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akupermaParticipant
The hilonim are not “self hating”. They love being secular western persons of Jewish descent. It is the hareidim that they hate. If the “moderate” (“modern”) orthodox can not convince the hilonim to end their current “war” against hareidim, both in America and Israel, then it more or less proves that the “fanatic” hareidim (e.g. Neturei Karta) have been right all along.
akupermaParticipantThe original was probably a “th”, and the evolution into “T” (among Sefardi) and “S” (among Ashkenazim) occured well before modern times. The dialect spoken in Eretz Yisrael evolved naturally and combines all the mistakes of the leading dialects, which is logical since most languages evolve that way (that Israel Hebrew fails to distinguish between Aleph/Ayin, Saf/Taf, Daled/Thaled, Gimmel/Jimmel, kawmatz/patach, non-use of the thrid person future feminine, use of direct word order, etc.). Spoken languages tend to simplify over time (e.g. English having lost almost all use of gender, subjunctive, and the loss of its gutterals).
This is a fascinating subject for linguists, but of no theological importance.
April 13, 2014 12:51 pm at 12:51 pm in reply to: Difference between Chareidi and Yesheivish #1011556akupermaParticipantHow is “Chareidi” a negative word? It certainly beats “ultra-orthodox” or “feverently orthodox” or “fundamentalist” (which is highly insulting, since by definition a fundamentalist rejects anything other than “bible” meaning they reject Torah she be’al peh).
People who hate Torah and hate Ha-Shem will obviously hate hareidim, just as people who hate the New York Yankees hate Jeter and Ellsbury – hareidim are the all stars of the Torah team.
April 13, 2014 12:43 pm at 12:43 pm in reply to: Difference between Chareidi and Yesheivish #1011555akupermaParticipantSome yeshivish types are modern orthodox. Some hasidim are definitely zionists. Sefardim are all over the board in terms of the issues that define “hareidi.”
Hareidim can be hasidische, yeshivish, or Sefardi. What defines hareidi isn’t agreed on, but it clearly isn’t clothing,nusach, style of davening or parnassah. It probably includes non-recognition of the Israeli government (following the views of the original Satmar Rebbe, and rejecting the views of people such as Herzl, R. Kook, or the state rabbinate of Israel), or at least holding that the Israeli government has no halachic legitimacy (though it might be afforded the same respect under halacha as was afforded the British and Ottoman Empires).
While there are correlations with clothing, style of davening, and strictness or creativity in interpreting halacha — these are correlations rather than defining characterisitics (i.e. if someone is wearing some form of frock coat rather than a short suit, the person is more likely to be hareidi than “modern” in terms of haskafa, but not inevitably so– you have many hareidim wearing modern clothes and some religious zionists wearing the sorts of long suits that have been unpopular for the last 90 year, since King George stopped wearing them). Parnassah isn’t a good way to define since there are hareidim who earns lots of money working with or selling things to goyim, and many religious zionists who learn Torah all day.
akupermaParticipantNote also that turtles have no teeth, and therefore never have a cavity, a root canal, an extraction or an implant. And some tutrles do go to college (at the University of Maryland, where they are famous for their drinking skills).
akupermaParticipantIts the old style “oogat matza” that largely died out since they tend to go hametzdik (that’s probably where the minhag of gebrokts came from), though some Sefardi communities keep them, and every year some people try to revive the custom among Ashkenazim (usually as the “koolah” of the year). It’s unlikely to catch on for the same reason it disappeared in the past – the current way of making matza is easier and cheaper, produces matzos with less risk of becoming hametzed, and are easily to transport and sell.
akupermaParticipantBMHEE: Family size counts best if there are multiple undergraduates (including college age yeshiva and seminary students), but it still counts. Even a public schools, but especially at private schools, the FAFSA’s EFC is the starting point. One needs to haggle. Unless you are a super-rich legacy admission, or poor enough to get an EFC of zero (living off of tsadaka), you need to haggle.
