Day of the Bones instead Independence

B"H

This coming Tuesday, Israel is celebrating its 59th Independence Day. Then most Israelis go out into parks or to the beach and celebrate the day with barbecues. Most Israelis, but not all.
Every year we hear the same discussions why the haredim in the ultra - orthodox neighbourhood of Mea Shearim ignore the Independence Day. Not all of them but at least those belonging to the Edah HaCharedit such as Satmar, Dushinsky etc. For many chassidim it is just another normal workday. Especially Satmar and the Neturei Karta see the day as "The Day of the Bones" and as a day of mourning. The name "Day of the Bones" (Yom HaAzamot) is a play on the Hebrew words "Yom HaAzma'ut (Independence Day).

Mea Shearim has two groups not recognizing the present State of Israel: The Neturei Karta as well as the Edah HaCharedit. The Edah is an organization consisting of the chassidic groups Satmar, Toldot Aharon, Dushinsky and others. The Neturei Karta branch in Mea Shearim only consists of a few families living in and close to Beit Hungari backyard right at Mea Shearim Street. Their most famous activities took place in the fifties and sixties when their two charismatic Rabbis Amram Blau (Bloi) and Aharon Katzenellenbogen were in charge. Today as in the past, they are not an official member of the Edah HaCharedit but are being represented through the Satmarer chassidim.

According to the two groups, Israel can only exist when the time of the Meschiach has come. Anything else, as the present State today, is a Chilul HaShem (blasphemy). Israel could never be ruled by worldly law but only by Torah and Halachot. As long as Meschiach hasn't arrived, they mostly use the Yiddish language and not the Holy Tongue (Hebrew).
Neturei Karta, Toldot Aharon or Satmar do not use state - owned public transportation. They founded their own medical care systems and they refuse to receive any social benefit from the Israeli government. Instead rich chassidim from abroad, especially New York, support them financially.
It is not quite clear who represents the Neturei Karta in Mea Shearim today. Officially it is still Moshe Hirsch. However, there are rumours that he is suffering from the Alzheimer disease. Moshe Hirsch became famous when he served in Arafat's cabinet as a minister for Jewish affairs. Due to this job he became an outlaw in Israeli society.

Whoever walks through the streets of Mea Shearim on Independence Day will not find any Israeli flags hanging on buildings. There is absolutely no sign of a holiday. Life goes on as normal. 200 meter far away in Yaffa Road, people celebrate, but not so in the chassidic hood. Kids go to school and shops are open.

Personally I do not judge those people. We are a democracy and everyone can choose to celebrate or not. Once an acquaintance of mine, a chassidic woman from the Chatam Sofer group, asked me if I celebrate Independence Day. Our politicians are more than corrupt, the settlers are being thrown out of their homes and the economy is a mess. What reason is there to celebrate at all ? I told her that she is absolutely right but, however, after thousands of years in exile, the Jews finally have their own state. This is a reason to celebrate.