[LETTER FROM EIDA IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Eida Chareidis affiliated rabbonim convened in special session on Sunday night; the eve of 17 Cheshvan to discuss what they feel is the alarming increase in extremism among its constituents, referring to the break-off faction that has earned the name “Taliban” due to their dress code for females which mimics a Taliban lifestyle, not that of a chareidi woman.
The Rabbonim Shlita heard statements from husbands whose wives have been attracted to the sect, listening for three hours. One of the cases included a woman who decided to give birth at home for reasons of modesty, placing herself and the newborn in a measure of danger. The rabbonim heard some bizarre tales that are the reality of the husbands and households of women that now feel aligned with their new lifestyle, one they feel provides the ultimate in Jewish female modesty.
Another case, quoted by Chadrei Chareidim, speaks of a young girl who is a member of the cult, and she was badly burned in an accident that occurred in the home. When they arrived at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, they demanded a female address their medical needs, not a male physician. When they hospital did not comply, they left and sought private medical care, which may have compromised her overall health due to the serious nature of the burn.
After listening to the stories for three hours, the rabbonim convened for 45 minutes and a decision was made to actively combat the cult, a change from the current policy of sitting back and taking a passive approach.
One of the dayanim shlita warned that this cult is quite dangerous, and the lifestyle it represents has no place in Halacha or Yiddishkheit. A sharply-worded letter was released against the cult, stating in absolute terms that one may not join this cult and members are no associated with the Eida community.
CLICK ON LETTER TO ENLARGE
“To our sorrow, we the Badatz have listened to testimony regarding the inequities of these women that have uprooted Torah from Israel, acting on their own, adopting a lifestyle that is void of Torah and educational values. They do not send their offspring to talmid torah and schools; they prevent receiving medical care, even in life-threatening cases, as well as issues concerning matters which are not fitting to be discussed, pertaining to chupah and kedushin etc.
“Therefore, we are warning Jewish women and girls that it is prohibited to join them and one must distance oneself from their customs and their ways, since ultimately, they will chas v’sholom lead to destruction and annihilation.
“We strongly protest those who have taken upon themselves to change the Torah way regarding chupah and kedushin, to the point of being contemptuous towards marriage, opposing that which is an integral component of this and their affront to Chachmei Yisrael that have set Jewish tradition and law for current times and all future generations…”
The badatz has stated it will act harshly to those who place their children in danger and a vaad is being established to monitor cult activities. In case of need, the badatz will cooperate with social work and welfare agencies for the good of the children towards removing children from such homes.
What appears to have prompted the badatz special session was the case advertised by Chadrei Chareidim in which a chosson from Meah Shearim was married for a second time without giving his first wife a get. A week later, he did give the get via the beis din of HaGaon HaRav Nissan Karelitz Shlita.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
I have seen these women walking around the mea sharim area and also in beit shemesh. from the numbers i see on the street they seem to be growing very rapidly.
i believe the aida has contributed to this problem unfortunately and now it is too late in my opinion for them to stop these people.
Does this mean the Badatz will cooperate when Israeli government-sponsored social service agencies try to take kids out of abusive “Taliban” homes? There were widespread protests and rioting in Meah Shaarim when the police removed six kids from the Taliban mom’s home, and prosecuted the woman for child abuse.
The Badat”z’s policy of keeping everything quite to their own people, and focusing most of their energy at people who anyway don’t listen to them, has ruind that community.
Every day the mainstream chareidi world takes on new tznius ”Chumras”. These new standards were unknown to our mothers and grandmothers. If so why not wear a burka? Rashi says that Tamars face was always covered and Avrohom never saw Sara. If we ignore the mesorah of our mothers and create more and more tznius regulations than the burka is the ultimate natural progression.
What about those members of the community that beat up others?
Where is the protest there (other than when a gur chasid beats up one of their gangsters)?
Craykanoiy; that fact that Yehuda did not recognize Tamar
is she always kept her face covered which is the reason it is ossur to cover a woman’s face so that she is known. It is not modest. it is absurd
crazykanoiy, maybe your mother and grandmother didn’t know of such chumros, which might explain a few things. But don’t drag the rest of klal yisroel down to your level. Our mothers and grandmothers certainly did know of and keep these chumros. Not the crazy ones that this cult is adopting, but the normal chumros that are now becoming more widespread among those who had previously been lax.
Yizchoky Please read Rashi he says he says thar she(Tamar)was a tznua. I don’t know where you get this idea that it is “ossur” for a lady to cover her face. This issur does not appear in shulchan orach or poskim so please explain.
Obviously the norms of the world including the frum world have changed. I do not advocate wearing the Burka. My point is that one can find a Torah source for just about anything he wants to push and promote. We must follow our mesora. Those that introduce all types of new tznius guidelines based on sources that were not commonly held are not all that different than those who wear the burka.
Could someone direct me to some information about this issue that is clear. I seem to have missed this news report when it started. I have a neighbor who wears a shawl. She doesn’t wear a burka. Is the shawl also forbidden?