Also remember that the more overqualified you are the better your chance of a merit scholarship. The person who would be full tuition at Columbia or NYU, would warrant a merit scholarship at a lesser school (they need good students to boost their ratings). Also remember that the elite schools come close to or meet the EFC figures (meaning they give aid to cover everything beyond the EFC, something not true of lesser schools). Unfortunately, YU (which is going bankrupt) is a lesser school in this respect.
akupermaParticipantFor most mitsvos it is easy to exceed a shiur, which makes the shiur largely irrelevant. For example, one is required to eat a kazais of hallah in the sukkah but unless you have some serious medical problem, that’s no big deal. Eating a kazais of matsa and marror can be a problem except for those of us who love to eat dry crackers and hot horse raddish, in which case the seder cuisine is quite unchallenging.
akupermaParticipantshebbesonian: Are you considering Stafford loans, and other subsidized Federal loans , or the Hope Tax Credit (which covers about a third of the tuition at most public universities)?
There is a lot more to Federal aid than Pell grants
If you aren’t from the US, you should consider going to your home country for college. The US is somewhat on the miserly side in terms of paying for college. Most feel that going to a university in a foreign country is a luxury.
akupermaParticipantyeshivaguy45: If you are too concerned about what the goyim wear, the United States is not a good place. During the summer, except for formal dress, the goyim tend to cut back on clothes. To avoid them, you are largely confined to small isolated frum colonies, at least during the summer. Forget about shopping at non-frum stores, using public transit, or really going out in public. In general, baseball fans, especially at night games (as are most professional games), are no more immodest than what one will find on the public streets.
akupermaParticipantMatza is low fat, high fiber (especially whole wheat matza). It’s everything else that is a problem.
akupermaParticipantThe question one has to ask is amount of tuition minus amount of aid, adjusted by whether the aid is in the form of loans or grants (work study counts as a grant). If you will be commuting, and that affects ability to hold a part time job near your home, that needs to be figured into the equation.
If you don’t qualify for federal aid (including Stafford loans, income tax credits, etc.), you are filthy rich. In general, you have to be an only child with a both parents having six figure incomes to be inelligible for aid at a private school.
akupermaParticipantAs sports go, baseball raises the fewest issues. For starters everyone is properly dressed. Even in women’s softball game they aren’t allowed to dress immodestly (by goysha standards). And there are no cheerleaders in baseball. There is a problem if they have a woman sing the national anthem(s), but that’s about it. The game is largely incomprehensible if you never played it. Of all sports (other than chess), baseball poses the fewest issues from frum Jews who want to participate in it – and participating in a sport ties in with watching it at a professional or collegiate level.
akupermaParticipantCompared to what? An amusement park? A museum? A concert?
Instead of: Learning all day? Playing baseball or some other sport?
akupermaParticipantHis conservatism with its support for ethnic minorities will help politically, and the nativists (who by definition are Protestants) will still prefer him to the danger of eight more years of far left control over the White House (and a guarantee of the Supreme Court moving radically to the left). Especially if by 2016, Obama’s foreign policy is a proven failure (which depends on what happens in places such as Iraq, Afhanistan, and Ukraine, as well as the Middle East), being a “Bush” won’t be so bad. Romney always was into “big government” and was famous for having constantly changed positions – not so Bush. One should look at 2014 to observe if many of the “far right” Republicans are pushing extreme non-electable candidates, or are supporting candidates with mainstream backgrounds who are likely to be elected. Bush can also listen to the “radicals” and cherry pick ideas without losing his main street base.
