Are Israel’s Haredi religious authorities losing control of their followers?
In December, leading Israeli rabbis launched a new push to curtail Internet use among ultra-Orthodox Jews, emphasizing that their longstanding ban on Web surfing applied to sites geared toward the Haredi community as well. They threatened stricter penalties than ever before for those who disobeyed. But rather than showing their power, the battle against Haredi Internet use has exposed the rabbis’ weakness, as large parts of the community resolutely remain online.
The Israeli rabbis first came out against Internet use in January 2000, when more than 30 Haredi leaders forbade Internet connections at home. Back then, the main concern was the easy availability of online pornography. The ban was not particularly controversial, as Israeli Haredim had long accepted a similar ban on owning television sets.
Many Haredim, however, circumvented the ban by using 3G phones, which allowed Internet access — until the rabbis forced them to buy “kosher-certified” sets in which the Internet feature was disabled. Others frequented Internet cafés. Still others brought computers into the home for work purposes, a practice that the Rabbinical Commission for Media Affairs — established by leading Haredi rabbis to set policy — was forced to permit in 2007, conceding that the Internet was essential for many businesses.
Senior rabbis continued to emphasize the ban on casual Internet use. But it was too late. Although no accurate figures for Haredi Internet use exist, the Israeli phone company Bezeq claims that a quarter of the Haredi households that it serves have a Bezeq Internet connection. Many others, presumably, use different service providers.
Meanwhile, blogs written by Haredim who have theological doubts or misgivings about their closed society have flourished. And Israeli Haredim developed an online network of news sites, whose existence is by now taken for granted. Along with hard news, the sites feature gossip from the rabbis’ courts, discussion of intra-communal scandals and forums in which any aspect of Haredi life can be criticized.
Such sites are widely understood to have revolutionized strictly Orthodox society, exposing its leaders to previously unimaginable scrutiny and draining advertising revenues from the community’s more deferential newspapers.
Ultimately, it seems, it was the threat to rabbinic authority — rather than the threat of exposure to the secular world — that pushed the rabbis into taking draconian measures. The December order from senior rabbis — including top Haredi authorities like Yosef Sholom Elyashiv and Aharon Leib Shteinman — instructed their followers not to visit Haredi Web sites, which they said were full of “lies,” “gossip” and “abominations.” Crucially, they also instructed Haredi schools not to admit any child whose parents are involved in such Web sites.
As a result, several sites capitulated and closed down.
But this is only a very partial success for the rabbis.
One of the most popular Haredi news sites, B’Hadrei Haredim (in the rooms of Haredim) — owned by a secular businessman — reports that its traffic was up 30% in December, to 65,000 unique visitors a day. Other sites are also holding on.
Haredi Web surfers, in other words, are continuing to go online in massive numbers, consciously defying their supposed leaders. Indeed, Haredi news sites are even matter-of-factly reporting on the new ban — brazenly ignoring its implications for their own existence.
In pushing this ban, the leading Haredi rabbis — mostly in their 70s and 80s — have revealed themselves to be utterly detached from their communities, not understanding that Internet use has become normative. They appear to have relied naively on the advice of a few advisors, some of whom have been attacked on the Haredi Web sites and may have had personal reasons for wanting to see them shut down.
Meanwhile, the rabbis continuously overestimated their own influence. Following a decade of ignored bans, it took what amounts to a threat of excommunication to produce any results at all. The Haredi public’s disobedience is so overt that religious authorities must be worried that it will spill into other areas.
As the battle over Google in China and the pivotal role of Twitter during this summer’s unrest in Iran shows, digital media is toxic to closed regimes. But the rabbis should recognize that even if the Internet does pose a threat to their control, the damage done by trying to ban it is far greater.
Haredim are going to stay online. The community’s leaders may be able to retain some measure of control, by allowing and cooperating with “kosher” Web sites. Alternatively, they can continue to issue ultimatums their followers will not meet, condemning themselves to irrelevancy.
Miriam Shaviv is foreign editor of Britain’s Jewish Chronicle.
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Even during WWII in Auschwitz, in Bergen Belson the Germans could not actually control what Jews actually thought. The Rabbis cannot actually control what Jews think, the Internet enables anyone to indulge what they think and feel and experience virtually in near total privacy.
The funny thing is, internet opposition is not even in their own self interest. There are lots of good Web Design jobs out there that are very compatible with a religious life style. They dont require Ph.Ds and they put food on the table just fine. Seems to me the Rabbis ought to be promoting web skills. If a standard of living is raised, everyone wins. What a waste.
Using words like 'authority' and 'control' when talking about Rabbis in Israel and their followers is inaccurate. The rabbis do not see themselves, nor do their followers see them, as being in positions of power in terms of dictating the lives of their followers: they serve them by interpreting Jewish law (halacha) and issuing guidance on lifestyle issues, like TV and the internet, which aim to strengthen adherents' service of G-d. The real question, therefore, is not one of power and 'control' but one of decreased religiosity, or a rejection of these rabbis stringent interpretation of the law, or of the requirements of G-dly life. So compromise on the part of the Rabbis is meaningless, if they truly believe (as it is pretty clear they do) that the internet is the evil they preceive it to be. They are quite willing to be 'condemned to irrelevancy' if it means they have tried their best to lead their followers in the correct direction. An honest leader with errant followers is no less of a leader: otherwise, one would castigate Jeremiah for sticking to such a strict line on idolatory and injustice in the face of social rejection of his suggestions.
Some non charedi sites have also become popular such a TheAwarenessCenter which documents sex abuse in the Jewish world. While it covers abuse in all movements, the bulk of its users are orthodox. Over the Sabbath its website is virtually unviewed.
