A Life Under Haredi Terror

"When I moved to Beit Shemesh 13 years ago with my family, we joined a warm, embracing community that was part of a culturally diverse city. Unfortunately, this diversity reared an uglier side…when religious extremists began threatening, harassing and attacking women in public.…the violence and harassment worsened to the point that they could no longer be ignored.…I was hit in the head by a rock thrown by an ultra-Orthodox man, religious extremists tried to lay siege to my daughter's [Zionist Orthodox grade] school and began a campaign of harassing and threatening our young [grade school] girls.…"

Nili Philipp writes in Israel HaYom:

When I moved to Beit Shemesh 13 years ago with my family, we joined a warm, embracing community that was part of a culturally diverse city. Unfortunately, this diversity reared an uglier side…when religious extremists began threatening, harassing and attacking women in public.…the violence and harassment worsened to the point that they could no longer be ignored.…I was hit in the head by a rock thrown by an ultra-Orthodox man, religious extremists tried to lay siege to my daughter's [Zionist Orthodox grade] school and began a campaign of harassing and threatening our young [grade school] girls.

Over the next several months, two women were attacked by mobs of ultra-Orthodox men armed with rocks, sticks and bleach. These violations were exacerbated by an inept and complicit municipality [the mayor is haredi] that has yet to confront the extremists and rein them in, leading me and several other women to sue the city over their failure to remove several large, illegal and discriminatory signs mandating women's dress in public, in some cases even purporting to dictate on which sidewalks we may walk.…

This year's Beit Shemesh Jane's Walk, to be held on Friday, May 3, will feature the city's cultural story, past, present, and future, with the view that the correlation between women's civil rights violations and neglect of our cultural institutions isn't coincidental.…

Most of the city's residents aren't even aware that Beit Shemesh once had a cinema, or that we have a reputable Andalusian orchestra, or that there are several active theater companies in town. Our walk will include a visit to the Beit Shemesh Conservatory, a neglected, underfunded institution that nonetheless produces outstanding, award-winning graduates every year. We'll pass by the concert hall that hosts our classical chamber concert series bringing internationally renowned ensembles such as the Equinox Trio and Yuval Quartet to town.

We'll also visit "The Pit," our cultural center whose construction has been delayed for years due to opposition by extremists who want the land for their own purposes, aptly mirroring the clash of values in Beit Shemesh. This morass has cost our city tens of millions of shekels, funds that should be promoting and nurturing artistic expression but are instead squandered by our dysfunctional city hall.

Directly across the street, our final stop will be a local community center that provides classes and mentoring to hundreds of students of the arts, from visual art to music, dance, theater, and more. There, at the entrance to the building, on the steps overlooking The Pit, we'll hear a live performance by Ben Hashmashot ("Twilight"), an all girls' choir. The juxtaposition of the girls' voices opposite the suspended void representing our cultural center summarizes where we stand today, and yet this is the best answer we have to the extremists who are trying to destroy our city.

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Ex-Cons Shocked That Sex Offender Who Served Time For Child Rape And Incest Is Now A Hasidic Rebbe

Comments

[Jeff]

I thought that young Modern Orthodox guy was going to fix everything. [/sarcasm]

I think it's time for a little mob justice. At the risk of sounding like a stock character in a bad movie - fear is all they understand. Rise up. Take back your city.

[ruthie]

THIS EXACTLY THIS PUNKT THIS...
is what bothers me.
this is NOT YIDDISHKEIT.
THIS IS A CULT
true yiddishkeit is gentle and kind.
compassionate....one of the things that makes us a jew.
COMPASSION.

[Alter Kocker]

The cult members need to be identified and arrested. They do not want the victims retaliating as the streets of Beit Shemesh will run red with Haredi blood. I agree with Jeff, a mob of victims armed with knives and rocks. The riot will leave many of the cult members without fingers, hands, eyes, noses and.... It will be justice for the indignities heaped on the victims by these animals. Fear is all they understand. A few amputations will scare them back to their yeshivas to lick their wounds.

[I can't think of a name yet]

Yaakov, I also had to leave when the blacks moved in and made my beautiful compassionate and friendly community into a gang-infested degenerate ghetto.

