Haredi (Runaway) Blogs

B"H

It doesn't always have to be Sarah Einfeld's blog and her stories about running away from Chassidut GUR in Ashdod. And, by the way, Sarah hasn't been updating her blog on a regular basis for quite a while. 

By reading an article in a local Tel Aviv paper, I got to the blog of YOSSELE GOLDBERG who didn't start writing too long ago. I haven't really understood his identity. Whether he is a gay Haredi or not. What Yossele does is mentioning another gay Haredi runaway from society who killed himself about two or three weeks ago. I am going to describe the tragic incident in my following article.

Another Yossele is writing about his financial problems on his blog called YOSSELE BEGGAR. Yossele's father is deeply in debts, as he took plenty of loans in order to find respected Shidduchim for his children. When he married them off, he also bought apartments as a wedding gift. A terrible custom and mistake in many parts of haredi society. In order to marry one of once children off, the family needs money. Especially the bride's family which, many times, is contributing much more to the wedding celebrations as well as to the home of the newly married couple. 

Yossele decided to ask for Zedakah (charity) by going from house to house. 

All three blogs are in HEBREW only but you can use Google Translator !!!

Rabbi Mordechai Machlis (Jerusalem) on Parashat KI TAVO

Photos from NEVE ZEDEK in Tel Aviv

B"H 

Pictures from NEVE ZEDEK. You can find the neighbourhood in the middle of Tel Aviv (close to the Shalom Tower / Ahad Ha'Am Street). Lots of tourists and locals love walking around through the romantic alleyways. What you can also find is plenty of small old Synagogues from 70, 80 years ago.  Don't forget: When the first Chassidim and different Rebbes came to Israel before or after the war, they first settled in Tel Aviv before, later on, they moved to Bnei Brak.

 

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

The Haredi World this Week (Parashat Ki Tavo)

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

B"H 

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.

New Takana in Ruzhin - Boyan for the upcoming high holidays

B"H

The Boyaner Rebbe Nachum Dov Brayer

B"H

Just in case you are a Boyaner Chassid (a real member and not Shomer Minhag Boyan), the Boyaner Rebbe Nachum Dov Brayer gave out a new Takana regarding the high holidays at the Beit Midrash. The sales for the seats in the Boyaner Synagogue has begun and, in case you are looking for a good seat near the Admor, you, as a Boyaner Bachur, have to sign a document stating the following: No radio, no cell phone (not even a kosher one) and no Internet !

The new Takana is for Bochurim only and not for married adults but, to be honest, I would have never expected such stringency from the Boyaner Rebbe. 

Link:

Tish in Ruzhin - Boyan

Israel and its Arab neighbour countries

Israel, Aliyah and unexpected Difficulties

B”H  

I am glad having made Aliyah to Israel with the Jewish Agency and not with the popular Nefesh be’Nefesh (NBN). One reason is that NBN is mainly active in the North America and England and not where I came from: Germany. 

NBN is extremely popular due to its generous financial support the organization hands out to each Oleh (new immigrant). Furthermore, if an American or Canadian Jew wants to make Aliyah to Israel, he basically depends upon NBN, as there is hardly any other possibility except for flying to Israel at one’s own expenses and ask for Aliyah at a local branch of the Ministry of the Interior. 

I have actually met Americans not using NBN because the organization receives large funding from extreme Christian missionary organizations such as the Evangelical Christians. I have also met Americans coming with NBN and constantly complaining. Nefesh be’Nefesh would not have told them about the real life in Israel. About the different mentalities, difficulties finding a job and learning a new language. 

Unfortunately there are still plenty of native English speakers who cannot communicate in Hebrew. Even after years of living in the country. After NBN is paying such huge sums to immigrants, Israelis don’t understand why Anglos are not too eager to learn Hebrew. If you want a job in this country you usually need a good portion of Hebrew. In order to get absorbed into society and not only into the country, you need to know the language. There are thousands of Anglos who don’t understand Israeli society and instead, live in their own ghetto. Mostly the English ARUTZ 7 or JERUSALEM POST readership. New immigrants not knowing Hebrew have no idea about society. They are in a new country and claiming it as their home but have they really arrived ? 

I could keep up my German world. Find a job where I need German, only have German friends and only watch German TV. Very soon I will be in my little German ghetto. However, this was not my goal at all when I came to Israel. Already at my first Kibbutz Ulpan I invested most of my time in studying Hebrew in and outside the classroom. 

As a new immigrant, you should not forget about your former country and culture but the worst you can do is come to Israel and immediately set up your own little America. Plenty of American and Canadian Olim do so and it reminds me of a saying from the Baal Shem Tov: 

“You are where your thoughts are !”

You may have made Aliyah and be an Israeli but in real life you are not because you are still in America (where your thoughts are). 

Links:

How many Nefesh be'Nefesh immigrants actually fail ?

"Go North" - Living in Northern Israel

Achmadinejad: "Zionists behind both World Wars !"

B"H

The Iranian President Achmadinejad has made a new historicla discovery.

“The Zionists started both World Wars !”

His latest statement is not that great and unique, as someone else was much faster than him.

Thanks to MONTY PYTHON

The BIALIK - ROGOZIN SCHOOL in Tel Aviv

B"H

The BIALIK - ROGOZIN SCHOOL in HaAliyah Street in Tel Aviv - South has about 750 students from which most of the children are not Israelis. A high percentage of foreign worker kids study at Bialik as well as many Russians. 

Ordinary parents from Tel Aviv wouldn't send their children to this school because it is located in a poor area and so are most of the students. Secondly, most students are struggling with their Hebrew, are illegal in the country and of Philippines, African or South American origin. Or in other words, the vast majority of the children is not Jewish. 

It is necessary that such a school exists but school and parents should teach the children that they are strangers in Israel and that there will be a time to return to their home countries. Israel is a small country calling itself Jewish. I am not a Kahane follower and thus say that Arabs can remain in Israel and don't need to get deported to Jordan or elsewhere. However, I do fully agree with Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad saying that when the Palestinians want to stay in Israel, they have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. They must keep Israeli law and refrain from terror. On the other hand, they are free practicing their religion and live their lives but they have to accept Israeli law. 

However, I don't see any reason why a foreign worker should be allowed to stay in Israel for longer than three - five years. They can but on a limited visa basis and always the return to their home countries on their minds. Telling their children that Israel is a temporary place. Today we all may feel sorry for them and their children but, in the long run, we will terribly regret, letting them stay and spreading. Israel is a Jewish country and has to remain a Jewish country. 

I think that I can make such a claim, as I grew up in Germany where today, Germans suffer from the mistakes of letting too many Muslims (especially Turks) into their country. The last Muslim generation growing up in Germany has been partly becoming a threat to the country, as they found their way into radical Islam. 

Israel should never loose its Jewish identity and grant Gentile foreigners citizenship or visa renewals for years. Especially not because the foreign workers as well as their children live in their small ghetto and don't want to be part of Israeli society. The children may say so but, in the end, they will get frustrated, as Israeli society doesn't want them either. 

The Bialik - Rogozin School from the outside.

 Photos September 2011: Miriam Woelke

Beggar at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station

Photo: Miriam Woelke

חיים בשאלה - Leaving frum Society