Your headline doesn't match your article - again. (Where is your editor when the headlines are composed?) The article specifically states that more incidents are being _reported_ because the (medievalist?) rabbis are encouraging women to seek help. This is progress, so make a positive headline, already. It should also be known that spouse abuse is frequently associated with poverty, which has become more prevalent since the child care allowance was cut. One solution to abuse in the hareidi community is to encourage men's participation in the work force, in part by Tal law type provisions.

THE BETTER THEY BE" was an old English saying to justify violence toward women. My parents beat their children, whipped them, spanked them, berated them, shouted at them, gave their children oversized boxing gloves to fight it out, used a brush, a stick, the palm of a hand...AND IT ALL WENT TO SHOW SOLOMON WAS RIGHT: only separation can drive the foolishness from a fool. So Haredi husbands should use "TIME OUTS" with erring children and wives since beating fools like children and wives does no good. Haredi husbands who are stressed out need to go into another room for awhile or send the wife or children into another room for awhile.

Tennessee, home state of Al Gore, where a woman recently killed her husband with a shotgun and only went to jail for about six months, most of that as a psychiatric patient. She claimed her Xtian preacher husband was verbally abusive and made he watch porno videos. She claimed the shotgun just went off and she did not intend to shoot her husband. She lost custody of her children to her husband's parents who are naturally concerned about her being with the children. So a court ordered supervised visits with the children...only in America, folks, would a woman have the chutzpah to think she should still have a place in her children's lives after killing their father.

religious and not religious, jewish, christian, muslim, whatever. It exists where I come from and it exists here, it's very usual. And very, very wrong... I'm glad abused haredi women have begun to speak up, get help and, hopefully, get out! So many more should follow their example.

It really saddens me to hear of this. We are jewish people, not animals. Were considered to have a special neshama compared to goyim, how can we behave in this way? I think Haredi women are even more vulnerable as if they want to leave their husbands they will find it hard to re marry, due to the stigma of divorce in these communities. Also most of these women do not work or have an education as they marry so young and become mothers, never working or seeking education sometimes past High School. The whole system is the problem, its not just the men, its the SYSTEM. Its set up to corner these women into a position where theyre dammed if they stay and theyre dammed if they leave. Rabbis need to restructure the community so that these women are less vulnerable and less dependant. And to set these men straight and shame them publically. Lets know who these 'men' are.

While he's saying nothing new in terms of beating anyone (including your wife) being forbidden (see the midieval rabbis, some of whom were so emphatic as to state such a man's hand should be chopped off), he went out on a limb when he openly stated the [secular] police should be involved in those cases that require it is a huge leap forward.

so not ALL chareidim beat their wives. I thank g-d every day for my beatiful wife whom I love to bits. Anybody, man or woman, haredi or not, who harms their partner or spouse physically or verbally deserves to be punished. After all is'nt your spouse or partner the one you trust the most in your life, so what could be a bigger mistrust then harming the one you love most? I'm sure this problem is in every corner of the world and does not only affect the Haredim? Why pick on them? YOUR JUST JEALOUS of our beautiful wives and children!

Josh, no one said you all beat your wives... Do you think you deserve a medal for not beating your wife? That it is so 'normal' that men who dont beat their wives should be awarded some sort of prize? Good for you Josh , but I think your place is to perhaps put other men in your community in THEIR place, not defend them by saying this is happening EVERYWHERE. What makes this an issue in the Jewish community is that Haredi are JEWISH and religeous. Its the irony that religeous persons who seek to preach to others how they should behave and who are meant to be a model to everyone else, still behave the same as 'this problem that is in every corner of the world' as you put it. Ontop of that its not spoken about openly, people have pretended this is not happening. Even the men who dont beat their wives who know this happends in other families, dont say anything. It is not as simple as picking on the Haredi or being jealous of your 'beautiful wives and children.' I dont belive you could be very old Josh as this is the remark of a child that simplifies and diminishes the severity of the issue at hand.

most men, ultra religious and the like don't study what Hashem commands them to act like as husbands. Men are forbidden in shulchan aruch to raise their voice to their wife since it makes them cry, and when a husband makes his wife cry, the divine presence leaves them. Trust me, Hashem knows who is a bastard and who isn't. Because of the men as a whole we wait for redemption. One small step for mankind and two steps back for the human race..

While it's easy to unolad on the Charedim, we must not forget that spousal abuse runs the gamut of society--from the Arab villages, to to Meah Shearim and to the homes of professors at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and even in Ramat Aviv Gimel.

Haredi men need to go to JAIL for a while like all other abusers of persons whether wife, child, or stranger. I grew up with a father who beat me, my brothers and sisters and my dear Mother. Though he was a lost sick soul, he still deserved to be locked up where he could not hurt anyone. Unfortunately, the laws then prevented that.

Maybe it would be good for all of us, instead of arguing about who is most righteous and who has the best soul, Jew or goy etc. if we could find a way to assist in solving the problem. Why isn't the contact information for the shelters posted so we can give aid to free these women and children from this abuse? Whether it is abuse from Heredi or secular makes no difference. What is important is that there are suffering women and children out there who needs our help, not our opinion.

I agree that we need to assist people but we also need to solve the cause of the problem too, not just treat the symptoms. I know someone in my Jewish community who sexually harrassed me and his Rabbi has really high regard for this man, thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread. I have the right mind to ruin this perverts reputation by telling people in the Jewish community about what he did. He has such high regard in the comminuty and is well known-some of these men who treat women like this are well known and well liked. Obviously our Rabbis need to take a closer look at the so called men they claim to be real menche. I really question their ability to assess character

Unfortunately, domestice violence (both against children, women and - yes it happens - men) is found in all communities - haredi, secular, non-Jews... Unfortunately, in any closed community, those instances that do happen are allowed to become much worse than in a more open society. I would also like to mention that my brother, who is haredi, is totally in love w and adores his wife. (So do I -she's the one who discovered what a truly wonderful person he is!) He also knows that there is a verse in the Torah where G-d instructs Abraham to listen to his wife - and he follows that.