Of course, if in 2016, foreign affairs is going strong (Afghanistan and Iraq have democratic government opposed to Al Queda, what’s left of Ukraine is joining the EU and NATO, the Middle East hasn’t exploded), the economy is no worse than it is now, and most people decide they are no worse off with Obamacare, the Democrats should have little trouble winning no matter what the Republicans do.
akupermaParticipantAny competent hacker can trace your postings. A teenage yeshiva kid, maybe not. But anyone working for a serious law enforcement or intelligence agency, not to mention a criminal, wouldn’t even be seriously challenged. If you want privacy, don’t use the internet.
akupermaParticipantDon’t post anything you don’t want your kids to read. Even with allegedly anonymous posts, any competent hacker knows who you are.
akupermaParticipantThe United States (and the other western powers) are desperate for Arab-Israeli peace. Not merely for the end of hostilities, but for the Arabs and Israelis to become friends. Russia and Iran and troublesome for the rest, and an Arab-Israeli alliance (or at least, block of friends) would be a serious counterpoint to the Iranians and the Russians, but would not be a threat to the west.
However very few Arabs or Israelis support the idea of Arab-Israeli peace. Most non-hareidi Israelis are aghast are the prospect of having to become part of the Middle East (consider the codes of dress and sexual behavior in the Middle East, and imagine Tel Aviv having to avoid insulting the Muslims. Most leaders in the Middle East are concerned that peace could lead to democracy, and if you are a dictator a foreign war is always preferable to a free election. The west desperately wants to believe in a “peace process” even if most Israelis and Arabs prefer the current status quo of a low level conflict.
akupermaParticipantThere is a positive command to remove all hametz. Gebroks is just going out of your way to do so. It’s like wearing a really nice set of clothes on Shabbos (one only has to wear one’s best clothes, and they have to be respectable – going out of the way to own a really fancy Shabbos suit is a hiddur, not a humrah).
If it was a humrah, such as kitniyos, it would be prohibited on the 8th day.
akupermaParticipantThe traditional explanation is that one needs to make clear this is a optional hiddur mitzvah, not a halacha. One chooses to do a mitsvah in the best way, even though one is compelled to do it only in the most minimal way.
akupermaParticipantQuinoa bread would be a she ha-kol (whether during the year or on Pesach).
akupermaParticipantBack to the original question:
The only colleges that offer Torah learning are Touro and Yeshiva University. Both are quite expensive. Yeshiva University is a reputable second tier university (places such as NYU and Columbia are top tier), Touro is accredited by much less respected.
Every yeshiva is near colleges. America has a system in which colleges abound. Arranging a learning seder while going college can be a problem but is possible.
If you goal is to continue learning in a regular way while getting an academic degree, focus on distance education.
Don’t look at “going to college” as a path to parnassah. Pick a parnassah, and then pick a college to get there.
akupermaParticipantUTAH: Maryland’s University College is largely online, though you can take classes at any other accredited colleges for subject you prefer not to do online. It is part of the University of Maryland, and the degree says “University of Maryland”.
akupermaParticipantNot to mention that one can get a fully accredited degree from any of several distance education programs run by public universities (University College at University of Maryland, Empire State College in New York, etc.).
akupermaParticipantLiving languages evolve constantly, and in a place such as New York with massive worldwide connections, they evolve quickly. If you want to hear someone talking like people did a century ago, either use a time machine or watch old movies.
akupermaParticipantIf you don’t hold by kitniyuos to begin with, you aren’t part of the discussion. For you, quinoia, maize (corn), rice and beans are all acceptable on Pesach. The debate isn’t whether one may eat quinoa per se (since it clearly is not hametz), or whether one may eat kitniyos (that’s a different issue), but whether qinoia is kitniyos?
cherrybim: If being “new” is the deciding factor, do you eat maize (American corn) which also was introduced to Jews after the initial bans on kitniyos.
akupermaParticipantzahavasdad: The people’s in the Andes considered it a grain and used it in a grain-like manner. Not so much as beets or spinach, but much like rice or maize (which we do consider to be kitniyos).
If you allow quinoa, it will have to come up with a justification to ban rice and maize (American corn). Thus the “bottom line” of the dispute is going to end up being not whether quinoa is kitniyos, but whether rice and maize are, and ultimately, should the prohibition of kitniyos be honored.
