The Haredim

The Haredim are the ultra-Orthodox group of Jews. They try to preserve old East European Jewish traditions. They are highly religious and do not have much contact with the nonreligious world. They distinguish themselves from other groups by the way they dress and behave. Haredi men normally wear black coats, black pants and hats. Some of these men wear sashes over their coats. They also wear kippot and cover it with the hats. When it comes to hats, there is a variation in the way men wear their hats. Some men have peyot, which are the side curls, and they vary in length depending on the person. On the other hand, women have to wear clothes that cover most of their body. They have to wear long dresses or skirts. The shirts or dresses have to have long sleeves and the collar has to go up to the collar bone. Even little girls are expected to follow this dress code. Married women have to cover their hair because there is a law that says "women's hair is lust-provoking" (Rosenthal 185). They can cover their hair with hats, scarves or wigs, but the wigs have to be simple. In some haredi neighborhoods there are signs that tell women to dress modestly and not show too much skin.

All haredi groups believe Jewish law must be followed strictly. They believe the Torah is God's word and that is what guides them in how to behave and how to be a Jew (Rosenthal 187).  A lot of the laws focus on moral and ethical behavior. Aside from Jewish laws, there are also many rituals and rabbinical edicts they follow. Rituals are emphasized as a way to get closer to God. There are also rules regarding the food they eat. They can only eat kosher products. These products are marked with a kosher certificate, so they know what is good and what is not.  "Kashrut, the biblical dietary laws meant to add sanctity and hygiene to Jewish lives and help Jews maintain their identity living among non-Jewish neighbors" (Rosenthal 190). One very important law they follow is the Shabbat. Saturday is a holy day for them. on that day they do not work, do not touch money, phones, radios, do not turn on lights, stoves or use any electrical appliances, and they are not allowed to push elevator buttons. They are also not allowed to weave, sew, build, cook, write, plow, or reap (Rosenthal 191).

When it comes to family life, there are also laws that every man and women have to follow. As soon as a couple gets married they start having kids. Haredi couples tend to have many children because they believe it is God's will that they reproduce and expand. Rabbis prohibit the use of condoms and birth control pills, so that contributes to the high number of children. The average family has more than seven children and many live below the poverty line (Rosenthal 188). Many of these families depend on money from the government or charities to sustain themselves. Due to the high rate of poverty, families support each other and neighbors help each other. They borrow and give things amongst each other based on what they need. Most haredi families do not own a televison because it is believed to have a negative effect on their community. "Movies and television are full of temptations that poison family purity and give people yatzir ha-ra [the evil instinct]" (Rosenthal 189). They do not have televisions, but they are allowed to have radios. There are haredi stations that they could listen to. They do not allow their children to touch the radio so they do not change it to a nonharedi station.

There are distinctions made for men and women. Men normally study the Torah and women do not. Men devote most of their time to studying the Torah, while women are allowed to study other subjects. Men do not usually work because of the amount of time they have to take to study the Torah. Some women may work, but they usually have the money they get from the government or charity.  In recent times, some men have begun to work because of the need to support their numerous family. Instead of sticking to studying the Torah, they are going out to looks for jobs, which is frowned upon by some haredi people. In public spaces men and women are also separated. In pools they have different times for men and women. In beaches there are sections for men and women, and it is the same in buses. There is absolutely no displays of affection in any of these areas or any other public spaces. When it is time for marriage, a young woman's value is based on her looks, family religiosity, finances and connections. Both men and women marry at an early age, women from 17-20 and men from 20-23.

The haredim are a known community because of their distinct ways of living their lives. They are not only located in Israel as many may believe. The United States has many Jewish people and the haredim are a group of those people. New York is a place where some of these people are located. We can see it in the article Modesty in Ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn Is Enforced by Secret Squads by Joseph Berger. The article discusses how in the area of Brooklyn, New York, there are secret squads that go around checking that men and women follow Jewish laws regarding the way they dress. If they find someone that is not dressed the "right" way they take matters into their own hands. These groups are regular people and do not have the right to check up on anyone. 
New Yorks City suing ultra-Orthodox for posting modesty guidelines in stores by Debra Nussbaum Cohen is another article that discusses the haredim. The ultra-Orthodox put up signs directed toward women telling them to dress modestly if they go into their stores. These stores are being sued by New York's City Commission on Human Rights because they are discriminating. 
Through these articles we can see that ultra-Orthodox Jews do exist outside of Israel. They have the same ideas about the way Jews should dress and behave. Although some of them might seem to want to impose their beliefs on everyone, we have to understand that is the way they think and that is what is right for them. In Israel it would probably be okay to try to control people, but in the United States people's mentalities are different. The articles present good and accurate information and they are from prestigious sources, the New York Times and Haaretz. They are reliable because they present good arguments and they back up their claims by providing quotes from people involved. There are also links and they mention people who have soe sort of authority.