Hundreds of members of Jerusalem’s chareidi community blocked streets and burned garbage receptacles in the Meah Shearim and Eli HaCohen/Bar Ilan St. areas after learning of last week’s arrest of a chareidi mother of four feared to have starved her toddler child for three months. A gag order on the case was lifted, permitting the news of the arrest to be published. Milder protests were held by state welfare offices earlier in the week.
According to reports, the mother, in her 30s, suffers from the syndrome known as Munchausen by proxy, causing her to deliberately cause her child harm to gain attention. Police indicate the mother apparently starved the child, about 2, and then brought him to the emergency room, a common pattern for someone suffering from the illness. At times when the child was admitted in the past, it appears the mother disconnected his feeding/medication tubes without the knowledge of the medical team.
The child is now admitted to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, reportedly in serious condition. The child reportedly weights 15 lbs due to the starvation by the mother.
Protests in the Eli HaCohen area, near the Aperion Hall, became quite violent. At one point, youths targeted a passing bus but some of the passengers on the bus succeeded in distancing the protestors and the driver was able to extricate himself from the area without incident.
At about 10:30PM, a vehicle with a loudspeaker began driving around, informing the tzibur in the name of rabbonim to halt the violence and return home.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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45 Responses
The protesters should be arrested and deported to where they came from.
Is someone able to explain to me why we are always reading articles about the charedi community in Israel acting like animals? I dont understand – we read and KNOW that the Roshei Yeshiva are brilliant men, above questioning. Yet, their followers seem to be lost, unaware how to act. At least this time the Rabbonim appeared to act – but I question why these type of riots happen in the first place –
If the rabbanim control the tap, turning the violence on and off via a loudspeaker attached to a car, perhaps a few high level arrests are in order.
Neturei Karta have totally hijacked Jerusalem. People are scared to go into Geula for fear of being drawn into their violence. I have forbidden my yeshiva aged sons from going near. Why aren’t the Rabbanim speaking out against the major chillul H’ they are making at every given opportunity?
How can they condone burning public property paid for with tax-payers money???
1. We have to deal with these matters independent of the government. Traditionally, wouldn’t such problems have been dealt with by the rabbanim (the Beis Din, etc., depending on community) directly getting involved??
2. There are some indications the woman may be mentally ill, and arguably we have a problem dealing with serious mental illness since the mental health professionals are more likely to be viruently anti-religious than other medical professionals.
The mother obviously needs major help but she shouldn’t be anywhere near that poor kid. Hope he can recover….he’s half of what his weght should be.
This Summers activity is protesting in Me’a Shearim, CHillul Hash-m, Villd and ineffective. It does keep the frum Youth busy from other Inyanim!
Why no protest for the frum child? If they do not like the arrest they can hire a lawyer for her -not riot
I hope the child has a speedy recovery.
It could be that the only way to get the child away from the mother, was to arrest her. I don’t know how social services work in Israel.
But I do not understand the protests at all. What exactly are they protesting?
I’m confused. Please enlighten me.
Were the people protesting that the mother was arrested? Or that the child was abused?
At whom are they angry?
May the child have a refuah shelaima.
How come, in the YWN article, no mention is made of the father? Is he not in the picture, as well? Should he not be arrested as well, for ‘Al Taamod Al Dam Rayacha’?
Where’s the father?? And it’s really really sad!! My heart goes out to the children! They need proper care! Sounds like the mother needs help!!
That poor poor woman and child. everyone must realize that as much as she was very likely causing her child harm, i think the first thing we should wonder is, who is working on getting this mother help? Munchauser by Proxy is a serious psychological illness that definitely lends itself to harming family members and those close to the sick, but we must remember that it IS a psychological illness, and she must get help!
I do agree with all those speaking out against these ridiculous riots- they must be stopped! the chilul hashem is astounding, as is the physical danger involved.
#9, there is no excuse or validation for the rioting. However, it appears that the Charedi do not want any legal system other than their own to guide and direct them. They clearly do not want anyone tampering with their perfect system, even if it necessary. And in this case, if proven that this woman does indeed have Munchausen by proxy R”L, it is w/o a doubt necessary for her to get the required help. I am confident that with the correct intervention the child will be placed in an appropriate home and setting.
In democratic societies, people don’t riot. In societies in which some (or all) people are marginalized from the political process, violent demonstrations occur. Given that Eretz Yisrael is polarized into multiple societies, only one of which (secular upper-class elites) run institutions and control media, it is easy to expect that other groups (Hareidim, as well as Arabs and often non-upper class Jews) will use violence. Since it is unlikely that the Israeli elites will change such that we can trust them, we need to develop a fully fleshed out alternative for mental health services (which we have done for first aid, so it isn’t such a “hiddush”). We need a frum “mental health” hatsalah.
