Secular residents of Charish on Friday protested outside the sales office in the city where chassidim from Toldos Aharon were coming to inquire into buying an apartment.
In recent weeks, Jay Engineering, which is building the Hadar Charish project, has begun selling dozens of apartments to families affiliated with Toldos Aharon. The project includes six buildings with a total of 120 apartments.
There are many secular residents living in the city, who fear a sudden influx of chareidim would compel them to leave.
CEO of Jay Engineering, Ilan Iluz, told Kikar Shabbos News “I appreciate the dignified manner of the demonstrators and even a representative on our behalf met with them. In a democratic state, I will fight for their right to continue to express their opinion. However, the right of the chareidim to buy apartments is no less than the right of the demonstrators. I am certain that in two years’ time, both sides will be good neighbors and work towards a thriving Charish”.
Yossi Mizrachi, who organized Friday’s protest, told Kikar News “The protest is not against religious and chareidi people, but against a group of fanatics who threaten the character of the city”.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Sadly, we also see the same fears when secular Israelis move into frum neighborhoods and there are issues of their not being shomer Shabbos, not dressing with sufficient tzinius for the locals. In an ideal world, there would be a higher level of tolerance as the developer says with both living respectfully side-by-side. However, the polarization within Israeli society seems to be moving the relationships in the opposite direction.
Good luck to Charish.
This sad reality reminds me of the United States in the 50’s and 60’s. Here right now in this article it reveals that the level of racist attitudes is so similar when trying to convince others that the influx of African Americans would have a detrimental impact on their neighborhoods. They therefore refused to sell homes to them. Such a Democratic and just reality!!!
And the hypocrisy is that Charish was supposed to be an all -Chareidi city since the housing shortage is greatest among the Charedi sector and the city wasn’t planned for industrial or secular job infrastructure.When a secular group petitioned the High Court that they should be allowed to buy apartments, they won and Haredim stopped buying .Now the secular want to stop the charedim from buying?
It’s time the Yerushalmers started showing how dignified and exhalted their way of life is by making extra effort to impress their neighbours with cleanliness ans good citizenship.
If Torah Jews behave as they should they would be welcomed in any city and any neighborhood. Their piety and refinement will only enhance any neighbourhood.
But if in their areas its ok to spray-paint the wall comparing the mayor to Hitler, it’s legitimate to build shuls on city land without a permit, it’s legitimate to weld pushkas onto public infrastructure, it’s legitimate to call female public servants ‘Shiksas’ and policemen ‘Nazi’, its legitimate to drive around tipping thousands of papers to make your point, it’s legitimate to hold late night Melava Malka’s or Sheva brochos with live music etc etc. Then the Torah lifestyle to outsiders becomes repulsive which is the classic and most severe form of Chillul HaShem.
An about change has to be made, starting with the education and all the way up.
I agree with TheMir that chareidim in general have to demonstrate that they can life side by side with the chilonim in peace. Let’s start in Bet Shemesh etc.
And still if this would happen in the US or Europe, Israel would have been quick to condemn anti-antisemitism but in the so-called “Jewish State” that’s ok.
TheMir – I think that the real point is that people who, as you write “spray-paint the wall comparing the mayor to Hitler,… call female public servants ‘Shiksas’ and policemen ‘Nazi’ ” are NOT living ‘dignified and exalted’ lives and that it is perfectly legitimate not to want such people as neighbors.