Not exclusively defined by the label “chareidi” or “secular”
R abbi Moshe Grylak’s column last week on a new phenomenon of “invisible kippah” wearers was indeed encouraging. And especially encouraging was the feeling among those interviewed that they are the vanguard “of a major sea change in the spiritual life of Israeli society.”
The phenomenon described is another aspect of the thirst for a connection to Torah among many Israeli Jews that I have been writing about for some time. And it is one that calls for action on the part of Torah Jews as individuals and as a community.
Yet there are aspects of the phenomenon that should give us pause as well. As described in the Makor Rishon article upon which Rabbi Grylak drew the typical wearer of the invisible kippah “wants Judaism but does not wish to be associated with the existing frum society which is not especially popular in his circles.” He wishes to pursue his religious path “while determinedly steering clear of the dati and chareidi establishments.”
To some extent I can sympathize with the desire to forge one’s own path. Unquestionably many Israeli baalei teshuvah have suffered from premature attempts to assimilate into chareidi society at a stage in their development when such integration was not yet possible either for them or their children. In recent years the emphasis has switched to integrating baalei teshuvah into the local religious communities where they live and work rather than encouraging them to move to all-chareidi enclaves like Kiryat Sefer. There is also a movement to create school systems particularly suited for their needs.
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