Orthodox, Diverse Yet Alike Examining different sects of religious shows similarities By LAWRENCE H. those in the more rightwing groups SCHIFFMAN but who accept the importance of a ne of the things that strikes wider secular education and the me every time I am in resulting interaction with the world OIsrael is the disparity around. The males of this group between the nature of the Orthodox (and this is even true of some to the communities of the United States right of them) mostly do not cover their heads at work, and maybe not even in the street. They eschew tra- PERSPECTIVE ditional hats, except some wear and Israel. There is a general them on Shabbat. assumption by many people that the Day School education through Orthodox in both countries can be high school is considered essential divided into the Modern Orthodox for this group. Virtually all high and the Haredim, usually translated school graduates go off to spend a as Ultra-Orthodox, and that those year or two in Israel before college. labeled by these sobriquets in these This experience is regarded as two very different environments formative in terms of preparing stu- truly must be equivalent. Both of dents for continuing either at these assumptions are false. Yeshiva University or at the various Understanding how and why these colleges with large Orthodox stu- communities are so different is a dent populations. Allegiance to tremendous help in grasping the their Israeli yeshivas continues religious issues that separate Israel throughout life as this time in Israel and the American Jewish commu- is considered a formative experi- nity and that periodically lead to ence. major public spats. nstitutionally, this group draws American Modern Orthodoxy Imost of its rabbis from the Isaac A replica of 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, the Chabad headquarters, locatd in Kfar Chabad, Israel. Modern Orthodoxy in the United Elchanan Theological Seminary of States may be looked at from one of Yeshiva University and they are Dati-Leumi community are about A further division is between set- standards with right-wing, some- two perspectives, ideology or prac- organized in the Rabbinical Council half as many as in the American tlers and urban bourgeois Dati- times extreme, nationalism. tice. From the point of view of ide- of America (RCA). Their syna- Modern Orthodox group. Leumi who tend to be less to the The stricter Dati-Leumi, most of ology, Modern Orthodoxy supports gogues are organized through the It should be noted, however, that political right regarding opposition whose males participate in the attainment of high levels of secular Orthodox Union (OU) and the Dati-Leumi participation in higher to a Palestinian state and the Hesder yeshivah program, combin- education at universities. Further, it Young Israel movement. Open education is not much different demand for increased settling of ing yeshiva study with army serv- believes strongly in the sanctity of Orthodoxy, to which other Orthodox from that of the so-called secular Judea and Samaria. Further, not all ice, strongly support settlement the State of Israel and its religious leaders have raised many objections, public. It is simply a reality that the married women in the bourgeois activity and are generally opposed significance. From the perspective would be regarded by most as the many fewer Israelis pursue college group cover their hair all the time to the two-state solution. Orthodox of practice, while strict Modern left of the American Orthodox and university studies than do and some wear only slight cover- women are exempt from army serv- Orthodox adherents observe in a spectrum. The decision of this American Jews. ings. ice completely. Further, the absence of liberal Certain settler groups take This exemption is accepted by arts and general studies require- most National Religious women Modern Orthodoxy in the United States ments in Israeli universities, which The largest group who choose instead one or two are for the most part structured on years of “National Service” known may be looked at from one of two the European system, means that of Orthodox Jews in Hebrew as Sherut Leumi. About for most students secular education a quarter of National Religious perspectives, ideology or practice. may not include the humanities and in America is Orthodox women serve in the regu- social sciences that help to shape Hasidim, with the lar army and this has been a source the world outlook of American of great controversy within this way similar to those to the right of group to discard the adjective Modern Orthodox Jews. anti-Zionist community. them, the community includes “open” and to define itself as “mod- For the stricter Dati-Leumi, cov- many who do not necessarily fol- ern,” indicates its desire to maintain sraeli National Religious Jews Satmar group the ering the hair by married women low Orthodox standards of mod- a place within