many of its heroes, such as Shimon Peres and Yael Dayan, Ramat Aviv is also one of Israel’s most affluent neighborhoods; in fact, a popular TV series, “Ramat Aviv Gimmel,” modeled on “Beverly Hills 90210,” depicted the free-spending, spoiled lifestyle of the local teens.

Friction between secular Ramat Aviv residents and its minority religious population featured a great deal in the local press this year, as threatened residents responded to ultra-Orthodox emissaries in the area with the formation of an Action Committee called “Free Ramat Aviv.” Israeli media reports on the tension focused on the Action Committee’s charter of “maintaining the unique character of our neighborhood and the quality of life in greater Ramat Aviv,” including their efforts to locate apartments rented to the religious population, “in order to apply pressure on landlords” and the nighttime patrols by local celebrities and MK’s, meant to break up public gatherings with an overtly religious tone.

But Chanan Atlas, the Yachad Program Jewish Cultural Facilitator in the region, says that one shouldn’t believe everything one reads in the paper. “It’s true that there is tension,” agrees Atlas, who was initially placed in the community by the David Cordozo Institute as part of a greater effort to build communities based upon Jewish values and the Jewish calendar. “But what we’re talking about is a reaction to a perceived threat. These are people who are afraid of coercion, not of Judaism. On the contrary, I have found that the community is actually quite open to learning about Jewish heritage and culture, as long as it is presented in a tolerant and non-judgmental manner,” he says.

The warm embrace Atlas’ programs have received in the year since he moved to the area proves his point. “On Rosh Hashana, over 350 secular residents attended the services we held at the Ramat Aviv Gimmel community center,” he reports. “Most of the participants had never heard the blast of a shofar in their entire lives.” Yom Kippur attendance was also tremendous, with close to 1,000 people filling the room and even spilling out into the courtyard. “The closing services – Ne’ilah – were undoubtedly the highlight. A feeling of unity and serenity permeated the air. The sun set slowly as we all read aloud together, ’Shma Yisrael…’ People were actually crying. At the end of the service, participants burst into the spontaneous singing of Hatikva.”

“Atlas is a true representative of the non-threatening, accessible outlook the Yachad Program promotes,” says Rabbi Riskin. “His manner exudes ‘darchei noam’ – the paths of pleasantness – and that has enabled him to build solid relationships not only with his fellow residents but also with the director of the Ramat Aviv Gimmel community center.”
In fact, when Sukkot came around, Atlas was asked to build the very first communal sukkah that Ramat Aviv Gimmel has ever had in its 30 years of existence. Over the course of the holiday, hundreds of children and adults joined the various activities, which ranged from arts and crafts to a panel discussion featuring Israeli media personalities Uri Orbach and Irit Linor.

“People like to dwell on the conflict between the religious and the secular,” says Atlas. “But the conflict is really just between a minority of extremists on either side. Most of the secular residents here are interested in attaining Jewish knowledge and are truly delighted to welcome Judaism into their lives.”

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