In Israel hate “blacks more than anywhere else. It’s not about skin color, and black hats, the lapserdaki, coats and sidelocks. They define themselves as haredim — the “God-fearing”. Others call them ultra-Orthodox. They say that they sit on the neck of the state, do not serve in the army and breed like rabbits. Everything is the way they say?
No longer exotic
When I was first in Israel in 2000, as a student, we decided to visit a very interesting quarter of Jerusalem — MEA Shearim. Told that there are ultra-Orthodox Jews who go to old-fashioned clothes, and on Saturdays are not allowed in the area of transport. At the entrance to the quarter in Hebrew, English and Russian were very crooked written appeal to tourists with an appeal not to disturb the peace of this part of the city and go there only dressed modestly. The quarter and its inhabitants in black and white clothes seemed exceptionally dark and inhospitable. A few years later when I was back in Jerusalem, I found that MEA Shearim has lost the uniqueness and exoticism. Not because its inhabitants have changed. Just hats, sidelocks, bathrobes and lapserdaki spread throughout the city. To block on Saturdays the road to them not driving the car, steel and in many other areas of the city.
Secular Jerusalemites complained that the city was “turning black”. After some time the “black” myself. And although I sometimes allow myself to go in jeans and my wardrobe is shirts are white only, however, about this strange society I’m more likely to say “we” than “they”.
At first it seems that all are dressed in uniforms, in fact there are many movements, currents, trends, religious groups, and so on. And each group “uniform” its own. Dress code is an important component of Israeli life. This applies not only haredim, but them in particular. “Toldos Aaron” — in striped robes, Vizhnitsa Chassidim — in a round hat, the Litvaks — in Italian suits and hats, Borsalino… who’s Who — you can tell by the clothes. Live, as a rule, is also compact. Pure “karetnyi” cities are considered to be Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit, Kiryat Sefer. In other places emerge and grow “black” neighborhoods.
“Are you from Russia? Come on! After all, Russians are not religious, they are realistic”, don’t believe the tattooed, long-haired cabbie. Before it was really so. Now there are entire neighborhoods populated predominantly “Russian” haredim. The most famous Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot.
The celebration of Purim in the Jerusalem neighborhood of MEA Shearim
Photo: Ammar Awad / Reuters
Communism without TV
Grandma sent from Peter’s grandson in Beitar colored hoodie with Superman. “Grandma, thank you, of course, great, only for me this shirt is from the header expelled,” says 10-year-old Yossi. School is the most effective tool of social influence. Technically, you are not forced to comply with the unwritten rules of the community, but if they don’t follow you — your children begin to look askance other parents: “And if it is safe to communicate with them our children? Not learn whether they do anything bad? Not if my transfer to another school, with stricter rules?” In these circumstances, the Director of the school is easier to “ask” someone out of the General masses than to reassure worried parents.
Children haredim dressed very modestly. Younger continue wearing things older. Often you can see children of different ages dressed in the same colors things, are children from the same family. They do not watch movies and cartoons, play computer games. The television in this society is strictly prohibited and is considered the most “toxic” subject of the secular world. If he will be at home, it will mean automatic exclusion of children from school, and with the owner of the blue screen just will not communicate. In a particularly simple communities also is a war against Internet and smartphones. But there’s more: these “blessings of civilization” many of you need to work. Those who do not can do without them, often establish a “kosher Internet”, which blocked all sites with the immodest pictures.
Despite all this “bigotry”, many haredim are actively working in hi-tech. How can this be possible if their schools teach almost exclusively religious subjects and secular schools they don’t learn? Get knowledge in special courses. Moreover, the program, which regular courses are held for three months, haredim have mastered two or three weeks. The habit of solving non-standard tasks, to look at the problem from different points of view produced in the process of studying the Talmud. Unlike many faiths, stimulating “simple, unsophisticated faith, the Jewish religion not only does not pursue, but, on the contrary, encourages tough questions, discussion and assertion checking logic. The Talmud is exactly this consists of. Known cases when great Torah sages just were driven from their lessons, the students who asked no questions and were all agree.
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Photo: Ronen Zvulun / Reuters
The study of the Torah — the main value in the world of haredim. Your weight in this society is not determined by the size of the Bank account, but by how you advanced in knowledge of the Talmud. For example, a young man, all the time devoting their studies and living on a very modest stipend yeshiva, is a more eligible bachelor than someone who works and, accordingly, are better off. A fairly common situation, when a family earns, the wife and the husband all the while learning in kollel (school for married men).
