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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever
NEW YORK (AP) — Frieda Vizel left an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in New York in a crisis of faith at 25. But instead of cutting ties, she became a successful online personality and guide to the tight-knit world she had been raised in. She gives sold-out tours of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — home base of the Satmar dynasty — and runs a popular YouTube channel focused on the subculture engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. In mid-June, Vizel took a group of Jewish , Christian and Muslim tourists to see synagogues and schools, and visit kosher delis and shops. Instead of Barbie dolls, there were little ultra-Orthodox Jewish figurines. The rabbinically approved products included cellphones without screens, and DVDs and MP3 players preloaded with approved music and films, so no internet connection is needed. Yet ultra-Orthodox men on the street offered friendly greetings and praise for Vizel's recent postings even though rabbis advise them to avoid the internet unless needed for business, family or other essential needs. 'It's an interesting moment,' Vizel said. 'They're saying, 'What is the whole world saying about us?'' Growth and religious change Williamsburg and a handful of other locations worldwide — from Monsey, New York, to Stamford Hill, London to Bnei Brak, Israel — host the strictest followers of Orthodox Judaism. In a minority religion it's a minority set apart by its dedication above all else to the Torah and its 613 commandments, from No. 1 — worshipping God — to less-followed measures like No. 568 — not cursing a head of state. One in seven Jews worldwide are strictly Orthodox, or Haredi. It's a population of roughly 2 million out of 15 million Jews, according to Daniel Staetsky, a demographer with the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. In a 2022 report, he projects that the strictly Orthodox population could double in size in 15 years. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. Many in the community marry young and have large families. 'You're getting three generations of ultra-Orthodox for every two generations of Reform Jews in the U.S.,' said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. 'They are becoming the face of Judaism,' Vizel said. Reform and secular Jews It's happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular, Cooperman said. 'There has been a major change, I think, that has taken place over the last generation or two and that is the polarization of American Jewry, much as we've seen the vast polarization of America as a whole,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University . Among American Jews aged 18 to 29, 17% are Orthodox — a bigger share than in older generations, Pew found. And as a growing number of American Jews are Orthodox, a greater percent is Republican. Still, the majority of American Jews remain Democrats. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that 75% of Orthodox Jews voted or leaned Republican . Walking out of Gottlieb's Restaurant with his salami sandwich, Samuel Sabel — a grocery store worker and journalist — said that 'a lot of the policies Republicans have go together with our beliefs,' citing school choice, and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as examples. Orthodox political activism is 'at the highest point it's ever been,' said Rabbi Avi Shafran, the retired director of public affairs at the Orthodox group Agudath Israel. 'No question about that.' 'There is time and money and ability and savvy and education that allows for a much more, aggressive, much more positive and active effort on political things,' he said. But while cultural issues are important, 'when push comes to shove, we'll vote our interests, our immediate interests, not the larger issues that are always on the table,' Shafran said. 'We are practical,' he said. 'Put it that way.' Politics — local, national and global Vizel guided her group past 'Get out the vote' signs in Yiddish, along with a campaign letter from Donald Trump in the window of Gottlieb's deli. In New York City's Democratic primary for the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo intensely courted Orthodox communities, counting at least 36 sects and yeshivas — religious schools — among his supporters. But Cuomo suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Zohran Mamdani in a demonstration of grassroots organizing over bloc voting. In Florida, Orthodox Jews backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before he signed a expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, a movement that has galvanized religious groups across denominations. But the election this month for the World Zionist Congress — an international body predating Israel that controls more than 1,500 square miles (3885 square kilometers) of land there, along with about $1 billion a year from land sales — showed dominance by the Reform bloc despite intense campaigning by Orthodox parties and strong results ahead of coalition building. The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% . The Orthodox make up 9%. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish group in North America, said 'it's a mistake to assume unaffiliated Jews don't care about being Jewish — many do, and Reform Judaism often reflects their spiritual and moral values. 'Reform Jews continue to hold overwhelmingly liberal worldviews and political values,' Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote. 'In the aftermath of October 7th, many have deepened their connection to Jewish peoplehood while remaining firmly committed to justice, equity, and peace through the Reform Movement.' Rabbi Pesach Lerner founded the Orthodox party Eretz Hakodesh five years ago to compete in the election for the World Zionist Congress. The main American party representing Reform Judaism in the Zionist Congress had a better individual showing than Lerner's in voting in the United States, but Orthodox parties did well and said they were optimistic that coalition-building would let them compete with traditional liberal Jewish interests. Reform Jews and their allies 'went so far to the left of traditional, of national, or family values, in 'wokeism,' that I'm glad the right finally decided that they can't sit back on the sidelines,' Lerner said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. 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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever
