Was there a study statiscally whether Charedi are more common to hit the streets in the homeless environments as those depicted by this article. My own gut feeling is that the Charedi are much less prone to the sickness portrayd in this article then the rest of the population. Why this author chose the Charedi is beyond me.

hit a cord in me for my own son was caught up in this mess. I did what I thought was the only responsible thing to do. I yanked him out of there ASAP. Yes I brought him back to Canada where the bears fart in the woods and where laying about the street dosent make sense when its -40C with the wind blowing . Religious kids in general I find are very bright. There are exceptions of course but in general they are bright. In effect many wont be leading Rabbis etc, therefore the responsible thing to do is to get them on track towards a skill. I know this may take a tit out of the mouth of some Rabbis but what the families have to be concerned with is the welfare of their kids. Their kids are more important than the power and status of some "Rabbis" and their Yeshivas. To all parents out there in North America. Do the responsible thing. Get your kids back home. There is no shortage of good schools and or Yeshivas both in Canada and the USA. You're kids welfare demands your attention. I know I learned it the hard way.

Beautiful article. Sad, but interesting. An eye-opener... In all this story, there is an important ingredient missing: LOVE. Has anyone seen it...?

My, my my.How ynet fans the flames of hatred through this phoney writer. Reminds me of the present british hatred and anti semitism. racheli welli ye ye ye, jerusalem evening. I thought phoney lives in bnai brak. Where should racheli welli come for Shabbat ? Jerusalem or bnei brak? She 'll be frightened off by all the phoney ladys bewigged friends in her house on friday night, or,phoney woman will be reading slutty best sellers, so that's no good either. Racheli weli, run for your life.

wHY you keep attacking Haredi society... i was so happy without hearing about your non sense stuff . look this is not the first time i heard about stories like this. It happens all over the world. You dont need to be hyper frum to have this type of problems. this is not exclusive of haredi schools. Please give us a break and get a job.

You all know that I am no lover of Tali Farkash - and I honestly believe she does more harm than good; but I have to say that while I am sure this article was intended to "again" belittle the Chareidi community, there is a certain validity in her argument this time. One point that I must make though is that, in my experience, most parents do NOT give up on their children. The offspring may not want, understandably, to live in a Chareidi neighborhood, but the parents strive to maintain a loving relationship, so that if, and when, the kid discovers that the "grass is always greener on the other side", they haven't burned their bridges. It is a very sad phenoma which is, in my opinion, more due to the huge amount of shmutz on the street and in the shops; and one that, on a different level, can hit a kid from a secular home just as hard. Secular kids are more likely to get caught up in cults etc. I agree with #2 - watch out for your kids 'cos no-one else will.

Clearly, the problems of youth and adolescence affect everyone, and also clearly, being grounded in Torah will help overcome these problems. Haredi youth have less problems, to be sure. However, when they DO have problems, they have a very different situation to deal with then secular youth. This fact has to be noted in figuring out how to deal with it.

is carefully planted, otherwise you wouldn't read it. Havent you noticed that she/HE said NOTHING while dripping bile? YOU said more than she/he did, she got paid though,(and a different sheitel stylist mushed up that hairy thing in the foto.) The usual cunningly worded hatred is her/his doing, not yours. Get it? That's why they employ her/him, and not you. Get it?

Not everyone can follow a Haredi lifestyle.I'd like to see aparent exhibit a contract where achild signed on the dotted line that he will always live according to his parents dictates. If a parent puts his ego before the welfare of his child...may G-D spare us. Many children have excelled in slightly more open circumstances. *I woder if Haredim would prefer their kids in the streets rather than send them to a MIZROCHI school.

When my son was in Yeshiva I had a number of boys living in my house, sometimes for a little while sometimes for a long time. The reason was that this kids were a bit different, more adventurous, a bit rebellious, whatever, and they could not live at home it was too overwelming for the parents. This kids have mostly turned out well, some are back to being charedi and others have gone to the army, most live productive lives. Were they problem children or had they problem parents? I am not sure but what I do know for sure is that love and respect goes a long way to solve any kind of problem

Speaking personally, I am from a Haredi family. I "fried out" briefly as a teenager and MY FAMILY NEVER THREW ME OUT and I am back in the fold now even though I am not Haredi. I also have a cousin from Mea Shearim who joined the IDF (the Nahal Haredi). His family was not happy at the time but when I was in Israel for Pesach, they were back together. Fakesquash has done nothing in these columns except to incite hatred against the religious with the same old stereotypes. Everybody knows by now that she/he/whatever is a FRAUD.

Concerning Judaism, it certainly doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision. But first, they have to be in an environment where they can rid themselves of guilt feelings. And the parents have to be part of that process; but if the parents cannot accept whatever decision their child makes - even if it is to leave observance totally - then there has to be a break because being subjected to pressure from the parents won't help their child!

