It’s become a familiar, but despicable scene in Yerushalayim. Frum Soldiers are attacked just for being in the “Holy neighborhood of Meah Shearim / Geula”.
The latest incident happened on Wednesday evening at around 9:30PM at the Bais Yisroel Shteeblach which is frequented by thousands of people each day as Minyanim take place one after the other almost 24 hours a day.
Three Frum soldiers stopped into the Shul to Daven Maariv, and minutes after the Minyan began, a crowd gathered and began screaming at them. The crowd grew, and entered the Bais Medrash – screaming and cursing the Soldiers with the usual “Chardak”, “Nazi”, and other derogatory words used to insult Frum Soldiers.
Fearing for their lives, the soldiers phoned police who arrived minutes later to rescue them from the violent mob.
As can be expected, police were called “Shiksa”, “Nazis” etc when they entered the Shul to escort them out.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported.
Police have not yet made any arrests.
VIDEO & PHOTO CREDITS: מחאות החרדים הקיצוניים & עידכוני מאה שערים
(Charles Gross – YWN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
52 Responses
Why does a site called yeshiva world post this? ?
I don’t agree with what was done, but to put Jews in bad light and publicize bad actions? ??
Maybe chant the site name to yeshiva lashon hara
Maybe thousands of yeshiva bochurim that go to Israel after high school and tourisits should put on TSAHAL T SHirts and go to Mea Shearim often to daven there, of course to daven respectfully. On a very frequent basis. This Needs to end. What Future picture of KLal Yisroel do we want. One of Mishiginas rioting against frum people coming to daven, who happen to be Guardians of Israel! Or one of Derech Erets and Kiddush Hashem as opposed to CHilul hashem! We do not want a repeat of Satmar vs Chabad or Satmar Kiryas Yoel vs Satmar Williamsburgh!
it’s like going בידיעה into a palestinian controlled village.
in my opinion, they’re asking for it!
there’s plenty other shtiblach 5 minute-walk away, why do they choose DAVKA the meah she’arim/beis yisroel shtiblach.
there’s the Mirrer Yeshiva a sneeze away…
don’t go places if you KNOW you’re gonna be thrown out, and then go and complain!
A shanda!! A chillul Hashem when a frum yid isn’t allowed to daven in peace!
A massive Chillul Hashem. These people protesting should be learning and davening instead of yelling at other Yidden. Terrible!
chilliworker2 – I completely disagree. They might know this is going to happen, but it cannot be ALLOWED to happen. As soldiers, they are ready, willing, and able to lay down their lives for those who are protesting their very existence. If they can’t stand frum soldiers, let them leave the country or shut up. Simple. There is nothing in the Torah that allows them to act this way, and they need to understand that. How that will happen, is up to them.
The rabbis of the rioters really need to be responsible. How do they permit this? How does any single rioter know that just maybe one or some or all of the soldiers are not becoming more and more frum? Even if the soldiers are not, how do the rioters know that? And to attack Torah Jews? How is this allowed?
I think that the leaders of their communities should be called before a beis din and give an account. So should each rioter. Can anyone imagine, a ben Torah raising his hand to another ben Torah?
The soldiers make it possible for the heredim to even live where they do. Absent a strong Israeli army and you will have plenty of their black hats and shtriemels floating in the sea. Appreciation is the name of the game that they are missing. No wonder the messiah waits.
there’s the Mirrer Yeshiva a sneeze away…
Since when is the Mirrer Yeshiva a minyan factory?
@chilliworker2 Please don’t blame the victim. A Yid should have the right to step into the closest shul to daven with a minyan without having to calculate which shul is the safest. Is that “asking for it?”
You are correct in comparing these dangerous hater Jews as behaving like a Palestinian controlled village. The army is now issuing special ID cards for frum soldiers to be allowed to wear street clothing instead of uniforms when they go home on leave. It’s a serious shame when Jews have to fear their fellow Jews. My hope is the police catches and jails these rabble rousers. When most of them are in jail E”Y will be safer.
a chillul haShem is one of the worst sins possible and I believe that the frum lunatics in Meah Shariim are really doing their best to be disgusting.
