The 'Dosim' Project Two Years Later: Less Defense, More Initiative

What was established as a particularly militant body, whose fists hit mercilessly in every possible arena, has become somewhat more moderate over the past year in the eyes of the observer. The activities it has signed on are less loud, less aggressive, and sometimes, surprisingly, even smiling.

The 'Dosim Project' is the name of the initiative in question. To be transparent, when the project was established, I was fully involved in its course, and as it gained momentum, many good people took prestigious positions there, allowing me to leave. I still share the spirit and ideas developing among the project members. However, I wasn't confident in my feelings regarding the last year in Dosim because I wasn't particularly involved, so I turned to the veteran members, led by Shmuel Drillman, the founder and president of the project.

"About two years ago, the project was established by people who cared," says Drillman, and everyone nods in clear agreement. "With the advancement of technology and the quick hand on the trigger, we suddenly found ourselves on the front lines, attacked morning and night, usually without any wrongdoing on our part, and worse, without ways to cope."

Some said it was better to stay out of the dirty game played by the media and that silence was better than a response. But over the years, the situation deteriorated, and the Haredi public became a ball that was easy to play with on the field. Anyone could use it as they pleased. The Dosim group, mostly composed of anonymous people who did not wish to be exposed, decided they could no longer remain silent. "Is it because they have war tools that they can attack me when I'm not even on the field?" asks one of the members, a kollel avrech.

Then they mobilized. In the strangest ways they could gain access to the network, they did it, and began to arm themselves. They followed headlines on internet sites, responses on social networks, and harassment at workplaces, and began to return fire. And they had much to offer. Thus, in the first year, they were always ready, with headlines saying "Haredi stole," alongside headlines "40-year-old caught driving intoxicated," receiving bold opinion columns, extreme comparisons, and buzz across social media, showing Dosim was also in the arena. From now on, they could not be done as one pleased. "We are here on our personal time, and it's not redundant," says Eli, a project member. "We are all busy; some of us study all day, some are employees, and the independent members are also busy, and no one is bored. But they attack me, can I remain complacent?"

Nonetheless, there's an impression that the last year has been quieter. Am I wrong?

Eli doesn't think I'm wrong. "There are two reasons why Dosim became more moderate," he says. The first reason, in his opinion, is perhaps a necessary process of maturation. Like any young and dynamic social project, the more power you have, the less you need to use it. And this speaks volumes about the project.

The second reason, no less important, Eli explains: "We moved from prevention operations to initiative operations. At first, we were always engaged in prevention, always explaining why it wasn't right to categorize Haredim under the same category and why extremists who burn trash bins don't represent the view of the Torah." Then came the questions: 'So tell us what is?' We understood what isn't, the question is what is. And so they found themselves explaining and showing what is.

Memorial Candle BBQ on Memorial Day

It started at the million-man rally held against the conscription of yeshiva students to the IDF. Dosim wanted to express the love they feel towards Torah scholars but at the same time would not tolerate those quarrel-stirring people who, for example, launched the "Hardakim" campaign, calling to denounce Haredim serving in the IDF. "So we came out with a sticker, 'Love the IDF, hug the Torah scholars,' Eli recounts. "The Torah is important to us, and we will guard it with all our might, but in a gentle way, we clarified that we don’t think the IDF should be seen as a threat to it, quite the contrary!" adds Yair, another partner in the project.

Memorial Candle BBQ

On Purim, Dosim organized an unconventional activity. They mediated between soldiers wishing to send gift packages to yeshiva students in various places across the country. Also, during Operation Protective Edge, they sent packages, set up a tent, and collected names of soldiers for prayer. "The issue of conscription was always the most heated," explains Taylor. "Therefore, we had many activities on the matter. We wanted people to understand there are human beings here, and there’s understanding. Not flattery, but certainly empathy and identification. There is no hatred, there’s no distance, as some minorities try to present."

Still, regarding justice wars—they didn't lie idly by. When IDF Radio aired a program mocking Haredim for eating matzo balls and polluting the environment, project members arrived at the station's entrance with bowls full of fresh matzo balls, distributing them to passersby. The matzo ball protest was remembered for a long time...

On Memorial Day, in order to explain to the secular public that normative Haredim do not go out to BBQs in parks, as some tried to present, the members set up a memorial display in memory of the fallen, combined with a BBQ adorned with memorial candles.

"We certainly moved to calmer activities," Eli confirms. "We keep our finger on the pulse, constantly monitoring, developing, and we have various projects in the pipeline to promote the Haredi community in Israel. Today we can say we are calmer because we know we are on the map. Every writer, broadcaster, or comedian knows every word they say is counted, measured, and, if necessary, subject to a lawsuit in court, so they are more cautious. It’s no longer easy to produce biased headlines against our community, which raised its head and entered a battle not knowing how to face. We don't seek love, empathy, or even the acknowledgment that we are the best in the world. We seek balance and fairness. This is due to us, as human beings."