I am reading an article entitled "Yair, Listen Up!" (Hamodia, 9/5/'13). I glean that Menachem Gesheid (self-confessed charedi journalist in Israel) was invited to a dinner at the President's Residence, attended by President Obama, that he found it too difficult to comply with the required dress code (to wear a tie) because of a flippant "WHAT DOES A GERRER CHASID UNDERSTAND ABOUT TIES?" (my caps); that he didn't even have one in his pocket just in case the rules should turn out to apply equally to him as to everyone else; and that in the end he had to be bailed out by the President of the State of Israel who donated one of his own ties to him, for the dinner and for all eternity.
What is so difficult about a tie that a Gerrer chosid cannot comprehend?
More to the point, who does this would-be 'chochom' think he is kidding? Was it against his principles to show respect both for his own government on the international scene and for President Obama that he had the gall to show up inappropriately dressed (even though he had been told in advance what to wear)?
And to laugh it off afterwards as being the oversight of a charedi yid who doesn't know his tie from his tefillin, as though the general public will see this as funny rather than pathetic, this is just too much for the likes of Mrs. Blogs. Because in the very same edition of Hamodia we were entertained by a Ruth Lichtenstein (do I know her?) with her "Open Letter to Neshot Hakotel" (p.B50) (not sure I would call this any kind of a letter but it got the pain off her chest I hope), clearly upset by the cheek of the Women of the Wall who, every Rosh Chodesh, conform to their values rather than to hers, at "the ultimate symbol of unity" (the kosel). Unlike the President though, who imposed his dress code on everybody he invited to his own Residence, the Women of the Wall do not impose their style of dress on all women who come to the kosel.
Nevertheless I think Mr. Gesheid should speak out loud and clear for the rights of people everywhere to dress in a way they feel at peace with themselves, be they charedim or Reform Jews or followers of the Rabbeinu Tam. He should raise the flag "Let us be true to ourselves as Gerrer Chasidim, American Women or whatever we identify with".
Let us all disrespect one another's values and all be equally patronising and arrogant about it, and may moshiach come speedily in our days.
