Something has gone horribly wrong in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

Zealots within the haredi community in that Israeli city near Jerusalem have engaged in sometimes violent confrontations with their secular and Modern Orthodox neighbors, as well as other ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Even The New York Times has taken notice. Back in September, the paper of record reported that a Ramat Beit Shemesh kosher pizzeria was apparently pelted with tomatoes, hot oil and gasoline — all for daring to seat both men and women.

The latest incident was an attack on an ultra-Orthodox American immigrant by a gang of crazies. “A bunch of goons, maybe 20 or 30 guys, attacked me — it was like a pogrom,” the victim told Ha’aretz. “They kicked me, beat me, and then just left me there. Luckily, I am a strong guy and was able to get up and go to the hospital.”

The victim, Ha’aretz reports, had previously been involved in efforts to stop the violence that has plagued Ramat Beit Shemesh’s Haredi neighborhoods. In response to the latest attacks, ultra-Orthodox residents finally came out and protested the violence of their more fanatical brethren.

The strangest story to have come out of Ramat Beit Shemesh, however, seems to have largely escaped attention here in the United States. A small group of ultra-Orthodox women, apparently influenced by a Ramat Beit Shemesh rebbetzin, have — to the dismay of rabbinic authorities and even their husbands —in an over-the-top display of modesty, taken to wearing burkas.

Ha’aretz ran an article (unfortunately available only in Hebrew) on this phenomenon a few months back.

Reportedly, only a handful of Jewish women are donning the burkas. But the Muqata blog says the trend has already spread to other Israeli cities.

Any trend, no matter how small, deserves a name. And so I hereby dub this item of apparel “the Jurka” — the Jewish burka!
~Daniel Treiman / The Forward


Now I noticed this topic has been covered here before albeit not in depth, but....well I'm just bored and surprised.

What surprises me the most is that Jews have a very strong connection to the l'vush, even though it has been changed 100 times since we were sent to galus. I find it hard to believe that "Ultra Orthodox" women would give in to the Muslims demands. Some of them are killing our brothers and children while others demand that we accept Mohamed as our g-d and accept his teachings as our own....and some are actually giving in to it!!!

It starts with the l'vush then comes the name changes and language.....

I view Burqas as a form of oppression rather then a religious belief. Islam is known to be very similar to Judaism, no one ever argued that fact - At least i respect them for keeping tradition for that long, they have clearly outdone us in that field. Theres a billion Muslims out there but not 129 sects - at least as far as I'm aware of.

I should be worried about these fanatics, but I'm just having a good laugh.

I think this was discussed already. I'm for it.

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Jewish women used to wear burqas in the Arab lands... I just saw it mentioned today, in OC 303:21.

You apparently don't know jack about Islam.

Supposedly, Rambam is very much pro it. I wonder what the Western Sepharade do in this case ...

Western Sephardim were creatively adaptive and sufficiently enlightened way before their brethren in Ashkenaz decided to found the 'reform' and 'conservative' streams of Jewry. You will find the good and legitimate ideas within the aforementioned movements (and there are some) already expressed by Sephardic thinkers in 12th century Andalusia. My point being that if Jewish women in the middle ages wore Burqa type coverings, it was because that was the mode of the times (just as men wore jalabiehs and turbans). This is no longer the cases (among normal people at least).

I took a comprehensive course on Islam and I know enough to know that their are sects whose goal is to do that.

There goes Brianna -- talking about sects again.

lol!

By the way, when you try to put Teaneck right next to Williamsburg, tension and strife is all but inevitable. והמבין יבין

I genuinely laughed out loud. Welcome to my sig.

Thank you Bri.

Shemmy seems to dislike anything i say on h.com, So i usually don't pay much attention to his opinions and "verdicts"

There are many Muslims that believe that Islam must be spread to the rest of the world, they believe that in order to receive their reward in the world to come they must help people appreciate Mohamed and his teachings. Some do it peacefully, others don't.

Isn't lubabitch based on the same ideology?

OT but related to International's post, I just told a BY girl confused about L that we do mitzvos to serve Hashem, not in order to bring Moshiach... it's a very important point.

Could you please point me to which sect of Islam believes that Mohammed is God and wants other people to accept Mohammed as God?

Did you take it at Touro?

Sorry, mistake there I meant "Accept Allah as our god and accept Mohammed's teaching as our own"

I retract my earlier comment. Bygones?

No, I didn't. My professor actually lived in Pakistan for the first half of her life and is a bit of an expert on the subject.

Be Bygones.

The mode of Muslim countries didn't change - they still wear burqas. The mode of non-Muslim countries didn't change either - they still don't wear burqas. Your point is lost ...