It is common to help each other. If you didn’t have anyone to leave the children — they will be looked after by the neighbours if you don’t have enough tableware, clothing, technology — share, lend, give, in the end. There is a huge amount of “grahov” mini-funds borrowed free of charge things. People organize them themselves. Boxes with things that you can take, to borrow and to return to the place, are right on the streets. There are monetary “gmake” where you can borrow without interest to lend at interest to Jews the Torah prohibits). Only monthly payments will be quite large compared to a Bank. On the other hand, the same neighbors care about your personal life — right down to what color your shoes and the tights in which goes to your wife. The dress code is very strictly followed.
Whether those who are leaving this regulated by many rules of society? There are, but they are few. Tzachi, who belonged to gorskim Hasidim, tried to leave religion and become secular Israelis simple. Parents are not turned away from him and kept in touch. After some time he returned to the way of life “observant” Jew. However, after departing from religion, he could not marry a girl from their community — and is now married to an immigrant from Russia (religious, of course). Although the wedding they celebrated in his community, settled among the more liberal of Chabad.
Crossed Herzl
My Rabbi living in Bnei Brak Rav on the street Shah. The street was named in honor of the great Rabbi who was born in 1894 in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, and died in 2001 here in Bnei Brak. Once the street carried the name of the founder of the world Zionist organization, Theodor Herzl, but residents have achieved a rename. On some houses still hang signs with the old name crossed out diagonally. It’s a kind of protest: “We do not recognize your ideology and your idols!”, “I don’t want
Most Haredi attitude towards the State of Israel and to the ideas of Zionism skeptical, wary, and sometimes hostile. It’s not just that Herzl wrote that would have called for Jews to be baptized, if that had delivered them from persecution. And not even the fact that the founders of the state were non-religious people are leftist. The main reason is that from the point of view of many religious authorities, the redemption, which Jews have long been waiting for, will come only with the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Creator himself has sent the Jews into exile, and He must return it. Only when will come the Messiah — king-Redeemer, then we will have created not just a Jewish state, arranged according to the laws of the Torah, but the Kingdom of justice all over the world. And the Zionist experiment is arbitrariness.
Especially irreconcilable to the Zionism of the flow (e.g., Samarskii Hasidim) disclaim that they are entitled to benefits, not wanting to take anything from the “wrong” state. However, it should be noted that those haredim who love to organize demonstrations in front of the cameras with Palestinian flags, among themselves as haredim are considered renegades. It is one thing to recognize the state, quite another to support the killers.
However, not all “observant” Jews deny the idea of the state. There are so-called religious Zionists. They do not go in black and white, wearing knitted skullcaps, and believe that if God allowed the state to appear — it’s meant to be, and this is the first step to deliverance. A “doserate” this state is our task. “Knitted” relate to Herzl and the founders of modern Israel favorably, despite the fact that they were totally secular people. With haredim “knitted kippot” also don’t get along. The main claim to the “black” — the attitude to service in the army.
Deserters
“Under the gun peysatyh parasites!” — such sounds regularly. This question is often put to election, politicians score points by promising to get finally haredim to serve. It’s main claim to them by Israeli society and the cause of acute criticism from the “knitted Kip who equate military service to religious precepts.
To the army in Israel, reverent attitude. The old lady getting on the bus, insisting that a group of soldiers passed in front of her, and does not tolerate objections. Cafe owner free feeds of guys in military uniform. Universally accepted a ride going home on leave soldiers on their machines, everything is on every corner they say “thank you”…
Among haredim, the opposite is true. If you went into the army, your status decreases. The best bride for this guy will not go. Moreover, many condemn it. Gareginom in the world there are groups that are actively dealing with conscription, putting up offensive posters and subjecting them to insults of the soldiers who went to serve. Why?
The fact that the army in Israel is not so much protection from the enemy (with this task successfully cope with the security services) as a tool of socialization. If you served — you are inscribed in Israeli society, you open all doors you own. This is what haredim do not want. It is crucial to stand apart, to not mingle with this society, which is based on different values.
Photo: Baz Ratner / Reuters
When haredim blamed for the fact that they refuse to defend the country, they argue that defending is not tanks and guns, and the protection of the Almighty. Secular citizens, in violation of the commandments, as if to disclaim His defense, endangering the whole nation. Thus, it is not we, but they are the deserters.
However in recent time to serve is more “black” boys. Of course, they serve not in the usual, and in specially created for them “cherednyk” parts, where stricter rules of kashrut and no women. But if went before the army obaldui, not able to study in yeshiva, but now are not only the worst but also average students. Religious schools can no longer accept so many people.
