That is, military uniform. Critics of Chabad often point to its history of evading the Russian and Soviet drafts. If you were a religious Jew, would you join such an army? If you were looking forward to intimidation, humilitation, forced beard shaving, and sometimes forced converison, then yes.

In Israel, the stereotype of hasidim as draft-dodgers remains difficult to shake off. With many hasidim openly opposed to Zionism, the stereotype has some truth in it. Chabad stood apart. In the crucial formative years of the Zionist state, some Chabadniks traded their black hats for steel helmets. Their rebbe, Menachem Mendel Shneerson zt''l openly prayed for Israel's victory against the Arab invaders.


When there was no combat, they fought on the spiritual front, laying tefilin on their less-observant comrades, strengthening the Jewish identity of the nascent Jewish state.

Some drivers personalize their cars with rims, spoilers, and enhanced audio equipment. I do not care for such silly and costly modifications. Instead, I personalize my car with political bumper stickers.

For the past two years, the "Ha Am Im Gush Katif" sticker let any driver [who can read Hebrew] know that this driver supports the settlers, even though he is safely living in America. Even after Gush Katif was wiped off the maps, the sticker stayed on as an anachronism. A sign of a lost struggle.

I can only imagine the other drivers thinking, "this guy's hopeless" or "here's a lost cause." In a way, the sticker was a symbol of self-deprecation. I knew the battle was lost, but I kept the sticker anyway. Two years of new York's dramatic weather did the sticker in.

If the 2005 Gaza withdrawal taught me anything, it's that protests were useless. 250,000 people protested, and it didn't do jack! The current prime minister of Israel is proposing on re-dividing Jerusalem next month. I'm not even gonna bother protesting anymore.

At this point, the most effective methods are either physically blocking the expulsion or sending money for electoral campaigns and court battles against expulsions. Here in the US, few people go out to protest in the streets. Any group with a view has a lobbyist and lawyer as representatives. The former tries to persuade elected officials to see things its way, while the latter tries do do the same in the courts. And it works.  

As for the bumper sticker, expect a new sticker in the near future. If you recommend any causes, let me know.