Jerusalem – Former Members of Mishmeres Hatznios: It Is a “military-like organization” We Get Paid By How Many Bones We Break

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    Jerusalem – The arrests of two alleged chastity squads members, Elhanan Buzaglo and Binyamin Meirovich, have sparked a new wave of violence in Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.

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    Following the arrests, garbage bins in the neighborhood of Geula were set on fire. Police officers who arrived were greeted with rocks being thrown at them. A store selling MP4 devices was attacked last week.

    Buzaglo, 29, was indicted over an incident which took place two months ago. The District Prosecutor’s Office believes that Buzaglo, along with six other chastity squad members, broke into a divorced woman’s home located in the Jerusalem neighborhood of, Maalot Dafna, beat her and threatened her.

    “The woman was badly bruised and required medical attention. For his role, Buzaglo was paid $2000,” claimed the prosecution. Binyamin Meirovich, who allegedly took part in the same attack, was released last week under limiting conditions.

    “I was pretty much into it”, says Chess, who was active in the organization for four years. “We would meet in a regular meeting place and get our assignments. Every Thursday we would be on alert.

    “I bought a club, so that I would have an easier time breaking bones. Some used irons. The job only get carried out after hard evidence was gathered. We would collect the evidence, and there was a hotline as well.”

    “You would have children misbehaving. An example would be this if married woman who was not being promiscuous. This one time I came up to a woman and broke two of her bones. For two bones we would get $1,600 and divide it amongst ourselves. There was this one case where the guy was big and had big bones; we got $3,300 because he was a harder case.”

    A former member from the Geula neighborhood said, “I joined two years ago and I left. We would film people going to clubs in Tel Aviv with either a cell phone or a digital camera. The squad always looked for the ones running off to Tel Aviv because they thought that they were safe there, but they didn’t know that we were onto them. Always.”

    “There was one guy in the neighborhood, we had information that he had unclean films in his possession and that he would sell the films to other people. We immediately locked onto him. We followed him to where he was having dinner one Thursday. We broke two of his bones.

    “We would go into orthodox chat rooms and forums. Those places are like Sodom and Gomorrah. There was a lot of unclean chat. I pretended to play along and I met a married woman who was looking for men. Our goal was to get to the persons in charge of the forum through her. We started beating her, but she denied that she had anything to do with running the site, we believed her and the chat room is still operational.”

    “A lot of our guys would fly abroad and get donations for our cause and come back a lot of dollars.”

    Haredi writer Rabbi Israel Gellis says that the organization, which is known in the orthodox community as “the committee for purity,” was established at the same time as the State of Israel.

    “Its role then was more explanatory, what you can or cannot buy, what the right length for a skirt is, how to dress and what to wear. In the 1970s the committee’s activity went up a notch. They would call you and tell you that your wife is dressed in an improper way. That’s how they would let people know, and they have been doing that ever since.”

    So where did all the violence come from?

    “As is the case with any society, even the orthodox have violent people, and there are those who are just agitators.”

    Yair Golan, Binyamin Meirovich’s lawyer, said that “Mr. Meirovich is denying any allegations made against him. He gave his statement to the police, and was subsequently released with the police’s consent and with some limitations.”

    The Jerusalem police responded by saying that “an investigation is being carried out in regards to this subject, a number of people have been arrested and some will be brought up on charges.”

    Buzaglo’s attorney, Ariel Atary, is currently out of the country and was unavailable for comment


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    50 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    its a shame

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I think we need a Mishmeres Hatznios in the USA, i dont know why we dont have one

    Chareidi Leumi
    Chareidi Leumi
    15 years ago

    Oh, how we have fallen!! What started out as an arguably respectable community organization, soon morphed into a mafia-like lynch squad. From now on I will be very careful to whom i give my tzedakah money. There is so much that needs to be done…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Who are they too start beating people.These people get off by watching others sin and then beat people for the thrill. I am not into bad things but if I would I would beat these dogs back. If they want to help they should warn them of publishing their names like in monroe but not to break bones. SICK DOGS!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i dont think its a mafia company the press is making look this way

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    why do you need one here? so you can beat up women and make people live in fear?

    Simchat Torah
    Simchat Torah
    15 years ago

    Do Religious Yidden really believe the secular zionist propaganda machine? Ynut news is very anti frum. While I dont doubt there are some incidents that are chillul Hashems I dont think these actions are the majority.

