Moment Institute Fellow Nathan Guttman examines the beliefs and practices of the Haredim, specifically in regards to abortion rights.
For Israelis, bringing teenage sons and daughters barely out of high school to the army induction center to begin their compulsory military service is one of the most fraught and difficult realities of life. Underlying the cheerful, almost celebratory sendoff is the terrifying possibility of one day being forced to join the crowds at Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery, part of the growing “family” who have paid the ultimate price for living in the world’s only Jewish country.
“The Orthodox monopoly on Israel treats Reform and Conservative denominations as second-class Jews, which is another reason why the American Jewish community is feeling less and less connected to Israel.”
A Moment Symposium // Interviews With Assaf Benmelech, Aaron Leibowitz, Rachel Levmore, Shlomo Riskin, Bambi Sheleg, David Stav, Adin Steinsaltz, Yedidia Stern, Diana Villa, Avi Weiss, Moshe Weiss, Dov Zakheim. Plus a comment by Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau
The term haredi comes from the Hebrew root meaning “to tremble” (hared) and a verse in Isaiah, in which God says, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word.” “Haredi really means those who are in awe, or who tremble or quake,” says Samuel Heilman, professor of sociology at Queens College of the City University of New York.
Some New York politicians bend over backwards to accommodate Hasidic demands.
How can the next Israeli government bridge the growing secular-religious divide?