#12 that was blatant lashon hora, you did not have to add any more garbage
Am I the only one here, who after repeated stories about Chareidim gone wild, who thinks these are mostly off the derech hooligans still wearing frum garb?
Maybe these are the youngsters who’d do much better to learn a trade then sitting and learning, because they’re obviously not doing the latter.
maybe those violent protesters could join the army, then Hizbolla will tremble in feat!
Can u people stop criticizing the Chareidish Heimish Olam how many such stories happen daily by the secular jews & the secular Medina doesn’t care one bit they’re just busy with the Chareidim it’s part of their Gezeiras Shmad R”L
“since the mental health professionals are more likely to be viruently anti-religious than other medical professionals”.
akuperma, where are the statistics on this statement?
AND WHY ARE THEY MORE LIKELY TO BE ANTI-RELIGIOUS THAN OTHERS, Israel has a large number of frum mental health professionals working in all 3 major yerushalayim hospitals, who are mentors & therapists to the ill.
The whole profession of psychiatry was invented by an anti-religious Jew. Indeed, many psychiatrists believe that religion is a disease in need of treatment. Psychiatry is new specialty within western medicine, being roughly a century old. There is no way a frum community will ever trust their mental health system, or any other sort of psychiatric service, unless all the hilonim are removed. Could you work with nutritionists who believe that lack of pork in a diet causes illness, and that milk is necessary to properly digest meat.
The problem is there are a large number of hilonim working in the major hospitals in Yerushalayim. Get rid of them, and there won’t be a problem.
The solution is to set up something similar to what was does for emergency medical services when they proved to be inadequate and unaccomodating:
a “Hatzalah” for mental health services.
Interesting that no body has anything to say against the Israeli government as they would make the greatest Kidush Hashem for the last 60 years. GIVE ME A BREAK.
akupoerma enjoys seeing the child suffer because as long as we show the tziyonim who is boss everything is ok.
the kid is a korban tzibbur.
then again, most yerushalmi kids are korbobos tzibbur in some form or another by not being a chance to live normal lives and are being taught that life is about hating other people and at the time schnorring from them.
garfield
To #25. The secular jews are tinokim venishba, unlike the protesters who should know better. The Chareidim are judged on a higher level because of their frumkeit. The chareidim who are using violence, is an affront to both observant and non-observant Jews.
Garfield: so you don’t agree with the Rabanim who have endorsed Hatzalah rather than using the perfecting “tolerable” services provided by the government? What about schools – our own or the governments?
Given the historic emnity directed against frum Jews by the secular Israelis, any involvement by their officials is problematic. When the Israeli government decides that dislike with or lack of respect for Hareidi culture renders you unfit to work for a public agency (equivalent to how an American agency would deal with someone who is openly racists toward various minorities), there is no possibility of their offer of assistance being trustworthy. If you were in Berlin in 1934, and a German government official came to your aid, wouldn’t you be a bit worried (and remember, most hilonim see us as their greatest misfortune).
The answer is that the local community has to take charge of dealing with mental illness within our community by setting up something like Hatazlah for mental health issues.
Akuperma says “…
Akuperma – you say “…The whole profession of psychiatry was invented by an anti-religious Jew. Indeed, many psychiatrists believe that religion is a disease in need of treatment. Psychiatry is new specialty within western medicine, being roughly a century old. There is no way a frum community will ever trust their mental health system…”
Your comment reminds me of uneducated frier Yidden who wag their ignorant tongues about Judaism – same know-nothing disease.
Rabbosay, if I may, over here in the yerushalayimer community the picture is being painted very differently. (I know you all will believe the government’s version over hers because she comes from a “backwards, Violent community and the official reports come from the holy democratic government who never lie or change stories and are always running after tzeddek)
There are papers up saying that the woman took wonderful care of her son and the social workers are trying to build up a bogus story. If anyone cares for more details they could probably get them from anyone who davened mincha today in a shul that is connected to the eidah
I have personally decided that there is more hate on the personal level amongst the bale batishe oilam in america than there is amongst the yerushalmy oilem in israel. I think I would rather have my kids grow up hating tziyonim and baale batim than hating bney torah and yungerleight
# 28 .. & which leadership do u follow?
When a child is treated like this, heaven forbid, from their own mother, intervention must take place; “syndrome” or no syndrome.
#21 – what are you talking about – marginalized?? The charedim have a lot of input in government. Disproportionate – the majority of Israeli society is secular – how do you think the charedi community is getting all of its subsidies – is still allowed to live off welfare – becuase they have people promoting their interests in governemnt.