    The chillonim are concerned about losing Jerusalem to frum yidden. This is merely the marketing attempt to brand the frum as the “jewish taliban” That is all this is… dont be so gullible and buy into this nonsense…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Simchat Torah,

    You obviously don’t live here in Israel. As one who does- in a frum neighborhood, I think you need to learn Pirkei Avos:

    “רבי עקיבה אומר…סייג לחכמה שתיקה”

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    do the y have permission from rabbonim to break bones?……………….highly doubt it

    idf soldier
    idf soldier
    15 years ago

    i remember about 6 years ago i was visiting a friend in geula when these animals knocked on the door and pshed there way in little did they know i was armed i spent about 3 hours holding them at gunpoint using pysch warfare just like we did to the terrorists 2 out of 3 did there business in there pants while the 3rd curled into a ball and cried the whole time (empty clip) rack the bolt and pull the trigger it works all the time oh the fun times we had suffice to say she was off limits from then on

    Joseph
    Joseph
    15 years ago

    This is good comedy.

    Too bad some people actually believe this story (or anything from that Ynet ra for that matter.)

    Mishmeres Hatznios
    Mishmeres Hatznios
    15 years ago

    very smart.

    earl
    earl
    15 years ago

    Dear Simchat Torah,

    Well said. I could not agree more.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Taliban?I think that our Gedolim ,who are fully behind the Mishmeret Haznius, do act like the Taliban,Issuring everything and anything and beating up anyone who doesnt adhere to them.Just like the Taliban,And its here in Kiryas Yoel too!

    The truth is that i bet you have never heared of a KOL KORAH which is Matir anything…but Issur?Bring it on!

    thats why so many people have lost all respect for the Gedolim.What a shame they have become Ketanim.

    smart
    smart
    15 years ago

    Theirs a saying “every broom is dirty”

    theis guys that break peoples bones ,they are the worst garbage !!!!!!!!

    Skeptical
    Skeptical
    15 years ago

    Anon #14 – You say the Gedolim support Mishmeres Haznius. Though I am a mere poshiter Yid and do not have the inside track to the Gedolim you seem to possess, maybe by their silence you are sadly correct. This is a trajedy, and a chillul Hashem of monumental significance – why are our Rabbanim so exorcized by Lipa and so quiet about this? Their silence is deafening.

    Gefilte Fish
    Gefilte Fish
    15 years ago

    Do you people actually believe they get paid for the amount of bones broken?

    Clapton Common
    Clapton Common
    15 years ago

    Whatever happened to free speech? I merely believe that some sort of revenge is in order.

    baal mishpocha
    baal mishpocha
    15 years ago

    while i was courting my wife (we went on dates not “sit ins”) her neighbor (the banner R’ Osher Friedman shoi”te) would chase us & scream at us 4 doing pritzusdikeh things in public. this went on during the engagement. he had the nerve 2 attend desert during shabos sheva brochos & i asked him if he recognizes me.he just ignored me & said mazel tov 2 my shver & asked him “un so tell me about your choson” so i spoke up & said “don’t u know me?”. he continued ignoring me

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    These animals should rot in jail

    and hopefully they will get their bones broken!!!

    Lock & Load
    Lock & Load
    15 years ago

    That Exactly what we need here….

    These Crazy Men Breaking in to Divorced Womans Houses

    O My what have we become…….NUTS!!!!!!

    L&L

    Use your head
    Use your head
    15 years ago

    Chaza”l tell us:

    “Kol haposel, b’mumo posel.”

    Enough said.

    eaxactly
    eaxactly
    15 years ago

    try it over here i cant wait to see these people rot in prison. we wont fall for these sick animals.

    Sam the NYLIC
    Sam the NYLIC
    15 years ago

    Unfortunately, it is going on right now   Kiryas Yoel.Do you want it in BP or Williamsburg?

    mikey
    mikey
    15 years ago

    I doubt they were paid by the bone – but I do believe that there are NUTS who are violent in the Haredi world who use religious zealotry as an excuse for their behaviour.

    Basicly they are criminals who should be prosecuted and if they can trace them back to a Rabbe he should be as well.

    And since they have supporters who are violent they DO NOT have an excuse to escape IDF service – they must be drafted.

    To the person who said you have this in KookooJew neighborhood – call the State Police and take care of it.

    Lazy
    Lazy
    15 years ago

    With force nothing will be accomplished!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    This is so bizarre & off the charts I just can’t believe it! And I believe that there are Rebbes molesting kids & nutcases out there, but this guy’s account of $$ for bones? Could it possibly be true? I’m speechless.

