Earlier this month, YWN-Israel reported that tensions were rising between the sikrikim in Meah Shearim and Gerre Chassidim, resulting in disturbances in the Meah Shearim Shteibelach last Shabbos.
In what appears to be the next chapter in the quid pro quo chareidi violence, which seems to have escalated to street warfare. During the night on Tuesday-to-Wednesday, 27-to-28 Tishrei, an unspecified number of Gerre Chassidim spotted one of the sikrikim.
According to reports, a commercial vehicle was traveling on Tzefanya Street corner of Yona Street in Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood when the occupants, Gerre Chassidim, spotted one of the sikrikim they have been looking for in connection to the brawl which has resulted in threats against Gerre Chassidim accompanied by derogatory comments regarding the Rebbe Shlita.
Some 20 persons got out of the truck with sticks and batons and beat Avraham Hirschman, who was standing at that location.
Hirschman is reportedly a major player among the radical Meah Shearim element known today as the ‘sikrikim’. He is believed to have been behind the violence and destruction surrounding ‘Kollel Poland’ and the ‘Batei Warsaw’ as well as the attacks against the Ohr Chaim seforim store. Most pertinent to this case, he is believed to have ordered the attack against the son of the Rebbe Shlita, a resident of Meah Shearim. That seems to have been the red line that should not have been crossed.
According to preliminary reports from the trauma unit of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, the victim arrived in serious condition with internal bleeding, fractures, and head injuries. There are no reports of any arrests in the case at the time of this report.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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25 Responses
Drocheyo darchei noam.
Did the Deputy Minister of Health rush to the hospital to see for himself the handiwork of the Gerrer Chassidim?
Avraham Hirschman is the most wicked man in the last 15 years, In Meah Shearim Which has with is own two hands beaten,thrown stones,poured Clarine and much much more terror,On man, ladies and children,(yes hard to believe) just because they would be waring a shitel or just because they live in ‘Batei Warsaw’ . And is the leader of the radical Meah Shearim element known today as the ‘sikrikim’. He is known to have been behind most of the violence in the area .He has also been thrown out of his kehila.
Its the minimum he deserves.
Let them kill each other for all I care! Just leave us alone! Live & let Live! Otherwise, suffer the consequences!
Yissi
FYI, this report contains a lot of false facts. Avraham Hirschman is a karlin-stolin chassid and a very pious person. He is very yashar and does everything completely legally. There is some problems about the apartments in Batei Warsaw and R’ Hirschman opened a legal case against these people. They were very angry and apparently attempted to use force to intimidate him. He absolutely has nothing to do with any attack against the Gerrer Rebba’s son and nothing to do with the battle against the Ohr Hachaim Book store in Meah Shearim. He is a very law-abiding person and does everything legally. I suggest you look into the facts behind the story a bit more.
May there only be peace amongst klal yisrael.
These extremists are a dangerous group, with splinter squads killing the shalom in Bet Shemesh.
As always the bottom line is CASH, who owes the free apartments of Betai Warshaw and who runs the show. A sorry issue for klal yisroel.
If this is not loshon horah, then I don’t know what is.
There is so much more to this story. Gerrer Chassidim have been absorbing the abuse of the sikrikim for a very long time. My son was in Eretz Yisroel a year ago when he witnessed the random beating of gerrer chassidim in meah shearim only because they were in meah shearim and not in the gerrer section of geulah. Then, too, one man was severely beaten, but it did not make it to any news station, which was proper. May we merit to bring in moshiach bimhera.
Why are the Gerrer chasidim less Radical than the Sikrikim
I’ve stopped visiting Meah Shearim when I visit Yerushalayim. It used to be a peaceful neighborhood with affordable seforim stores and souvenir shops. Now its a haven for extremism and hooliganism. Until someone gets this under control, their shops will continue losing business.
Does anyone else feel nauseous from reading this (and related) story?
Although I am not familiar with the root causes of this escalating conflict, I can safely state that this barbaric behaviour on both sides will certainly not hasten the geulah. I think that these people should pay more attention (or remove)to what they recite at the of shemonah esrei re sholom.
To beat up a fellow yid to an inch of his life? I am sure that they can justify their actions every inch of the way.
Plain sick.
Just another day in the frum world.
Let us see if any of our “leaders” will comment.
Uch!!!
Although it sounds like they went a little overboard, I can’t say he didn’t get what was coming to him (assuming the facts brought down here are 100% accurate).
I spoke to an eye witness who was standing right there when it happenened. All of a sudden people ran out of that truck screaming ROTZEIACH ROTZEIACH and started hitting this guy on the street. I don’t know the details but the people who hit this guy definetly think hes something akin to a murderer and therefor think they are doing the correct thing!!
As someone pointed out today about the assault on the photographer- this must all be the fault of the Israeli police
Please! anyone who doesn’t know the difference, sees this article and gets the impression tht gerrer chassidim and sikrikim are similar in their violence.
This is far from true! The sikrikim have a long history of violence. (This is not a debatable fact, it is well known.)
While the the gerrers may have been wrong for taking the law into their own hands, they are not violent, and don’t terrorize other groups.
We must all be careful about making negative comments. These people are doing G-d’s work. Obviously. With no shred of hostility. All “l’sheim Shomayim”. This is what G-d wants. Obviously.
comment 5 is the only one here with the truth
For all those defending Ger, you are so wrong. Violence begets violence. It doesn’t matter who started. If there is evidence that he committed crimes -he should have been held for the police. There is a reason they call them Gerrer terrorists. E/o should grow up & if they can’t – Lock ’em all up & throw away the key.
Nobody is defending anyone. Its just not fair to act as if the 2 groups eare equally violent.
I would like to correct a mistake i made. The ATTACKERS were NOT screaming ROTZEIACH It was passerby watching them hit the guy who screamed at the attackers that they are murderers
Dear SP
Hirschman knows one impotent law, “kol dealim guvar”, (but that’s the only one), And I must tell you your quote he did open a case against Batei Warsaw, But forget to add one thing that the court throw out the case , And one small minor detail you also forgot that there 34 cases against him!!!!, So please be more accurate..
To Commenter #23: My comments in Comment #5 are completely true. Avraham Hirschman is NOT part of the sikrikim as YWN is leading its readership to believe. Everyone in Yerushalayim knows that. Some of the other people involved in this story are part of the sikrikim group but he is not and he would never do something violent. It would be nice if people could get true facts without being blinded by media propaganda that lead you to see the picture they way want you to.
please see comment #5 for the correct details of the story. he has been living in the house for years. since he does not belong to ger they are afraid that the property will no longerbe in their control so they are trying to make him leave. (in the US they refer to this as the mafia)
WOUD YOU NOT TRY TO PROTECT YOUR HOME AND FAMILY??
HU?