Most charedi households do not have internet access. However, they rely on their friends for either printouts or at least word of mouth.
I have blogged on FrumFollies about a new career option, becoming an Internet Goy who services ultra orthodox Jews bereft of access.
It should be noted that Sefardic ultra orthodox leadership has not joined the Internet ban bandwagon.
when Goldwasser says, "Using words like 'authority' and 'control' when talking about Rabbis in Israel and their followers is inaccurate. The rabbis do not see themselves, nor do their followers see them, as being in positions of power in terms of dictating the lives of their followers: they serve them by interpreting Jewish law (halacha) and issuing guidance on lifestyle issues " he could not be more off-base.
The haredi mantra for their followers is "pray, pay and obey." Like the Pope, the rebbes set themselves up as infallible authorities, and to cross them is to invoke the wrath of expulsion from the tight-knit community- isolation that many individuals fear more than death. They provide 'guidance' the way that Chavez provides "guidance" to Venezuelans.
The Haredim are sheep and need to be led by the nose. Moses started this when he led us in circles and it took us forty years to smarten up and find a leader who knew what he was doing and where to go. This proves that we are not very swift.
Many charedi Jews own TVs, despite the ban, and have done so since TV was introduced in Israel. I was working in Jerusalem at the time and remember the hysterically funny posters that went up all over religious neighbourhoods referring to Tv as "hakli hametoav" (the filthy instrument). TV dealers' stories told of deliveries of the instrument in dead of night and covered by a blanket!
It's so sad to see such a total lack of understanding of this issue by someone who has put herself up as some sort of authority to report on this issue.
The reason why the rabbis discourage people from going to the web is to try and stay the flow of outside influences the web presents. for the the same reason their adherents do not have TVs. It is secular culture that is the issue, not technology. and it has nothing to do with lessening the rabbis' influence. I love how the assumption is that the ban came from fear of their lessening influence. Maybe power struggles are behind everything in your world, Ms. Shaviv, but it's narrow-minded to transfer this on to others without any knowledge of the truth.
The blanket term "haredi" is banded about in this article as if we all look alike...When in fact there is a very wide spectrum of people being referred to with this one monaker. Because of this ridiculous phrase, the author brings proof that "haredim" aren't listening/can't be swayed. But the Rabbis under discussion are not "haredi"/modern orthodox like the "haredim" who have TVs or rail against orthodoxy in blogs. The Rabbis speak to those who accept their authority.
And as far as internet use having become normative - when people (even rabbis) have absolute standards, the fact that everyone is doing something does not change right and wrong.
surely the author is not as naive as she assumes the rabbis are?
devora lamm, my friend, why pich a dead woman's name to call me?
Laughter is said to be the best medicine, but nevertheless a woman taken early in life from her family that loved her. The country, was heartbroken over what happened, to see someone you love breathing and having nothing more in life but that. That's sick, my friend, you can do better than that. Her death, brought tears, to the country. I prayed for her family at that time. This is truly sad, and lacks understanding.
"They threatened stricter penalties than ever before for those who disobeyed."
It's a subculture that ostracizes someone for wearing a shirt of the wrong color. They'll take away one's family and livelihood for going "off the derech". What more are they going to do - put people to death? (Not that they wouldn't if they had the authority.)
Newberger. The difference between the Rebbes and the Pope is that Haredim can easily change from one Rebbe to another. People even change between Litvish, Yekkish, Sephardish and Chasidish. I belong to a major Haredi Kehilloh and we have members from all of these backgrounds. My wife's mother is a Satmar Chasidene, my parents are Litvish and our shul is Yekkish. On an issue like the Internet there is a wide range of opinions, although the most extreme get the most attention. If the Chasidic Rebbes had such absolute control they wouldn't spend so much time campaigning against various novel inventions.
Al Gore invented the internet. The internet undermines traditional Judaism. Therefore Al Gore is an anti-Semite.
How easy to connect the dots.
Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean President Obama, Sir. Um . . I know you're busy, and important and stuff. I mean, running the country is very important and -- ah -- I hate to bother you, Sir. I will only take a minute. Ok, Sir?
See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering, Sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things.
Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says, boy, she wishes she had digs like this, you know? Is that painting real? Really? Wow! I saw something like that in a museum once. Oh, sorry Sir. I didn't mean to get off the track.
So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island Sir? No? I didn't think so...
Well, listen, anyway, I can't seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be "Not released" or "Not available." I'm sure it's just an oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are I have them written down here somewhere -- oh wait. I'll just read it to you.
Could you please help me find these things, Sir?
1. Occidental College records -- Not released 2. Columbia College records -- Not released 3. Columbia Thesis paper -- "Not available" 4. Harvard College records -- Not released 5. Selective Service Registration -- Not released 6. Medical records -- Not released 7. Illinois State Senate schedule -- Not available 8. Your Illinois State Senate records -- Not available 9. Law practice client list -- Not released 10. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate -- Not released 11. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth -- Not released 12. Record of your baptism -- Not available
13. Why your wife, Michelle, can no longer practice law as an attorney?
14. Why your wife has 22 assistants, when other First Ladies had one?
15. Why were you getting "foreign student aid" as a college student?
16. Which countries "passport" did you have when you visited Pakistan in 1981?
Oh and one more thing Mr. President, I can't seem to find any articles you published as editor of the Harvard Law Review, or as a Professor at the University of Chicago. Can you explain that to me, Sir?
Oh, but hey -- listen! I know you're busy! If this is too much for you right now -- I mean -- tell you what. I'll come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, you know? I mean, I know you're busy. I'll just let myself out. I'll be back tomorrow. And the day after. . ... What's that Mr. President? Who wants to know these things? We the People of the United States of America ! You know, the ones that vote.