Jerusalem Bookshop Targeted by ‘Haredi Mafia’
A bookshop in a strict ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jerusalem has come under attack from religious zealots whose “mafia-like” intimidation tactics have created a climate of fear and resentment among members of the area’s business community.
The shop, known as Or Hachaim/Manny’s, has had its windows broken twice, its locks glued shut and has been pelted with fish oil by members of the fringe Sikrikim group, an extremist breakaway faction from the ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta movement, which opposes the modern state of Israel because it was established by man and not God.
Since the shop opened in the neighbourhood of Mea She’arim in March 2010, the Sikrikim have been calling for a boycott in an effort to force its managers to remove all English-language and Zionist books, said Marlene Samuels, one of the shop’s managers. They have also demanded the shop shut down its English-language website and erect a sign requesting that customers dress modestly.
“They’re not happy with the large number of tourists that come in here because they feel they’re not dressed modestly enough,” she explained, pointing out that Israel’s English-speaking community and visitors from the US, the UK and other European countries constitute a large proportion of the shop’s clientele.
David Rotenberg, head of Or Hachaim’s English department, said the Sikrikim had also dumped bags of human excrement beside the religious books on display inside the store – “the bottom line on how disgustingly crazy these people are”.
Established in the 1870s by ultra-Orthodox Jews of eastern European origin, Mea She’arim’s residents have retained the conservative customs and dress of the old eastern European ghettos. Life in the insular, densely populated neighbourhood is strictly governed by Jewish law and its patchwork of religious sub-groupings and factions generally resent state interference in their affairs.
According to Samuels, while the Sikrikim have no religious legitimacy in the eyes of Mea She’arim’s ultra-Orthodox community – and reportedly comprise just 60 to 100 members – their reach and impact are widespread.
“Everybody suffers from them; this has been going on with other stores for years,” she said. “If people do not toe the line according to their very extreme, anti-Zionist philosophy, they become very aggressive.”
Several shop owners in the neighbourhood told the Guardian they had been harassed by the Sikrikim, but requested anonymity and would not allow their businesses to be named.
An employee at a CD and DVD store that opened in Mea She’arim three years ago told how the Sikrikim had held protests outside the shop, blocked customers from coming in, thrown rocks at him and broken the store owner’s car windows because they consider the CD and DVD formats too modern.
“They work like a mob, they’re very dangerous,” he said. “Even though we sell nothing but Jewish religious films and music they have a problem with us. If we sold porno movies or Pretty Woman I could understand it.”
Samuels claimed the police had not done enough to arrest the window-smashers, despite Or Hachaim having lodged four complaints and provided CCTV footage identifying the culprits.
“The police don’t want to get involved, they’re scared of this group. It’s almost like the mafia,” she said, adding that the owners of a nearby ice-cream parlour were considering hiring a private security firm to patrol the area, having had fish oil thrown at their windows despite complying with the Sikrikim’s demands and establishing separate entrances for men and women.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Jerusalem police had received only two official complaints in connection to the shop, and an investigation had been opened which was working on “an operational as well as an intelligence level”.
Samuels said complying with the group’s demands could open the door to greater Sikrikim interference in her shop.
“There’s protection money involved. We would have to pay them and they would send someone in regularly who would have free rein to remove whatever books he didn’t like.”
Rabbi Shlomo Melech, a lawyer and former member of the Jerusalem municipal council, said: “The Sikrikim are a very small, very extremist group, and they practice violence, which is against Judaism.”
Mayer Cohen
We have the same problem with the ultra mishichistim so I can understand that it works b/c most people have a life to live and have no will to dirty their hands.
heartbroken
totally disgusting… jews are suppose to work together towards our common goal, Moshiach, not against each other. :(
Oy golus
As someone who in a previous life had to deal with mafia type and disgusting gangsters who come to your store with threats and violence, step one check your mezuza step two show the leader your American friend Mr Loisville Slugger. There is no place for violence but getting some added protection from police, and buying their protection with free ice creams etc helps too
ceo
they should be sent out of Israel, like send them to Jordan or Lebanon. They dont have remnants of Torah if they do that
they are INSANE
seriously how can you call yourself an orthodox person and do such horrible disgusting things?
SHAME ON YOU
B H
The tactics my be extreme, but Mea Sharim IS AN ULTRA ORTHODOX community. There ae HALAHOS bout how to dress when you go to a communiy with stricter standards than your own. You want a book store – mke it outside heir community. You poke your fingers in heir eyes and you’re asking for them to fight to the finish to protect the kedusha of their home! We definately don’t want haredi communities dressing like it’s Kingston Ave.
We don’t even want Kingston Avenue dressing like it’s Kingston Ave!
DeClasse- Intellectual
You wonder why there is no Moisach–does this not tell you why. the Moiasach asks when will they ever learn–He answers nevermore: By the way the Moiasch states do not call me I will not call you!!!
Andrea Schonberger
I’ve never been to Israel so I’m not familiar with the Sikrikim group. Are they like the Amish in the United States–they don’t believe in CDs or DVDs or other modern devices. Is that what they are opposed to because I thought that Israel has freedom of speech and press.
Law abiding citizen
Again I see that readers here are not familiar with Judiasm. When I open up a pornography shop next door to your nice white suburban home where you raise your nice little children, I hope you do as you preach here and deal with my intrusion in a proper, adult way. Maybe you could even teach your kids to have a “peaceful” protest outside my store. And hey, its good for the local economy. And if your kids need a job, we always have openings.
You bunch of ignouramouses
CD and DVD store
Interesting. You mean like the “DVD” stores within a block radius of Port Authority bus station?
Oh, I see.
disappointed
Actually the antis & the crackpots are the ones that promote hate no tolerance of those who differ from their point of view.These sikrikim are sick as there group name indicates & they are not really Jewish the same as the crackpots they are bullies &bullies need to be cut down to size!
yechi hamelech
just kill them all
ct
look at the picture, look at their faces. they seem to be enjoying the violence more than what their goal is. This shows that they have issues which they are not dealing with.
violence against another yid, ruining their property and in a dangerous way is a sure sign of shaky mental and ruchnius health. you see that the kids are already poisoned too.
are the police getting involved with this?
SICK-rik
These SICK-rikim are POLICE AND SHABAK INFORMANTS! They’re a bumch of oisvorfen, nuts and new BT’s from bad backgrounds (as in lowlives who pretend to do tshuva in order to get a lower sentence or better conditions in prison) whose violence is egged on by their informant leaders.
They do the work of the left by discrediting charedim and creating trouble in Yerushalayim. When they are arrested it is for show and then they are released again. Same thing with Yoilish Krauss (yes his cousin is the Ibiza meshuggener).
Chillul Jewish!
I don’t get this, If us one Lubavitchers go there they’d be throwing rocks at us because we are too MODERN, So, it’s not their problem if we dress a bit fancy but tznius, They have no right to tell us what to do.
No One
thw trying to do the same in Postville Iowa. we have a few Meah SHearim shochtim and mashgichim trying to force their views on our entire community. the want to fire the lubavitchers from the plant and cheder using mafia style tactics.
shlomo
every entrance in meashearim you can see BIg sings asking tourist not entrance, and all people going only in tznanya beged. so if you open store for Americans tourist in this place you provoke this people.
p.s. more woman’s walking on kingston can”t do this in kfar habad.
so it different lubavich? most habad israeli rabay in personal conversation says, that crown heights people not religious at all. this fact strangely not disturb leshnorer :)