I stuck it out, I really love blacks. But even I was forced to leave when the gangsters started shooting each other. (if it was only throwing stones like in bet shemesh, I probably would have stayed)

[jancsibacsi]

Alter Kocker ---Violence is the only thing they understand,as a child i grew up among them went to heder and i never ever forget the fear everyday for years our teacher rebbe had a stick many stick whenever we were not fast enough to understand what he taught he just hit us mercilessly he has absolutly no mercy ,even out older shohet was violent one yom kippur he was the bal tefilah i was sitting next to my father i was 10 years old he turned around from his leading the congregation and in front of the whole synagougue came towards me without saying a word picks me up and throws me down with all his might i could not stand up they had to carry me out to see if my back was not broken i was just sitting quietly next to my father did nothing to deserve it i asked my father 45 years later why he didnt defend me he said he could not fight him on yom kippur this shohet and moel was in his 60 s my father was in his 30 s this same shohet and moel foldled me in the mikva same time this happned wround that time he had a shtreimel was the leader in our town in europe,i am writing all this because you guys are right on theese hassidim understand only extreeme violence they regressed back to an animal stage they are despicable vile bunch of beasts,i wish someone would break some of their bones beat them up .

[Bas Melech]

As jamsci says violence is the only thing they understand. They use it to control themselves and others. it is not Judaism.
Judaism is what Ruthie writes, COMPASSION.

We authentic Jews represent a minority that unfortunately have to depend on the charlatan charedi cult for services (kosher food, etc.) Many of us long for the days when a Jew was just a Jew.

Force and violence may attract young zealots, but not us older people who now realize belatedly that they've veered from the religion of their fathers.

[emmy weiss]

More a society has strict rules, more is the punishment for one to desobey and more thsi society sooner or later commits inhuman atrocities : In Germany in the thirties youth were brougth up that way and we know what then , they were able to do ! This kind of groups have no normal pressure outlets : sports or multi-cultural-artistic expressions to let the steam goes...Everything in their world must be under control, they are all under collectiv neurosis. The worst are the ones who are not neurotics and don't move a finger to stop this crazyness. The feared father not protecting his own molested son, the fear of mothers to loose their little ones or the fear of not getting a good shiddur for her eldest. They live under a sick stress and spray their frustrations around any outsiders.When I think that they live thanks to the Israeli gvrnmt it makes me feel as vomiting, theyhave no dignity whatsoever. Jewish life is love, compassion and pride but these people have only sick egos.

[FF]

It is not a cult anymore but a bunch of mishgneh,women haters.It is just a gang that obey very well the gang leaders.a health sexual life would do the trick perhaps.

[jancsibacsi]

FF--You cannot have a healthy sexual life without a healthy upbringing.

[ah-pee-chorus]

+++true yiddishkeit is gentle and kind.
compassionate....one of the things that makes us a jew.
COMPASSION.

Posted by: ruthie+++

+++Judaism is what Ruthie writes, COMPASSION.Posted by: Bas Melech+++

ruthie and bas melech-

it would be nice if it were true. unfortunately theres more to it. the problem is that the torah contains parts which exhibit some level of compassion and kindness and other parts which command just the opposite.
the author(s) was of many minds at different times. once you accept that god wrote it, it becomes necessary to follow its teachings. but which ones? the parts which urge you to give charity or the parts which demand you kill homosexuals and sabbath defilers? or that you may buy and sell humans as slaves ? because theres nothing compassionate about that.
so to say that judaism is about compassion is as accurate or inaccurate as saying that judaism is about being intolerant and evil. like every religion, its bible is open to interpretation which is what makes it so dangerous. charedim just choose to emphasize different attributes of god than you would like. and while i despise charedism it is no less "judaism" than the compassionate side.

[Alter Kocker]

Jancs:
I too had a cheder forced on me, after regular school. I was always a big kid. Plus, I had very few Jewish friends, most of my buddies were Irish or Italian. So the first time I was "educated", I took it. My friends told me that they would not take it, so the next time I got hit, I stood up and kicked the son-of-a-bitch in the nuts. When he went down, the street smarts kicked in and I continued to kick in the same spot. After being hauled down to the principal's office, my dad arrived. I told him that the teacher hit me with a stick. He asked if I put the teacher down, which I confirmed. The principal was horrified and called us both goyim. At that point my Dad pulled me out, and said to the principal that if he ever used that word again, he would be shitting his teeth out for a week. Suffice that I was expelled. I learned my bar-mitzvah from a tutor. I also learned that violence without retribution gives the violator license to continue. These filthy pigs need a lesson. A few bloodied faces will do them all a world of good.