Based on biology and what Bubbie and Zaidie ate (okay, your ancestors prior to the 16th century), maize (American corn) should be permitted. So the dispute of quinoa is really more a fundamental debate on kitniyos in general.
akupermaParticipant“Quinoa is accepted today by virtually everyone”
First, the universe of “virtually everyone” is limited to those who hold there is a problem with kitniyos to begin with. If you have no problem with eating rice or maize (what Americans call “corn”), then you have no problem with quinoa – but you aren’t part of the “virtually everyone”. If you don’t hold that there is a problem with rice or corn, you aren’t even part of this discussion.
Of those who hold there is a prohibition of kitniyos, the dispute is whether quinoa is kitniyos. It’s way to early say that “virtually everyone” agrees, since it is still a dispute. I suspect that with OU and Star-K saying its not kitniyos, we’ll start to see packaging say “quinoa-free” just as we see packages saying “non-gebroks”, and that for the most part those who don’t allow matza meal won’t accept quinoa. I’m sure it took a while for a consensus to be reached that potatos were okay but maize (American corn) were kitniyos – both were introduced into Jewish cuisine only a few centuries ago (yesterday by our standards).
Remember that as a rule, something is “your humrah” but is “my hiddur mitsva”.
akupermaParticipantjewishfeminist02: A potato does not resemble a grain, whereas raw quinoa does. Also the way in which quinoa is eaten is similar to that of the traditional grains, unlike a potato. Indeed, quinoa is in most ways more “grain like” in appearance and use than Maize (American corn). So once you hold the quinoa is non-kitniyos, you are left asking whether Maize (American corn) should also be considered kitniyos. This means the real question is really whether we should even hold by a prohibtion of kitniyos since if you start making quinoa bread on Pesach, where do you stop.
But again, this is a question to be decided over time by the gedolim. It took a while for them to settle on what to do with potatos and maize (American corn) when they were introduced to frum Jews in the 16th century.
akupermaParticipantSome say yes, and some say no.
Mind you, we are talking about whether it is kitniyos. No one holds its hametz. Everyone who allows it would hold it needs a hecksher since it is often processed together with grains.
The argument “for” it being non-kitniyos include it isn’t from the same botanical family as grains (but neither beans), and that it is a new world crop (but so is corn).
The argument “against”, meaning for holding it to be kitniyos, include that the raw food is very grain like and that it can be baked into bread (check online to find recipes), and that the South Americans who developed the crop consider it to be a grain.
So ask you personal posek.
akupermaParticipantThe problem we now have is that Reuven pulled out a knife and stabbed Shimon in the back, and announced that the world would be a better place with people like Shimon in it. This complicates life greatly.
March 25, 2014 4:45 pm at 4:45 pm in reply to: Cr Politics….Why can't we all just have Ahavat Yisroel???? #1011522akupermaParticipantAnswer to your initial question: Since the political party in Eretz Yisrael that is the de facto party of the Modern Orthodox/Religious Zionists has made destruction of the Israeli Hareidi community into a primary goal. In the past they were more concerned with the Dati Leumi Torah institutions (such as hesder yeshivos) or support the settlements, but they sacrifice that to concentrate on trying to banish the hareidi instituitons.
Your question would be like an American asking the Japanese why we can’t get along on Dec 8 1941.
akupermaParticipantDaasYochid: If there was a shidduch crisis, the birthrate would be falling. That’s because among frum people, shidduchim correlate with getting married which correlates with having babies (frei Jews and goyim have different minhagim, but that’s irrelveant to our discussion here). Within a few years of such a crisis, the schools would have trouble finding students since the major determinant of how many children arrive at our schools is how many babies were born several years before.
