Trip to Bnei Brak, Part 2

Bnei Brak

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H 

Walking around in Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak was great. Many years ago, I used to live in Ramat Gan and know the place quite well although it has changed and became more modern. Ramat Gan is located where Tel Aviv ends and when you pass Ramat Gan and cross the last junction, you walk right into Bnei Brak.

Despite all rumours, Bnei Brak is not entirely haredi and many secular as well as national religious Jews live there. However, Bnei Brak has quite a few haredi neighbourhoods making it look very haredi. 

I am starting a serious on the haredi part of Bnei Brak and will do so in stages. For me, this is also a better way getting to know the city. Mea Shearim is not everything and there are plenty of other chassidic directions located in Bnei Brak. It is important to know about the city near Tel Aviv although some people may add that further haredi towns such as Kiryat Sefer, Beitar or El'ad are important too.

Today I walked a lot and have to admit to be quite finished. I enjoyed my time running around all the Batei Midrash, Synagogues and seeing so many Haredim after coming from Tel Aviv. I chose the right time; arriving in the morning hours, as there were many opportunities to take photos. But not only photos, as it was also a spiritual time before Rosh Hashana. The weather was a bit hot but never mind. 

I took plenty of photos and will put them into the blog. Today I just walked and didn't go into any dephts. Machnovke, Ashlag, Kiryat Nadvorna, Kiryat Vishnitz, Karlin - Stolin, Belz, Modidz and the Shomrei Emunim. I made a picture of the Spinka Synagogue but only from far away. Well, next time there will be more.

What I have left so far are Gur (but I took a photo of the Gerrer Girl's Seminary), Satmar and the Litvish. I would have done more but, in the end, I needed a break and Bnei Brak doesn't provide you with a coffee bar or any snacks besides Shnitzel or Falafel. I was a bit shocked to notice an larger amount of the Breslover Sephardi Taliban women. The extreme Baal Teshuva movement. 

Furthermore, the Satmarer Rebbe (I suppose Reb Aharon Teitelbaum), as the Satmarer in Bnei Brak belong to his branch, put out some new modesty issues. Tomorrow I will let you know more about it because now I am too finished.:-)