I have seen so many good IDF soldiers who believe so strongly in haShem, who daven with such strong intent and go out to work and raise decent families as opposed to this mob of schnoorers who add nothing to am Yisroel except hatred.
Shame on them and more shame on the rabbis who do NOT speak out against such terrible actions.
Throw the meah shearim shkutzim out of Israel. Free loading dogs.
don’t go places if you KNOW you’re gonna be thrown out, and then go and complain!
So, if I see you in my shul and come up to you and say “I don’t like you, don’t ever come back here,” does that justify my hitting you when you do come back?
The Wolf
Is the IDF uniform just an extension of the actions of the Torah spurning “Government”.
Is the IDF uniform used as a form of “indoctrination” of the frum population that “soldiering” is as good as Torah study, which it is not?
Is the IDF uniform an intrusion that the Jewish neshama rejects, as it is a symbol of defiance against Torah?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
The “violent mob” (screaming is violence?) is definitely wrong! The soldiers are also wrong. And YWN is wrong most of all. Please explain how this is important for anyone to know. Secondly, if it’d so important, I’m sure the story about the police completely fabricating a story about a young chareidi protesting (including four policemen testifying falsely), would be equally important. Yet, not a word about it on YWN! Showing their true colors?
A Good Jew – It is due to the misguided type of “tzidkus” that you espouse that evil acts continue to happen in our community. Covering up misdeeds to protect the good name of frum yidden enables these misdeeds to continue. These acts must be publicized so that good people can be made aware of these vile acts and express outrage at these acts of hooliganism. These acts must be reported on so that we can teach our children how misguided avodas hashem and acorrupted sense of frumkeit can lead to even “frum” people to act like animals. A big yasher koach to YWN for posting this footage. It is a shame that much of the frum media lacks the courage to report on such stories.
Ready Now. –
Is the IDF uniform also the uniform of those that put their lives at risk to protect the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael?
Are IDF soldiers the ones that Rav Chaim Shmulevitz compared to the “harugei lud”?
Does Hakoras Hatov demand basic decency when dealing with IDF soldiers?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
i’d like to ask all IDF lovers: when you come in to meah she’arim there’s plenty signs stating, ‘please come dressed modestly’. ANYONE in their right mind will not walk thru meah she’arim in a provocatively dressed manner.
meah she’arim people have an opinion – they do not agree that frum people should go to the army, so NO soldier in their right mind should be davening in any such shtibel.
there are plenty of homes where children have lo oleinu gone off the derech, NO PARENT would allow their ‘off the derech’ child to fry ham sausages in their frying pan…
you have to also mechabed the place you’re in!!!
BenK: just as you say ‘send as many IDF soldiers that they get used to the fact, they too will continue to throw out soldiers dressed in uniform so that THEY will get used to the fact that they don’t like it.
either way, all those commenting that this shouldn’t happen, i can almost swear, you all live in the US and have not a clue about the pitfalls of what goes on in the army!!!
ab3jacob: YWN aint gonna post stuff that puts meah shearim people in good light
each media has ‘their side’, and meah she’arim is not one of ’em (neither are the peleg)
wolfishmusings: if there was a rule in your shul not to come in with a cross, and s/1 would come in week after week with a cross – what would you do then?
for meah she’arim – IDF is THAT bad!!!!
To “a good Jew”. You clearly never learned the law of lashon hora. The action of these hooligans is a Hillul Hashem, and it was done in public in the presence of rabim. Not only it is a mitzvah to publicise this shameful action so others will not do so, but it is already considered public knowledge and ignoring will not help it. Maybe you should make aliyah and be more connected to the rest of am yisroel, so you would not hide in your 4 amos.
Chasing frum Jews out of shul; what religion do these people believe in?
I know that many people have a principled objection to Zionism and the State (I actually served in the IDF with one!) and they have every right to such a view. In the 80s I used to take non-frum college kids who were visiting Israel to homes in Meah Sharim for Shabbos meals and they were welcomed into homes of Toldos Aharon Chasidim. There was a Tzadik Nister in Meah Sharim who opposed Zionism. On the advice of my Rav I went to him for a brachah before my army service. He gave me one, along with some thoughtful and well thought out practical advice.
