You know, it’s really funny how the language has shifted in the last 10 to 15 years. When I came to EY to learn in yeshiva, no one referred to the broader frum community as chareidi. The bochurim in the big name brisker yeshivos in Yerushalayim, arguably the most culturally perceptive subgroup in orthodox jewry, reserved the word chareidi for the yerushalmim, exclusively. Not just anyone who lived in Yerushalayim, just those who make up the ‘old guard’ of yerushalayim’s residents, and their families. I highly doubt you could find the word chareidi in any jewish magazines up until the last ten years or so. Chareidi today just means religious, with a slight bent towards making religion the focus of your life as opposed to enjoying life while being religious. Yeshivish doesn’t have an accurate description. It’s like asking to describe the color blue. If you know you know, if not, you can only come to understanding it through experiencing it.
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