Are 'Ultra-Orthodox' the Jews' Jews?

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By Avi Shafran | Sep 7, 2010 7:00 AM | Print | Email | TweetShare

Haredi Jews celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Brooklyn.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

The origin of anti-Semitism has confounded the best of minds. But how the demon, whoever his mother, spreads his noxious notions is no mystery: He harnesses the human readiness to generalize. To successfully broadcast a conviction that Jews are underhanded, avaricious, or rude, one need only present the evidence: Jews who are underhanded, avaricious, or rude. As a group, of course, the Jewish community includes no larger percentage of unsavory characters than any other population (and likely a considerably smaller one than most). But just as there are thieves and knaves among Methodists, Scientologists, Czechs, and Argentines, so do unpleasant and even criminal folks reside in the Jewish community. The anti-Semite's art is gathering up Jewish bad apples and presenting the basketful as representative of the tree that produced them.

This sort of ill-intentioned generalizing is terrible, as nearly all sentient people"”Jew and non-Jew alike"”would agree. But disturbingly, a not-dissimilar tactic is employed by some Jews against a subset of their own: haredim, a non-judgmental term for those the mainstream media tend to call "ultra-Orthodox."� In a sense, the haredim have become the Jews' Jews.

***

This has been a problem in the media for as long as I can remember. A decade ago, I wrote a lengthy article on this subject for Moment magazine titled "Open Season on the Orthodox."� It turned into a cover story, for which the editors created ingeniously hilarious art: It showed a stack of "Weekly World Inquirer"� tabloids with covers trumpeting the imaginary weekly's latest revelations, among them "Orthodox Rabbi's Two-Headed Alien Love Child!"� (with the subheadline "Offspring "�Not Jewish' Rabbinical Court Rules"�) and "El Niño: Orthodox Plot!"�

The article was of course more serious. It presented a crowded rogue's gallery of what I believed to be biased reportage"”examples of egregious suspension of journalistic norms, subtle media misrepresentations, and outright fabrications"”about haredi Jews. Like any writer, I fantasized that my words might actually effect meaningful change. And like most fantasies, mine didn't much penetrate reality. Haredim as a group continue to be unfairly maligned"”and pilloried for their principles.

By defending halachic standards regarding conversion in Israel, we are portrayed as small-minded; for seeking to preserve traditional Jewish norms for public prayer services at the Western Wall, we are condemned as mullahs and women-haters; for taking Jewish law and custom seriously, we are sneered at as backward. When a group of haredim in an Israeli town try to preserve their particular style of education, they find themselves branded racists. A New York Times op-ed declares, without basis, that haredi rabbis in Israel have decided that "almost no one"� is Jewish and calls unnamed haredi rabbis "demonstrably corrupt."� A respected Jewish columnist characterizes Israel's religious courts as a "rabble of rabbis "� a counterfeit product, pretenders to a piety they daily demean."�

There is nothing wrong with making a case for multiple conversion standards in Israel, for a variety of public prayer service styles at the Western Wall, for denying a particular community the right to mold a government-supported school in its own image, or for the separation of religion and state in Israel. Differences of opinion are fine. But vilification isn't. Name-calling is not an argument.

The hardy weed of anti-haredi animus easily spreads to even more mundane reportage. When a social activist claims, without producing a shred of evidence or a single witness, that she was assaulted in a public place in broad daylight by a haredi man because of tefillin marks on her arm, the alleged assault was widely reported as established fact. When a group of Israeli teens on a school outing accidentally caused a forest fire, a well-known blog implied that the blaze had something to do with the fact that the school was haredi. A national Jewish newspaper publishes a comic strip featuring wild-eyed, grotesque depictions of religious Jews, cynically disparaging their desire to share Torah with other Jews.

I don't believe that such things"”well, the comic strip excluded"”are done with conscious intent to demonize. The writers and editors who allow anti-haredi sentiment to inform reportage do not consider themselves prejudiced, even subconsciously. But, as Slate's William Saletan has insightfully written, "There's a word for bias you can't see: yours."�

***

But, perhaps even more sadly, the media's bias against haredim dovetails with"”and encourages"”individuals' personal prejudices.

Truly objective observers of the haredi world"”the fairest ones are, not incidentally, more often non-Jews"”are often struck not only by haredi insularity and ritual observances but by the community's refinement of spirit, generosity, and good will. If the previous sentence elicited a cynical smirk, that only testifies to the power of the misconception-mongering.

But cynicism cannot obscure facts. Whether judged by objective criteria or by simply observing life at street level, the haredi community is very different from the image of it that exists in many media and minds. Even a quick perusal of the pages of any haredi newspaper or magazine, of which there are several these days, should be enough to open minds. They cater to their readers, of course, ignoring most of contemporary popular culture that imbues the contemporary American scene. And they are empty of the sort of gossip and scandals that titillate readers of more mainstream media. But the window on the haredi world they provide opens on a scene very different from, in some ways diametrically opposed to, many people's preconceived notions.

