Letter from Tel Aviv: Haredim Are Returning Israel To The Middle Ages

In a country established on the principle of integrating Jews from all over the world, the ultra-Orthodox have become a leading force behind racism and division.

The ultra-Orthodox are returning Israel to the middle ages

In a country established on the principle of integrating Jews from all over the world, the ultra-Orthodox have become a leading force behind racism and division in Israeli society.

By Yoel Marcus • Ha'aretz

From week to week, month to month, and year to year, our situation is getting bleaker. They do what their rabbinical leader tells them to do. They don't recognize the authority of the state, or its institutions or laws, aside that which is related to the government's coffers.

They don't recognize the national anthem or the Israeli flag. They don't recognize methods of birth control, and instead fulfill the religious commandment of being fruitful. They educate their offspring to hate the state.

In a country established on the principle of integrating Jews from all over the world - which succeeded rather well in terms of the secular society - the ultra-Orthodox have become a leading force behind racism and division in Israeli society.

When former Sephardi chief rabbi and Shas spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef - whose children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have studied and continue to study at Ashkenazi educational institutions - calls for the Sephardi public to send their children exclusively to Sephardi institutions, he is sowing the seeds of racism. And his reasoning is that anyone who studies at an Ashkenazi school "will have an Ashkenazi mind."

For a country working to bring Jews from around the world together, the Haredim are taking us back to the Middle Ages. "Racism" of this kind has almost entirely disappeared within the secular community. A huge number of "mixed" marriages are seen throughout the country, with the question of which community the bride or groom is from almost a thing of the past - or at least on the path to extinction.

Haredi racism is an abscess on Israeli society that needs to be removed as soon as possible. As it appears impossible to solve, and as if it's only getting worse, I am left with no other way to put an end to this other than reference to a poem by the German poet Heinrich Heine: "Rabbi Yehuda, a man of Navarre, and a Franciscan father by the name of Jose, in Toledo stand before Don Pedro (known as "the cruel" ) and beside him his wife Donna Blanca, on the question of whose God is greater. At the end of the debate, Don Pedro asks his wife for advice. I don't know who is right, she said, putting her hand on her forehead in thought and saying, 'But if the rabbi and the priest could both move back a little; both of them stink.'"

Comments

[Dr. Dave]

Jews have always been our own worst enemies.

We are taught that we are in exile due to the extreme causeless hatred we showed one another 2000 years ago. Now that we are back in the land we are showing the same behavior.

Uncontrolled anger is likened to idol worship in Jewish tradition. I pray that the land does not "vomit us forth" once again in response to our actions.

[David]

The writer is being generous by saying these pretend-Jews are return us to the Middle Ages. Charedim are FAR more primitive than that.

[Yochanan Lavie]

David is correct. The Middle Ages brought us the university system, Gothic architecture, and Aristotlean philosophy. The Dark Ages is (just after the fall of Rome)is a more appropriate metaphor.

[chief doofis]

Many very pious Jews were well versed in secular knowledge (obviously, within constraints of what was available at the time). The new "Haredi" style, totally denigrates all secular knowledge.

If they were a majority, there would be no chillul Shabbat, no pig farms, and no gay demonstrations. There will also be no Medical Schools, no engineering improvements, no improvements in drugs, buildings, communications, etc. Broadcasting a shiur on the radio, or selling cd's with Torah lectures on them, are improvements that were used by Haredim, but created by the secular world. There is a middle path, they are not taking it!

[Modi]

Anyone who thinks they can seperate what is happening now from the utter farce that religious judaism is -- and always has been -- needs a brain surgeon fast.

[Raphael Kaufman]

And not just to the Middle Ages, but to a mythological Middle Age that never actually existed.

[Raphael Kaufman]

An interesting haorah to this thread can be found in the July/August issue of the magazine, Archaeology published by the Archaeological Institute of America. The article is entitled "Rewriting Jewish History" and deals with Jewish life in France and the Rhine valley in the early Middle Ages (about the time of Rashi).
The upshot of the article is that, prior to the Crusades, Jews were fairly well integrated into Christian society and culture. This is clearly not the Middle Ages that Chareidim (a cult with a superficial resemblance to Torah Judaism)want to return to.

[Althelion]

Thanks for the article reference Raphael.

It is my contention that modern day hasidism has created a largely ficticious history of Jewish culture that bears scant resemblance to how Jews actually lived in the past. First and foremost, most of the Jews in the shtetls and ghettos of Europe were poor. Those folks didn't have the luxury of expending their time and energy on observing arcane customs and rituals. Those folks spent most of their daily efforts to provide for their families and themselves. Secondly, the Yiddin of Europe had no government-sponsored social welfare program to create a safety net. The hasidim in Israel and America know the system and utilize it to their advantage in supporting their chosen lifestyle. Without government support, the hasidic lifestyle would have to adapt or perish.

The real commonality between ashkenazi and sephardic haredim is their messianism. They follow their leaders and live ritualistic lives as they wait for the arrival of moshiach. Anyday now. Anyday now. Anyday now.

[Dave]

The real problem in my opinion is mysticism, kabbalah and the like. It has been equal opportunity b.s. (started by Sephardim, continued by Ashkenazim)and is a very sad, a perversion of true Judaism and the Torah.

[Althelion]

I agree Dave. The hasids are peddling glatt kosher snake oil. Superstition wrapped up in customs and rituals.

[A. Nuran]

Dave, it's not even mysticism. Buddhist mysticism doesn't lead to this sort of insanity. Sufis are over-represented among the intellectuals and scientists in the Muslim world.

It's cultic totalitarianism that leads to, well, cultic tyranny. Both Litvish and Chassidic Charedism are totalitarian cults.

[Dave]

Althelion, thanks.
A.Nuran, you have a point.
However, I prefer Litvish charedism since at least they claim to be rational.
I attend an MO synagogue where many congregants, being originally from South Africa, are of Litvish origin, and they seem reasonable.

[jay]

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/yossi-sarid-the-great-haredi-rebellion-is-raging-on-several-fronts-1.296631

[danny]

For me, it all boils down to which way you are facing.

Are you constantly looking to the past, for dead sages to guide you?

Or are you facing forward into the future, trying to utilize knowledge of history along with wisdom and understanding to propel all the world forward?

[Jeff Eyges]

An interesting haorah to this thread can be found in the July/August issue of the magazine, Archaeology published by the Archaeological Institute of America. The article is entitled "Rewriting Jewish History" and deals with Jewish life in France and the Rhine valley in the early Middle Ages (about the time of Rashi).

Raphael, who is the author? Archeology Magazine online indexes by author and keyword, and I couldn't find the article.