When I was growing up, I heard about a fantastic creature called the JAP. The JAP, or Jewish American Princess, lived a life that, to my mind, belonged to the world of Robin Leach. They lived in huge houses, drove fancy cars, wore designer clothes, had cleaning help, and planned weddings and bar mitzvahs for their children that were, to put it mildly, over the top. More importantly, they expected all of these luxuries. Being called a JAP was considered an insult in my family. Part of the reason I became Orthodox was a desire to get away from the JAP mentality. To my great disappointment, it was alive and kicking here.
However, the JAP mentality, the entitlement mentality, does not affect only the wealthy frum of Boro Park. It has also crossed a few continents to Israel (so I guess they would be JIPs?). Among those who throw things and scream at the less-than completely covered up, the entitlement mentality is alive and well. If I knock on your door, you WILL give me money. If I don't want to serve in the army because I'm too busy reading books, you WILL exempt me. If I want to have ten kids while continuing to read books all day, you WILL support my family. If I don't want to sit next to a woman, you WILL push them to the back. If the sight of a woman's picture offends me, you WILL blot it out. If I decide that your school building is in my neighborhood, you WILL vacate it. Or, just like the JAP, I will make your life a living hell. If you protest my treatment of you, I WILL drag you through the mud.
This is what happened in Israel over Motzaei Shabbos. The local thugs in payos don't like the way the media portrayed them? The Fourth Estate shows them to be the criminals they are? Even the Agudah is telling them to tone it down? Fine. They'll just protest in concentration camp garb and yellow stars, They'll dress their children like Holocaust victims. And they'll call the Israeli government Nazis. But, you see, that doesn't really work. See, playing the victim and pulling out the N-word against the officials of a Jewish-run state (many of whom had ancestors killed in the same Holocaust) doesn't really work. All it does it up the chillul Hashem factor, already at an all-time high, by about 100 decibels. And it shows the Israeli government the true nature of your entitlement mentality. And make no mistake. Even with your yarmulkes, you're still JAPs. And the rest of the world is getting fed up with you.
There is a simple term to describe JAP's and the fanatics in Israel: sense of entitlement
ReplyDeleteIt is built into human psychology that you do not value what you do not work for. The guy who works 8 days a week, 25 hours a day so his kids can have a comfortable life values every penny. The kids don't because it was just handed to them. The person who whinges the most about kiddush starting late is the person who has never missed a meal is his life.
This is the root cause of the JAP phenomenon - girls (and guys, don't kid yourselves) who were born into hard-earned luxury and came to see it as something they're entitled to.
It's the same with the Chareidi community in Israel. They have never really had to support themselves because the state always has, unconditionally. Therefore they have developed a sense of entitlement which means demanding support while vilifying the supporters without a thought that the ingratitude is wrong.