Israel – One of the biggest campaigns ever undertaken by the Hareidi religious establishment – the campaign against cellphones with internet access and advanced services – has been a flop, according to a study by Dr. Tzuriel Roshi, director of the communications faculty at Lipschitz Academic College.
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According to Roshi, out of 340,000 potential cellphone customers in the Hareidi community, only 96,000 have purchased “kosher” cellphones – devices that do not allow users to access the internet or advanced services, like SMS – with the rest choosing to hold on to their advanced phones. And even of those who did acquire a phone approved by Hareidi rabbinical leaders, says Roshi, many continue to use their advanced devices, with the approved device deployed “just for show.”
“The conclusion we come to with this study is that despite the impression among many people, the Hareidi public does not necessarily obey the will of its leaders blindly, and is likely to acquire items that are not approved of by the rabbis,” Roshi said.
I don’t understand. No cell phone comes with automatic internet access. You gotta pay for the service.
I know many will scream at me for writing this, but the truth is that most people follow what is in their heart when they can. In the public eye, they put on a show of conformity. Many people feel they are holier when they put on a show which includes rebuking others for doing the exact same things they do clandestinely.
Personally I’m impressed that nearly 1/3 of the population listened. The internet is a major yetzer hara and in many cases its required for business. I think focusing on the positive is in order!
At least 96 thoasand neshomes will be saved in this crazy world.
This had benn a great sucsess.
almost all of the yeshiva bochrim have the kosher phones because it is cheaper!
96,000 people who resist temptation cannot be labeled a ‘complete flop’
96,000 is no small number!!!
CHAZAK VEAMUTZ!!!! 96,000 Ehrlicha yiden Kein Eien Hurah listened to the gedoile yisruel and bought a Kosher Phone. this amount is Gevaldig..the bulk of the Ultra Orthodox yiden in Israel. The writer of ur article can not swallow such sucsses, so why not twist the picture and have a nice little smear campain. We say Kein Yirbu Vkein Yifroitz.
I guess for some its very painful to see that the Charedi world do listen to their leaders, Mi Keamchu Yisroel! Yes! we will continue to follow the orders of our Gedolim until Moshiach comes!
I’m posting from my Internet enabled kosher phone to tell you that this study is false!
Baruch Hashem, a kiddush Hashem.
This shows that the majority are not mindless cult followers and that they understand that the Torah given from Hashem requires subservience to only one, Hashem. There us the concept of mitzvah lishmoa divrei chachomim, but that is not a blind following. just like the halachah that if the chachomim say something is kosher and you know that it’s not kosher, it is assur for you to eat it. So to, when they say something is assur, it does not automatically mean that it is. We are not sheep or cult members and there is no doctorine of infalibility.
Altough I doubt these numbers are accurate at all, but 96,000 you call a flop? I know it hurts… We will continue to always listen to our Gedolei Yisroel!!!
“Anonymous Says: I don’t understand. No cell phone comes with automatic internet access. You gotta pay for the service.”
In Israel most phone plans have free internet access included in the talk plan.
Again….why is it a public discusion…who cares what the next guy does on his phone…its each ownes buisness…let every one do what they want
who knows what will be our nisyones in 5 years from now its very scary!!!!!!!!!!!
If our leaders any any foresight at all, they would focus their efforts on teaching people how to use modern technology appropriately, instead of creating pointless bans that are not compatible with modern living.
never understood the whole “kosher phone ” thing. all phones come with the possibilty of texting and internet. if u want the services u activate the service if not the service won’t work
Isn’t it ironic how people on this board will write all kinds of praise how great 90000 people are for avoiding phones using internet, on the internet 🙂
this is how statistics can be used to twist the truth “out of 340,000 POTENTIAL cellphone customers” is an assumption and 96,000 is a fact. the percent of people that ACTUALLY bought may be much greater than what is stated.
