Shall i also call the hatred showed by [ some ] religious towards the seculars antisemitism ? The best jokes about Jews are told by Jews , religious and seculars alike . Are those all antisemites ? There is a difference between jokes and trying to impose your views on others . This the religious are doing here , and this is one of the major problems we face . It's also the reason why many seculars can't show respect to them .

No one is disrespecting Haredim or preventing them from doing what they wish. In the heart of secular Israel (aka Greater Tel Aviv area) lays Bnei Barak where ultra orthodoxy is at its richest. Just because someone seems the most observant doesnt make his observance correct. We can respect and admire the Haredim devotion to the Torah and the Mitzvot but also question if not have a good laugh at some of the extremes they take it to. But Rabbi Brackman, when a stone goes flying through my car windshield in Bnei Brak because I accidently drove one block to far into their neighborhood, will you right an article on my behalf? I would rather be mocked then get hit in the head with a stone.

Have we to stay serious when we see some of them in their "costumes" ? with their white socks , their "Shtramel" , and this sometimes in our very hot region . Is'nt this ridiculous ? Let them behave in this way , not a problem for me , as long as they don't try to impose their way of life on others .

perhaps the source of anti Chareidi attitudes stems from the intolerance of the orthodox world towards other orthodox groups who criticize anyone not "as frum" as them. Chabad manages to bridge that gap by accepting all Jews as being holy regardless of their politics and every mitzvah any Jew does, really counts. The good news is that many other orthodox groups are starting to emulate Chabads work. Better late then never. The leftists are also desperate for an identity. If they were not made to feel inadequate by their level of Jewish commitment, perhaps they might feel more open to doing more mitzvot. An example is the Chabad Seder in Thailand where over 2000 Israelis attend.

As someone who attended the same storytelling evening, I'm in shock that you, rabbi, chose to pick on the most humorous and touching storyteller, repeatedly mocking her as "that lady," in contrast to the three nice Jewish boys who organized the event. Said lady talked lovingly about her childhood in Boro Park, living between the world of her religious school and that of the kids on her block. But she claimed that she preferred the little girl, who went to yeshiva over the one who went swimming with the kids on the block. What part of that is mocking? It's loving. Rabbi, what is particularly galling about your attack on this storyteller is that it came in the context of other storytellers who spoke of having sex on the bimah of a synagogue, and another whose private parts were showing on stage. If that did not offend your Jewish sensibilities, I'm surprised. But certainly a poignant story about the complications of growing up religious in America is not offensive. It was enlightening. , Your slander of her goes against everything Judaism, not her story.

is a liberal pastime because liberalism is a competing religion[arguably with no g-d oexcept themseves]

He has not been discussing all other matters such as marriage control and going into the army. Sarcasm on people because they choose to live differently is wrong, is prejudice. Humor is legitimate if it is sympathetic enough to make the one about whom humor is made laugh as well.

I am a conservative Jew. I believe in keeping kosher and following Halacha. The problem with the Hasidim is many fold but mainly that they do not tolerate anyone who is not of their particular sect nor do they respect rabbis of another Hasidic sect. One story is of a woman attending a wedding also attend by one of Israel’s chief rabbis. She telephoned to the rabbi of her sect who forbad her to partake of the food at that wedding because he did not certify it as kosher. There are cases of violence between Hassidic sects. Their intolerance brings about return intolerance. Further, they have frozen themselves in costume & observance to a particular time in Eastern Europe. Careful study will show that some of their practices are not at all relevant to the 21st century and may even constitute pekuach nefesh (danger to life). Some of their practices may border on Hillul Ha’shem (blasphemy). When they begin to respect others, others will respect them.

All of this talk is pure nonsense, real religious practice has nothing to do with dress, customs, etc. etc. Real religion is spending every minute of every day completely obeying one rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. All else is a source of all the worlds problems.

I've read a lot of this "rabbi's" posts, and since he is so concerned with tolerating different forms of Jewish religious expression, I will assume that he will never throw accusations and mocking at Reform Jews again. I expect him to defend Reform Jews and be tolerant and accepting of their practice. If he does not, then he is just another hypocrite.

Just an observation: Many of these “ancient traditions” you refer to are no more than a couple of hundred years old at the most; in some cases no more than a generation or two. An example of the first would be the ridiculous garb that many Haredim affect. An example of the second would be not peeling a band-aid on Shabbat (WTF?) Altneuland http://blog.altneuland.info/

I agree there is to much Haredi mocking among seculars, but I think the tendency for mocking is much greater with the Haredim. Do they not think they are better? At least good liberals would say there are many paths in life, mine is not necessarily better. But this does not even exist theoretically for the Haredim. How many times have I been in religious neighborhoods in Jerusalem and have religious people snickering openly at my secular dress, despite being very modest. I think religious should worry about cleaning up their own house before they go looking for dirt under the couch of someone else.

Granted that ALL Haredim are not intolerant ... wouldn't it be terribly judgmental of me to say that? ... but what makes you think that Jews to the left HAVE TO BE tolerant of Jewish ways of living that, in many respects, does not respect nor give any quarter to progressive Judaism? Perhaps this is an example of a glass house owner tossing rocks ...

"And not even sure if a liberal can be called a jew, sinse does not do any commandments." Gee, and you wonder why some Jews make fun of Haredim and their views.