    Kishmich
    Kishmich
    15 years ago

    Wow. This whole article reads exactly like a Mafia exposee. Members of this gang probably confiscated a copy of the Godfather DVD, along with some other contraband, and thought it would be cool to carry out “Hit’s”. Let them confiscate the Godfather part 3. Everyone dies in that part.

    s.marks
    s.marks
    15 years ago

    this past week we read in parshas reeh,and i will paraphrase’ be carefull with the ways you worship me dont worship me with the same mannerisms as the idolators because they also worship by sacrificing by fire to molich ;these people are trying to institute lehavdil muslim style stringencies on people that the torah doesnt demand of us.they start with beatings and maybe they will murder someone by mistake once they get the taste of blood on their hands they wont be able to stop .these people are criminals and they should be stopped at all cost.they are not acting on behalf of das torah .what is going to next ,honor killings?ie molich sacrifices?

    Daze
    Daze
    15 years ago

    This story makes me nauseas. Totally doesn’t help in persuading my family to move to Israel.

    AuthenticSatmar
    AuthenticSatmar
    15 years ago

    To those who believe they get paid by bones broken I have a bridge to sell. Oh and did you hear from Nuchem Rosenberg that 40% of williamsburgh is on drugs. And that 50% of the women in Boro Park are zoines?

    People, start using your head, and realize the bs.

    shneur z
    shneur z
    15 years ago

    according to halacha only a mosser gets physical punishment without a beis din

    smily face
    15 years ago

    we have federal police state police city cops, shomrim, rabbonim, mashgichim, roshei yeshivos, rebbes, dayanim, how many more do we need on top, enough with mishmeres haznies!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    THE WHOLE CLAN ITS A LOWLIFE MAFIA. ALL IN THE FAKE NAME OF TORAH. LOWLIFE VERMIN, LET THEM ALL HANG INCLUDING ALL THE LEADERS THAT HIDE BEHIND CLOSED DORRS.

    mypprincess
    mypprincess
    15 years ago

    WOW! how special! They actually collect hard evidence before breaking their bones!! They deserve a medal for this! Real yiras shamayim! Wait! Did I read right? They get paid for it?

    Hypocrites!!

    mypprincess
    mypprincess
    15 years ago

    Mikey you are right.

    If they enjoy violence let them be in the army. At least its a legit way of using their barbaric traits. Don’t feel like it? Be a shochet (providing there is some yiras shamayim)

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i lived in israel and saw it first hand. it is happenning, there is no denial…sometimes i just hate what those fanatics do, hsame on us…all of us!

    Shocked
    Shocked
    15 years ago

    We have family living in Jerusalem and this is the first i hear/read of this.

    A real erlich person keeps his gaze down to observe shmiras aynayim.I know of some who wear glasses but take them off so that they will not be forced to see things they rather don’t want to. What are the names of the Rabbonim of this so called organiztions?

    What generations will come of such sort. If they are so ehrlich they should be sitting and learning , not roaming the streets.

    We are not in the days of neviim of such as Yeshaya and Jeremia!

    yankel
    yankel
    15 years ago

    AuthenticSatmar Says:

    To those who believe they get paid by bones broken I have a bridge to sell. Oh and did you hear from Nuchem Rosenberg that 40% of williamsburgh is on drugs. And that 50% of the women in Boro Park are zoines?

    People, start using your head, and realize the bs.

    09-01-2008 – 8:42 PM

    =======================================

    hey big shot. prove to us that he said that then we can talk

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    To authenticsatmar:

    Nuchem Rosenberg said 30%, don’t make fun of it.. There are families bleeding from this plague.. Why are you getting technical about the numbers? Face reality, the problem exists.

    common ¢
    common ¢
    15 years ago

    to yankel ask anyone of the thousands of people who heard him say it on his hotline

    Joseph Tomber
    Joseph Tomber
    15 years ago

    in boro park their is a mishmeres hatznius, in williamsburg too.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Sorry guys but we are supposed to be the Taliban. What is sad is that so many of you have “embraced secular society” i.e., modern Western goyishe culture, and never learned what Torah values are. As a result you frown on Torah and support Goyishkeit.

    רמב”ם הל’ שביתת יום טוב פרק ו

    א) חייבין בית דין להעמיד שוטרים ברגלים שיהיו מסבבין ומחפשין בגנות ובפרדסים ועל הנהרות כדי שלא יתקבצו לאכול ולשתות שם אנשים ונשים ויבואו לידי עבירה וכן יזהירו בדבר זה לכל העם כדי שלא יתערבו אנשים ונשים בבתיהם לשמחה ולא ימשכו ביין שמא יבואו לידי עבירה

    What are shotrim?