NEW YORK (AP) — Frieda Vizel left an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in New York in a crisis of faith at 25. But instead of cutting ties, she became a successful online personality and guide to the tight-knit world she had been raised in. She gives sold-out tours of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — home base of the Satmar dynasty — and runs a popular YouTube channel focused on the subculture engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. In mid-June, Vizel took a group of Jewish, Christian and Muslim tourists to see synagogues and schools, and visit kosher delis and shops. Instead of Barbie dolls, there were little ultra-Orthodox Jewish figurines. The rabbinically approved products included cellphones without screens, and DVDs and MP3 players preloaded with approved music and films, so no internet connection is needed. Yet ultra-Orthodox men on the street offered friendly greetings and praise for Vizel's recent postings even though rabbis advise them to avoid the internet unless needed for business, family or other essential needs. 'It's an interesting moment,' Vizel said. 'They're saying, 'What is the whole world saying about us?'" Growth and religious change Williamsburg and a handful of other locations worldwide — from Monsey, New York, to Stamford Hill, London to Bnei Brak, Israel — host the strictest followers of Orthodox Judaism. In a minority religion it's a minority set apart by its dedication above all else to the Torah and its 613 commandments, from No. 1 — worshipping God — to less-followed measures like No. 568 — not cursing a head of state. One in seven Jews worldwide are strictly Orthodox, or Haredi. It's a population of roughly 2 million out of 15 million Jews, according to Daniel Staetsky, a demographer with the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. In a 2022 report, he projects that the strictly Orthodox population could double in size in 15 years. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. Many in the community marry young and have large families. 'You're getting three generations of ultra-Orthodox for every two generations of Reform Jews in the U.S.,' said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. 'They are becoming the face of Judaism,' Vizel said. Reform and secular Jews It's happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular, Cooperman said. 'There has been a major change, I think, that has taken place over the last generation or two and that is the polarization of American Jewry, much as we've seen the vast polarization of America as a whole,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University. Among American Jews aged 18 to 29, 17% are Orthodox — a bigger share than in older generations, Pew found. And as a growing number of American Jews are Orthodox, a greater percent is Republican. Still, the majority of American Jews remain Democrats. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that 75% of Orthodox Jews voted or leaned Republican. Walking out of Gottlieb's Restaurant with his salami sandwich, Samuel Sabel — a grocery store worker and journalist — said that 'a lot of the policies Republicans have go together with our beliefs,' citing school choice, and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as examples. Orthodox political activism is 'at the highest point it's ever been,' said Rabbi Avi Shafran, the retired director of public affairs at the Orthodox group Agudath Israel. 'No question about that.' 'There is time and money and ability and savvy and education that allows for a much more, aggressive, much more positive and active effort on political things,' he said. But while cultural issues are important, 'when push comes to shove, we'll vote our interests, our immediate interests, not the larger issues that are always on the table,' Shafran said. 'We are practical,' he said. 'Put it that way.' Politics — local, national and global Vizel guided her group past 'Get out the vote' signs in Yiddish, along with a campaign letter from Donald Trump in the window of Gottlieb's deli. In New York City's Democratic primary for the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo intensely courted Orthodox communities, counting at least 36 sects and yeshivas — religious schools — among his supporters. But Cuomo suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Zohran Mamdani in a demonstration of grassroots organizing over bloc voting. In Florida, Orthodox Jews backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before he signed a expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, a movement that has galvanized religious groups across denominations. But the election this month for the World Zionist Congress — an international body predating Israel that controls more than 1,500 square miles (3885 square kilometers) of land there, along with about $1 billion a year from land sales — showed dominance by the Reform bloc despite intense campaigning by Orthodox parties and strong results ahead of coalition building. The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% . The Orthodox make up 9%. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish group in North America, said 'it's a mistake to assume unaffiliated Jews don't care about being Jewish — many do, and Reform Judaism often reflects their spiritual and moral values. 'Reform Jews continue to hold overwhelmingly liberal worldviews and political values,' Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote. 'In the aftermath of October 7th, many have deepened their connection to Jewish peoplehood while remaining firmly committed to justice, equity, and peace through the Reform Movement.' Rabbi Pesach Lerner founded the Orthodox party Eretz Hakodesh five years ago to compete in the election for the World Zionist Congress. The main American party representing Reform Judaism in the Zionist Congress had a better individual showing than Lerner's in voting in the United States, but Orthodox parties did well and said they were optimistic that coalition-building would let them compete with traditional liberal Jewish interests.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
