Rosh HaShana is just around the corner and maybe I should concentrate on more positive issues instead of disturbing society matters. Maybe I should rather write about "Teshuva - the return to G - d)" or other related issues because on Rosh HaShana, G - d is going to judge the whole world. And despite all celebrations and good food, Rosh HaShana is actually a very serious holiday.
Nevertheless, there are society problems and many issues have to be mentioned. Of course, some people would prefer not to talk about it and just keep quiet. I am not that type of person although there is a danger that outsiders may get the wrong impression about haredi society. Unfortunately, a minority always has a potential to destroy the reputation of everyone else. Especially in Israel where the secular press just loves to jump on the religious.
The Online Maganize Ynet published an article again dealing with the important subject "Haredim and Internet pornography".
A religious female student of the Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan described the following situation:
She (the student) couldn't fall asleep and decided to walk over to the computer room on the campus. Most computers were occupied by male Haredim and first the student thought that they were studying something. After a closer look, however, she realized that all Haredim were surfing through pornographic sites.
The student was shocked and went to the press in order to make it public. The right step in my eyes, as it is high time that everyone starts noticing the problem, and not only the Yeshiva world or the modesty police (Mishmeret HaZniut).
It is a disgrace for the Yeshiva world what has been going on for some time. Married and single Haredim storm into public libraries in order to satisfy their sexual desires. Secret gay haredim and heterosexuals, singles or married men, everybody is hanging around. Once they are sitting in front of a computer, they forget about shame and people sitting next to them. The Streimel is being put aside and instead, naked women show up on the screen.
Internet Cafes are too expensive and thus the Haredim discovered the libraries. Here they spend hours staring at naked breasts or naked male body parts.
Apparently Yeshivot and Rabbis are helpless. There are warnings and decrees (from the Gerrer Rebbe) but this doesn't help. The Yetzer seems to be too strong. Those Haredim don't get to the computer with a positive intention; no, the only reason they surf is to get to pornographic websites. Who cares about Torah and religious sites ? Just Type "sex" into Google and all your desires will be satisfied.
It can happen that the librarians discover those sex fanatics and throw them out. But there is nothing to worry about, as there are plenty of other Internet places. And if non of them is available, there are still the real prostitutes.
As soon as I see a haredi guy walking into the National Library in Jerusalem without any bag, paper or pen, I know exactly what he is up to. Sitting in front of a computer, looking carefully to the left and to the right, and then getting to Google in order to find pleasure. You should see the looks on their faces while they are surfing through pornography. One should take a picture of those faces and show them to their potential Shidduch or wife.
Apropos wife, I feel very sorry for those haredi wives who think that their dear husband went to the Beit Midrash.
Well, in a way this is true but do we speak about a different kind of virtual Beit Midrash.
Where are the modesty police, the rabbis and the Gerrer Rebbe ?
Just send them to the public libraries and they will be surprised about who they are going to meet.
The question is... are these a few bad eggs, or is this an epidemic? Public shaming does work and should be employed. If your caught looking at this stuff in a Public Library, you should be given a warning, if you're caught again, you're banned.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is perfect example of why rabbis created legal fences. Most of us don't have the wherewithal to walk away from that which is forbidden.
B"H
ReplyDeleteTo me it sometimes looks like an epidemic. The Internet Cafe in Jaffa Road has been packed for years. The two owners were even asked by the Haredim to set up Mechitzot (wooden walls between the computers). Until 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning, many Haredim are walking in and out. Not everyone watches pornography but TV - shows, soccer, movies or the news. The most popular websites among Israeli Haredim are forums.
When I see Haredim watching porno sites at the National Library, I seriously ask myself if I shouldn't scream out: "Wow, your are looking at naked woman !"
So that a hundred people can hear it. This will help. At least for some times, as those guys always find another spot.
I don't know the situation in Israel, but if you only knew the situation in New York with chassidim and prostitutes, it's beyond what you would believe. Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it. Sadomasochism is a very big issue, as well. How do I know so well? Before I was religious I studied German for six years. My German teachers often told of the countless calls they got from chassidim. A chosid would show up, and offer a certain amount of money for sadomasochistic acts to be performed on them by this German woman. It gets worse, but I will limit it to that.
ReplyDeleteYisroel
B"H
ReplyDeleteHi Yisroel,
A friend of mine told me about New York yesterday.
What I don't understand is how those Haredim looking at pornographic pictures are able to sit at the National Library with thousands of Sifrei Kodesh around them. There are countless Torah and Talmud editions as well as Kabbalah and anything you want. Just a few meters far away they sit in front of a computer and surf through I don't know what sites.
How is that possible ?
If I came to Mea Shearim in immodest clothes, they would yell at me. But during the week, many go to Internet Cafes and chat with secular girls. And no one seems to care.
I just feel sorry for their wives and I really thought of ashaming some of them in public. Just scream through the whole library hall: "You pig ! Does your wife know that your are watching pornography ?"
Well, this would be a nice shock and he would run out.:-))))
And it is those guys giving the whole haredi population a bad reputation. What do Gentile tourists and the secular think when they sit next to a guy with a Streimel who is staring at naked women or men ?
To me, haredi society sometimes feels so sick. The problem is that no one knows how to slove the problems. Well, they keep on telling that one has to fight his Yetzer but what does it help ? An hour later, the guy passes an Internet Vafe and that's it.
And by the way, it is not that one guy is sneaking in alone. Man y times, they come in gorups of five or six people and watch the movies together.
I think that it is just disgusting.