Thursday, August 14, 2008

Big Brother in Beit Shemesh

Jerusalem Report just published this cover story. It is not the highest quality journalism but of the "he said this and she said that" type. However it is useful when read with a critical but open mind
[...]
Today's religious battles are being waged between different Orthodox factions in the suburban neighborhoods south of the city center known as Ramat Beit Shemesh (Beit Shemesh Heights). In the early 90s ultra-Orthodox haredi families, forced out of Jerusalem by the tight real estate market, settled there.

Some of them are adherents of the Eida Haredit, a small group of anti-Zionist extremists. An unusual coalition of modern-Orthodox religious Zionists and moderate, mainstream ultra-Orthodox residents complain that for the past year, a small group (60 families, it is estimated) of these zealots (kanaim in Hebrew) have engaged in acts of religious coercion and intimidation in order to impose their lifestyle on the majority. For now, the zealots are most vocal about women's modesty in dress and observance of Sabbath laws, although some anti-state activity has also taken place such as flag desecrations on Independence Day. There have also been reports in recent years of attacks on young people who stroll in co-ed groups together on Friday night; and of burning oil and gasoline thrown into a pizzeria where men and women sat together.

An unofficial zealot spokesman, Eli Tombeck, married and in his thirties, defends the attitude of his group. He tells The Jerusalem Report in an interview by telephone, We are merely trying to preserve our way of life." He denies belonging to the Eida Haredit, which is thought to have only 15,000 adherents across the nation, saying he's of Litvak orientation (i.e. more mainstream) and serves as a beadle at a large, normative ultra-Orthodox Beit Shemesh synagogue known as Kehillat Yaakov, led by Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein. Tombeck charges that it is the modern Orthodox who are escalating the war by holding demonstrations, using political muscle and speaking to the media. Moderates admit that they retaliate against the kanaim by waving Israeli flags from rooftops and terraces, hoping to irk the anti-state zealots.

Modern Orthodox residents paint a very different picture. "Rocks, dirty diapers and tomatoes have been pelted at and damaged our hospital van," says Judy Lev, an emergency room nurse, who works at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and is required to work on Saturdays. The zealots' loud screeching at cars traveling on Shabbat near religious precincts is offensive to the moderates, although they too would prefer cars to stay away from their neighborhoods on the day of rest.

Sharon Ra'anan, an ex-Californian married with three children and a resident of bucolic Nofei Aviv, a modern Orthodox neighborhood of single family homes, reports that even "on a Tuesday" a friend's car was stoned as she drove through an adjoining zealot's neighborhood, Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. A burning baby carriage was placed in the road, says Ra'anan. When her friend stopped her car to remove it, a brick was thrown into her back window narrowly missing her son. Ra'anan says it is unclear exactly why the woman was accosted, but the incident, she says, underscores the kind of hostile atmosphere, which has erupted in the town. She also knows of a doctor whose arm was broken "by hooligans" but could not elaborate on specific details and another modern Orthodox man who was roughed up by zealots. She also cites the case of a woman who had been harassed after she chose to sit in the forward "men's section" seating area of a neighborhood bus. Ra'anan, 43, who works as a technical writer in Jerusalem, immigrated 10 years ago. She says she was brought up as a "serious Conservative." She does not wear a head covering and she co-founded a women's payer group in Beit Shemesh after she moved in.

7 comments:

  1. First of all, the source - the Jerusalem Report, from what I remember of it from my parents' bathroom, only likes religious Jews who hate religion. So pass the grains of salt with the article.

    Does Beit Shemesh have a problem? Sure, but so does Manhattan. And just as one would not report that Manhattan is in a state of anarchy because of certain neighbourhoods, one should remember that Beit Shemesh is not a small village and that these crazies who think they're "frummer than thou" are limited to certain neighbourhoods.

    Like rabid dogs, avoidance instead of confrontation is the best policy. That, and give the women pepper spray to carry. Just in case.

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  2. The Jerusalem Report is owned by the Jerusalem Post whose main target audience now is Evangelical Christians.

    The Jerusalem Post uses the Jerusalem Report to promote the Evangelical Anti Semitic agenda of converting Jews to Christianity under the guise of being "editorially independent".

    As the publication promotes itself: "Each issue brings you political insights, powerful personalities, and comments on the cultural scene."

    The target audience for Anglo Israeli news sources has changed in recent years as more Jews intermarry and become apathetic to Israel, news sources must appeal to a different target audience (Evangelicals ) in order to stay in business.

    The Jerusalem Post prints a Christian edition, but has also become increasingly anti Semitic in all of their publications.

    The Jerusalem Newswire is published by Christians as is UCI (online).

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  3. Jersey Girl!

    Where you been? I was beginning to think the evangelicals had kidnapped you!

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  4. "Tombeck charges that it is the modern Orthodox who are escalating the war by holding demonstrations, using political muscle and speaking to the media."

    This statement from Rabbi Tombeck is pure unadulterated spin. Holding demonstrations and using political muscle is a time honored chareidi tradition. Especially in Beit Shemesh!

    Now hear this! I am going to tell you all a story Years before the zeolots in Beit Shemesh broke into the national media spotlight things were already brewing there.

