YNET is mixing two subjects together---the better to get people upset. 1. All schools should teach secular subjects. Then maybe graduates will get jobs and be able to support themselves. that being said 2. Why are people so scared of Chabad. ( and I am not Chabad, nor Chareidi--but Kippah Srugah) Becoming Orthodox is not the worst that could happen to a kid. It is better they get involved in drugs or trance parties. I am so tired of the anti-religous, left wing feeling that THEY have 100% freedom of speech and actions while those they oppose need to be shut down. You'll never find the reverse. ( allegations and suppositions of the reverse but never true actions. )

These people are angry about Chabad, but they are not angry about Scientology or Jews for Jesus. Why is it that Ramat Aviv tolerates two recent "religions" but hates that Chabad teaches the youth the culture of their grandparents?

In the entire world Chabad is welcomed as a generous benefit to the Jewish community, but here in Israel the secularists are so far gone, that they feel threatened by anything resembling Judaism. It's time for the secularists to realize that feeling connected to history, ageless wisdom, loving your neighbor as yourself, and having a time tested spiritual path for the soul is really not that bad.

Hello!! did anybody read these headlines ... Tel Aviv - Livni: "I'm Concerned That A Generation of Israelis Avoids Synagogues" folks we are our worst enemies Chabad worldwide is welcomed with open arms where ever they go and they go places where nobody would dream of going and is growing at the speed of light yet in Tel Aviv the Jew has a problem with Chabad HA HA! hey let me add to that and yet the Israeli from Tel Aviv when he travels abroad will always land up at a Chabad center where ever they go and cant say enough of a thank you to Chabad for welcoming them as is with warmth love food etc.. like no other organization.. Im a living proof right here in Daytona Beach Florida..some of these Israelis in Tel Aviv live in a bubble as if the world is Tel Aviv..stop smoking HA!!

I was in TA in Ramat Aviv last week on one of the local buses. I saw the way the secularists behave. A religious gentleman sat down in the bus opposite a lady who proceeded to lambaste him about religious Jews who do not work, etc etc. He calmly smiled at her and reminded her that "all of us are Jews", he did not get upset, lose his cool or anything. He certainly was not asking her to sit in another part of the bus for that matter. The secular lady on the other hand was really not very polite. So sad that she could not have had a bit more of his religious background and education, and resulting peace of mind and good attitude towards others of a different persuasion. She might have been more pleasant to be around.

He is making a fool ,an idiot of himself. Chabad is an intellectual movement;an intellectual religious movement,and only a gross without arguments would go against it. If this fool has something better to offer to citizens,he should do. Fearing intelligent people only makes him look an idiot clown. A campain should be done to impeach this clown.

Baruch Hashem :)

i'm secular, but embrace the fact that i am Jewish and am eager to understand my religion. i am a member of Chabad in the States, and have been for more than a decade. i find them to be a wonderful and all-inclusive organisation. i attend classes and love learning. i love conversing and debating differing opinions. nontheless, i am clear that their path is not my path. i am NOT observant and have zero intention to be. however, i highly respect them and believe completely that TOLERANCE is a TWO way street. Just as they accept me...I accept them. Am I missing something about what's going on in Ramat Aviv? Where is the tolerance of the secular community? There NO shame in understanding, appreciating and even admiring our religion.

You don't get it because you don't live here. It is very easy to be tolerant when you do not have to put up with these people. They come into secular areas. Lure people into clutches with cheap pre-school education and youth activities. All of a sudden there are separate buses, streets are closed off on Shabbat and you have to dress modestly. Abroad they might be respected because they don't dare misbehave in places like London or Mombai but here they know no shame. They demand money for their schools and programs but they most of them don't work and live on welfare. Their kids are too holy to do the army or work for a living. I wish they would move to LA or London.

