By Harris Mevorah
As part of our Shabbaton that focused on different expressions of religious Judaism we heard from a Haredi (“Ultra Orthodox”) man named Avi, who met with our group in the Ultra Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Me’ah She’arim. The entire experience was extremely insightful as it gave our cohort a unique lens into a life that otherwise would seem very distant. Avi discussed how he transitioned from a Modern Orthodox background to eventually a Haredi lifestyle. He expressed his love of his community as well as many issues that he had with it. What was particularly interesting to me was the vastly different ways in which myself and Avi view the community in which he lives. I will admit I always viewed Me’ah She’arim as a location which is homogenous. However, as Avi was describing this neighborhood he detailed how he felt it was a melting pot of all types of people, Jew and non-Jew.
Another part of the session was that was extremely thought-provoking was the way Avi discussed what he felt is the biggest threat to the Haredi community: the internet. This discussion gave us a glimpse into the pros and cons of such an insular community. Avi talked about the issues (what he felt were “dangers” to the community) that can come with having too much access to the “outside world” through the internet. Something that the general modern world relishes- globalization and connecting to the world- is something that gives the Haredi community trepidation.
Through this open discussion I believe that many of us received a deeper understanding of the Haredi community. This experience can also translate to our communities in North America. Although many of us do not connect to Haredi Judaism as a Judaism we espouse, we can still teach about how to talk with different denominations about conflicting values. As the divide between denominations seemingly becomes greater each year, it is imperative to be able to listen and have dialogue with every type of Jew. The goal of this should not only be tolerance, but to gain something from every point of view.
