The S family has resided in Ramat beit Shemesh for the past 14 years, a frum family, a family described as ‘chareidi’ by Yediot Achronot, explaining dad wears a black yarmulke and the children are educated in chareidi mosdos. Two of the six children are serving in Nachal Chareidi and as a result, they are constantly the target of verbal abuse as they return home in IDF uniform.
According to a daughter, Aleph, who is 15, she has had enough of the insults and being spat upon for not being frum enough. She explains that she has been spat upon and insulted many times when she gets off the bus returning home by frum residents who feel their family is simply not frum enough for the community. She explains that friends visiting her suffered the same fate.
Family members feel this is not the work of one or two rotten apples, but an organized effort intended to pressure them into leaving the community.
Yediot reports the family has received more than one letter from area rabbonim addressing the lack of modest dress by some of the daughters, explaining they are not in line with the standards of the community. One letter signed by the Vaad Tznius ends “It is out hope that we will not be compelled to defend our homes like a bereaved bear because the result will fall solely on the stubborn ones”.
Another letter contains a quote “we have come to the realization that your home is an entertainment center for males and females off the derech and they use the tomei internet, the mother of sin, which of course has no place in our holy community, one comprised predominately of chareidim”.
The father explains rabbonim have not assisted in the way he sought, explaining they told him to increase family modesty and yiras Shomayim, adding they have been compelled to cancel police complaints for fear of retaliation.
As a result, the family explains they have had enough and they are throwing in the towel, deciding to move. Dad explains he has had enough of seeing the soldiers targeted when they return home, explaining the family cherishes volunteerism and other forms of giving back to the community but these values are not shared by his neighbors. As such, they are selling their apartment and settling down in a new community.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
There has to be another side to the story. It just sounds too unbelievable. Reminds me of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. Just too scary. How can we beg for Moshiach to come, if these stories are out there? Help!
If story is completely true, then some Jews have not learned anything from the past two thousand years of galus. Sinias chynom destroyed the second Beis Hamkidash and it still destroying Jews today.
1. i do not believe this article is true as in every area in RBS there are people doing army.
2. they are welcome to Ramat Shilo in the entrance to RBS where virtually everyone of age will do army or shierut leumi
If this is entirely true, it bespeaks a very sad state of affairs. However, ANYTHING written in Yediot, especially about religious Jews, must be taken with major grains of salt!
A friend once said to me, “Frum is the relationship one has with God. Chareidi is how you present yourself to the rest of the world.” So, I guess the busybodies of the neighborhood may be Chareidi, but the frum part is questionable.
I guess this behavior brings people closer to mitzvos.
Just what we need right after Tisha B’Av to remind us why we’re still in galus.
This does not sound like RBS Aleph, which is made up of TOLERANT anglos for the most part. Nevertheless, it is shameful that this has happened. There are many upstanding homes raising wholesome kids in Ramat Bet Shemesh, and there are acts of chesed that are too numerous to recount on such a small forum. More tolerance is needed. That said- part of me says that there must be more to this story that has been left out..why would a normal upstanding family be attracting a huge amount of attention just because their sons are in Nachal charedi and some of their daughters are not as tznius? The article seems to be sympathetic to the family, yet the letter that is quoted gives a different picture. If this is a party hangout, then lots of unsavory things may be going on there which would make any person uncomfortable not only with Yiddishkeit issues but with the fact that their neighborhood loses value and respectability. We choose our neighborhood for its values, and if the values change, then it is the right thing to move out. I applaud the parents decision but am unhappy that this was reported on a public forum to seemingly villify RBS and all the many amazing residents that do work tirelessly to ensure that the city is a pleasant place to live. And if this is simply a family that has been unfairly attacked, despite the Kippah on the father’s head, then the people who incited this nonsense will have to answer to Hashem.
ayum v’norah…those “rotten apples” should be embarrassed by their own behavior..amazing that people take it upon themselves to decide who falls under the category of “frum.” so sad.
We have so much of this going on in Lakewood. There are many people who feel that if someone is not dressed on their tznius standards, they have the right to bash them for it. They also claim they are doing it l’shma. Very sad.
Bleeding heart, self-hating Jewish Socialist Liberals..these S family whiners need to shape up and get with the program…to paraphrase the late Good Ole Spiro Agnew, extremism in the pusuit of frumkeit is no vice! ahh…if only more of you could smell the coffee!
Bracha…move to Edison 🙂
maybe its true that these are rotten apples and that their home is an entertainment center. Could that even be a possibility?
#10 if you are living in a mostly chareidi neighberhood yet are unsensitive and wear tight and short clothing, that is offensive to the people around you- so they are rightfully offended. and if you offend me i may say something.
To # 5,6,7,9,& 10. It seems from your comments that you believe this Loshon Harah.(I hope I am wrong.) Why? Are you allowed to believe this? I don’t think so. Why didn’t you all condemn this Loshon Harah as some of the posts did. Wouldn’t that hasten the coming of Moshiac. I don’t think that just because something is written,is a heter to believe it.
lbj (#14) – there is nothing in Bracha’s comment (#10) that permits you to infer she is talking about wearing “tight and short clothing” – and by doing so, you deny the legitimacy of what she has to say.
Some publishers may airbrush or simply delete photos of the wives of Gedolim 30 or 40 years ago, but the undeniable fact is that the hair covering in those days often would “violate” the standards so prevalently taught as the norm today in Lakewood.
In any event, acceptability of dress is a hoshkofa issue, within the parameters of normative halacha…and there is a sorry trend among some Chareidim to lose sight of that…and to spit upon, figuratively and at times literally, women who merely don’t conform with the zealots’ particular corner of the market.
“an organized effort intended to pressure them into leaving the community”.——These are always organized groups who are fundamentalists, activists, frummer than thou, kanoim and there is usually a Rav who is supporting or leading this negative battle!!!
Have you began to wonder why Ramat Bet Shemesh 3, 4, & 5 are not selling out…& families are choosing Givat Zev and other areas for Anglo Olim who are not accustomed to a NEW YIDDISHKEIT practiced by these “organized kannoim”.. Sad episode of Klal Yisroel.
Yonasan W, the fact that some Rebbetzins from 40 years ago very not dressed ke’das does not prove anything. In those days, chashuve bochurim could not find better matches.
No. 11, Yonason, it was Barry Goldwater.