Haredi attack on girl – Chabad statement
The Chabad movement has issued a statement about the Sikrikim, a tiny faction from within the haredi movement who attacked an 8-yr-old girl in Israel.
Naama Margolese - 8-yr-old girl attacked by Sikrikim extremists
In a statement from Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters in New York, the ultra-orthodox group said: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:17)
King Solomon, the wisest of all men, thus defined and described the ways of Torah. These words are as true today as they were in his day.
Pleasantness and peace are not only fundamental to the observance of Torah-true Judaism, but are the only appropriate paths to maintaining and promoting authentic Jewish values.
Violent behaviors of individuals or groups who abuse, intimidate and insult others are a flagrant offense to Torah and tzniut (modesty), in both letter and spirit, and deserve to be unequivocally condemned.
Tzniut, intrinsic to Jewish family and social life, covers the gamut of human behavior and is intended to cultivate dignified comportment in the privacy of an individual’s life and especially in their interaction with others. When organically and wholesomely practiced, it is a key to a functional, healthy and respectful environment at home, in the workplace and society at large.
With respect to tzniut, Chabad seeks the participation of all members of the Jewish community. Indeed, women are critical participants in the community, maintaining significant leadership positions, as is evident in Chabad communities worldwide.
Ahavat Yisrael, the bedrock of Jewish life, has always been the inspiration motivating Chabad’s mission. Chabad will continue to reach out to all Jews with respect, acceptance and inclusion in the full spirit of Ahavat Yisrael.
Chabad Rabbi Eli Feldman told J-Wire: “Sikrikim is the group responsible for these offensive incidents. The Sikrikim wear the same garments as other Haredim and as Chabad-Lubavitch Hassidim, but that is where the comparison ends.
“There are about 700,000 Haredim in Israel and this group numbers only around 100. More than 99.9% of Haredim are horrified by their actions”
“The Jewish people have often suffered from Anti-Semites who magnified isolated Jewish crimes to tarnish all Jews and it is similarly distressing to see all Haredim being lumped together with the abhorrent actions of a very small and extreme group. Instances of violence against innocent Haredim in light of this have now come to light and that is deplorable.”
“Because Jewish Bernie Madoff, a prominent fund manager, ripped off friends and community leaders for a fortune, does not mean that every Jewish fund manager behaves unethically. This is obviously not the case and has traditionally been the discourse of Anti-Semites. So too, the despicable acts of those few Sikrikim who are responsible for the attacks on innocent members of the community in no way reflect the spirit or the Law of Judaism in any acceptable form.”
“Today we mark Asarah B’Tevet, the fast of the tenth of Teveth, recalling the tragic siege on Jerusalem thousands of years go which was a result of Jewish disunity. Darkness is best countered with light and disunity with unity. We therefore encourage everyone shocked by acts of evil to perform additional acts of goodness and kindness, reaching out to others in a spirit of love, friendship and unity throughout the world.”
Bullies – nothing but bullies. They make me puke – brainless savage cretins. They never pick on anyone their own size….This little girl has nothing to do with what these useless idiots are about.
Any adult, Haredi or not, Jewish or not, who sees an eight year old girl as sex object (they called her a whore) is sick and should be put on medication.
To Emes.
It has a lot to do with the peace process. The leftist media and the leftist secular have set a trap to lure the chareidi community to do these acts of vilence. So that they can attempt to turn public opinion away from the right which is usually connected to religious Zionist. etc. The secular leftist are desperate to stop the trend towards Israeli patriotic right . The easiest target are the chareidim. get the chareidim to do crazy things and this is a way for them to get sympathy from the public at large.
All the wrong cannot be blamed on politics. It is their short sighted leaders who are encouraging them to behave like thugs. If this behaviour is seen by anyone who ignores it at the time and does nothing to defend the victim, they are as complicit in the crime as the perpetrators.
Chabad should send out their squads to admonish this type of behaviour with the same if not greater zeal as their public Chanucca celebrations and tefilim campaigns.
If this behaviour is abhorrent to them as to the rest of us, it is incumbent on them to nip it in the bud.
There are elements of this chareidi attitude within the Yeshiva Centre!
Not publishing names, but there are some who are always concerned about tznius (MODESTY)
Shalom – what does the peace process have to do with extremists’ attacking a little girl?! They’re two different subjects completely, and Chabad – as a charedi group – feels it appropriate to comment on this incident involving charedim.
The peace process (or lack thereof) is, incidentally, a subject that has been addressed by the Rebbe and Chabad rabbis in great depth.
This is dumb.
They say nothing about the peace process but say something about this?
Please