A reader sent me the following letter. It had been distributed on Thursday evening I guess.
A couple of comments:
- Could they not find a single English speaking person in all of Bet Shemesh who would have been willing to translate the letter from the original Hebrew so as not to mangle it like this? It is hardly understandable! Heck - I would have been willing to do it for them just to avoid this product!
- Note how overall it is a fairly polite letter - until the threat at the end that we warn you to not make us resort to non-polite methods!
- Note that the solution for them is always by insisting other people change their living habits, and not they change theirs. You have to put up curtains, and not them. You have to be careful to not harm their lifestyle, but they have no problem harming your lifestyle. etc.
A couple of comments:
I think they are asking the MO residents of Sheinfeld to stop "walking around naked in their living rooms," as we all know that's what MO people do.
ReplyDeleteDo you know who was there first, the hiraydim or the dati leuni?
it is hard to answer that. That specific corner? I think it was populated first by the non-Haredi and then the Haredi moved in across the street.
ReplyDeleteOr do you look at the overall neighborhood, where prior there might have been less point of conflict because they were two streets away and both have extended and expanded until thy are right across the street from each other...
Here's the basic history:
ReplyDeleteThe Sheinfeld neighborhood pre-existed all of Ramat Beit Shemesh.
On that specific corner (Herzog and Yarden) you have Rechov Gad and Rechov Asher (Sheinfeld) across the street (Herzog) from 5 apartment buildings populated by Chareidim. 3 of the buildings (and another 2 around the corner on Yarden) are populated largely by these type of fundamentalists. And they are essentially under the "control" of one Rabbi, Rabbi Heller.
The other 2 Chareidi Buildings on Herzog, a little further down toward Nofei Aviv, are populated mainly by another sect (Belz?) who are much more laid back and are also upset with the behavior of the fundamentalists.
Though almost all of the Sheinfeld buildings on Gad and Asher pre-dated the RBS B buildings on Herzog, (and the residents of the 5 "bad" buildings started causing trouble, literally, from the week they moved in) the worst of the problems began when the final shlav of the townhouses (on Rechov Gad), which immediately border Herzog, was completed.
One more thing.
ReplyDeleteThe Irya, or whoever allocated land to different groups is largely responsible for this mess.
If you look at a map of Beit Shemesh you'll see that just beyond the group of RBS B buildings on Yarden and Herzog there's a ravine. This ravine would have been a perfect natural buffer between the two communities.
This doesn't excuse the behavior of the fundamentalists, but we would not have had to deal with it on such a regular basis had whoever planned this land use had half a brain.
just like giving plot 425 to Bnos Yerushalayim will only cause friction, because nobody had the foresight to develop 411 which is right in their own neighborhood..
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you ask Yeshaya Landy, why he put the letters in the mailboxes?
ReplyDeleteHe lives on Herzog street and is the "mailman" for the hooligans. Naturally, he is a hooligan himself.
You asked:
ReplyDeleteWhy do they insist on other people change their living habits, and not they change theirs?
The answer is very simple. They believe that their way of life is right and any other way of life is wrong. Therefore since they are right why should they change. The "sinners" should change their way.
Ma Tovu Oholecha Yakov.
ReplyDeleteThe Jews of the bible didn't peer into their neighbours houses, and received brochos for it.
another problem is the apathetic response of the local police. on erev shabbos alone more than 5 formal complaints were made (which means sitting in the police station on Rd. 38 for over 2 hours on erev shabbos!) - but not 1 policeman was to be seen friday night - as the neighbors on Herzog were screaming "SHABBOS!SHABBOS!" keeping my family up until the early hours of the morning.
ReplyDeleteI would love to think shalom lerner as mayor would make a difference - but I am not convinced yet...
Bilam - great name! but slightly inaccurate comment. the mah tovu was not not peering into the houses of the neighbors, rather not positioning the doorways opposite each other, so looking in was not an option. That would not apply in this situation, as windows do face each other...
ReplyDeletebluke - exactly. but if you wish to live in a ghetto, preserving your sense of self, than you generally restrict yourself, not others. Move to a moshav with 500 other families like that and you will have the exact type of community you so desire.
anonymous - I am not convinced either. However, I still think he is the better of the choices, as he seems to be the only one willing to try.
to the last anonymous -
ReplyDeleteplease do not SO SO cynical.
MUst you be 1000% convinced that Shalom Lerner will change the situation be fore you vote him.
This is the height of absurdity.
If he is the only candidate who gives ANY hope for changing the situation - then only a fool would not vote for him.
Why are you going to shoot yourself in the foot in pursiut of a 'perfect world'?
anonymous II - don't worry I fully plan on voting for shalom (I was one of the 1000 people at the kennes motaie shabbos). i just don't know how much power he will have to change things.
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteI mean c'mon. It's not as if they threatened to come into their houses and confiscate the TV, right? ...at least not yet.
The curtain drawn is for the benefit of those walking around rehus harabim (Gee, I hope I transliterated that correctly - eyes rolling), who are unable to pull their curtains.
:-P~
Rock o' Gallilee,
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE knows that MO's walk around naked. Didn't you?
Now, with that show "Srugim," it will only get worse.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletewhat i think is amazing and it seems that no one really pointed this out is not only that they are requesting that people change their lifestyle to suit them, but more importantly that they are requesting that they change their lifestyles in the "privacy" of their own homes!
ReplyDeletewhere will it end? 'thoughtcrime' ala 1984?
It was tragically hilarious that this letter claims that charedim are exactly following the ways of their ancestors without any change at all. The historical naiviety of these people is astounding. They really think that Moshe Rabbeinu was Charedi.
ReplyDeleteMoshre Rabbeinu was sfardi, so that is different
ReplyDeleteWell, I haf to say that I taik this letter to hart. Only know, I find owt that I haf my very own nayborhood in Israel, and I'm alredy being told that I cannot walk around nekkid their. How disapointing!
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand that you rezidents are bizy edukating yore descendants, and yu want no disturbs, I think that my none modest appairans is my own bizness, and you shood not be looking in my windows.
If you haf to resort to non polite ways, I will walk around nekkid on the streets - with a tv and without a curtain!
Sincerely,
Mr. Sheinfeld
Ely - you can only walk around naked in the streets if you are wearing a curtain! don't make trouble!
ReplyDelete