Haredi Vacation in Jerusalem

B"H

Haredi Yeshivot are closed at the moment and everyone in Jerusalem is either enjoying or suffering through the boiling hot weather. All kinds of parks are packed these days. No matter whether it is Sacher Park or the Bell Park, you simply find haredi families everywhere. From Toldot Aharon to Breslov, everyone is seemingly having a good time. Parks don't cost entrance fee and food is being prepared at home. 

Haredi families at the Bell Park in Jerusalem. The kids are taking a bath at the water fountain.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Passing a KOSHER bus

B"H

On my ride to Jerusalem this morning, our "unkosher" Egged bus passed a private KOSHER bus where men and women sat separately. My photos didn't come out that great but enjoy the scene.:-)

Women in the back.

Guys in the front.

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

The Woman who wanted to be Haredi

 Seen in Bnei Brak (near Tel Aviv)

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

Today I cannot even tell where exactly I met this woman. A single mother, maybe in her early fourties. The mother of a little daughter who, one day, walked into a Jerusalem coffee shop and sat down in order to enjoy her cup of coffee. A Haredi at her age was sitting at the table next to her's and somehow they ended up talking.

When a member of the haredi society hears about such an incident, the usual reaction is: "Well, the guy is not really religious". "He may be a pervert or just nuts". "Definitely something wrong with him". 

When the woman told me her story, I explained that, under normal circumstances, no haredi man would start talking to a strange woman sitting in a coffee shop. If there was anything strange about the guy ?

The woman said NO, nothing strange and he turned out to be an honest man. Apparently interested in her and even prepared to marry her and accept the daughter. However, there was only one condition: She, the secular woman, had to become haredi. Not right away like today eating at a non - kosher Mac Donald's and tomorrow joining the Mea Shearim women's club. He had asked her for a gradual change. Slowly, slowly, Teshuva, modest clothes, skirts, long sleeves, etc. 

I asked her whether she would be aware of what that means. She wasn't, as she didn't know the haredi side of life. 

"Are you willing to do it?" I asked.

"Yes", she replied and I saw her eyes shining with all kinds of excitements. No doubt, she was in love. 

I have never seen her again but hope that it worked out.

"HaSodot - The Secrets"

B"H 

I found this Israeli movie by accident on Youtube but, so far, have only had the time watching three of sixteen parts. 

What is the movie about ? 

The Secrets (Ha-Sodot) (הסודוח) Avi Nesher takes us inside an all-female Orthodox Jewish seminary (midrasha) in the spiritually infused ancient town of Safed — birthplace of Kabbalah. Naomi is a passionately devoted student of the religious texts. Her mother has just died, and she postpones her marriage to a humorless Rabbinical student who responds like an automaton. She and a fellow student befriend and try to save a dying woman named Anouk (Fanny Ardant) by bringing her back to G–d before she dies. The two students begin a complex relationship, including the steamiest backrubs I've seen in a long time. The performances were spot-on emotionally, and the story does draw in even those in the audience (certainly including your reviewer). The insight into Orthodox theology, and especially its treatment of women as incapable of full religious understanding and participation, not to mention condemning lesbianism without thinking it important enough to mention even once in the Torah. I couldn't help thinking, though, that the struggle the women of the seminary undertake to pry Orthodox Judaism from its misogynist roots, is inescapably futile. The theology is so rigid and dogmatic that it seems to an outsider to be irredeemable — there is no way for Orthodox Judaism to be both Orthodox and modern, even in the very loose sense of the last millennium. It is a testament to faith that these women hold unswervingly to their own beliefs in the face of all obstacles, but certainly in this case I would say that unquestioned blind faith is not a good thing. Recommended for general audiences, highly recommended for those especially interested in the subject matter. 

See QUEERFILM 

Unfortunately, the movie has NO English subtitles and is in Hebrew only !

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.:-)

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 !!!

Yeshiva Students have to go to bed early

B”H 

Jerusalem's Municipality is planning a new law and when you take a quick look, you may get the wrong impression. The haredi council member Yossi Deutsch suggested that local restaurants and shops must close at 11pm.

Sounds like Jerusalem is going to turn into a village !

However, the snag is that Deutsch is only talking about restaurants and shops in or near haredi areas and NOT about the secular parts of town. His intention is to get all those young haredi Yeshiva guys out of bars and restaurants where they sit for hours watching TV. 

Yossi Deutsch is right and for many years, plenty of young Yeshiva students (Israelis as well as those from abroad) have been looking for entertainment in the evening hours. For instance, in downtown Jerusalem, Jaffa Road. Boreka bars or further snack bars. Every place with a TV is highly welcomed. The Yeshiva guys watch the news, soccer or movies of all kinds. They don't really bother but the Municipality claims to received hundreds of letters complaining about the noise. The neighbours of those places freak. Especially when those neighbours are haredi.

On the other hand, I don't think that a person's life should be limited in such a way !

I don't really understand the story, as many Yeshiva guys find their TV set at places in and around Jaffa Road. A secular area which is not supposed to shut its gates at 11pm. How is Yossi Deutsch going to interfere in this particular area ? Even if places near haredi areas have to close earlier, the students will search for other places with a TV. Internet Cafes or elsewhere in town.

In the haredi Ge'ulah neighbourhood in Jerusalem. I took the picture randomly and it has nothing to do with the above subject !

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Gender Separation: Female Fish & Male Fish

B"H

It seems that many Haredim just want to show that they are better than others. Stricter, keeping more Mitzvot and thus serving G - d with the greatest Kavanah (Intention) ever.

The Mea Shearim Sikarikim have been threatening local shopkeepers for quite some time. Stores should have a gender separation or only be allowed either for men or women. Now one owner of a fish store introduced gender separation in his place. "Without force but because G - d wants it !" - he claimed. The shop can be found in Jerusalem's Buchari neighbourhood near the Ge'ulah neighbourhood.

Ironic comments on a haredi forum suggested to separate the fish too. Mr and Mrs Fish neither should lay together in a freezer nor be sold wrapped in one plastic bag, as this is immodest.