Tali this is one of the best and most insightful articles you have written. I love your style - tell it like it is and like it should be. The problem is deep and almost a mageifah today. It begins with an unyeilding unadapting educational system and is compounded and perhaps initiated by a screwed up secular system that insists on making chareidi lives miserable via draft and anti work laws thereby leavingthese poor kids with no choice (male kids in particular) I've been dealing with these kids and it is a collosal sorrow and tragedy

We (meaning the Charadi community) do need to do more for kids who start out being no more than square pegs in round holds. But it needn't be the total disaster the author suggests. My son was asked to leave his yeshivah katana (high school), but they didn't wash their hands of him. They worked hard (along with the organization Lev Shomeah) to help him find an alternative framework that would still be religious but he would not rebel against. That is what the Sages of our generation insist should be done. Our problem is (as it has often been in our history) that we don't listen to our Sages enough.

B"H That is one of the major reasons for the diaspora. Those living in Israel were unable to and left or were more precisely kicked out. Opening the door is very difficult now. I see no clear opening yet, and I am still kicked out but that is how it is. I would not be able to compete with any Rabbi in Haredi soceity. My knoledge of Hebrew is poor and I am almost illiterate in that language. It is a very serious problem. Every time I read through the shemona esreh, I compare the time I read the translation in English versus the time it takes to read the Hebrew, and I see the leadership read at the rate I read English, and my lack of training is very clear to me... I did not make the cut. So now I deal with it in golus. Israel has a difficult problem though in that if other nations are able to accomplsih what Israel cannot with the Jews, then these other nations benefit even more greatly from the Jewish presence. It can end up even being detrimental for the Jews inside Israel. But G-d rules the world, and I can only go so far to fix the problem before I hit a brick wall. I am not sure if that wall is spiritual or physical. In some cases people are actually incapable and other cases people are unwilling. Good Shabbos.

The problem is not just with you, Kyle, but with lots of other remote armchair critics (like #5 and #6) too. For a former black hat you're quick on the draw for some lashon hora, no? If you go to Kikar Tsion tomorrow night, you'll see that there's a great amount of truth in what Tali writes. So, don't forget in your engineering course selection for next fall make sure you take a social science course as one of your non-tech electives. Or better yet, why don't you come volunteer with some social work groups this summer? You'll see first hand that Tali's story is based on real events every day. Or, you could stay in Colorado and avoid this kind of tikun olam altogether...

Why is it newsworthy to write about the problems in charedi society? Can I have equal time? I'm baal tshuva and for every caricatured stereotyp Ms. Farkash brings, I can bring one hundred totally accepted problems with secular society. Is this article implying that drugs are a bigger problem in charedi society than secular? That would be a lie of epic proportions. I've been secular and believe me, I would rather raise my children religious. IT IS BETTER! By definition, an attempt to be moral, kind, and fulfilling. If it falls short, it needs fixing. But secular is by definition dedicated to the self, not necesarily moral, freedom more important than morality.

on this subject. This man/woman never contributes or adds anything, . He/she writes a little airy fairy grade 7 school essay. One or two readers address the problem in more depth than this pseudo writer is capable of producing. This kitch is so shallow, as is this impersonator. Let's all sail off in the sunset, happily ever after, but one person should definitely stay there.

unlike the shallow translated article.

never ever appears in printed version of Yediot Ahronot. ALL other(minus one) regular contributors do! (The flowerpot woman wearing a red vneck top also never appears in the printed edition. )One is inserted against the ashkenazi chasidi community, and one against the modern orthodox stream. Neither appear in any other publication anywhere, in ivrit or english. Pure ( bad choice of word) ynet venomous fiction in two settings. Another helpful hint. When you stumble( and we will unfortunately, we will,) on this fake, read the talkbacks, preferably, ONLY the tb's, but read them first.

well here is a classic tale that jesus taught. The young person wants to go out and try it out for themselves. leaves their fathers house and has a fun time for awhile . Lives a debauched life and then gets into more and more trouble. Seems the trouble they get into can do two things, either come to their senses and return home, or death.

