Clothes-shredding and Mezuzah- kissing: Israelis Urged to Go Religious to Stop Violence

We all know that in hard times, religious rituals offer comfort and community. And as Israelis feel increasingly fearful and alone as the wave of terror shows no signs of abating, it should come as no surprise that there is an uptick in those turning to Jewish practice to give them the strength to get through scary times.

From Israel’s political leaders, one expects to hear more level-headed solutions for keeping us safe.  And yet, in a new video, Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev promotes mezuzahs as one of the ways to keep people safe. In the  video, Regev is shown sitting in her Knesset office, her trademark huge Israeli flag in the background and a photo of the Baba Sali, the late Moroccan Sephardic rabbi and kabbalist believed to have been capable of performing miracles. Regev sings the praises of the mezuzah – the piece of parchment inscribed with Hebrew verses that Jews put on the doors of their homes.

“To me, a mezuzah means protection, preservation, that it is a Jewish home that the Lord is watching over,” says Regev.

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.681643