Israeli Charedim, Extremist Group???

DOD (Department of Defense) classification of Religious Extremism

Everyday, the Charedim is being spat at, by both Orthodox and secular Jews in Israel.   What has the  Charedim done to provoke such wrath from the DOD? For a one spitting incident in Bet Shemesh?  If chalitzah were done today, would a woman who spit at her brother-in-law for refusing to perform yibum with her also be classified as a religious extremist and a terrorist? 

Apparently, the DOD (Department of Defense) has equated the Israeli Charedim to be in a similar category as terrorists such as Hamas, the Moslem Brotherhoood, Al Qaeda Sunni Moslems.  Nevermind that they have always classified the Kahane followers as such, albeit their "crimes" have not matched one iota of the severity of the real terrorists who have made more impact towards the merciless contribution of mass murders in the world.

Note that the Italian Mafia who seeks refuge in their Catholic house-of-worship is not even on the list!

The Defense Department came under fire Thursday for a U.S. Army Reserve presentation that classified Catholics and Evangelical Protestants as “extremist” religious groups alongside al Qaeda and the Ku Klux Klan. Source: Washington Post Free Beacon , http://freebeacon.com/an-extreme-position-on-extremism/, http://www.adfmedia.org/files/ExtremismPresentation.pdf

Who is going to speak for our beloved Charedim?  Maybe more writers such as this one who wrote "Haredi Reflections on Israel Independence Day."

Today, they ban the Israeli Charedim, tomorrow the Diaspora Charedim, lo aleinu, v'lo aleichem.

Haredim's Obsession with Wigs -- אובססיה של החרדים עם פאות

Rent a wig, it's cheaper?



Wigs in Israel



This is not Haredi, but still an obsession.



Wigs wakeover

Sepharadi's stand on wigs.

Lubavitcher Rebbe's real thoughts about the wigs.

Brave Rabbi's Dialog with Iranian TV -- הדיאלוג של הרב אמיץ בטלביזיה איראנית

A Chassidic Rabbi out of Monsey, is doing his best to explain the Jewish view of the many aspects of Jews and Judaism on Iranian TV. His name is Rabbi David Eidensohn, who has acquired a huge number of following on YouTube.  As an attempt to clarify the Charedi position on Israel and Iran, he has done a good job, in my humble view.

Open dialog with mutual respect for each other, to demistify the myths of the Jews and explain it with sweetness according to Torah seems to be the trend nowadays.  YouTube is full of intellectual debates between atheists and clergy, and civilized enemies of different nations.  

I wish much success to Rabbi Eidonsohn and his "kiruv" work to the nations.  Maybe this will make our transition to Moshiach much easier, kein y'hi ratzon, without a nuclear war. 

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Frum Hedonism? דתיים הדוניזם

I mention this point particularly to an American audience. In recent years, one observes on the American scene a terribly disturbing phenomenon: the spread of hedonistic values, but with a kind of glatt-kosher packaging. There was a time when the problem of hedonism for religious Jews didn’t often arise, because even if you wanted to have the time of your life, there wasn’t very much that you could do. The country clubs were all barred to Jews, there weren’t many kosher restaurants, there were no kosher nightclubs, etc. In the last decade or two, a whole culture has developed geared towards frum Jews, where the message is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, and everything has a hekhsher (kosher certification) and a super-hekhsher. The message is that whatever the gentiles have, we have too. They have trips to the Virgin Islands, we have trips to the Virgin Islands. Consequently, there has been a certain debasement of values, in which people have a concern for the minutiae of Halakha (which, of course, one should be concerned about), but with a complete lack of awareness of the extent to which the underlying message is so totally non-halakhic and anti-halakhic (By His Light).

Interesting article at The Jewish Week (http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/street-torah/problem-frum-hedonism).  This message has been given by the autistics for years. I hope we get to wake up soon.