Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim, Jerusalem. (Getty Images / Image Bank.)
leader, a position attained by inheritance — and the Mitnagdim (“opponents” of Hasidism),
who stress a scholarly approach to the law.
Each Hasidic group has a somewhat different set of customs and views. For example, the
Habad (Lubavitcher) movement is Zionist and is the only Hasidic group that devotes a great
deal of effort to encouraging greater religiosity among non-Orthodox Jews. The Satmar are
anti-Zionist because they believe that only the Messiah can return the Jews to Israel, and they
object to the country's not being governed by religious law. The overall trend, however, is
toward a greater degree of identifi cation and legitimacy being accorded to the State of Is-
rael, with most groups moving from anti-Zionism to non-Zionism and from non-Zionism to
Zionism.
Indeed, the Guttman Report found that more Haredim defi ne themselves as Zionist than as
non-Zionist. Only a tiny fringe group actively campaigns against Israel's existence as a Jewish
state. The best-known Orthodox anti-Zionist organization is the Neturei Karta.
The course of the main Haredi political party, Agudat Israel, refl ects these trends. Before
1948, its leaders spoke out against establishing a Jewish state. Once Israel was established, the
speeches discontinued, but not until the 1970s did Aguda Israel become willing to join the
government. Today its members take government posts and extend de facto recognition to the
state. Incentives for cooperation are obtaining jobs and funds from the government. Besides,
Haredim have no illusions as to what their fate would be if Israel were to be destroyed by its
enemies.
