Austria: A Gentile running a hotel for Haredim

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You could call it a START UP idea: The Austrian non - Jew Stefan Sommerbichler had the idea of launching a hotel for the Jewish Orthodox World only. During the summer months, his hotel is mainly occupied by famous Rabbis such as the Toldot Aharon Rebbe or Rabbi Wosner from Bnei Brak. Before his passing, also the Nadvorna Rebbe (Bnei Brak) used to be a regular guest at Sommerbichler's hotel. However, the hotel also receives non - Jews but does kasher the kitchen before various famous Rebbes arrive for their summer vacation.

The hotel itself is located in Saalbach - Hinterglemm / Austria. It is a family business and after all those years of dealing with Jewish guests, Stefan Sommerbichler himself has learned a lot about Judaism. Moreover, he visited the Toldot Aharon in Mea Shearim where he was invited to their Tish. Furthermore, he claims having some great conversation with the Posek Rabbi Wosner. Sommerbichler was asked many times whether he wants to convert to Judaism but it doesn't seem as if he would be too interested taking this particular final step. 

Last week, the haredi magazine MISHPACHA (English edition) published a long article on Stefan Sommerbichler and his hotel. Here is a shorter version of the article. Short because they, of course, want you to buy the magazine, as I did.:-)

http://www.mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/2334/Be-My-Guest

Copyright: Mishpacha

Photos: Miriam Woelke

The haredi world on Shavuot and Parashat BaMidbar

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The English edition of the weekly haredi magazine "MISHPACHA". It goes without saying that Shavuot is one of the most mentioned topics in this week's edition. Especially all kinds of dairy foods. Furthermore, the magazine brings a report about a German convert called Chaya Nechama. 

Another huge subject is the future of Chassidut Vishnitz in Bnei Brak (near Tel Aviv). Years ago, the two brother of the old Vishnitzer Rebbe started fighting about leadership and the group split. Each brother took some of the followers with him. Just recently, the old Rebbe passed away and the brothers announced a sudden unity.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

36 Times SCHICKSE

I know the guy is nuts but the video is funny. However, not for the woman being yelled at. She tried to talk to the madman but he didn't give her a chance. Men like him always give the impression that they have a psychological problem with women. 

Commentary from Youtube: He is shouting this at a secular Jewish Israeli woman who stood there watching a haredim demonstration in Jaffa against a construction site where they claim some ancient human bones were unearthed. She was NOT provokingly dressed.

The haredi world this Week

The most important event: A "historical" meeting between the Satmarer and the Belzer Rebbe.

Purim advertising cuts out girl's faces

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No doubt. Purim is definitely right ahead. How do I know this ? Not only by looking at the Jewish calendar but by paying attention to my environment. Just a few days ago, I noticed the first Hamantaschen at a bakery in Tel Aviv. Moreover, the local Carmel Market is full of Purim merchandise. Purim costumes for children everywhere. 

If you don't live in Israel, you probably won't know the local toy and stationary chain "Kfar HaShashu'im". This chain is extremely popular among all kinds of Israelis. Especially because of its low prices. 

"Kfar Shashashu'im" also has a Facebook page and for its frum customers, the chain published special Purim advertising where the girl's faces are cut out. Secular customers keep on protesting about the advertising poster and "Kfar Hashashu'im" obviously didn't expect such resistance.

However, I remember seeing the same advertising with the girl's faces cut out last year. In haredi newspapers and it may have been in a national religious weekly paper as well. Meaning, the poster is nothing new at all but I am surprised that the company published it on its Facebook page.

In case anyone is asking: I am very much against such kind of advertising where even girl's faces are considered a modesty threat. 

Haredi World "Parashat Mishpatim"

Plenty of weddings: Toldot Aharon, Satmar, Vishnitz, Sadigura ...

The Yiddish Magazin "A Blick" (Parashat Beshlach"

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The chassidic world this week: Chassidim like to get married in the month of Shevat.