Thus I am skeptical that there truely is a “shidduch” crisis, beyond the one that every single person has until they get engaged.
akupermaParticipant1. Marriage rates always fall during periods of economic decline, in all societies. That’s because rational people are reluctant to start families if they don’t have parnassah.
2. Given the women almost never die in childbirth anymore, and the virtually all pregnancies result in viable babies (unlike the recent past when it was common for a woman to need many pregnancies to produce two offspring who lived to adulthood, and probably she would die in the process), delayed marriage is hardly a disaster.
3. If there is truely a “shidduch” crisis, we would be hearing about elementary schools closing due to lack of students, and unemployed teachers looking for alternative careers due to lack of work. This isn’t happening.
4. Everyone starts out in a shidduch crisis which lasts until they get married. Except for Adam ha-Rishon who had some unique issues, divine intervention isn’t needed to resolve the matter.
March 18, 2014 3:16 pm at 3:16 pm in reply to: The mechanics and provisions of the new Chareidi draft law #1008532akupermaParticipantAnswering MoshebenDovid who asked: “Can a Chareidi yeshiva get the same terms as Merkaz (or hesder)? Will the IDF have Neteurei Karta soldiers? “
Hareidim aren’t interested in the hesder yeshivot program as it existed in the past, and certainly not with the new cut backs (remember the movement leading to conscription is also anti-hesder — it’s Torah they are opposed to, not just hareidim). One probably could offer a hesder-type program that some hareidim would be interested (perhaps arrange for half a day military, half a day learning throughout military service, similar to someone who has a part time job while in yeshiva which isn’t unheard of). But that would be a radical change in hesder, and won’t work if conscription is involved, and would not interest anyone committed to full time learning, nor anyone anti-zionist. If conscription is abolished, it will be time to discuss whether a “hesder” could be developed for Bnei Torah who are interested in military service.
Neturei Karta people will refuse no matter what you offer since their objection is to state, and its wars. Since from their perspective the IDF is guilty of illegally spilling blood as part of their prohibited war, one must give up one’s life rather than serve in the army. It isn’t a matter of learning Torah. They hold that even an unemployed Am ha-Aretz should refuse to serve since the war is prohibited by Torah. One is increasingly seeing many hareidim who two years ago were quite content to take zionist money and be part of Israel, now sounding more and more like Neturei Karta. I would not be shocked in Neturei Karta offers a “thank you” banquet for Lapid and Bennett. Revitalizing the anti-zionist hareidim is undoubtedly the stupidest thing the current coalition could have done.
March 18, 2014 12:33 pm at 12:33 pm in reply to: Good major in college for a bais yaakov girl #1008503akupermaParticipantPick a career and choose a major accordingly. Questions to consider: 1)What do you like doing; 2) Are you planning to supplement a husbands income while raising a family (look for areas where part time jobs abound), OR are you planning to be the primary support of a family while a husband in learning or working in hinuch (look for a job with good pay but some flexibility in hours), OR (and this is highly unlikely) do you know you will not being having children (flexibility in hours are less important)
Majoring in a subject because it is interesting or sound like fun is very expensive. One can always study a subject for fun for free outside of a university.
akupermaParticipantIf by what theory are you saying an FFB can’t become a BT?
I assume the writer is an FFB, since a BT wouldn’t need to ask such a question.
akupermaParticipantMany places have free mikvos for keilim, sometimes with big signs on the halcha and the brachos, and a trash can for the stickers and packaging. Stores sometimes have a mikva for keilim.
akupermaParticipantMany in the Dati Leumi movement hold that learning in yeshiva is at least as important in the army, and in fact, many in the Dati Leumi movement do not support the aggressive policies towards the goyim that have characterized that movement over the last generation. However Israel is a democracy, and the Dati Leumi voters support those who feel that army services is a great mitzvah and one that requires giving up limud Torah, and also support a policy that reflects the view that subjuating the Arabs is a mitsvah. And these are the people who want to close down the non-zionist yeshivos and conscript their talmidim (and incarcerate those who refuse and the rabbanim who support refusal). If the less fanatical Dati Leumi want to speak up, they can remove Mr. Bennett as their leader, or deprive his party of support in the next election. Since (unlike some hareidim) all Dati Leumi support the Medinah and take part in elections, how they vote is a good reflection of how they feel as a group.