[Joe Field]

Posted by: jancsibacsi | April 30, 2013 at 11:25 AM

It sounds that this guy threw you down, because he blamed you, for him molesting you. In his creepy mind; you and only you are to be blamed that he had desires that he couldn’t control.

[jancsibacsi]

Alter Kocker-We come from different worlds i lived in a communist country where life was much more dictatorial besides i was 11 years old when i left so even if i wanted i could not beat or hit my teacher he would beat me into a pulp, my father was sort of also afraid to come to my rescue in a way it was similar to north korea where fear is the ultimate weapon no one dared to confront those in position of authority, here in usa you had choices other schools not there we only had one jewish heder i went to publick school in the morning and afternoon to heder or sometimes vice verse

[Sarek]

Hey, with the way the Hasidic women have to cover up, the men have to get their rocks off somehow. So they throw them.

[ruthie]

e parts which demand you kill homosexuals and sabbath defilers? or that you may buy and sell humans as slaves ? because theres nothing compassionate about that.
so to say that judaism is about compassion is as accurate or inaccurate as saying that judaism is about being intolerant and evil. like every religion, its bible is open to interpretation which is what makes it so dangerous. charedim just choose to emphasize different attributes of god than you would like. and while i despise charedism it is no less "judaism" than the compassionate side.

Posted by: ah-pee-chorus | April 30, 2013 at 01:03 PM

wait! WHAT!!!!!!? omg kill shabbos defilers and buy and sell slaves....
wait! WHAT?

[ruthie]

who said kill homosexuals, sabbath difilers, buy and sell slaves...
is this, like, the chofetz chaim, or wait WHAT!!!!
who wrote this.
it can't be g-d. (torah)
is this the part where people added on to it?

[ruthie]

jancsibacsi,

i send you a hug

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

"[...] we joined a warm, embracing community that was part of a culturally diverse city."

Stop whining, it's still culturally diverse. It's filled with people with the same השקפות as the Taliban and the ayatollahs of Iran.

[jancsibacsi]

Joe Field -Recently i thought about that that its me that made him do it well this is exactly how they think you see that today with all whats going on with them,--- thanks ruthie

[Isa]

Alter Knocker:
That is funny!

kicks the teachers nuts!

We sent out daughter to some 'kung foo' class [I forgot the real name] some punks were bothering her and a friend on the school bus-then she went at them.

She never was bothered much by bullies in school cause she fought back immediately

[Joe Field]

Posted by: jancsibacsi | April 30, 2013 at 02:26 PM

If I may expend on my Dvar Torah, we learn that Abraham the Patriarchs smashed his father’s Terah's idols. The same with this dickhead, it was Yom Kippur and he wanted to repent what better way than to destroy the idol (kid) who is at fault if you were not young and reasonably good-looking he would not sin.

I swear to you that I am not joking; I know this is possible, sick and deviant people will blame anybody, but themselves.

[jancsibacsi]

Joe Field--I agree with you 100 per cent you explained it very good,this is how they justify anything and everything,they are their own god thats what it amounts to.

[jancsibacsi]

Joe Field--I wrote here about this shohet and moel many times he was the one that the first time i saw an mbp performed at the age of 9 i will never forget i was like could not beleive my eyes i was shaking when i saw it, i am sure it was done on me also since i lived near satmer you know what i mean i dont know how he made it through the holocaust since most my grandfathers age were killed, recently i met a person on skype a jewish guy who still lives near the town i lived he told me that he knew this shohet went to teach to his town in 1962 taught kids my age can you beleive it after 48 years i found out.

[ah-pee-chorus]

ruthie-

""If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13""

Death for Adultery
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10

Kill Nonbelievers
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13

Kill the Entire Town if One Person Worships Another God
Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him." (Deuteronomy 13:13-19

Kill Women Who Are Not Virgins On Their Wedding Night
But if this charge is true (that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21

Kill People for Working on the Sabbath
The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: 'Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.' (Exodus 31:12-15

not so nice and compassionate, right?

[Jeff]

Guys, amputation is going too far, but I think a few bruises wouldn't go amiss.

"The principal was horrified and called us both goyim."