After centuries of isolation, ultra-Orthodox Jews engage with the world more than ever
NEW YORK (AP) — Frieda Vizel left an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect in New York in a crisis of faith at 25. But instead of cutting ties, she became a successful online personality and guide to the tight-knit world she had been raised in. She gives sold-out tours of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — home base of the Satmar dynasty — and runs a popular YouTube channel focused on the subculture engaging more with the outside world after centuries of separation. In mid-June, Vizel took a group of Jewish, Christian and Muslim tourists to see synagogues and schools, and visit kosher delis and shops. Instead of Barbie dolls, there were little ultra-Orthodox Jewish figurines. The rabbinically approved products included cellphones without screens, and DVDs and MP3 players preloaded with approved music and films, so no internet connection is needed. Yet ultra-Orthodox men on the street offered friendly greetings and praise for Vizel's recent postings even though rabbis advise them to avoid the internet unless needed for business, family or other essential needs. 'It's an interesting moment,' Vizel said. 'They're saying, 'What is the whole world saying about us?'' Growth and religious change Williamsburg and a handful of other locations worldwide — from Monsey, New York, to Stamford Hill, London to Bnei Brak, Israel — host the strictest followers of Orthodox Judaism. In a minority religion it's a minority set apart by its dedication above all else to the Torah and its 613 commandments, from No. 1 — worshipping God — to less-followed measures like No. 568 — not cursing a head of state. One in seven Jews worldwide are strictly Orthodox, or Haredi. It's a population of roughly 2 million out of 15 million Jews, according to Daniel Staetsky, a demographer with the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. In a 2022 report, he projects that the strictly Orthodox population could double in size in 15 years. Another study projects that a third of American Jews will be Orthodox by 2063. Many in the community marry young and have large families. 'You're getting three generations of ultra-Orthodox for every two generations of Reform Jews in the U.S.,' said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. 'They are becoming the face of Judaism,' Vizel said. Reform and secular Jews It's happening while many Reform Jews in the U.S. are becoming less religious and intermarrying. That means that Jewish Americans as a whole are becoming either Orthodox or more secular, Cooperman said. 'There has been a major change, I think, that has taken place over the last generation or two and that is the polarization of American Jewry, much as we've seen the vast polarization of America as a whole,' said Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University. Among American Jews aged 18 to 29, 17% are Orthodox — a bigger share than in older generations, Pew found. And as a growing number of American Jews are Orthodox, a greater percent is Republican. Still, the majority of American Jews remain Democrats. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that 75% of Orthodox Jews voted or leaned Republican. Walking out of Gottlieb's Restaurant with his salami sandwich, Samuel Sabel — a grocery store worker and journalist — said that 'a lot of the policies Republicans have go together with our beliefs,' citing school choice, and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage as examples. Orthodox political activism is 'at the highest point it's ever been,' said Rabbi Avi Shafran, the retired director of public affairs at the Orthodox group Agudath Israel. 'No question about that.' 'There is time and money and ability and savvy and education that allows for a much more, aggressive, much more positive and active effort on political things,' he said. But while cultural issues are important, 'when push comes to shove, we'll vote our interests, our immediate interests, not the larger issues that are always on the table,' Shafran said. 'We are practical,' he said. 'Put it that way.' Politics — local, national and global Vizel guided her group past 'Get out the vote' signs in Yiddish, along with a campaign letter from Donald Trump in the window of Gottlieb's deli. In New York City's Democratic primary for the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo intensely courted Orthodox communities, counting at least 36 sects and yeshivas — religious schools — among his supporters. But Cuomo suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Zohran Mamdani in a demonstration of grassroots organizing over bloc voting. In Florida, Orthodox Jews backed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis before he signed a expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, a movement that has galvanized religious groups across denominations. But the election this month for the World Zionist Congress — an international body predating Israel that controls more than 1,500 square miles (3885 square kilometers) of land there, along with about $1 billion a year from land sales — showed dominance by the Reform bloc despite intense campaigning by Orthodox parties and strong results ahead of coalition building. The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% . The Orthodox make up 9%. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish group in North America, said 'it's a mistake to assume unaffiliated Jews don't care about being Jewish — many do, and Reform Judaism often reflects their spiritual and moral values. 'Reform Jews continue to hold overwhelmingly liberal worldviews and political values,' Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote. 'In the aftermath of October 7th, many have deepened their connection to Jewish peoplehood while remaining firmly committed to justice, equity, and peace through the Reform Movement.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Rabbi Pesach Lerner founded the Orthodox party Eretz Hakodesh five years ago to compete in the election for the World Zionist Congress. The main American party representing Reform Judaism in the Zionist Congress had a better individual showing than Lerner's in voting in the United States, but Orthodox parties did well and said they were optimistic that coalition-building would let them compete with traditional liberal Jewish interests. Reform Jews and their allies 'went so far to the left of traditional, of national, or family values, in 'wokeism,' that I'm glad the right finally decided that they can't sit back on the sidelines,' Lerner said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israelis moving to live in Europe ‘rejuvenating' Jewish communities
