Sunday, October 23, 2011

Not Knowing Does Not Necessarily Equal Not Caring

My older sons are what people would call “ultra-Orthodox”. My oldest son does not listen to the radio, and hears news only through hearsay. In many orthodox neighborhoods this is true.
So on Wednesday I went to the grocery, and a cashier there was being sure that the news of Gilad’s release got out. I was a bit shocked at how people really didn’t know. I expected it to travel the grapevine faster. Perhaps, I reasoned, since it was the Sukkoth holiday, and people are not at work and not in Kollel (study halls), there was less opportunity for them to hear.
Then on Friday, when my eldest son arrived to spend the weekend, I casually mentioned “You DID hear that Gilad Shalit was released…”
“REALLY! THANK G-D!!! You know, I’ve been praying for his safe release daily….”

So my ascetic son hadn’t heard the news. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t care…..

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