The haredi world on Chanukkah

Why did Tanya Rosenblit use a Mehadrin bus ?

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The Israeli newspaper YEDIOT ACHARONOT greeted its readers with a huge headline this morning. The 28 - year - old student Tanya Rosenblit became the latest "hero" of those women being attacked by Haredim on certain Egged buses. HERE is the article from Yediot where Tanya Rosenblit describes her bus ride from Ashdod to Jerusalem. She placed herself in the men's section of the bus and got attacked by the male haredi bus passengers. 


However, what Yediot Acharonot doesn't tell is that Ms. Rosenblit took one of the haredi Mehadrin buses and NOT an ordinary EGGED bus.  

The readership not being familiar with the different bus lines from Ashdod to Jerusalem will get the impression that the incident happened on a regular EGGED bus but this is not the case. Tanya Rosenblit apparently used one of the Mehadrin buses on purpose in order to provoke the haredi passengers and get her headlines. 

Mehadrin buses have separate seating (men in the front and women in the back) and as soon as I use such a bus, I know what to expect. I am fully aware of the separate seating but Tanya Rosenblit ignored the fact and now received her headlines.YEDIOT ACHARONOT, on the other hand, is very well - known for its anti - haredi policy and articles.

Israel's haredi press has been reporting the whole day about the incident and came to the conclusion that Tanya Rosenblit is nothing but provoking.

A haredi article on the subject. Unfortunately only in Hebrew ! 

http://www.bhol.co.il/article.aspx?id=35652&cat=1&scat=1

The Haredi World this Week

Among other topics: The weddings in Vishnitz (Bnei Brak) and in Toldot Avraham Yitzchak (Mea Shearim).

Frum Escape to Tel Aviv

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Tel Aviv = Sin City

This is how many Israelis refer to Tel Aviv. Secular, full of sins (whatever that means) and somehow weird. The real Tel Avivi doesn't care about the rest of the country but only about himself.

Then why is it that hundreds of frum Jews love to come to Sin City every Thursday night ? Usually they arrive in the late afternoon and stay until Friday noon. Afterwards they return to their frum homes / Yeshivot and don't tell their Rabbis, Rosh Yeshivas or very frum environment about where they have been. On the contrary - On Shabbat they hold Drashot (religious speeches) about how bad Tel Aviv is.

We have all kinds of frum Jews coming on Thursdays: Yeshiva guys from Jerusalem. The majority of people coming are Haredim and less national religious. The vast majority of those escapees is Litvish. Even older Litvishe Haredim. One Litvak in his sixties checks into a certain place once a month and stays for one hour alone in a room. Its his little secret and he always arrives on a local bus. Maybe from Bnei Brak. A very distinguished person and my guess is that he is a Rabbi. 

Many Haredim coming to Tel Aviv have their little secrets in life. Not everyone is up for sinning but many of them are just looking for an escape. Be free for a couple of hours without the whole society watching how you behave. Just do whatever you want and some only sit in a cafe, have a coffee and watch TV. Who can be so holy all the time ? Humans need an escape, enjoy life and not only look into holy books. We all need a balance in life and just because someone wears a black hat or a Schaitel (also haredi women show up from time to time) has to be constantly holy. 

It is not always the Yetzer HaRah getting religious Jews to Tel Aviv but the drive for freedom and living one's personality for a few hours. Just be human, enjoy a cup of coffee, take a walk, go to the beach, just do what everybody else does without being judged by one's own society. 

Without this kind of temporary escape, many Haredim would just go crazy inside their own world.

The Haredi World this Week

The Haredi World this Week

One of the news: The Belzer Rebbe Issachar Dov Rokeach didn't travel to Tiberias for the Yahrzeit of his father, Rabbi Mordechai of Bilgoraj. Instead he commemorated the Yahrzeit in Telshe Stone / outside Jerusalem. Rumours say that the Rebbe is sick and is going to have surgery on his feet.

Haredi World this Week

The most important news: Rabbi Natan Zvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of MIR, passed away.