akupermaParticipantMoshbenDovid: A third of NATO are former members of the Warsaw Pact (or were former Soviet Republics). They are terrified of Putin. Letting Putin grab Ukraine points a dagger at the rest of them. Admitting Ukraine sends a message without starting a war. The Europeans remember 1938, and the lesson is clear that sending a strong message prevents wars — and showing fear to an expansionist simply encourages more expansion. Economically, building up NATO would be a good decision – Europe is afraid of deflation, and government spending would help prevent deflation, and would create new jobs to reduce their abusrdly high unemployment rate (which also means the cost is low since European welfare states pay very high unemployment benefits, which can be refocused as the beneficiaries get jobs).
March 17, 2014 1:17 pm at 1:17 pm in reply to: The mechanics and provisions of the new Chareidi draft law #1008529akupermaParticipantOddAnon: Which Roshei yeshivos? Based on past experiences in Israel, it will consists of those with the closest ties to the ruling class (this is politically important because if the Sefardim feel insulted, even pro-zionist Sefardim will continue to support Shas).
How they will deal with anti-zionists isn’t clear since the zionists didn’t realize they exist, and are only now beginning to realize that much of the hareidi community never bought into the zionist narrative about Jews having a right to rule Eretz Yisrael, or of the Arabs being a mortal threat to Jewish people (rather than former friends and potential friends annoyed at being chased off their land). When the anti-zionists refuse to do paperwork, will the Israelis start rounding them up? Will they be included in the 1800 exempt from Chappers?
Already the left-wing parties (both the zionists of Labor and Meretz), as well as the three non-zionists, predominantly Arab parties, have realized that they may have a new ally that could radically change the Israeli picture by making a “left” government possible (after 30+ years in which the right/center controlled the government). I suspect that fear of this happening will encourage the nationalist zionists to find a way to exempt many hareidim, even if it means allowing for any Israeli to be a “conscientious or religious” objector to military service, and that will transform the “1800” is a cap on the number of yeshiva students offered state subsidies. Bayit Yehudi and Likud Beiteinu may hate Torah, but they hate losing power even more, and the possibility of a Labor led coalition including Hareidim and Arabs will force them to back down.
akupermaParticipantAlcoholic beverages definitely facilitate understanding Israeli politics.
akupermaParticipantNATO is a small club that makes its own rules as it goes along. NATO already admitted the Baltic states (who have serious issues with Russian minorities), Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. Russia annexing pieces of a neighbor will make all the Europeans nervous. Unlike Georgia, Ukraine borders many NATO countries. Ukraine has many historic ties with western Europe, unlike Gerogia.
Of course it depends on elections, but the Russians are hurting their cause by nibbling at the provinces with large Russian populations (thereby reducing the numbers of Russians in Ukraine), and alienating the rest of Ukraine. In Georgia the pro-western party lost an election. If that doesn’t happen in Ukraine, after the next election expect Ukraine to apply to join NATO and the EU.
akupermaParticipantAt most shuls, all that paying dues gives you is a right to reserve a specific seat for three days a year. Shul hopping is a well established and ancient custom. My guess is the “kiddush club” was affecting the person’s judgement skills.
akupermaParticipantMore a nibble than an invasion. By nibbling at the most pro-Russian pieces of Ukraine, it increases the liklihood the of the rest of Ukraine joining NATO and the EU. This will end up being good for Ukranian Jews (NATO/EU and more involvement with the west), but will hurt Russian Jews (Russia will be increasingly isolated). It will encourage the NATO countries and the US to stop the program of emasculating our armed forces, and while many Americans don’t want to be the world’s policeman, we more than almost other group have reason to want a strong friendly cop patrolling the beat.