    I do not know the exact year that people started moving into Ramat Beit Shemesh. Nor do I know which communities were promised what or who got there first in significant numbers.

    What I do know is that by 2003 there were already two rapidly growing communities there that were competing to inherit the earth.

    Just to make a note for background information, that was also a municipal election year. At stake was the question what kind of infrastructure the city was going to further invest in. The Chareidim wanted further housing developement for kollel families and the dati leumi wanted to invest in infrastructure that would facilitate businesses and possibly new factories in order to enhance employment prospects in Beit Shemesh. They were also on a better government anti corruption and efficiency platform. Both parties were fielding candidates for the city council. The chareidim also fielded their own candidate for mayor against the likud incumbent. In the end both sides took a beating to the Likud. Mayor vaknin kept his post and Shas who had a large presence in the city council lost many of their seats. They also subsequently lost their municipal posts. Another issue that was brewing was that all time favorite thing to fight about between secular dati leumi and chareidim, who will get what municipal resources for their schools. The fact that the unexpectedly rapid demographic increase in RBS out stripped the municipals ability to quickly facilitate school space for the various communities just aggravated the situation. In fighting and lawsuits just slowed down the situation fueling more aggravation and fights.

    The reason why I am writing about all of this is because it is the backdrop of many of the cultural campaigns that were to follow. However I am not suggesting that there is a sinister plot connection between the culture campaign that has been waged by the chareidim in RBS and the issues that I have mentioned above. However they do not help things and increase an already incendiary atmosphere. Those issues might be part of the cause of that atmosphere.

    Already in 2003 there were zealots blocking the main road that passes through RBS Bet and throwing rocks at cars that were driving through on Shobbos. Also during that same year the municipality gave the local Bnei Akiva a property to use in RBS Aleph, on a street called Nachal Micha. At the time this was a mixed street. I believe it still is. Residents of both groups were dissatisfied with their situation. They were stuck paying mortgages for properties in neighborhoods that were not shaping up to how each side originally envisioned. When Bnei Akiva received usage of that property, the local chareidi residents responded. The fear was that there would be teenagers of both sexes hanging out on the street in mixed company. The neighborhood rabbanim responded by circulating a petition around the neighborhood to give to the municipality against Bnei Akiva opening on the street. I do not know whether it was the petition on its own merit or wrangling in the municipality but that Bnei Akiva chapter never managed to open on that street.

    In 2005 a demonstration was led by Rav mordechai Goldstein (the mora d'asra of Kehillat Yaakov RBS Alef) at the main shopping center in RBS Alef. This was a protest against the eateries there that they felt were becoming teenage hangouts at night. They wanted that those businesses should close earlier.

    In 2006 during a Lag B'Omer bonfire celebration Rav Shlomo Perlststein (mora d'asra of RBS Alef) led a demonstration against this group of celebrators (all of whom were religious) after hearing that men and women were mingling and socializing. I would like to note that most of these people were husbands and wives who were sitting out of the dancing or just resting. There was no coed dancing going on there. He brought many of his close followers and forcefully broke up the celebration. These are just the examples that I am aware of. Then the rest is media history. These are just a few examples that Rav Tombek would lead you to believe did not happen. After all he has stated that it was the Modern who introduced protesting and the usage of political muscle in Ramat Beit Shemesh, hence escalating things. Not the fact that they have been the victims of violent attacks for the past two years. This is what is called an LSD spin.

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  5. garnel lionheart said...

    "Does Beit Shemesh have a problem? Sure, but so does Manhattan. And just as one would not report that Manhattan is in a state of anarchy because of certain neighbourhoods, one should remember that Beit Shemesh is not a small village and that these crazies who think they're "frummer than thou" are limited to certain neighbourhoods.

    Like rabid dogs, avoidance instead of confrontation is the best policy. That, and give the women pepper spray to carry. Just in case."

    It is true Beit Shemesh is not a small village anymore however compared to New York City it is. If such a thing happened in New York, it would be the equivalent of Brooklyn and Queens being taken over by lunatics. Moreover the violence is not limited to just RBS. It has pilled onto the roads of neighboring areas. Now I will grant you that the violence that we are discussing is not of an East L.A. magnitude or Bathurst and Jane in Toronto for that matter (thank G-d for that).

    As to the suggestion of avoidance, the only way for local residents to avoid anything would be to move from there.

    Lastly about the reliability of the Jerusalem report. It has only barely touched on the issues. There is nothing new at all that it has disclosed. Perhaps Rav Eidelstein or somebody can varify the remarks ascribed to Rav Tombek.

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  6. It's Jane and Finch in Toronto. Jane runs parallel to Bathurst.

    And the chareidi area is Lawrence and Bathurst, but I think it's still safe to walk there with your elbows showing.

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  7. "And the chareidi area is Lawrence and Bathurst, but I think it's still safe to walk there with your elbows showing."

    Yeah, but can you walk down Coldstream with an uncovered Slifkin book?

    That's right, Jane and Finch. I have not been there for four years save for a one week visit. Would you believe that I once received a Western Union money transfer at some Jamaican convenience store at Jane and Finch? I did not even get mugged! The truth is it is not that street corner that is so bad (at reasonable daylight hours) but the projects just off of it.

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