Rabbi Yitzhock Adlerstein writes:
Jonathan Rosenblum previously speculated in these pages that there are advantages to people living in religiously mixed neighborhoods. Another CC contributor, Rabbi Emmanuel Feldman, made the same point earlier this week in the Jerusalem Post.
Here are two variations on that theme, situations and vignettes in which a bit of Jewish intramural multiculturalism seems to be working well.
The Jerusalem Post (Dec. 25) reports on a follow-up survey of Nahal Haredi (NH) graduates. Over 90% have entered the work force, holding down jobs. For the most part, the only members of the haredi community who are urged to join are those for whom learning is just not working out. The finding should be seen positively, therefore, even by those who are opponents of NH. Were it not for their ability to fulfill their military service obligation through NH, these men wouldn’t be working but they wouldn’t be learning either.
The article further reports that NH has mushroomed. What began as a single company is now at battalion strength, including an elite counterterrorism unit. So things look good, at least to the Jerusalem Post…
