Jerusalem Police against chastity squad

Jerusalem Police against chastity squad

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Meah Shearim residents agitated following wave of arrests of ‘modesty guard’ activists. In one of demonstrations held every evening, youngsters flip over police car in capital.

‘The chastity squad activists are doing what the police should be doing,’ senior community

member says

You SPIT on the dead of the Jewish Holocaust

Apart from the Armenian Holocaust, there were never so many to die violently for their religion than the Jews in WW2 in recent history. In human history, more humans have died violently for their BELIEF in a god, gods or none than other cause. Belief in something for which there is no proof, but complete trust. If the Jews that survived the Holocaust have no belief in the right of all to have a belief in a god then those Jews are SPITTING on the dead Jews of the Holocaust. Their deaths can only have meaning if you defend the right of all Jews and OTHERS to believe in their god.

The right to believe in no god is as important a right as those that do. I believe in the equality of ALL. That I don’t believe in any god doesn’t lessen my right to my non-belief or my duty to defend those that do believe in their god. Should I only defend the right of those with a Christian belief, or a Jewish belief, but not a Muslim belief?

‘Modesty patrols’ sow fear

Jewish ‘modesty patrols’ sow fear in Israel

Some terrified that mere perception of impropriety could ruin their lives

JERUSALEM – In Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, where the rule of law sometimes takes a back seat to the rule of God, zealots are on a campaign to stamp out behaviour they consider unchaste.

• They hurl stones at women for such “sins” as wearing a red blouse and attack stores selling devices that can access the Internet.

• In recent weeks, self-styled “modesty patrols” have been accused of breaking into the apartment of a Jerusalem woman and beating her for allegedly consorting with men.
• They have torched a store that sells MP4 players, fearing devout Jews would use them to download pornography.

“These breaches of purity and modesty endanger our community,” said 38-year-old Elchanan Blau, defending the bearded, black-robed zealots. “If it takes fire to get them to stop, then so be it.”

Future foreigners’ conversions in doubt

Out of concern that Israel will be labelled a proselytizing nation, the Justice Ministry this week asked Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar to stop converting citizens of foreign countries. But Amar is proving reluctant to do so.

In a meeting on Sunday, attorney Harel Goldberg of the Consultation and Legislation Department in the Justice Ministry requested that Amar halt these conversions. Goldberg had sent a letter to Amar more than a month ago warning of the legal problems involved with the practice.

But an aide to Amar who deals with the conversions said that, together with the ministry, they still hoped to find a way to continue the practice.

Legal experts in the ministry and in the Attorney-General’s Office have opposed drafting any regulations that would give a religious authority the power to convert citizens of foreign countries.

Silencing dissent, hushing up scandal.

Silencing dissent, hushing up scandal Rabbi Benzion Twerski had resigned from a task force in formation being brought together to deal with sexual abuse in the Orthodox community

Two items recently crossed my desk. The first was an article that appeared in The Jerusalem Post written by Matthew Wagner entitled “Haredim move to silence ‘treif’ music”. It was about a movement to ban musicians who produce or perform any music which the Guardians of Sanctity and Education deem inappropriate. Musicians playing such music would be banned from playing in wedding halls, their CDs would be banned and their concerts disallowed.

The other item was a breaking news piece from JTA indicating that Rabbi Benzion Twerski had resigned from a task force in formation being brought together to deal with sexual abuse in the Orthodox community. New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, also an Orthodox Jew, is establishing the task force to deal with this scourge. Twerski resigned because of the many threats against him and his family made by several individuals from his community.