For those unable to grasp the Tor•âhꞋ-ordained concept of doing one’s utmost to keep Tor•âhꞋ, then depending on ki•purꞋ, “pleasing god” always has, and always will, demand stricter measures as each step fails to bring paradise or “the moshiach” – always requiring the next, stricter, step to satisfy “God.” This has always held true, whether it was the Crusaders or Jihadists.
While the sword has, so far, been kept out of the hands of Ultra-Orthodox (Kha•reid•imꞋ) by a combination of goy•imꞋ and moderate Jews, they are no exception. Firebrands periodically incite apocalyptically against Arabs and other goy•imꞋ – by which they often mean everyone other than Ultra-Orthodox Jews. (Increasingly, and ever more boldly, they even exclude regular, moderate Orthodox Jews as goy•imꞋ!!! Don’t even think about their view of Conservative Jews or the “R” word “Jews.”)
Fanatics in all 3 religions, having always been driven by a never-enough strictness to please “god” enough to manipulate the Creator to their own will, inexorably must morph into an exclusive, ever-harsher and more fanatic, elitist, supremacist cult.
It’s particularly vacuous that, today, the most anti-science, history and archeology denying, illiterate segment of the Jewish world, the Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ, demand absolute authority over conversions, starkly opposite to Biblical Torah, which permitted any 3 Jews of good reputation to perform a conversion.
RibꞋis Hi•leilꞋ and Yᵊho•shuꞋa both summed up conversion similarly as “Treat your fellow as you wish to be treated; now go learn and live Tor•âhꞋ. This is the original, Biblically-ordained criteria – in contrast to the far later, Dark Ages and Medieval European REFORMS, still being reformed on a daily basis by today’s rabbinic casuists.
It is today’s Ultra-Orthodox who have, during the Christian era of Dark Ages and Medieval Europe, REFORMED – convoluted and profaned – Tor•âhꞋ into today’s rabbinic casuistry (which is vastly different from Biblical-era Tor•âhꞋ or Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ or Judaism.)
While numerous Diaspora (not good enough) Orthodox Jews have already been disenfranchised by Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ (and are currently vilified by Israelis as “assimilationists”), most Israelis still don’t get it: the Ultra-Orthodox have insisted on a process that, over time, disenfranchises EVERYONE who is not Ultra-Orthodox. Even “regular” Orthodox, who don’t see the threat to them, are primed to be disenfranchised. With not a single exception – whoever is not Ultra-Orthodox is on an inescapable path: choose either to adopt Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ strictures and lifestyle or disenfranchisement from the Ultra-Orthodox definition of “Judaism” and, eventually (e.g., your children), from Israel.
Jews of the world have sat on their hands and held their tongues, refusing to deal with reality, as each faction of the Jewish public comes under the guillotine of Inquisition and resulting disenfranchisement. Now, they come to disenfranchise a large faction of world Jews.
But the fall-out is much worse than that. The nation of Israel will not survive as a fanatic, Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•iꞋ, cultist country. In this sense, Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ are as much living in a delusional bubble as American socialists who refuse to see that the burgeoning entitlements, unmatched by income-generation, are inescapably heading where all previous national socialists (which, BTW, in German, is known by the acronym Nazi) have: into an entitled elitist class of slackers who expect everything to be given to them free versus a drone class of workers expected to pay all the bills; going broke and into violent anarchy when the “entitlements” run dry.
Then Jews throughout the world will finally grasp their myopia. I hope this helps them see it earlier, in time to put a stop to the extremism of the Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ rabbinic casuists who deny science, historical documentation and reality whenever they find it convenient and pose as Israel’s gatekeepers of Judaism.
In the meantime, the Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ are ripping the Jewish world community apart. And the point of the rip will be determined by whether the predominance of moderate Orthodox Jews, when the Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ force them to choose between siding either with them or the non-Orthodox. Thus, if the Kha•reid•imꞋ temporarily tolerate the moderate Orthodox (having disenfranchised masses of Diaspora and some Israeli moderate Orthodox already) the split will occur on one side or the other – or within – the moderate Orthodox community.
It is the moderate Orthodox who must decide where the rip occurs. The Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ will execute the rip and they cannot be stopped from that. Only the point of rip can be decided – by the (not Ultra-) moderate Orthodox.
So, as tragic as it is, and like it or not, the (not Ultra-) moderate Orthodox must choose. The Ultra-Orthodox Kha•reid•imꞋ will not let you hold onto both. The longer you procrastinate, the more severe, wrenching and destructive the rip will be to the Jewish world, and to Israel.
Israel Jews News 
לשים ירמיה my wife and I are looking to be in Israel these coming holidays is there a place to stay Raanna or do you know of a place in Yerushalim?
