Israel Matzav

It takes a goy to defend Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews

There is a liberal witch hunt against the most pious segment of the Israeli society. It’s an eruption of anti- Orthodox vituperation. The "ultra-Orthodox" are accused of being extremist, radical, fanatic, disgraceful, medieval, benighted, corrupt and cultic.

It’s true that ultra-Orthodox Jews live with strong contradictions. On the one hand, they benefit from the successes and security provided by Israel. At the same time, they are aware they contribute less than others to the material well-being and safety of the state.

But the standard caricature which pictures ultra-Orthodox as “parasites” became an instance of blood libel.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews, like the Holtzbergs, are disdained for their “passivity” and because “they are having too many kids”; their “trust in God”, not their own might, to right every wrong; and their reliance on their rabbinic leaders for guidance on life decisions.

No understanding of ultra-Orthodox Jews is possible without an appreciation of the place of Torah learning in the pantheon of Jewish values. Holtzberg’s ideal of Torah produced a holy dedication unparalleled by any other community in the world.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews are hated because they are fighting against assimilation in the United States. They are among those who kept Jewish tradition alive in a time of destruction (virtually the entire world of Torah scholarship was wiped out in the Holocaust).

Western media depicts ultra-Orthodox world as dark, narrow and archaic, while it’s a fascinating and vital piece of the Israeli mosaic. The Holzbergs were sparky, feisty individuals driven by a common cause they perceived as greater than themselves. They didn’t imagine themselves to be more worthy of divine protection than all the generations of Jewish martyrs who preceded them.

Nor are Holtzberg’s survivors are kidding themselves that their relatives were far more righteous than others.

Labels: Giulio Meotti, Haredim

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:54 PM