"Day of the Bones - Yom HaAzamot"

B"H

This coming Wednesday (including Tuesday night), Israel is celebrating its 61 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 many Haredim in the ultra - orthodox neighbourhood of Mea Shearim and other neighbourhoods of Jerusalem ignore the Independence Day. For those Haredim it is just another ordinary week day. Especially Chabad, 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, Spinka, parts of Breslov, students of the Vilna Gaon, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak and the Mishkenot HaRoim. The Neturei Karta branch in Mea Shearim only consists of a few families living in and close to Beit Hungarin 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 Meshiach 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 Meshiach hasn't arrived, they mostly use the Yiddish language and not the Holy Tongue (Hebrew).

Neturei Karta, Toldot Aharon or Satmar and others 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.

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 meters far away in Yaffa Road, people celebrate, but not so in the chassidic hood. Kids go to school and shops are open.

For many years, I used to celebrate the Israeli Independence Day. I even went to the usual great event, including the Hallel prayer, at Jerusalem's Great Synagogue. Usually their choir is singing and the present Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi speaking. I still celebrate the Independence Day in a way but not as much as I used to.
The change came when more and more people started questioning if this is really the state we want. A state for religious Jews ? The national religious didn't celebrate the day right after many settlers were kicked out of Gush Katif by the Sharon government. Then Olmert came and, again, we didn't have a reason to be proud of our country. Left – wingers and corruption. Now we have Bibi Netanyahu and I admit that he is a better solution than Zipi Livni would have been. However, My celebrations usually include the free visit to the Israel Museum and some hiking. That' s it.

I am not a great Israeli patriot but I am glad that we Jews do have our own country. Especially nowadays with rising anti – Semitism and the outcry for the destruction of the Jews. In particular by Arab countries.

Yesterday, I went through the ultra – orthodox neighbourhood Ge'ulah in Jerusalem and I saw one of the latest Pakshivil (news posters). It really caught my attention and after reading it, I must admit that I couldn't agree more with what it says:

Again, the Zionists are going to celebrate their Independence Day.
Why are they so proud ?
Of men and women dancing together ?
Of a corrupt government giving more and more rights and land to Christian missionaries ?
Of Jews traveling abroad and marrying Goim ?
What kind of a Jewish country is this ?

This Fakshivili is totally right. Especially the new Netanyahu government is accepting millions of donation Dollar form fanatic Christians such as the Evangelists. And the purpose of the Evangelists is the destruction of the Jewish people ! Bringing them to Israel, converting them to Christianity and thus, causing the second coming of their false Meshiach J.

Most of our latest governments didn't stand up against the Christians as once Menachem Begin did. Next month the pope is coming which is even worse. A German pope who used to serve in the Hitler youth and in the German army. And what do important rabbis from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate (Rabbanut) do ? They couldn't stop themselves from meeting the pope. Instead each of the rabbis wants to be in the front row.

Thousands of young Israelis love to travel to the Far East or South American. Many times they come back with a Gentile wife they married on the way. Germans, Indians, South Americans, Philippinas, Chinese, Russians, … Today you can see anything in Israel and those Gentile spouses demand more and more rights. Do they belong here ?
Why are all these Jews ready to marry Gentiles and start looking for other religions ? Instead of checking out they should start checking into Judaism.

What we also have in Israel today is thousands of non – Jewish children where the father is Jewish but the mother is not. Children from mixed couples where the children serve in the army. And those children celebrate Independence Day.

In what kind of a country do we living ?
Is this what G – d wants us to do ?
Although famous rabbis as the Ramban consider it a Mitzwah living in the Land of Israel, bringing in all the Goyim is definitely not one of those Mitzwot but the way to destruction.
In this respect, we cannot be proud of our country and I am not willing to hold a flag with a child from a mixed marriage standing right next to me.

Link:

The Talmudic Anti - Zionism

Neturei Karta

Arguments for and against Zionism

The National Religious accepting Christian money

THANK YOU