I agree with everyone above me so far, it's nice to see some cool heads around. I am not myself even orthodox, and would describe myself as secular, and it often amazes me how anti-religious people can get, and especially secular Jews. Now, there is some justification to that. In Israel there is a big issue with the ultra-Orthodox community, and I do think that they should incorporate a basic program into the yeshiva curriculum. Everyone should know math, even Rambam argued for something similar. And knowledge of mathematics, science, and humanities would only enrich Judaism and an individual's understanding of the Jewish texts. But the same works in reverse: the secular public would benefit from learning a bit of religion and its philosophy. And in particular they should learn to respect the practicing Jews who carry on the traditions. Many of the ideas in Judaism are very deep and relevant, not to say always advancing, even if the orthodox community does not like to admit it that much. Even if you don't believe in G-d, you would benefit from the ideas in the Torah. They form the basis of our ethics to this day. Also to the atheists, I would recommend revising such a categorical stance: there is no proof of G-d we know of, but there is no proof that He does not exist either. I think others already explained how sad the situation is. Even Livni seems to have had a change of heart in light of the polarization of the nation. And while there are some orthodox communities which are too extreme in my opinion, Chabad is not one of them. Most of them encourage learning and treat seculars as Jews. I was welcomed into a local Chabad house when I wanted to learn a little more about my grandparent's culture, and my culture by extension. The rabbi there said during a little talk that all Jews are united, even if some of us sin or don't follow the laws of kashrut. It would be nice to see similar understanding on the secular side.

It's amazing to believe that we are in a land that g-d designated to the Jews many many years ago, and that the only reason we have Israel now is that it was given to the Jews back then. We have what we have because- yes Theodore Herzl envisioned Zionism. Zionism based on what?? The Torah and the fact g-d promised this land to us which is why we inhabited this land since g-d lead us here. The people in Ramat Aviv would not be living there if not for g-d! Zionism to the land of Israel would not exist - peoples dreams would not exist. But they do, they do exist - because of g-d. He gave us the 10 Commandments and the Torah yet had allowed us to come back and make Israel what it is today. So I ask these residents of Ramat Aviv what is wrong in being more observant to how g-d whats us to be? It could be said you are very lucky to live in Ramat Aviv or even Israel for that matter but your not lucky it's just how g-d wants it. But it is up to you how much you want g-d play in your life. Nothing is permanent only g-d. Thanks for your time. A non kippah wearing Israeli!

Your defense is I don't live in Israel so I dont' get it. Try again, I live 40% of the time in Israel so I DO get it! I see some Chareidi not working and some schools not teaching secular subjects. If fact, I opened my post saying secular subjects SHOULD be taught in all schools. However, you conveniently skipped that part of the talkback. "lure people with cheap pre-school and youth activites"--boy some of you seculars must be "dumb" if you can be lured so easily. Or maybe, some of the seculars are just looking for more to life than they currently have! Yes, some Chareidi do demand separate buses, but not the Chabad groups! Modest dress--you want to walk around 1/2 naked--no one is stopping you. So what if you can't go to a strictly Orthodox neighborhood 1/2 dressed or driving on Shabbat--why would you want to--unless it is to provoke! re: army--how many secular kids don't do the army--but THAT is the hidden secret of the secular world--they dont' "like" the army so they don't do it. --who today makes up most of the elite units--not secular, but settlers!! ( who may be Kippah Srugah or Chareidi!

You are right. We don't live there, and therefore have a different perspective. However, your comment pulsates with a combination of fear and horror. "They come into secular areas. Lure people into clutches..." Since when are religious people not allowed into secular areas? Lure? A person can only be lured if he is of weak personality, or unhappy with his station in life. If your community was successful in raising happy and healthy children, NO one could infiltrate and "lure". So what exactly ARE you afraid of?

Who ask you : did you put your tefilin on ? Who ask you to come to one of their "sheourim" , more propaganda for their maschiach . I told it already that i once assisted to a Seder organised by them [ abroad ] It was more Chabad than Seder . They are behaving very "nicely" , generally , towards seculars . This to attract them in their ugly nets . Let them believe in what and whom they want , but not act as missionaries of the worse kind . Nor better as the other ones .

What is wrong with these people. If there children feel like putting on teffilin once in a while, or going to a shabbat meal, or even god forbid go to synagague!! These people are hypocrites, they will throw out chabad from there neighbourhood, but will be up in arms when the hareidim protest about a pizza shop open on passover, they should at least give there children the opportunity to become intrested if like, and should stop being so bloody narrow minded!

It's an inferno for the parents ! Weak children can be so influenced that they leave their home , can be indoctrined and brain washed by those missionaries .

It's clearly laid out in the article and includes "the establishment of religious institutes within the neighborhoods such as yeshivas, mikvehs and haredi kindergartens". How dare they do this? What kind of crazy people are they? Where else in the world do you see this kind of thing? Setting up religious schools and institutions? Who does this? Outrageous!

james are u serious!!! This is israel for crying out loud. You "see this type of thing" in every place in the wrold were jews live, are you forgetting that this is a jewish country?! And as someone correctly stated before when secular and religous israelis travel to the 4 corners of the world, they always wind up in the hands of chabad. chabad are very open peacefull orthodox jews just giving these people a service if you like opening a mikveh for public use etc..

