Outside of the Old City Walls - Haredi Life

The beginning of the tour today focused on communities of Jews that broke out of the old city walls and began to forge their own identities in their new settlements. Some of these settlements were begun by European philanthropists, much like Moses Montefiore, and also by the private initiative of families who pooled their resources. The lifestyle was communal in nature, all the houses centered around a courtyard in which the life of the community would occur: washing, cooking, and socializing of the children. Life was typically crowded and difficult, but the communities gained a certain amount of autonomy. Our real focus on the tour today however was to gain further insight on the Haredi or Ultra-Orthodox of Jerusalem: their different divisions and how they have carved out their niche in Jerusalem. The Haredi, largely non-Zionist and some anti-Zionist began coming to the land of Israel for religious reasons: to be close to the temple mount, to study and to be buried in Israel and be the first to be resurrected in the coming of the messianic ages. The neighborhoods we toured included two groups of Haredi: The Hasidim and the Magnadim (Lithuanians) as well as communities of Yeminite Jews. The divide in the Haredi community in Israel is theology debate carried over from Europe, having to do with varying interpretations on how best to live G*d’s laws. While the Hasidim are more mystic, with a greater emphasis on singing and even dancing to experience G*d. The Opponents, or Lithiuanians disagreed with the Hasidim interpretation of the laws, choosing to focus on study without singing.

Walking through the neighborhood we notice things common to the life of the Haredi: strollers outside apartments and the sound of children everywhere. Our guide points out how before individual plumbing the apartments had only one communal outhouse. There are a few mikvah on the side of the building, used to cleanse newly purchased dishes and vessels.

In another alley there is a Gineza, an object that holds holy documents that are old and need to be discarded. They cannot just be thrown away however, because they have the name of G*d written and them and therefore must be disposed of in this way.

Towards the end of the tour we have an opportunity to meet with two members of the ultra-orthodox community in Jerusalem and discuss issues of study, faith, and the parking lot issue. Much of Haredi culture is attempting to preserve their own community while filtering outside influences as well as modernity. In this sense, the ideals of Haredi life and that of the state can come into conflict with one another, resulting in some of the rioting and protest we have witnessed. While outside of the old city walls, there is certainly a cultural barrier around these communities.