The percentage of haredi income donated to charity is formidable, particularly impressive in light of the many observance-related expenses (educational and otherwise) that Orthodox Jews shoulder as a matter of course. The number and scale of haredi efforts aimed at comforting the sick and bereaved, feeding the hungry, or providing other social services to Jews in need"”haredi or not"”is astonishing. No small number of non-observant Jewish New Yorkers have been introduced to the Satmar community, the large and influential Hasidic sect, when visited in the hospital by its ladies, bearing good wishes and hot kosher food.

Are there then no haredim who are miserly, insufficiently sensitive to the needs of others, or even"”how shall we put it?"”ethically or morally challenged? Of course there are. And we hear and read about them regularly. We have witnessed truly abhorrent behavior by members of the haredi community over recent years, from what law texts call "moral turpitude"� to child molestation to financial shenanigans to outright thievery. And innocent, truly religious haredim are deeply shamed by the hypocrites and criminals among their population. Although not every ugly story turns out to be true, enough have passed the smell"”and even the legal"”test to convince us haredim that we have much work to do to impress on every member of the community the import of the fact that the Torah governs every aspect of a Jew's life.

And we haredim can even understand, in light of the scandalous behavior of some, why other Jews view us all with suspicion, or even worse. But, as with Jews in general, the difference between prejudice and perceptiveness lies in whether one chooses to focus on a selected ugly sample or on the overwhelming majority of a group's members, those we don't get to read about.

I don't believe that anti-haredi bias is truly analogous to anti-Semitism. The latter is visceral and evil; the former just misguided. Most Jews who assume the worst about haredim may be puzzled, frustrated, discomfited, annoyed, rattled, or embarrassed by us (or some of us). But they don't really hate us. I believe that every Jew, in his or her heart of hearts, loves every other Jew. It's just that"”well, to reference a contemporary poet: Just because you love someone doesn't mean you like them all of the time.

It would be nice if all Jews were always both lovable and likable. But in this imperfect world, that may not come to pass. What we can all do, though"”and this applies to us haredim as well as others"”is to resist, as best we can, the evil inclination to indulge in generalizations, assume the worst, or vilify our fellow Jews.

It's a tall order but a timely, urgent one.

Rabbi Avi Shafran is director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America, a national Orthodox organization.

More in: Avi Shafran, conversion bill, Haredi, High Holidays 5771, holidays, Jewish media, media, Moment magazine

15 Responses to “The Jews' Jews” Carl says: Sep 7, 2010 at 8:19 AM

In Israel the Haredim have three serious problems that cause an antagonistic response from the non-haredi public; 1) Most don’t serve in the army 2) Most don’t work and live off taxpayer money 3) They try to tell us how to live our lives. Finally, for those of us who care about Judaism, they have kidnapped Judaism and twisted it into a nearly unrecognizable form where they are willing to go to jail for the sake of some bones that probably aren’t Jewish but won’t lift a finger to help foreign workers in Israel.

David says: Sep 7, 2010 at 8:48 AM

Talk about generalizing!

“As a group, of course, the Jewish community includes no larger percentage of unsavory characters than any other population (and likely a considerably smaller one than most).”

What crap. What nonsense. What wishful thinking. Jews are no worse and no better than anyone.

Zackary Sholem Berger says: Sep 7, 2010 at 9:20 AM

There is a difference between “vilify[ing]” our fellow Jews and pointing out systematic failings which Charedi leaders choose not to address, and which affect Jews of all stripes. The Rubashkin story was one of them; sexual crimes in Charedi schools is another; and the foul misogynistic doings at the Western Wall a third.

In each of these instances, the misdeeds of individual Charedim are overlooked, swept under the rug, or even (in the third case) encouraged by Charedi leaders. And their spokespeople, Shafran among them, continue to dissemble.

Individual Charedim can be as saintly or warty as anyone else. But Charedi society (like non-Orthodox Jewish society) is full of flaws. While non-Orthodox Jewish society recognizes, on the whole, its many imperfections (we lambaste ourselves and beat our breasts constantly), Charedi leaders in the US and Israel deny and obfuscate, with Shafran’s help.

Berel Shain says: Sep 7, 2010 at 9:28 AM

What incredible hypocrisy. Has Shafran ever read a Hareidi paper? Has he spent any time in Hareidi yeshivos? The hareidim are far more disdainful towards their Reform, Reconstructonsit, Conservative and even Mizrachi brethren than anyone is toward them. Shafran’s attempt to “Swift Boat” the media is pathetic and transparent.