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We haven’t looked into hotels, hostels or B&B but once or twice since 1983. So we haven’t been in that loop and, consequently, I can be of only limited help as follows.
Most tourists come in sponsored groups where they’re herded around as a group. This keeps them pretty safe and they see most of the things that most are interested in; and all while staying and eating in nice places and traveling directly to and from sites from a-c buses that know where they’re going and don’t lose the limited time being lost and unable to find their destination. But it also means that Jewish groups avoid Xn sites (99% a good thing) and Xn groups stick exclusively to churches and the like while remaining as blissfully ignorant of sites primarily of interest to Judaism as they were before they came. You’d be better off staying home and save the money than touring with a Xn group.
If you come in a Modern Orthodox (or other Jewish group guaranteeing כשר accomodations) you’ll be WAY better off. Don’t, under any circumstances, come with a Xn group.
If you don’t come in a tour group, getting around and finding places while avoiding trouble spots, especially if you don’t speak some עברית, will, at times, be challenging or, if you get lost, may even be extremely dangerous.
So, I recommend joining a Modern Orthodox Jewish (or Jewish group guaranteeing כשר accommodations) tour group — and then they need to be not only Jewish, but ensure that you’ll have כשר accommodations — NOT “כשר-style” or simply “Jewish.”
You don’t have to be an Orthodox Jew to tour with a כשר Jewish group PROVIDED it’s Modern Orthodox, NOT Ultra-Orthodox (חרדי or חב”ד or any black hat), and that you let them know you’ll be compliant with their standards and are eager to learn to emulate how they do things (and you’ll need a כיפה: knitted, not black).
If you take a cab, I wouldn’t ride with an Arab driver. Their name and picture is prominently displayed in their cab (or they’re not legit). So it’s easy for most to distinguish an Arab name from a Jewish name. I’ve found most Jewish taxi drivers to be honest and helpful. Driving with the meter on is usually more expensive IF (!) you settle the price BEFORE YOU GET IN the cab. Settle this first, OUTSIDE the taxi. (Once you’re inside, then you’re on your way and have no negotiating position. You pay what he insists. Problems are rare and there are people to complain to if it’s unreasonable, but you can avoid the problem by getting the price outside the cab.) There are standard rates and these are better than paying the metered price. You can find out from your host where you’re staying, to phone the nearest taxi stand for you (don’t accept “too busy to phone”), what the standard rate is to wherever it is you’re going. Rates also differ for time of day (rush hour, after 1800, etc.).
One of the greatest shocks to me when I first visited Israel as an American tourist in 1983 was that there are no motels in Israel. Lacking the copious open space to which Americans are accustomed, Israel is too cramped for space to authorize building of space-devouring motels that cater to a motoring crowd that doesn’t exist here. There are motorists, of course. But in this small country, nearly all business trips conclude with a drive home. So there is neither demand nor space for motels. One is limited to a hotel (expensive), a hostel or a B&B (good deals are good deals but bad deals could be an expensive rip-off; plus, you probably need to speak Hebrew). Accordingly, the only hotels are in bigger cities, especially resort cities. רעננה (Ra’anana) is neither and there is no hotel in רעננה.
For a plethora of reasons, including avoiding problem areas, I strongly (!) advise that you be sure that you’re staying at a Jewish-owned – not Arab-owned – hotel, hostel or B&B. And realize that Arabs will lie to you about such things. Although it’s illegal, I’ve experienced Arabs lying (to what they thought was a tourist who wouldn’t know, namely me) that their food is כשר. So you need to be able to recognize the term כשר on their sign. Every place that serves כשר food has a כשרות certificate and they are NOT offended when you ask to see it. Every דתי Jew visiting a restaurant for the first time (unless it’s been recommended by their friends) asks to see it as a matter of course. (It’s usually prominently displayed where it can be seen from the front door.)
One thing you should be prepared for is that if you expect to go to a restaurant on שבת then you won’t find כשר food unless you’ve made some kind of arrangements in advance. You can make arrangements in advance to eat on שבת where you are staying (except maybe, some hostels). All כשר restaurants are closed on שבת. That can make for discomfort on שבת.
Finally, if you’re coming during a חג you’ll need to make arrangements for any Jewish observances, how to walk to (!) the closest תימני or Modern Orthodox בית כנסת. I think, during סוכות for example, every כשר hotel will have a סוכה in which you can eat daily. (So will restaurants, even non-כשר restaurants; so don’t assume a סוכה means it’s כשר.) But hostels and B&B probably will not unless you stick with כשר accommodations (in which case, you’re expected to know כשרות and KEEP it כשר). These kinds of things you’ll need to verify with whatever host you choose, as part of your choice.
This is all I can think of. Hope it helps and you have a great visit.
פקיד ירמיהו
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