Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Black Jews dressed in Belz Clothes and Yerushalmi Hats

B"H

Last night, while touring the "Jerusalem Light Festival" in the Old City, I saw a few rather strange guys near the Kotel (Western Wall). Some readers may call me a "Rassist" for saying that but I don't care.

In Jerusalem, it is not necessarily unusual that some Ethiopian Jews wear haredi clothes. Not really the haredi style but rather a black hat (not a Borsolino) and maybe a white shirt. However, those three of four black young guys I saw last night were dressed in a kind of Belzer clothing style and one guy wore a flat Yerushalmi hat.

First I thought that this may be the freaky Rapper Shyne and his gang. Actually it could have been although one of those black "Chassidim" was called by the name YIGAL. 

Excuse my "Rassism" but it was just weird seeing those guys dressed in Belz or Yerushalmi, as I know too well what the born Chassidim think about them. Nevertheless, the Belzer run a Yeshiva for male Baalei Teshuva Jews and Shyne used to study there.

11 comments:

  1. I find this very offensive. Jews come in all creeds and colors. It might be strange to see them in chasidishe levush but it isn't any different than a BT or a convert wearing them. Maybe they were even FFB, who knows!!
    If you'd see me you'd probably think I'm a missionary (I am not - I am halachically Jewish), but I am very very white, green eyes, blond hair and don't dress in the tznius uniform.

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  2. B"H

    I would never squeeze myself into wearing an apron on Shabbat, as I am not of Hungarian origin. Even if I was Toldot Aharon, I wouldn't stick my head somewhere where I don't belong.

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  3. What did bother you? That they are black converts or that they wore Chasidic clothes while being not chassidim? After being converted to Judaism, in which kind of clothes would you expect them to be clothed?

    It was not easy for such black peoples to abandon their past life and convert, but they chose it. I will even argue that for black Jews, it is more difficult than for any other converts, as there is a certain natural rivalry between black and jews to begin with. We have a lot of very kind black converts in the Jewish people and we should be proud of such diversity. I personaly know two black families who converted to Judaism and are very well integrated and appreciated by the local Jewish community. They are very nice, always smiling and joyous, and very respectful and have well educated children, and as for their Torah observance, many Jews should be ashamed that those converts take the Torah and the Halakhah more seriously than many born Jews who don't care. In Crown Heights, for instance, there are a dozen of black converts whom the communitu is very pride. Someone who converted with sincerity and is living a Jewish life, whatever his color or origin, is a Jew, and the Torah commanded us to treat them nicely.

    Nobody should have any issue about such things.

    (I'm not talking about the Ethiopians who emigrated to the medinah, as in Chabad we generally don't consider them as being Jewish untill they accept a giur l'chumrah. But as far as black people convert to Judaism, you should forget that he is of a different color, the same way Ashkenazim and Sefardim should treat each other with respect and acceptance.)

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  4. http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=28493

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  5. B"H

    The three or four guys near the Kotel were noisy and rather looked like a street gang. As I said: It is very strange seeing a black guy wearing a flat Yerushalmi hat.

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  6. If they looked like street gang because of their color, tell me what should we think about the Sikrikim in Meah Shearim or the "Talibans" from Tzfat?

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  7. B"H

    The problem have been facing in Israel is that many of the Ethiopian or black Jews in general are not halachically Jewish. There is always a suspicions whether someone is or not. Believe me, we have so many freaks running around in Jerusalem dressed up as Jews and, until you check, you don't know whether they make a show or are real.

    "Taliban" in Zfat ? Are you referring to the meshichistim ??? :-)

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  8. B"H

    I don't know about Crown Heights but in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, we have many freaks and phonies pretending to be Jews. Many times you don't know who is who. Among others, there are quite a few Christian missionaries suddenly wearing Zizit and just know someone asked me on my German blog where he can buy the women's haircover, the SPITZ.

    Well, Zfat has a few Breslover Taliban women as well.:-))))))

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  9. B"H

    The majority of Israeli Jewish girls starting a relationship with Arabs are very much aware of the fact that the guy is an Arab. Most Arabs cannot hide their true identity and speak Hebrew with an Arab accent. Of course, there are cases where the girl first doesn't realize what is going on.

    Most of the girls ending up in such a relationship have problems at home. Either with their parents or financial matters when the parents are unemployedand there is no money at home.

    Many Israeli girls from those backgrounds are yearning for recognition and presents like a cell phone, a ring, clothes. Everything they usually don't get. Suddenly an Arab comes along and he gives her all this. Then she is trapped and telling herself that everything may not be that bad by going out with an Arab.

    There aren't too many mixed schools in Israel and even if, Jews and Muslims still keep separate on the schoolyard.

    Despite all negativity, I don't see the State of Israel as a failure but as a corridor to the world to come.:-)

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  10. stop being nazi racist,you think only ashkenazis can dress like hasidim? and btw how do you know that they're pretending? you talked to all of them? huh? you've got some nice articles but some of yours driving me nuts seriously

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  11. B"H

    Usually one can tell if people just put on some clothes but, othrwise, like to hang around.

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