the mainstream Idivide according to certain lines: largest within and observance of traditional laws esty, including covering the hair for Modern Orthodox community. on the left you have the group of modesty, including wearing of married women, who may partici- called Dati-lite who are in many the Hasidic skirts, is virtually ubiquitous. pate in certain mixed activities Israeli Dati-Leumi` ways like the more liberal Modern However, as distinguished from eschewed by those to their right, The group often assumed to be Orthodox American Jews we have community. women to the right of them in what and whose style of dress typifies equivalent in Israel is that generally described. is generally called the Israeli Haredi that of the American upper middle termed Dati-Leumi, National Then there is a larger group of extremely strong negative positions population, almost none of the class to which they belong. Religious. Because of the different Dati-Leumi who, in contradistinc- regarding materialism and are high- National Religious women wear Essentially, we can say that the economic circumstances, and the tion to their American counterparts, ly opposed to compromise posi- stockings regularly and most prefer Modern Orthodox divide into two need for army service, at least for are virtually universal in male tions taken by the religious parties. kerchiefs or hats of some kind to groups in North America, those males, fewer Israelis in this group attendance at daily services. A further subgroup on the wigs (sheitlach, singular sheitel), who are in this community because have completed university or col- Further, and of course this is a National Religious right is termed unless they work in certain types of of its toleration of some halachic lege education than those in the result of living in a Jewish state, Hardal, meeting Haredi-Leumi. occupations for which such cover- leniencies (even violations) and a American Modern Orthodox com- almost all Dati-Leumi males wear These are strongly nationalistic ings are unacceptable. second group of those who aspire to munity. In fact, those reaching the kippot full-time, almost all of Jews whose lifestyle is essentially a The major exception here would the very same halachic standards as level of a Bachelors’ degree in the which are knitted and not black. combination of Haredi halachic be American Israeli women who 8 JEWISH TRIBUNE • SEPTEMBER 22-28, 2017 On the other hand, certain strin- many secular degrees earned by from army service and do not do well. In many cases, the women Orthodox gencies that are the norm in Israel Yeshivish Jews, male and female, national service. work, even in modern technological are treated much more leniently in may have heavy doses of transfer careers. The economic status of may continue to wear sheitlach, the US, for example, requiring credit of yeshiva or seminary stud- he Lita’i type Orthodox males these Jews is way below that of the having been accustomed to doing Chalav Yisrael Kosher supervised ies counted towards the degree. Tand American Yeshivish both American Yeshivish, so many of so in America. Almost none of the fresh milk and requiring that Nonetheless, degrees are valued as wear black hats but increasing num- whom are involved in business, males of this group, except rabbis, baked goods only be made by a means of training for occu- medicine, law, wear suits on Shabbat. The largest Jews. pations, and the expertise of Like modern Orthodox Jews, etc., similar to number of Dati-Leumi Israelis vote American Yeshivish those who hold degrees is their Modern valued by people seeking Yeshivish Jews are total Israel Orthodox neigh- services, even beyond health bors. services. There are some supporters, although this On the other American Yeshivish circles support is not buttressed hand, Lita’im that completely avoid higher and Hasidim in secular education but studies theologically. Israel, unless show these to be the minori- they discharge ty. bers of the Israeli equivalents wear army service obligations at a later long coats, like those of Hasidic age, tend to be unable to climb eshivish males generally wear Jews. Many of them have peyos above a kind of subsistence econ- Ywhite shirts, even during the (side curls) which in America are omy as a result of their long years week, and dark suits. They are of almost entirely limited to Hasidic of study in the yeshiva. However, course distinguished by their black Jews. contrary to the prevailing false hats, which have become a uniform. Universal yeshiva until the age assumption, the majority of Like Hasidim, they wear black when army service is no longer Israeli Haredi men do work for a cloth or velvet kippot. The married required is practiced by most living. women almost all wear wigs to Lita’im and by most Hasidim as continued on page 10 cover their hair at all times and strictly observe modesty rules, including for the most part wearing stockings.