Why did Yoel Hazroni kill himself ?

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Ex – Haredi Yoel Hazroni committing suicide about two or three weeks ago. The the former Haredi was from Modi’in Illit (Kiryat Sefer near Modi’in) and hung himself in his apartment in Tel Aviv. Yoel had just left society and become secular a few years ago. He shared an apartment with his flatmate Shai Gold and worked at a supermarket. Just recently Yoel also admitted that he is gay and thus was a member of the Tel Aviv gay community.

He had never lost contact with his parents, even when everyone knew that he is a homosexual. Yoel was visiting his family and some of them were seeing him in Tel Aviv. A day or two before he killed himself was the Yahrzeit of his father and he participated in the event. There, apparently a brother of his father, told him something very offensive. It is not know what exactly but Yoel was very upset after the talk. Then he hung himself at his Tel Aviv apartment where Shai Gold found him.

Many of Yoel’s friends and even some Hebrew speaking blogs are asking whether the relative is guilty of Yoel’s suicide. Maybe he made him feel so guilty that Yoel couldn’t take it anymore ? Yoel Hazroni was buried on Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem.

The Halacha questions whether a Jew committing suicide may be buried at the main part of a Jewish cemetery. Generally, such Jews are being buried “near the fence”, meaning, in a special area of the cemetery. What is amazing is that the gay community mourning about Yoel was allowed to participate in the funeral. The Hazroni family even set up a date that the community could come to the Shiva to Kiryat Sefer. Loosing a son to secularism was nothing new to the Hazronis, as an older brother of Yoel had left way before him and today lives in Petach Tikvah (near Tel Aviv)

Halacha also says that a Jew can do Teshuva until the last second of his life. When someone commits suicide, we don’t know for sure whether this person didn’t regret his action at the very last second. How do we know for sure whether he regretted or not ? This is why a person taking his own life has the right receiving a halachic funeral. Yoel Hazroni'ss death is tragic, as it shows that many former Haredim don’t search for psychological help. Especially Tel Aviv is an Eldorado of support groups and help lines. Also for Haredim or those leaving society. We will never know for sure why Yoel decided to die but others should learn from him and search for help. 

Link:

Video of YOEL HAZRONI

The Haredi World this Week (Parashat Ki Tavo)

Three Haredim took Israeli army girls to Ge'ulah and Beit Warsha

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The Pashkevil expresses its anger about three haredi looking guys showing a group of Israeli army girls around in haredi Ge'ula and Beit Warsha (Jerusalem). The tour took place in the afternoon hours this Monday. 

Further it says that the inhabitants were shocked seeing haredi guys touring with army girls and thus, the inhabitants raised there voices at the group. 

If the three were members of the "Nachal HaHaredi - Haredi Army Unit (today mostly occupied by national religious soldiers) and if so, is this what serving in the Zionist army brings about. Associating with girls and taking them on tours through haredi neighbourhoods ?

I just hope that the girl's unit got a detailed lecture before the tour, as otherwise they would never understand haredi life in Ge'ulah let alone in Beit Warsha. It is terrible when tour guides, in this case even Haredim, take others with no haredi background into such neighbourhoods in order to explain haredi life. The matter is too complicated, takes a long time and cannot be explained by going on a tour. The kind of knowledge handed over is too artificial.

The Haredi World this Week (Parashat Shoftim)

Haredim and the new Tram in Jerusalem

The tram has a stop at Shivtei Israel Street (on the main road up to Ma'alot Dafna and Ramat Eshkol). For those of you who are not familiar with the Jerusalem map: Shivtei Israel Street leads right into Mea Shearim and you can find almost the whole Toldot Aharon community there. Furthermore, many families of the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak populate the area.

So far, many Haredim have been tyring out the tram. Entire families and the kids were excited. I saw Karliner Chassidim as well as a Toldot Aharon or Toldot Avraham Yitzchak woman. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The Haredi World this Week

Headlines: Spinka Rebbe passes aways and, of course, the murder of Baba Elazar.