To hold from a shitah that opposes Zionism doesn’t mean that you have to reject your fellow Jews. People who behave like the ones shown screaming in the video run the risk of turning a legitimate Torah perspective into an avodah zorah.
crazykanioy- you are right that it was wrong, but we dont have to advertise all our dirty laundry to the world! if a close relative was fighting with his wife, would you post on a news site a recording of the fight so that everyone should know how not to treat your wife?! these people are our brothers- we may not publicize all their mistakes, intentional or not. I dont see any news articles about burglaries and nasty incidents in chiloni neighborhoods. Look at all the nasty comments above about the meah shearim residents, who are shomer torah umitzvos and being maligned because of some garbage that happened in their neighborhood. If you cant take seeing that garbage, then maybe the YWN reporters should be the ones staying out of Meah Shearim!
Ha Ha!!
YWN Has Done it Again!!
To be Marbeh Sinas Chinam in Klal Yisrael??!!
There are many different ways of yiddishkeit, some daven a whole day and others learn. Some focus on chesed and others on middos etc. We don’t have to agree or disagree with anyone! We must raise ourselves and kids in the ways of OUR parents and Rabbeim. There is no “one correct path”!!! It is unjust for anyone to cry out on any group of Jews. The people of Meah Shearim look at a Frum Soldier as a threat to the existence of their entire upbringing. That doesn’t mean that we agree to their screaming and rioting, and i would personally advise the Americans to stay away from such a thing!! We were not raised to do such a thing. But there is definitely another outlook and we should all follow in the path that we believe in!!!
machlokes is deterring Moshiach so please don’t be marbeh these type of things!
May We all Greet Moshiach Quickly!!
These attacks are a huge black mark on our community. Shame on the attackers!
@a good Jew; It seems you are concerned with the image of the frum community and that is commendable. However, I fear that your comment may be causing the exact opposite of your intention. When you say that you think these acts are bad and yet you are more concerned with image than condemning these horrible acts, how do you think that is perceived by others?
Ugh, don’t know if I’ll be able to keep down my breakfast. Yes, BenK and all others in support of frum members of IDF having respect whetever they are. I am plenty chareidi and preferred my sons learning, BUT trained all my kids from very young to STAND UP in resprect to chayalim, for instance, boarding a bus. Living members of our nation willing every day to be moser nafsham al kiddush Hashem, whether they asked for it ir not. I cannot imagine whose tefillos have more effect in a minyan, but watch out you screamers of Nazi, — i would davka look for a green-outfitted Yid to fill MY minyan. That’s all I’m saying!
And why were there no arrests? Police came undet-manned to this event. Sad to say, but a mass police response and a couple cans of teargas might be in order as a deterrent. When the de reguer treatment for tzahal members in these places has become quite hard to differentiate from the animals screaming Allah hu akbar and throwing rocks at tbe har habayis, it has to be forcefully stopped. Furthermore, at least in my fantasy, it would be an AWESOME plea bargain deal for these arrestees, to force them to stand at the door of the batei knesset where its all Tzahal and shake the hand of each as he exits after davening, and THANK HIM (loi uleini) for doing his part!
crazykanoiy —– You say “Is the IDF uniform also the uniform of those that put their lives at risk to protect the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael? “
The answer is -Is the IDF uniform on the live bodies of Jewish men protecting Israel from their own avera of not studying Torah but spurning it? Yes!
You say “Are IDF soldiers compared to the “harugei lud” “, those “harugei lud”, who represented Jews, steeped in Torah learning ? The answer is- Only if the majority of the country is innocent of spurning Torah study, but that is not the case, unfortunately..