In front
“Well, where is your Messiah?” — sarcastically throwing me a bald old man in shorts, reacting to my black pile and a white shirt. I go through hostile territory — the city of tel Aviv. Here are almost no religious. Around cozy public gardens, next to the beautiful Hayarkon Park, situated along the eponymous river. Here and there athletically folded men and women run: the sport of fashion.
My wife and children we go to a cafe. “Non-kosher here!” — warns the guy behind the bar. Go to another — the same. The third, fourth… In the next ask the owner to produce the certificate of kashrut. “Well, in General, we have nothing non-kosher is not here, but we are working on Saturdays”. For us, this means that there is not: to support the violation of the Sabbath the Jews banned their money. In the next place under the sign says “kosher”. And on Saturdays they do not work. But here’s the thing: this is the certificate of the chief Rabbinate of Israel, which is considered to be not strict enough. In Israel, many organizations that certify kosher food products, cafes and restaurants. But among haredim have taken to buy food and eat in establishments certified to the most corrosive and meticulous organizations.
Preparation of matzah
Photo: Nir Elias / Reuters
In one of the beautiful tel Aviv streets to suit us smiling and seems to be modestly dressed girls handing out flyers. Get a grasp of the text, I understand that this is some kind of allohistorical sect. Sometimes Windows hang rainbow flags of the LGBT community. After a long walk on enemy territory, we’re going back to — in the “black ghetto,” where all is not as aesthetically pleasing, but it is possible to eat, to go to public prayer or lesson of the Talmud. There is always kids running around. There is life.
Rabbits
I am in Moscow with their three children are considered to be large parent. This status allows me free to drive children in a kindergarten of the Jewish state, which provided kashrut, I enjoy free travel on the transport, and if I had a car — I was supposed to be free Parking on municipal Parking lots. At the milk kitchen at the children’s clinic give us milk and dairy products — not all of it kosher, but you can barter for what we need. Once a month we can go to museums, exhibitions, plus all sorts of discounts for large families, plus a small allowance in the first 1.5 years after birth. There is still the parent capital…
While the surrounding strongly praised us for what we in our dysfunctional country in such a difficult time dare to bear and raise as many as three children. Our friends in Israel, in which four, five, six children, and all are considered heroes-crazy.
Photo: Nir Elias / Reuters
My Rabbi’s 13 children, and for Haredi families it is the norm. Of social benefits to such parent benefit relies only 700 shekels (about $ 185), despite the fact that only a kindergarten takes more than 1,000 shekels. From secular Israelis to hear about the following: “These religious fanatics specifically breed like rabbits to pull out of the state benefits and not to work.”
Even with my social benefits I can say that the education of children it is possible to extract material benefits. Benefits life easier, but they are not comparable with the expenses, and in Israel — especially.
A la guerre comme a la guerre
Going to the airport in the Shuttle bus taking passengers from different addresses. At one of the stops waiting for passengers for too long. Finally comes a middle-aged man in the clothes of a Hasid Vyzhnytsya. Everything from the driver and ending tanned full woman, hastened to make his point, prestigiu for hypocrisy: “How can you be religious, just make people wait?!” Just like in the Soviet tram — “And still wearing a hat!” It goes: “Yes you attacked me just because I’m Haredi! And you, the driver, I’ll report it to your firm!” Formally, the wrong man: too late, he arrested all. On the other hand, if he weren’t “black,” the intensity of the disturbance would be much weaker.
The war between the haredim and the rest of the Israeli society (consisting of secular, traditional, knitted…) is felt more acutely. Everyone complains about “the dominance of black”: now in the shabby close the cheder children learning more than in a spacious computerized secular schools. Because of the high cost of apartments in the traditionally “cherednyk” cities, Orthodox Jews are gradually moving into other areas. Thus, the “blacken” the settlements are still considered secular.
Under their preferences gradually adjust to the shops, restaurants and other infrastructure. When a national airline “El al” tried to make flights on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, the Haredi leaders announced a boycott of the company: no member of any of the ultra-Orthodox communities aircraft “El al didn’t fly — the instructions of the rabbis will be strictly followed. As a result of the airline had to return to the old schedule.
It’s hard to say what strange shapes can take on Israeli society during this quiet war. Haredim are increasingly part of Israeli life, changing the face of the country, but unbeknownst to themselves are changing. One thing is clear: the “enemy” can no longer pretend not to notice each other at least because of the rapidly growing number of “black” people in the country.