Actually I have seen this happen to nice children from "good" Haredi families over and over since we have been in Israel ..In stead of trying to draw the rebel kids closer by speaking to them and showing understanding of their needs , the Israeli Haredi establishment pushes them out causing them great anguish and to move even further away. The families and siblings of the rebels are then victimized causing them to either follow out one by one or reject their wayward sibling. It seems to me that this is more of a problem in Israel than elsewhere , because Israeli Haredi society in Israel does not seem able to tolerate even the slightest deviation from their code, be it dress or otherwise. For the "Chutznikim" here it usually grounded in the difficulties familes have to adjusting to Israel and a misunderstanding of the difference in style between American and Israeli norms. Concerned Haredi father RBS

"Naf" [short for Naftali] was quite young when he started to drift away from the "haredi" (religious) world. He came from a typical charedi family and neighborhood, a successful student in a Talmud Torah school, receiving prizes from his rebbi for memorizing volumes of mishniut. No internet or TV at home, just an inner uneasiness that slowly pushed him into the "margins". At the beginning, he was in and out of different yeshivot. Later, depression set in, followed by a few unsuccessful attempts to put an end to his confusion via suicide. During Naftali's metapmorphises from ultra-orthodox to secular Jew, the straw that broke the camel's back as far as his parents were concerned, was when he came home without the traditional haredi uniform, earlocks shaven off, and wearing jeans and a T-shirt. This was more than his dad could deal with, fearing he might be a bad influence on his younger siblings. At only 14 years old, Naftali was beaten by his father and thrown out of his home, told not to return. Naftali found himself living on the streets in and around Kikar Tzion in the center of Jerusalem. Sometimes he rented a place with other youth with money received from Christian missionaries. For pocket money, he stole from the pockets of others, or earned cash from drug deals on the street. Naf's life was filmed for over two years by filmmaker Moshe Alafi, who documented his life and made it into an 80 minute documentary called: "Naf: A Street Kid". The background music in the film is original music by Naf himself, who has become a bonafide rapper, rhyming simultaneously in both Hebrew, English and Yiddish, telling the stories of his own misfortune, and that of many other kids who live on the street in Jerusalem. They are tales about kids cut off from their families; tales of drug abuse, tales of their battles with the establishment social workers, courts and police, tales of rape and exploitation by sick individuals who take advantage of their miserable situation. The story of Naf should serve as a wake up call to parents and educators. Why is Naf and many others like him on the street? If it happened to them, could it not happen to us? He of course is one example and his case shows certain characteristics that might be different in other cases. There are kids on the streets who had good relations with their families, were successful at school, but for other reasons drifted to the gutter. Why? And what can be done to protect others from falling into the dark pit? Moshe Alafi's film "Naf" was viewed by youth and adults in our town and in other towns nearby, in order to serve as an eye opener and bring forth public debate on this difficult issue. It is not a nice scene - some parts are vulgar and offensive. But it is real and close to us. Some people in the community opposed the viewing of the film, and would rather not be exposed to the sights and voices of the other side. But, others hold that it is better that we and our youth know exactly what the dangers are in order to protect ourselves from them. I agree that this is not a fun issue to deal with. Sometimes it is better to an ostrich and could put one's head in the ground when something scary lies ahead. But we are not ostriches. There is a real threat to our youth and we must deal with it. In order to fight the enemy, we must first acknowledge that there is a problem. In such a case, it is prudent to learn who and what the enemy is.

I may or may not agree with Tali, but I would never get so personal as you did, Kyle, when you felt this weird need of "squashing" her last name. You should better apologize to her.

This subject, among others sprinkled into these columns, is so important and therefore deserves much more than whimsical lip gloss.

I think I am lucky for being in contact with very intelligent,caring and warm Ortodox Jews,from whom I have learnt I lot.I mean my religious friends in Brasil. Here ,in Israel,unfortunately I am having a -let's say-more "secular "experience,by living in Haifa and not knowing too many Religious. Exception is when I was in Yerushalaim and Hevron, and again, I was very lucky in meeting very beautiful religious people;not Haredim ,but more religious sionists. I am saying all that,because I don't know in profoundity the reality you are talking about in Israel,but I believe it does exist. Yes,it is very sad for a young person not to be able to freely and fully express his/her intelligency,vivacity,dreams,energy with the support and love of the family. It leads to great suffering and affection's destruction. A person like that must be very,very strong in order not to sink in disgrace. I hope,this big problem will be solved. Maybe articles like this will help!

Thank G-D I go to a tech school that is not overwhelmed with politically correct liberal bleeding-heart (& anti-semitic) bull-scheiss. The best thing that I can do for homeless people is not to be one of them. So, this summer, instead of doing bleeding heart liberal bullscheiss social work for free, I will be doing an internship at Ford Motor Company. If I brush up on my Russian, maybe I can get an internship with Lev Leviev's corporation.

is very liberal. But only when it comes to spouting off BS from Colorado about what goes on in Israel - usually subjects he knows nothing about. Never mind Ms. Farkash is talking about a real problem. Because its not Vyle's experience, its an invalid point and is just "bashing" of the religious. Of course she bashed nobody - but she spoke of a problem that results in the suffering of some of our own Jewish children.