BEIT SHEMESH, IsraelRead the rest here.
The rock hit Nili Philipp on the side of her helmet as she biked last year along the main road in this Jerusalem suburb. A few years earlier, the spitting had begun, as Philipp jogged on a road bordering an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. Men called her names: Shikseh, the derogatory term for a Gentile woman. Prutzah, whore.
But Philipp’s story is not one of conflict between the defiantly secular Israeli majority and an increasingly assertive ultra-Orthodox minority. She is an observant, modern Orthodox Jew, dressed, on the day we speak, as she is for her runs — a kerchief covering her red hair, a skirt that falls modestly below the knee. It speaks volumes about intolerance among the ultra-Orthodox that Philipp has become enraged, even radicalized, by the behavior of her neighbors.
“Whenever people tell me, respect their society — their society doesn’t respect me,” Philipp says, voice quivering as she describes a recent incident in which a woman with an infant was pelted with stones while shopping here. “We all see ourselves as vulnerable, and we’re all scared.” The latest skirmish involves signs instructing women here to stay off certain sidewalks so as not to brush up against men.
is the blog of an Orthodox Christian and is published under the spiritual patronage of St. John of San Francisco. Topics likely to be discussed include matters relating to Orthodoxy as well as other religious confessions, politics, economics, social issues, current events or anything else which interests me. © 2006-2024
Yeah, that's how you honor God - throw stones at a mother and baby.
ReplyDeleteDisgusted.
I'm disposed to be sympathetic to the Ultra-Orthodox, but they make it very difficult. On the positive side, I haven't heard much in the way of this kind of thing among Ultras outside Israel.
ReplyDeleteBoy, it certainly gives you an insight into how the Pharisees could have so hugely lost touch with the Faith communicated through the Law & Prophets.
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ReplyDeleteSorry...posted the link wrong...
ReplyDeleteUltra-Orthodox Judaism is only marginally more tolerant and accepting than radical Islam. Many of the ancient Jewish teachings are so overtly anti-Christian, anti-outsider, and triumphalistic, however I don't think most Christians (or moderate Jews) even know what Judaism teaches anymore.
For a good eye-opener, get your hands on this book, which although written in a somewhat anti-Catholic/pro-Evangelical bent, does have a solid take on what Judaism is today and what they really teach. It's rather disgusting.
http://www.amazon.com/Israel-Our-Duty-Dilemma/dp/0317532456/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Eurasleep,
ReplyDelete"Judaism's Strange Gods (Revised 2nd Edition)" by Michael Hoffman is also a worthwhile read. It is a condensed version of his much longer "Judaism Discovered," which although out of print now, is available on Kindle and other E-reader devices. I can vouch that these works are not anti-Semitic, and take a rather matter-of-fact approach at teaching what Judaism is actually about.
Thanks for the great tip, Jason. I just picked up a Kindle copy, since the $500+ (!!!) hardcopy version is a little pricey *ahem*. Looks like quite a scholarly and non-racist tome, which is good to hear.
ReplyDelete^ Yeah - that's a long way from the $45 cover price!
ReplyDeleteSad :-/. Sounds like they need some French-style laicite!
ReplyDelete