As we have had good relations with both sides, it is best for Jewish groups to be neutral and support a peaceful solution. Putin isn’t necessarily our enemy, and many Ukranian nationalists are exactly our friends.
akupermaParticipantThe people making the call on generally very underpaid poor people. You shouldn’t pick on them. Politiely and quickly hang up on them. If they called and you are on the “do not call list”, file a complain against their employer (who tells them who to call).
March 14, 2014 2:10 pm at 2:10 pm in reply to: The mechanics and provisions of the new Chareidi draft law #1008525akupermaParticipantto Moshebendavid “Will Anti-Zionist Jews be drafted? Will we soon be witnessing armed Satmar, Brisk and Neteurei Karta IDF soldiers?”
They wouldn’t even consider serving in the IDF, though a few individuals may be inclined to assist the Palestinians, or if inducted into the IDF, would be inclined towards “monkey wrenching”. However they will refuse to register and be the first to be rounded up. They will file complaints with international human rights groups (religious conscientious objection is protected under international law). Some will request asylum abroad (usually a victim of religious persecution is a “slam dunk” when seeking refugee status, which in most western countries gives you an equivalent of a US “green card”). Remember they hold the medinah is “glatt treff”, and the war is “michemis aveirah”. Some might set up a yeshiva in an Arab part of the country so they can both fulfill the mitsvah of living in Eretz Yisrael while embarassing the Israeli government by showing frum Jews living at peace with Muslims. If enough people do this it could lead to a single, non-zionist state replacing Israel.
What will be interesting are the “hareidim” who in the past supported the existence of that state, held that the IDF protects Jews (as opposed to endangering Jews), sometimes flew the Israeli flag and served in the IDF when they left yeshiva and often said that their learning was a “national service” (an idea the Israelis rejected)– one possibility is they will turn into anti-zionists, the other is that they will compromise and you’ll see new frum units and frummer hesder unit. Netanyahu and Bennett expect the latter; the former (turning into anti-zionists) could undermine the existence of the medinah.
March 14, 2014 1:39 am at 1:39 am in reply to: The mechanics and provisions of the new Chareidi draft law #1008521akupermaParticipantThe drafters of the law assumed cooperation from the yeshivos, but it now appears they will be facing mass resistance. The “chappers” assumed that the Czar would allow mass executions to crush resistance. Neither Israeli nor world public opinion would allow that today.
akupermaParticipantIf the patient doesn’t want a “guest” in the room during a medical procedure, it isn’t for a court to be involved. Privacy counts for something. The “back story” of the case may be fascinating (or tragic, or pathetic), but it really isn’t of legal significance.
akupermaParticipantDaasYochid: While at present the only arrests of hareidim are for not properly requesting military exemptions (and they are released quickly), the Kenesset has enacted a new law for serious penal sanctions (equivalent to what in the US is a felony) for any yeshiva student who refuses to serve in the military, and would also allow prosecution of their rabbanim and the yeshiva as accessories to the crime. If your support of zionism was based on the idea they didn’t throw people in jail for learning Torah, it is now time to change sides.
Sam2; Your view that a country can decided that your religious practices are illigimate is very unAmerican (sounds very European, the Romans were like that and it shows to this very day). In American, if you have a religious objection to jury service (your example), you will routinely be exempted (at worst you’ll have to show up for voir dire). Under the law in most states and federal law, a statute that interferes with religious practices is unacceptable in most cases. Persons with conscientious objections to military service (similar to Israeli hareidim who hold that the medinah is contrary to Torah), are exempt in virtually all western countries, and persecution of a religious minority for refusing to serve in the military would violate international human rights standards. The rulers of Israel, heavily from a European “state-centered” background, regard individual liberties as something to be ignored in favor of the supremacy of the state – to most Americans, that is how one defines fascism.
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