    רמב”ם הל’ סנהדרין פרק א

    מצות עשה של תורה למנות שופטים ושוטרים בכל מדינה ומדינה ובכל פלך ופלך שנאמר שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך שופטים אלו הדיינים הקבועין בבית דין ובעלי דינין באים לפניהם. שוטרים אלו בעלי מקל ורצועה והם עומדים לפני הדיינין המסבבין בשווקים וברחובות ועל החנויות לתקן השערים והמדות ולהכות כל מעוות וכל מעשיהם ע”פ הדיינים

    Likewise in Shulchan Oruch

    ארוח חיים ס’ תקכט סעיף ד

    Welcome to Judaism.

    AuthenticSatmar
    AuthenticSatmar
    15 years ago

    BigShot: Listen to his hotline. You never listened to him, yet you immediately attack me. It’s idiots like you that destroy the sensible intelligent discourse that is maintained in these comments. (You might need to crack opem a dictionary to understand that line.)

    While I agree there is a problem, by exaggerating numbers, you do a disservice to those suffering, as people tend to ignore him.

    I recall hearing about an aguna crisis in our community. To combat it, the Jewish Press started publishing names of those husbands keeping their wife an aguna. Last I checked, there were 4 names listed. 4 out of the 100’s of thousands of jews is hardly a crisis. Yes those 4 families are suffering tremendously, but by making a bigger deal, you drive away public sympathy.

    Dov Hikind promised to reveal molsters and those that harbor them. How many names have we heard? While there may be a couple out there, it’s far from a major crisis.

    As for the vaad hatznius, if anyone believes they pay for bones, you are obviously blinded by your anti chareidi bias. Yes there is a violent vaad hatznius gang, and yes violence is wrong, but this story as told by a supposedly former member is bologne. If it is true, then he admitted commiting a crime and should be prosecuted. I am sure should the police attempt to do so, he will immediately retract his statement.

    krunch
    krunch
    15 years ago

    Tznius these days is at an all time low, and maybe all communities (why only chassideshe, how about Monsey, Flatbush, 5 Towns, Lakewood, etc…) should have discreet hotlines for people to call in about groos violations of tznius. Maybe rabbonim will send the person a letter, maybe a phone call, and maybe in extreme cases publicize theit names.

    The thugs who beat up people are the bored yerushalmi chassidim who were raised to know how to get a trash bin burning in five minutes or less. They don’t think- they just do. I remember when they had a “problem” with R’ Elyashiv, shlit”a, and R’ Nosson Tzvi Finkel dispatched 200 bochurim to accompany him to the Kosel for protection. Being against these guys isn’t anti-chareidi, its anti-nut jobs.

    By the way, we shouldn’t beat them up, we should hang signs with there names and pictures all over the place- showing them how to effectively embarress a sinner without resorting to barbarianism. And it would blow their cover and effectively end their careers.

    DumDum
    DumDum
    15 years ago

    Joseph Tomber Says:

    “in boro park their is a mishmeres hatznius”

    i’ve been living in BP for the past 50 years. how come i never heard of it?

    Skeptical
    Skeptical
    15 years ago

    Philosophical questions: If we are to learn even from ants, is there nothing to emulate in western society? If “Liberal” (classicly defined – not ideologically defined) tolerance OF YIDDEN has enabled Yiddishkeit to thrive in America . . . then is it epikorsas to wonder whether we might learn to be more tolerant (tolerant, not accepting) of Yidden who don’t live up to “proper” standards of tzinius?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Let’s put things in perspective. A Va’ad Mishmeres ha’tznius is a good thing if done as prescribed by the Rambam, in that it is overseen by a Beth Din Tzedek. The Rambam is talking about a Rov of a town with his Beth Din, NOT about a private undertaking. Rabbi Yechezkal Wertzberger of blessed memory was perfect for the job, because he was a good man and worked hand in hand with the Rabbonim when harsher methods were necessary. But nowadays where we live in big cities, with really nobody in control, so a Vaad mishmeres hatznius is a curse not a blessing, because they are afraid of the strong and connected and they use their power against the weak, physically and spiritually. With among the qualifications to be a member is to have been born in mazel maadim, and seeing that youngsters are members instead of older levelheaded people; I say that the Rabonoi shel oilom is better off without them.

    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    15 years ago

    “mazel maadim”…?

    ma zois?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There are twelves “mazolah’s”. “Maadim” (mars) is one of them. Have you ever heard of, men come from mars and women from venus? Maadim is the red planet, red stands for anger – in other words “a short fuse”. The Gemorah says that men who were born in mazel maadim should become a shochet; nowadays – they join the “Vaad mishmeres hatznius”!!