You say “Does Hakoras Hatov demand basic decency when dealing with IDF soldiers?” The answer is-
Not when the IDF uniform is used as an item of propaganda in a shule, where the dress code is for decent apparel for both women and men, and further where the “lure” of a “uniform” is seen to “lure” those “on the edges” into the IDF and away from the depth and breadth of the Holy Torah. Women in the IDF wear pants-and also there is mixing of the sexes in the IDF, that is what the IDF uniform represents, and those in the IDF need constant reminding of the essential holiness of AM Yisroel! Should “mixing” and “pants” for women also be allowed in Shule, surely not! The IDF uniform is there BECAUSE of our failures, and epitomizes our failures!
Yes, we don’t want to have any Jew ever have to wear an IDF uniform again because of our failures! Yes, yes, yes and yes!
Do not diminish the role of Torah.
Wow lady ur taking this a bit too far
The behavior by these hooligans is what got us into the Galus in the first place. A few people with “lofty” ideas, believing they have the only “true” Torah. A few years ago, our neighborhood received a large phonebook-sized yiddish book by our doors. Inside, there were numerous references that people with smartphones are “goyim”, and other similar messages. Funny how the people covering up child-abuse and other crimes against people are the ones to tell us who the “real Jews” are. Despite all his issues with Moshe Rabenu, Korach was never called a “goy”!
It’s disgusting that so many commentators here justify, excuse, or somewhat sympathise with this atrocity.
You frummy logicians and pilpulniks are apparently ok with making a riot in a shul, a beit mikdash m’at, a place where Hashem rests his presence. You Torah’nuks who are so eager to condemn Zionists, you who are supposed to set examples, you, who keep preaching ” No talking in shul”, you hypocrates are ok with rioting against fellow Jews who want to pray and daven…. In front of an Aron Kodesh, in front of sifrei Torah, among other Yidden who want to daven with kavanah…This doesn’t bother you….All of your pathetic toile’lech won’t help you on Yom Hadin.
I read the comments here ( and the article) and I would like it to be known to all here that you are the reason that i am no longer frum and no longer believe in God. you can do what you want with this but readin the comments here and seeing it i know i made the correct decision. If you truly are Frum jews then why would i want to be associated with you? I hope the time comes when those of you blaming the soldiers need them and they are not there. when you are mourning your family, wives, husbands, children, parents, siblings I hope you look up to your God and ask ” why me?!” I hope you ask why your God didn’t send help.. and at that moment a soldier walks in to pay a shiva call and you realize how much you messed up.
Ready Now – Please Do Not Invent Torah.
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz considered the mesiras nefesh of Israeli soldiers to be on par with that of harugei lud. He never stipulated that his statement was conditional upon some attitude in the country. Stop making things up.
I myself saw Rav Nosson Tzvi show his utmost respect for Israeli soldiers when they came to visit the Mir Yeshiva. He never made his hakoras hatov dependent on the factors that you invented.
The IDF needs to protect Eretz Yisrael not only because of their averos but also because of the averos of you and your ilk. Are you so perfect that you believe that you will be saved by miracles like Avrohom Avinu inthe Kivshan Haesh? The fact that the IDF protects you and the hooligans in Meah Shearim is ample reason for hakoras hatov.
Abelah – If the close relative beat his wife every dayt and his rabbonim were aware but remained silent in the face of his never ending abuse and sick justification of his abhorrent acts then yes I would publicize it in order to get him to stop. These acts need to be publicized because until there is real outrage from community rabbonim and leaders it will not stop.
The only thing that amazes me here is that there several people here who actually justify one jew hitting another,
or calling him Nazi. There is no justification, NONE whatsoever. And please, spare me the BS about the uniform not being “modest”. This is just pure hatred on the parts of these ignorant, lazy bums; the only education they get is how to hate.
I guess my mentioning Ynet’s article really annoyed the mods. As long as you get the message, it’s fine.
Moderators Note: We ignored it, Tzvika, because the YWN article went live minutes (literally 5 minutes) after it happened, and the Ynet article was written HOURS later. We just like to ignore haters such as yourselves. And yes. It was a “mob”. A violent angry “mob”. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply appalling behavior.
crazykanoiy
If you know what ספר חפץ חיים on לשון הרע is, maybe it’s time to learn it.
Yes we in israel are aware and hopefully each parent will be מחנך but to show this to the world? ?Showing always the bad acts???ASSUR! !