They, this guy especially plus the one or twoof the known 'constantly desperate for attention' (radio, tv, in print) loudmouths, ALWAYS divert attention when something foul and smelly is coming out of the left. Mark my words, and just wait.

The haredi like their own ghettos The Russians want to live in ghettos The arabs want their own ghetto The secular Ramat Aviv sect wants a ghetto. The secular jews at the very least need to understand that society develops through different people coming to areas and others leaving. The secular jews need to learn to accept the orthodox and accept that just because a man wears a beard and black hat doesn't make him a child molester or a killer. If orthodox jews want to move into Ramat Aviv then good luck to them especially Chabad. The majority of Chabad followers serve in the military, they have real jobs and they try to be understanding of the seculars. The outreach work they do is not influencing teens to take drugs and join street gangs. They are teaching them jewish values and they don't force anybody to do anything they are not some kind of cult where they lock you away and brainwash you. Israel is supposed to be a jewish state so jews should not be treating other jews as criminals because they are worried their children might actually be exposed to a little bit of religion I hope that the mayor of Ramat Aviv does not allow himself to be influenced by the intoleratent seculars. We also need to stop the haredi bashing from major politicians like Livni who loves nothing more than to find a new excuse to justify condemning haredi if she thinks it will go down well with the seculars. END THE GHETTO CULTURE AND STOP SECULARS TREATING RELIGION LIKE A DISEASE & ORTHODOX JEWS LIKE CRIMINALS.

I can't believe the tone of your article. You write about the Lubavitchers as if they were Moonies or members of a Devil's Cult. If I didn't know better, I would say your dscriprtion of ultra-religious Jews verges on the - well yes - the anti-Semitic. One of my daughters is a return to religion freak and I mock her for willingly retreating back to pre-Emancipation days. But it's her choice. I cannot understand how Jews can condemn other Jews for the way they wish to express their Judaism. Especially in Israel. Remember - there are tens of millions of Arabs out there to kill you and your children; The last thing you need is to squabble among yourselves.

from their appearances,but please,just take a look in the hair cut of this mayor and tell me his mental age.

about fellow jews, including seculars, and reach out and make themselves available without imposing themselves. To think that the secular community in Tel Aviv feels threatened because some of their teenage children actually seek Jewish spirituality in their lives is astounding. I am a (mainly) secular Jew who has always felt welcomed by Chabad, never judged and am appreciative.

Is that they are more Messianist than their Diaspora peers (in believing that the Rebbe was either Mashiah Ben Yosef or even Mashiah Ben David) but still involved in instilling Jewish values and pride in its population and are general much more tolerant than other Hareidim of non-observant Jews. They don't seem to participate in the rock throwing o fire burning that other Hareidim do against authorities. And I know for a fact they are present on army bases and sometimes on the front itself with soldiers, helping them put on tefilin, shake a lulav, make a seder, wherever the soldiers may be (I met a Chabad rabbi in Istanbul who was a chaplain during the first Lebanon War and was inside Lebanon for two years). Huldai is riding the wave of anti-Hareidism and trying to keep Tel Aviv a staunchly Hebrew but not Jewish city. He is attacking the wrong icons: Chabad should be allowed to legally buy homes and set up instituions, but those educational facilities should meet standards in teaching certain secular subjects.

As a teacher who teaches both in the secular and Haredi sectors,in Israel,I say thank G-d for groups like Chabad.Just read the newspapers to see the total lack of morals and values in the secular world.The Orthodox world is far from perfect but better to introduce teenagers to the values and morals of Torah than let them run "free" . Chabad should be welcomed with open arms all over.

Is this true for Chabad or the Haridim? I understand Israelis frustration with the Haridim. Are you lumping Chabad with them, or do they behave the same? My understanding is that Chabadniks do serve in the army and do work. Please advise.

to live. Whatever will become of the country?

sick...

Can people prevent religious institutions from being established, religious people from buying homes and building schools. Article doesnt discuss the legality or illegality.

Don't forget Chabad do serve in the army, are Zionist and do work. You cannot lump all the Haredim together. Viewing all Haredim as scrounging anti Zionist stone throwers is no different to viewing all secular as orgy loving drug addicts. Stop stereotyping and learn a bit about the people involved.