tabletmag
Leaving the ultra-Orthodox community is nothing new in Israel. Everyone, secular or religious, knows someone who used to be on, but is now “off the derech.” But the phenomenon hasn’t been well studied. Most of what we know comes from individual stories of people making the difficult transition from the insular Haredi world to mainstream Israeli society.
This is the big failure of the National Religious community. There must be a way to intercept disillusioned Chareidim before they decide that the only change is a total change.
ReplyDeleteIt is not that simple - I have chatted with a few of the "OTD" from the hareidi world, and they are totally angry. Many of them have been abused physically and/or mentally by their communities, rabbis etc, and it is kept hush hush. They lose all interest in religion. They want to be totally secular. It is funny, some still keep their brainwashing about Zionism. Some ex satmar people were so brainwashed, that they were still saying how bad Israel is etc, even though they now are totally treif. they are not interested in National or any modern religious, unless it's reform with mixed or gay friendly services.
ReplyDeleteSome have to learn English, and get a secular education and find a way of earning a living - it must be a total nightmare.
I agree with your points. I've heard OTD's mocking MO and DL as being fake religious even though they're now totally secular. My point was that there has to be a way to teach them the difference between the beauty of Torah and the lousy rebbe or parent who ruined it for them, to show them that one can be a committed Jew and also be fully functional in modern society without compromise, that the stuff that make them angry had nothing to do with actual Judaism.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting they maintain certain biases , eg against Zionism, and MO. Anyway, good luck if you can help them, but you have as much chance as converting frum hareidim :)
ReplyDeleteCharedim, especially non lubavitch chassidim, prefer their OTD not become MO. Better they become completely irreligious, they think.
ReplyDelete