Israelis making a new home in Europe have become vital to previously declining Jewish communities on the continent, boosting numbers, bringing a range of cultural influences and marking a fundamental change in the relationship between the diaspora and the Jewish state, research has revealed. A report released on Wednesday by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research will detail for the first time a dramatic reversal of decades of net outflow to Israel from Jewish communities in Europe. 'We can say that culturally and demographically there is a real turning point. Possibly the end of an era,' said Dr Daniel Staetsky, the report's author. 'The founders of the state of Israel would never have imagined that it would be Israel that would be rejuvenating European Jewish communities, not the other way around.' Recent Israeli government statistics show accelerating emigration from Israel, driven by factors including political polarisation, the high cost of living, the impact of wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and security concerns after the bloody Hamas raid into Israel of October 2023 and Iranian attacks. The biggest destination remains the US but many of Europe's Jewish communities have also received a significant demographic boost, with some that have been shrinking for decades due to an elderly population and a low birthrate now growing again. Researchers at the IJPR found about 630,000 Jewish people born in Israel or who had lived there for a significant time are now living elsewhere in the world. There are also about 330,000 people born overseas to one or two parents who are Israeli nationals whom the report described as 'Israel-connected'. The researchers used new government statistics to establish a definitive figure for Germany's Israeli and Israeli-connected Jewish population after decades of only rough estimates. At 24,000 this was higher than previously thought, making the Israeli-connected community in Germany the biggest in Europe. Nearly half of the Jewish population in Norway was Israel-connected, the report said, as well as 41% in Finland, and more than 20% of Jewish communities in Bulgaria, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark. Jonathan Boyd, the JPR's director, said the new arrivals were having a big impact. 'In the UK there are about 23,000 Israel-born people. That's close to twice as many as 20 years ago but among a total Jewish population of an estimated 313,000. In the smaller countries such as the Netherlands the influx can have a much bigger impact. In Norway or Finland it only takes a few to settle to make a big difference.' 'Wherever they go Israelis bring something with them. They bring aspects of day-to-day Israeli culture into these countries.' The use of Hebrew and Israeli names for children has become more widespread in many Jewish communities in Europe and cuisine based on eastern European traditions is being replaced by contemporary Israeli cooking in some places. Close to 12,000 people from Israel and their children now live in the Netherlands. 'There are a lot of Israelis here now and that is changing the composition of the Jewish community,' said Asjer Waterman, a strategic adviser at JMW, the national welfare organisation for the Dutch Jewish community. 'Of course they have a different identity and history to Dutch Jews.' Itay Garmy, a councillor in Amsterdam born in the Netherlands whose father was Israeli, said the Israeli community in the city was often more secular than the historic Jewish community, which 'was already pretty secular'. 'Our connection with Israel is more based on culture than faith. It's more about music, food and love of Israel as a second home for Jewish people than religion,' said Garmy, 31. Other Israeli immigrants have found a new interest in religion after moving overseas. 'Until a year ago I regarded myself as Israeli but recently I am feeling more my Jewish identity,' said Avisar Lev, who moved to Berlin from Tel Aviv in 2012. Lev said he had not personally experienced any antisemitism, which EU data suggests has risen sharply in recent years, and is widely reported in Israel. Many of the arrivals from Israel are well educated, relatively young and have children in their new homes. Official statistics in Israel show that emigration from Israel was nearly 83,000 in 2024, more than double the number between 2009 and 2021, and higher than 2022. Population growth was down from 1.6% to 1.1%, even though about 33,000 people arrived from other countries and 23,000 Israelis returned. A parliamentary committee last month attributed the decline to 'a significant increase in negative migration amid the complex security situation', and called for a reform of lengthy and bureaucratic immigration processes. The emigration hasprompted concern in the Israeli media. A recent editorial in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper was entitled 'It's no wonder people are leaving Israel'. Others have warned of a 'brain drain'. Last year, Prof Aaron Ciechanover, one of Israel's leading scientists, blamed efforts by the current government to introduce controversial judicial changes for the rise in departures. Those leaving 'want to live in a free, liberal-democratic country, and not in a country where the government is forcibly taking power,' Ciechanover said. The IJPR report was about the impact on Jewish communities of the new migration and therefore focused on Jewish Israelis, not Palestinian Israelis.
