With the fight over the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El taking the headlines the past few days, here are some of the other interesting news bits you might have missed:
1. With the expected changes to the the laws regarding the drafting of Harediminto the army, the IDF is planning for the eventuality of much higher numbers of Haredim joining units and needing specialized units like Nahal Haredi. The IDF is therefore working towards forming 3 new Haredi army battalions. (source: Haaretz)
While Nahal Haredi and other similar units have been full and difficult to get in to, with the IDF reluctant to opening up new units in a similar style, now they expect to need to with the much larger numbers that might be drafted.
2. An industrial zone outside of Rechasim has been earmarked by Minister of Interior Eli Yishai for development of employment befitting offices for Haredi women (with companies operating programs similar to the existing programs run by Matrix, CityBooks, and the like).
There is opposition to the plan, but mainly because of zoning issues. They don't want to move to other industrial zones, because then Rechasim would lose that tax revenue, as it would go to Yokneam or wherever else they might end up. The problem is that the land allocated for this is zoned for agriculture. (source: Haaretz)
Some are complaining that - you complain when Haredim don't work, but when they want to work you also prevent them from doing so. I disagree with the sentiment. Zoning is an issue that needs to be worked out. You can't just put down a building wherever you want. If the land is zoned a certain way, it is meant to be used for specific purposes. Othe rpeople might have had plans for that. It can be rezoned, and must go through the proper channels. Just because someone opposes it does not mean he does not want haredi women to work - but build your building in a place that it is appropriate. Or Rezone that spot.
3. Harish is a city that has been going through the approval process for building a large city that will ultimately be Haredi, and cheap. A group of Dati Leumi are trying to promote a project for 300 units in Harish that would be bought by Dati Leumi. They know the city will be haredi, but they want to "build a Zionist community within the Haredi city, similar to what is in Elad". They say they are only looking for people who know and realize that they will be living in a Zionist community inside a Haredi city. (source: Ladaat)
I hope that works out well for them..
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Elad was supposed to be half-half Haredi-Dati'l, but the Haredi housing crunch and demand is much higher than the Dati'l who go live anywhere. Subsequently, Elad is full Haredi, correct me if you can - women cannot jog outdoors in pants and the Yom Haatzmaut celebrations have long been moved indoors so not to be provocative. Why do they think Harish will be different? Then again, a good 300 families can be a strong community at the very good housing prices.
ReplyDeleteAnd Ramat Bet Shemesh was supposed to be 1/3 Charedi, 1/3 Dati Leumi, and 1/3 Chiloni. In theory that's a very good thing, but in practice it doesn't really work out very well because Charedim have a very hard time raising their children in mixed places. When the Charedi children see Dati Leumi people living in their neighborhood, they see that there are other ways of being frum, and that undermines their Charedi education about how to be frum. And when the children see Chilonim, they are exposed to things that are deemed improper (like shoulders, uncovered hair, legs, etc) by Charedi society. This is why it's not really a good idea to place 300 Dati Leumi families right in middle of a Charedi city of thousands of families.
DeleteAnd this is before even mentioning that each community has substantially different demands for municipal services!
A better option would be to leave Harish as 100% Haredi and build another city one or two mountains over for the Dati Leumi crowd.
ReplyDeleteNobody is complaining that haredi women don't work - it's the healthy, capable MEN who chose not to work that is bothering your average Israeli.
ReplyDeleteI am curious. Not every household has a double income with both husband and wife working. While it is common, it is also common that only one spouse works. That is true in Israel as much as it is true in the US and other countries.
ReplyDeleteSo, if the family has income from one person working, whats the difference to anybody else if it is from the husband or wife? Someone in the family is working and paying taxes, that family is presumably not qualifying for the discounts of unemployment and kollel (such as arnona and whatnot) as they have a salary, etc. so why should it bother anybody?
obviously some households have no income besides for the kollel stipend, but plenty have one or the other spouse employed.