There is really no excuse for the rioting -it is sad when someone tries to make an excuse isntead of saying it is wrong and needs to be fixed.
there apparently is a whole other side to this story. i just passed by a pshkevil but just barely scanned it, where it compares this with the “yaldei Teiman” episode that they told the mother the kid is dead
did it ever occur to anyone that they are demonstrating because they believe she is innocent. There is no proof other than that the last time she was there she disconnected the childs g-tube for some reason. The whole mental illness is a theory some doctor suggested, It has not been substantiated to date. The child has been in and out of the hospital for over a year and a half. I am not saying that she is innocent I have no idea but it seems there is no solid proof and still she has remained in custody. The meah shaarim residents are extremely sensitive to abuse charges as there have been many false accusations in the past. Not that it never happens for real but anyone who has ever brought their child to any of the hospitals or emergency rooms even for routine problems in yerushalayim know about the intense interrogations that always accompany the visit. There is alot of room for false accusations to come about. Please dont jump to conclusions so fast.
how can a car have gone around at 10:30pm its not 10:30 yet.:)
Whats with all this sinas chinam?!
Do any of you have the REAL story? Did you verify the facts? Do you always believe what the reporters say? If you are taking this article as fact, you might as well go to CNN – see what they have to say!
About the hafganos? If you would know the full story, you would understand those chareidim and why this is the derech they chose. Dont get me wrong – if some of the chareidim are throwing stones, they are definitely wrong. But that is no reason to go out and speak blatant lashon hara against our fellow yidden who are just trying to save a yiddishe mother from harm.
what you read here at “YWN” This really means SINOS YISRUEL and especially against frum pepole, Listen to ( Kol Mevasser 212-444-1100- #1, #1, #4,) from a eye witness who is involved in this case for a few years, than you will decide who is the Rotzaich the Erlicha Gatriea mother that you describe as a Mental case. or the isreali goverment starting with the non frum hospital staff, and the israli police, and excuse me all comment writers against this erlicha mother.
akuperma:
Never mind a Jewish heart (rachman, baishan, gomel chassadim) do you have a human heart?
A child was severely abused by a very demented, perverted, and abusive individual. In this siuation, even more disturbing than a serial killer, it was the mother doing this to the child she herself bore.
You blame the many “hilonim” working in the hospitals. If you were in a caring profession, and saw the horrific sight of clear abuse, what would you do?? Find one rav who would say that this poor excuse for a human mother should keep her child to continue hios abuse.
If the mother is innocent, that should come out in the investigation. That doesn’t mean riots like this should happen.
In my opinion, it is generally better to remove a possibly abused child from a situation prematurely, rather than risk the child dying in the care of the possibly abusive parent.
the issue is not whether the woman committed the crime – she very well could be innocent. The issue is people rioting like animals – throwing stones.
I think I would rather have my kids grow up hating tziyonim and baale batim than hating bney torah and yungerleight
I KNOW OF OTHER CHOICES besides the HATE one!!
As a professional with more familiarity with Munchausen by proxy than most posters here, I am taken aback by the ready acceptance of a gullible public that the disorder indeed afflicts the woman, or that the “facts”, as stated in news reports, indeed are as stated.
This is extraordinarily difficult to diagnose, and is also so easily misused to tar and feather a parent with whom we disagree.
How many posters have verified that the child indeed weighs 15 lbs, and that this weight was indeed caused by parental abuse/neglect? Wouldn’t you feel exeedingly foolish to discover over time that the “facts” were fabrications serving an agenda, which you swallowed hook, line and sinker?
I don’t have the facts myself, but know enough to restrain myself from condemnations. From a professional standpoint, I have my doubts…
SOUND-OFF!
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/outrages-violence-in-jerusalem?replies=1#post-87402
akuperma. like i said it seems you do enjoy the fact that a 2 year old weighs only 15 pounds.
in your whole unintelligible rant you did not respond at all to what I wrote.
so i take it that yes, you think 2 year olds who weigh 15 pounds is a good thing.
in your comments you only explained the justice of your stance. because the rabbanim endorsed somethign or other, 2 year olds who weigh 15 pounds is something to be accepted with joy.
well, it is good to know what kind of person you are.
your freindly neighborhood garfield
sayitlikeitis: are these hooligans bney torah/yungerleit?
ever learn maseches YOma?
Oy l’aviv shelimdo tora – because the briyos are right.
these anuimals are being mechallel shem shomayim all the time. they are lower than the thugs in harlem.
your frindly neighborhood garfield
I am not sure if we are reading Yediot Acharonot or a frum news report, the story above is right off the secular news and quotes the seculer version. Any frum person in EY knows how trustworthy the secular news is
As mentined avove in #45, anyone can call Kol Mevaser and hear a very clear and reliable sorce to the story.
Just a reminder, it is not the first time that YWN is quoting a story with the secular version, by the story of a yungerman, who was blamed for killing his son, they also quoted the false, secular version. We hope that next time (hope there won’t be a next time, but if there is) they will verify the true story before writing it up.