Anyone know how many votes the agudah had in last elections? I think about 120,000 the rest of chareidim are sfardim that don’t have the pare pressure the bnei torah have
96,000 people who know their weakness and have chosen to take this on… maybe some of the other 2/3 can trust themselves enough not to use it to commit aveiros, or maybe they don’t even have cell phones. You can’t assume they are ALL committing aveiros if they haven’t purchased THESE phones!
I live in a “moderate” chareidi neighborhood called ramat bet shemesh and I can testify that ALL of my friends and neighbors have kosher cell phones. NO ONE uses the internet phones. The only people who dont use the kosher phones are those who most chareidim call “Modernim” and no one is surprised that have a non kosher phone.
The results of this so called study were probably decided well before ANY polls or surveys was taken.
All those people who are now have their comments here, does have internet. Wow !!!!and dont forget all the young bochurim that have kosher cellphones; they probably had to sigh a paper for that otherwise they were not excepted. Like a lot of kids are not excepted at yeshives when their parents have a computer at home.
Wow 96.000 is a large # keep it up.How manyhimesh yidden have the jnet on there phone .I have it its the best
I wonder how the chilonim like having automatic internet on the cell phone they give their kids?
They will also rightfully ignore those alledged “gadolim” who paskined that they should not have computers at home and avoid the internet. They have taken the most powerful tool of knowledge ever created and prohibited its use based on groundless fears of addiction to poronography. Rather than focusing on the severe mental problems of the small percentage of chareidim who might become addicted they deny its use to everyone and make it even harder for them to get an education and a job (which may be the real reason why they made it assur in the first place).
what is not told …is most kosher phone users have 2 cellphones ‘!!!
1] ordinary for reg. use
2] for the show off – kosher…..
How exactly is this a kiddush hashem??? Stop imposing on everyone. Just becasue u guys cant control yourselves and have a phone with internet doesnt mean everyone has to suffer. Grow up. Theres nothing holy about not having a phone with internet. Whats holy is HAVING a phone with internet and resisting temptation to look at anything questionable! Thats a kiddush hashem! When u grow up sheltered ur whole life in a cave it gets that much more diffcult to keep it in the pants. Controll ureslves. Thats a kiddush hashem.
probably the people who most need a “kosher” cellphone are the ones who didn’t get it. the ones who would be good anyway, are the ones who bought one.
following here in chutz lo’oretz, a satmar kolel yungerman told me that R’ Aharon from satmar forbhited all his kolel yingerleit having non kosher cell, & by now all of them frm monroe, monsey, will, bp, canada, are changing to all kosher phones…. koy le’choi….
What a big deal about nothing. My cheapness is greater than my yetzer hora 😉 I had the phone company turn off all the services – no internet, no texting, no cost. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing to tempt me. Besides, why do I need it on my phone if I can get it at home or at the library?
I have a kosher telephone for the past year but only for economic and social reasons; the 12 years before that I had a regular cellphone but never used it for text messaging or internet. I had no interest to waste my time like that. Just as A side comment,the
Internet I use is from an iPod which has specific designations which are set up on the ipod in advance. The stops include the weather,exchange rate,aish hatorah,Torah web, yeshiva
news,hamodia ,ask the rabbi,… And of course matzav. Even when I use google its to get product information,find parts to washing machine,check spelling or meaning of a word.eve
I have a kosher telephone for the past year but only for economic and social reasons; the 12 years before that I had a regular cellphone but never used it for text messaging or internet. I had no interest to waste my time like that. Just as A side comment,the
Internet I use is from an iPod which has specific designations which are set up on the ipod in advance. The stops include the weather,exchange rate,aish hatorah,Torah web, yeshiva
news,hamodia ,ask the rabbi,… And of course voisizneis. Even the “kosher clips” of videos stay
put. But I have to admit checking the news everyday is a terrible waste of time.
I’m wondering how much of the 96,000 also have a internet enabled phone
Can Somebody please explain to me what in the world is wrong with text messaging????!