Tel Aviv, Israel – Hundreds of secular residents of Tel Aviv’s posh northern neighborhood protested their new ultra-Orthodox neighbors. The residents, some of them city council members, gathered in a mall waving signs that said, “down with the haredi mission” and “Ramat Aviv is free”.
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Haredim also gathered at the spot, and police formed a barrier between the two groups.
At an event Thursday at Chabad’s annual leadership conference, Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger expressed his support for Chabad’s activities in Ramat Aviv and criticized the methods used against the group by the Tel Aviv neighborhood’s secular campaign.
During his speech, Metzger, himself a resident of north Tel Aviv, complimented the organization’s activists, saying that the highly publicized conflict in Ramat Aviv is “the biggest compliment testifying to the success of the (Chabad) activities.”
The chief rabbi also revealed at the event that a secular businessman living in the neighborhood told him that he started receiving threats from his neighbors asserting that should he fail to cut off his support for the local Chabad House, they would damage his income, and even detailed how they intended to do so in an email sent to him.
According to Metzger, “In Ramat Aviv, there is a fear of becoming religious… This instance is proof of the inadequacy of those making the threats.”
The conference of the Hasidei Chabad, led by Rabbi Yossef Yitzhak Aharonov was held at The Avenue in the Airport City. It was attended by Tel Aviv’s Chief Rabbi Meir Lau and Knesset members Avi Dichter, Ofir Akonis, Zevulun Orlev, and Othniel Schneller. Many businessmen and professionals also attended the conference and gave tips and tools for proper management practices.
“Religious boy observes a secular rally “
But which religion?
Let’s keep the achdus going don’t have to agree with others but respect them and love them for being acheinu bnei yisroel
In the photo, the yarmalka – what is written on it? Please don’t tell me it’s “Yechi”! That would be scary and frightening.
All of a sudden Lubavitch is “our brothers” again? Yasher koach. Let’s keep the achdus going. Maybe we’ll have a positive impression on the “snag” from comment 1.
Love the way seculars “protest” while chareidim “riot” according to the press.
that kipa does not represent chabad. i am sure the kid’s father and grand father were on the other side of the barrier protesting againts the religious jews. let him go back accross the barriers.
1 and 4, Insult and criticize behind anonymous names. If what your saying is true why do you hide like a coward? and if its not true shame on you! One day when your stuck in a strange country lets see which Yidden come to help you. The bigest suppporters of Lubuvitch in China are Satmar Chasidim who know they have a home away form home at Chabad.
Out of those demonstrators, I wonder how many were bussed in from elsewhere (a known leftist trick) and where the count of 800 came from. More likely – 200 demonstrators, 150 of whom came from elsewhere for a free bus ride and free food.
If they are Messianists then I agree with the secular protesters. I daven in a Lubavitcher shul but not with Messianists/Yechi’s.
What is halachically “wrong ” about the words on his kipa? Did any one here even discuss its meaning with a lubavitcher??
soooo we don’t agree with it – most in chabad don’t either but there is a heck of alot of those folks wearing them yechi kippas ‘n all – I’d say its not as bad as it looks. Too many other issues abound – this should be our/your worst problem.
Think about it!
The lack of willingness to understand Meschichistim by their totally ignorant detractors is staggering, oh and “tru jew from chabad” if you believe that bachur should go join the chilonim it is you that is clearly not part of Anash.