David says: Sep 7, 2010 at 11:39 AM

That no group should be blamed for the misdeeds of some of its members is hardly worthy of an article. And yes, within the non-Orthodox community there are stereotypes about the Orthodox in general. Such is to be condemned. What the author has ignored, however, is that the Haredi LEADERSHIP at least in Israel continues to lack respect for those of us who are not Orthodox — essentially finding that we are not real Jews. And Israel, it seems, is to be a homeland only to those who meet the definition of Jewish according to the Haredi, who seek to make Israel a theocracy according to their own vision. So, let’s be clear that while the lack of respect runs both ways, the Haredi lack of respect for the rest of us is official.

Samantha says: Sep 7, 2010 at 12:19 PM

Well said! As a Baal Teshuva I held the same biases when I was of the Reformed persuasion. But as I began to spend time with shomer Mitzvah Jews I couldn’t believe how could have thought of them as judgemental or deceitful or any of the horrible labels the Jewish community puts on them.

The comments above completely underscore the author’s point. Unfortunately, it takes a lot to break one’s bias, so I don’t expect this article to move anyone who has latched on to hating the chareidi. Rather, I think it’s a very eloquent read for to goyim who can’t understand how our people could cannabalize it’s most ardent believers.

Jacob T says: Sep 7, 2010 at 12:30 PM

To Rabbi Shafran: Am I really your fellow Jew? As you wrote, “Orthodox Jews can no longer assume the halachic Jewishness of those presenting themselves as non-Orthodox Jews.” As I present myself as ‘heterodox’, to use your preferred term, I suspect that you would view my position within Am Yisrael rather warily. So long as the Haredi establishment in Israel insists that its narrow (and modern!) hashkafah is the only acceptable form of Jewish practice, Jews of all other stripes will be justified in their protest. Calling a spade a spade isn’t bias–it’s reporting.

Ariely says: Sep 7, 2010 at 1:01 PM

Lessons of blood paid by Israeli people!!!!

Lessons that the west start to learn only lately and still don't understand the threat. Israel is learning that the march to the so much desired peace will be a very long a dangerous journey. Israelis learned that to maintain a level of normal life under the nonstop destruction pressures they have to concentrate on the daily normal life routine of people worldwide.

What lead to this Israelis approach?

1: Endless Arabs wars. 2: Endles Arab terror to conventional wars and a mixture of all types of wars. 3: Endless hate preaching and teaching by Arabs in schools, media, mosques. 4 : Endless attacks and fouls blame by media, UN and the so called human rights groups will continue whatever the defending Israel will do or not do. 5: Endless Arab boycotts attempts 6: Endsless refusal by Arab leaders refusal to accept a Jewish. Started 85 years ago and still in full force volume today. 7: Endless Arab leader’s declarations that the political negotiations are only tactics that will lead to Israel destruction.

8: On the other hand: 8.1 Israel attempts to reach a comprehensive peace lead only to more blood shade 8.2: Understanding that the world is ready to pay for the Arabs petrol supply with their moral values and Israel blood coin. 8.3 : Understanding that the defending Israel is the only country worldwide phasing daily threats to be destroyed by powers 150 times larger and fabulous rich 8.4: Understanding that Israel has to relay on its own defense and on the same time to keep its interior living spirit of normal life

Prof Asher J Matathias says: Sep 7, 2010 at 2:18 PM

B”H

There is yet another category: the decidedly anti-Jewish bias evinced by at least two editors of Orthodox weeklies (refer to them as weaklies)in the Five Twons who intentionally pursue a “business model” that devides our community, and provide ample sustained example of the Hilul HaShem we are abjured from committing. To add considerable insult and salt to injured feelings, the publications Jewish Star and Five Towns Jewish Times (the former obviously without a shine, the latter senselessly self-glorifying in its masthead) even reject the Sephardim, a segment of Jewry traditionally Orthodox.

Thus, the article’s rabbi has much to reflect upon, as is suitable at this time, and even do some self soul-searching for he has been cavalierly overlooking this biting issue as he writes for one of the newspapers! Conflict of interest, of the heart, a torturous condition as one attempts to bring about the elusive we yearn for our People!

Sincerely, and with fraternal affection, Asher Prof. Asher J. Matathias Woodmere, NY

Irv Mermelstein says: Sep 7, 2010 at 2:35 PM

Mr. Shaffran–

Your opening premise–that “[t]he origin of anti-Semitism has confounded the best of minds”–is utter crap. Modern antisemitism originated in the very large amount of anti-Judaic and Antisemitic material in the New Testament, and in the wildly anti-Judaic writings of the Early Church Fathers, such as John Chrystostom.

This has been recognized by important Jewish writers (e.g., Lucy Davidowics and Daniel Jonah Goldhagen)and Christian ones (James Carroll and, in particular, Rosemary Reuther).

This is one of those cases where it is better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and confirm it.

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