Naturally. You don't submit to their authority, they pull out the most derogatory term they know.

A few months ago, I recalled the time a Haredi guy came here and said, "Instead of criticizing us, why don't you try to help us to change?" I mentioned that I felt ashamed for not manifesting more compassion. I still feel that way - but they make it very hard.

It's a toxic, pathological way of life, a form of child abuse that should no longer be allowed to continue. Help those who wish to get out to do so. Those who are irreparably damaged, like the shit-for-brains trolls who post their drivel here - take away their children, wall them up in their ghettos, make sure they have the ingredients for all the cholent they will ever need and throw away the key.

[seymour]

and do not forget how it waged war kill every many woman child and animals

[S M L]

"..not so nice and compassionate, right?
Posted by: ah-pee-chorus | April 30, 2013 at 04:07 PM..."

That's not how Judaism evolved, though, at least not in civilized places. It's certainly not anything like what I was taught as a child and in fairness the Jews among whom I lived were for the most part decent family people and the Rabbis were not wild-eyed fundamentalist maniacs, although the one that married my wife and me became one (Abraham Hecht), a never-ending source of wonderment to me.

I venture to say that Ruthie's view of what Judaism should be and what it means to her is close to the mark for most non-Haredi Jews. Cherish the children, become educated, be active members of the larger community, act normally. live and let live.

[ruthie]

shabbos- cannot work TOTALLY AGREE
but if i want to drive to nordstrom and get my eyebrows done...
that's not working.
and don't give me car spiel.

adultery- lol
made a mistake; too lazy to get a divorce
so it's not adultery; it's just a piece of paper

and hey how many baal tshuvas are not virgins when they get married. i have a friend here....she told me she had 3 abortions
while she was a teenager in california.

i said jews should be compassionate....i didn't say g-d...
not after the holocaust. but i think i still like him. have to, don't i. i just think if he's the ultimate being he MUST have the ultimate
sense of understanding. or the ultimate sense of humor.

i call bullshit. men wrote this. g-d is too smart.
so back to shabbos-not working...absolutely...but if my friend in israel wants to take his family to the park on shabbos....c'mon

[ruthie]

I venture to say that Ruthie's view of what Judaism should be and what it means to her is close to the mark for most non-Haredi Jews. Cherish the children, become educated, be active members of the larger community, act normally. live and let live.

Posted by: S M L | April 30, 2013 at 06:38 PM

S M L

thank you

[ah-pee-chorus]

S M L and ruthie-

I agree that most non-charedim try to ascribe compassionate and community oriented ideals to judaism. but it is necessary to point out that
very opposite conclusions can fairly be drawn from the torah which is after all the source document for judaism. therefore one cant claim that the charedi positions of using force, terror and threats to compel their own kind and other jews to follow their interpretation isnt judaism. its a judaism for which there is a solid foundation and which follows parts of the bible quite fundamentally.
much the same is found in the islamic world. there are those that act very islamic by following the hadiths of the koran which call for killing infidels while other moderates insist the koran prohibits such actions. theyre both right. neither side can fairly be said to have a monopoly on what it means to be a good muslim.
and yes, ruthie, i agree that a kind and just god couldnt possibly have authored the torah.

[Joe Field]

S M L, Ruthie, and likeminded people, I do not need to regurgitate what ah-pee-chorus so eloquently wrote, the fact is that the foundation of Judaism is the Torah. Based on the laws promulgated by anyone who circumscribe to the Torah laws, they are of the view that it was given by HaShem and therefore it must be adhered to.

Being somewhat observant is just a good emotional escape, for the weak-minded. Do not fool yourself for even one second, as far I am concerned every organized religion has blood on its hands, and in today’s world we have religious groups trying as hard as possible to sanitize their religious views. The purpose is not to bring people closers to God, plain and simple it is a business, as the military industrial complex, or correctional industrial complex, it is all about money and power.

[Billy Ben Utamid]

Joe Field:

על שלושה דברים העולם עומד,
על התורה, על העבודה, ועל גמילות החסדים

On three things stands the world: On Torah, on work, and on acts of lovingkindness.

And according to Hillel, the whole Torah can be summarized as "What is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbor. All the rest is commentary. Now go and study."

So, work and acts of lovingkindness are as foundational as Torah, and Torah itself is an extended commentary on the Golden Rule.