Where to begin?
Of the many comments that I take exception to, comparing the IDF uniform to LaHavdil a cross bothers me the most. There is much personal feelings that I could express, but I will let the following truly great personages speak for me concerning any Jew’s feelings toward our Israeli soldiers.
Rav Yosef Dov Solovetchek – he referred to one in an IDF uniform as wearing bigdei kodesh.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach – “For kivre tzadikim you don’t have to go to the Galilee. You have them right here in Yerushalayim on Har Herzl.”
Rav Yerucham Levovitz – “regarding those who currently sacrifice their lives so we can be saved, no one in the entire world can stand in their presence. And our obligation to pray on their behalf is limitless…”
HaRav Tzvi Yehuda HaCohen Kook – the holiness of the army uniform in Israel is fundamental, inherent holiness. This is the holiness of accessories of a mitzvah, from every perspective…”
Rabbi David Bloch – One could be anti-Zionist and still be grateful to those who risked saving lives. The most basic Jewish value is that of expressing Hakarat ha’tov, gratitude, to anyone and everyone who does anything which is of benefit for me and certainly for society at large.
And the last and saddest comment: HaRav Yisrael Meir Lau (the youngest person liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp) to paraphrase, the problem with us Jews is that we don’t know how to live together, but we do know how to die together.
Perhaps the answer going forward is to authorize chayalim from the IDF to use force (including their weapons) against any attacker, whether in a shul, on the street or wherever. It seems that words and admonitions alone will not deter these hooligans from engaging in these assaults. They have the requisite authorization when attacked by a Palestinian terrorist. The SAME rules of engagement should be applied to assaults from Yiddeshe terrorists.
With all due respect to the Moderators. So, it only takes 5 minutes to verify the details of a story on another continent.
Moderators Note: Another continent? Our office is in Nachalot for the past 10 years. But nice try. The rest of your comment was deleted, Tzvika.
It’s just unbelievable what’s going on here. Simply put NO ONE has anything against these soldiers personally and of course we are mispallel they should stay healthy and finish the 3 years safely, even the SATMAR rebbe ZT”L davvened for the health of Isrealy soldiers and cried if they where killed. But any Torah Believing Yid Knows as is stated in the GEMARA that the real defenders of a place are those that learn TORAH and that is why they have different halachas in taxes etc.
But we all admit to what the Brisker Ruv said that those who began the Isrealy Government had the purpose of ending Yiddishkeit. So those who see the effort from the isrealy government to increase chareidim in the army as an effort to uproot yiddishkeit need to feight against it with all means including and not limited to Violence just like MATISSYAHU in the times of the Yevanim. Imagine if YWN would have a Heading SHOCKING FOOTAGE; OLD RABBI MURDERS CHILONI FOR WANTING TO BRING AN OX FOR AVOIDA ZARA!!! where would we be today???
I am not saying that it is so but for those who think so an their Rabbis have that opinion who are we to judge them they are acting according to the TORAH instruction for MAISIS UMADIACH. Not against the soldier personally.
Here’s alter, at 3:08 pm :
Brisker Ruv said …..OLD RABBI MURDERS CHILONI ….TORAH instruction for MAISIS UMADIACH. ….Not against the soldier personally…GEMARA…..
Soldier;
It’s nothing against you personally, but get out of shul.. Alter’s toire’lech have our back to embarrass you in public, harass you in a holy shul, disrupt others in the minyan, some of whom may have very pressing personal crises and our begging Hashem for help. None of that matters because we have yirass Shomayim and want to send a message to the Zionists…
Dear Torah : Alter & those talmidei chachomim who think like him, disregard your negative commandment of onuas devorim, especially to Jews during prayers, disregard the warning of not being mevei’ish somebody berabim, and other such things. They have rei’os, gemarras, , vortlach ad nauseum.
The 2 Betei Hamikdash were not destroyed because the soldier of the tribe of Gad wore a uniform, but they WERE destroyed by the kinds of things that are happening in the Holy City of Yerushalayim.
Nothing personal , alter, but please spare us pilpul.
