This is the Forward’s coverage of Hasidic Judaism, a sub-group of Haredi Judaism that adheres to the historical traditions of Eastern European Jews, including communicating in Yiddish.
Hasidic
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Fast Forward Hasidic Modesty Patrols Enforce Jewish Law in Orthodox Neighborhoods
One of the most striking ironies of the Nechemya Weberman trial, which ended with his conviction on 59 counts of sexual abuse, was the revelation that the unlicensed therapist was a member of the Va’ad Hatznius, or modesty patrol, the self-appointed arbiters of right and wrong in the Satmar community. Until recently, the Va’ad Hatznius…
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Opinion Nechemya Weberman’s 103-Year Sentence Is Clumsy Slap at Ultra-Orthodox Jews
When is a long prison sentence too long? That’s the question many inside and outside the ultra-Orthodox community are asking this week after a judge dealt Nechemya Weberman a 103-year term behind bars for abusing a young girl. “The abuse of a child cannot be swept under the rug or dealt with by insular groups…
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News Nechemya Weberman Gets 103 Years for Sex Abuse, and Satmars Say ‘Whoa’
The stunning 103-year prison term imposed on Brooklyn ‘therapist’ Nechemya Weberman for sexually abusing a girl has unleashed fierce debate, with many members of his ultra-Orthodox community saying the harsh sentence is unfair especially compared with punishment meted out to other notorious criminals. Critics claim the long sentence will deter future abuse victims from coming…
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Fast Forward Nechemya Weberman Gets 103 Year Sentence
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish counselor was sentenced to 103 years in prison on Tuesday for sexually abusing a young female patient over three years in the insular Brooklyn community where they lived. Nechemya Weberman, who was convicted last month of sexual conduct against a child, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a…
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Fast Forward Russian Jews Slam Chabad Over Schneerson Trove
Leaders of Russia’s Jewish community have criticized a U.S. federal court ruling that fined Russia for refusing to hand over ancient Chasidic texts. Rabbi Zinovy Kogan of the Russian Jewish Congress told the Itar-Tass news agency Jan. 17 that 12,000 books and 50,000 documents from the collection of Rabbi Joseph I. Schneerson, who led the…
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Israel News Israel Hopes To Reclaim Share of Diamond Trade
Diamond manufacturing is a dwindling trade in Israel. The country has one of the world’s hottest diamond exchanges, but polishers and cutters of the precious stones have been replaced by cheaper workers in newer hubs like India and China. Israel wants to bring them back. To do so, it plans on recruiting a legion of…
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Opinion When Jews Get Embarassed Too Easily
Jews are image conscious. A quick Google search of “embarrassed to be Jewish” will turn up two main hits—Jews ashamed of the state of Israel, and Jews ashamed of the behavior of certain “Hareidim” — tremblers, the Hebrew term for the ultra-Orthodox — in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh. I should amend that statement:…
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Opinion Orthodox Jews Face a Moment of Reckoning
After the verdict in the infamous Nechemya Weberman trial was announced, the Satmar community found itself reeling. This story of an unlicensed therapist who for years was sexually abusing a young girl multiple times a week has inflamed our passions to unprecedented levels, and rightfully so. But now that the dust has settled somewhat, it’s…
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