A good Jew – I have no doubt that you mean well but brushing everything under the table in the name of loshon harah is wrong and not according to Halacha. You mention sefer chofetz chaim but you would do well to also familiarize yourself with the parts where the chofetz chaim allows one to point out the bad behavior of others in order that it serve as a teachable moment. The neviim were not speakers of loshon horah because they pointed out the flaws of klal yisrael. There is a need for machoh against these people and their silent enablers.
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz Z’L passed in 1979 CE which was before women in IDF were permitted, ”forced” to fight side by side with men. From jewishvirtuallibrary dot org/history-of-women-in-idf-combat-units “ until the mid-1990s, when the Supreme Court case of Alice Miller v. the Minister of Defense declared military policy to be a form of gender discrimination.”. Those times of separation have gone, a new energy for the yetzer hara is here. The soldiers, all of us too, are mere mortals compared to the Jews of ancient times, and the soldiers are completely immersed in IDF psychology,
The tolerance of the culture of IDF is insidious and detrimental to all Jews, whatever good they do and it is considerable, we do not say “cut yourself in half” we say ”save yourself first, study Torah, do not elevate the IDF uniform as the golden standard, be modest, be aware that you only succeed as a result of those efforts of the talmidim in study hall.
And do not pollute the shule with the “psychology” of “mixing” and immodesty!!!!!
Ready now – Women were drafted into the IDF since the 1950s. The Chazon Ish who died in 1953 fought to get a draft exemption for religious girls. And again you continue making things up to fit your own preconceived notions of right and wrong. Rav Chaim never held that bochrim should serve in the army but he had real hakoros hatov and respect for soldiers who put their lives on the line. His opinion would be the same today. Instead of blowing off nonsense perhaps go stop in the Mir Yeshiva and speak to his sons and or talmidim about the true hashkafah of a Gadol Batorah.
Nolongerfrumnow – I am “sure” that the comments on secular sites are much more refined then on YWN. Finding justification to go off the derech because of anonymous internet posts is pretty pathetic.
ready now, Your justifications for this disgusting behavior become more and more convoluted each time your previous answer is refuted. Whatever you find wrong with the IDF culture should not be taken out on frum soldiers who someday will put their life on the line to defend their country, which is more than the phony pious rioters will ever do.
ZionGate – WOW! Still no answer on the argument. Toralech that are true are TORAH whether you agree with them or not
Don’t ever ask “why are people antisemitic”?? Watch the video footage and see how so called religious Jews behave and there’s your answer.
What shocks me is that the IDF put their lives on the line every day to protect the Israeli people including the ones in the clip and yet they behave in the most vile violent despicable awful way to them.
We all know that the same people behaving like this would expect those soldiers to be there immediately if they were caught up in a terrorattack.
All the soldiers were doing was praying in a synagogue when the crowd/mob grew, yelling at them calling them Nazis and other insults and they ended up having to be rescued as the mob turned violent.
Luckily there were no injuries.
How do these extremists justify behaving like this to their own people? How is it okay to act like this in a synagogue? Do they actually believe their god wants them to do this?
This is absolutely disgusting and an embarrassment to the ultra orthodox communities around the world.
The Erev Rav come in many flavors, like the Zionist who are willing to divide the land of Israel, and these thugs for harassing frum jews for davening. I can assure you Hashem is not listening to their teffila, and the GRA calls these people worst than Amalek the Jews who cause Machlokes. Kol Hakavod YW for exposing Amalek Erev Rav dressed in Black.
Why beat on about “politeness” when Israel is in danger because of the unholy behavior of the IDF which endangers all the Jewish combatants! Now we won’t have to answer the question “why didn’t you protest?” against the hillul Hashem, the disregard of Torah by the IDF.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz Z’L never approved “mixing” of the sexes, trousers for women in IDF , mixed gender combat units, mistreatment of talmidim, shaved off beards, arrests, compulsory registrations nor the anguish and disruption that it causes. The same rules apply for all the non –religious as the Torah applies to them too!
Non-religious Jews are not “dispensable” and must not be encouraged to go against Torah.