One by one, striking booths were set up, each showcasing the work of business owners from the Karlin Hasidic community. A carpenter who builds ornate Torah arks, a printer who manufactures shtreimels and many others not necessarily tied to Jewish tradition, real estate developers, mortgage advisors, massage therapists, dessert table stylists and more.
This was the scene at the Karlin Hasidic sect’s massive employment fair at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center, intended to introduce community members to the range of services offered by fellow Hasidim and to encourage business connections within the sect. Attendees, all dressed in identical Hasidic garb, strolled between booths, mingling and engaging in conversation, almost all, notably, with smartphones in hand and no effort to hide them.
5 View gallery
Visitors browse booths at a Hasidic employment fair in Jerusalem, where members of the Karlin sect promote community-run businesses and services, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026
(Photo: Shilo Fried)
“The Rebbe told me to have one,” said Yitzhak, a 22-year-old man operating one of the more impressive booths. “In a lot of Hasidic or Haredi communities, people carry a ‘kosher’ phone just to get their kids into school, but they also secretly have a smartphone for work. That’s not how we do things. The Rebbe said, ‘If you need it for work, have it, and don’t put on a show.’”
He added that many community members use filtered smartphones without access to typical apps, reflecting a grounded, realistic approach. “He understood people already have them, so better to use them mindfully and with supervision, rather than hiding it while everyone knows anyway.”
It’s a refreshingly pragmatic, even innovative stance, especially coming from the leader of one of the most rooted and widely recognized Hasidic sects. Karlin’s Shabbat melodies are the soundtrack of many religious homes, and the movement is considered a longstanding Hasidic brand. But under its current leader, Rabbi Baruch Meir Shochet, the sect is undergoing notable change.
“You won’t see politics here,” Yitzhak added. “Our Rebbe isn’t officially part of Agudat Yisrael anymore and doesn’t attend the Council of Torah Sages. If anything, he’s closely connected with Bezalel Smotrich, but also with Haredi Knesset members and politicians from non-religious parties. There’s no directive on who to vote for, some vote Haredi, some vote religious Zionist.”
The fair marked a high point for Karlin, drawing hundreds of business owners and thousands of visitors who browsed the various booths. Some strolled with plates of kugel in hand, others relaxed in armchairs sipping hot coffee from a travel agency stand — all part of a vibrant mix of social encounters, business networking and community bonding. The event brought together members from Karlin centers in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit and Giv’at Ze’ev.
Once considered among the more hardline ultra-Orthodox sects and formerly aligned with the anti-Zionist Edah HaChareidis, Karlin is undergoing a quiet transformation. “[The Rebbe] understands we live in the State of Israel, and you can’t pretend you’re not part of it,” said Shlomo, another Hasid.
“In my case, it’s very likely he’d even tell me to enlist. The Rebbe has already sent some Hasidim to the army, into special tracks developed in coordination with the military and the defense minister, through ongoing dialogue. His thinking is: if you’re not studying Torah full time and you’re going out to work, then first contribute your share like everyone else here does.”
Historically, that contribution came through civil national service, but since the outbreak of the war, growing numbers of Karlin Hasidim are enlisting in the IDF. “Some are shocked when they get that instruction from him,” said one community member. “They go to him for guidance, and he tells them to join the army without hesitation. They follow through because they’re fully committed Hasidim.”
“I have 10 friends I grew up with, studied with, who are now serving in the Air Force,” said another young Hasid. “That was the Rebbe’s directive, and it’s clear-cut. No games. The Rebbe knows exactly what path they’re on, what their conditions are. He supports them. And on Friday, when they come home, they put on Karlin clothes and join everyone for prayer.”
Throughout the event, prominent public figures, from within the community and beyond, occasionally took the stage to address attendees. Defense Minister Israel Katz said: “I commend the Rebbe and this important initiative. We’ll provide security so you can continue doing these good things.”
The younger generation of Hasidim is quick to clarify: “We’re not becoming religiously liberal. We’re grounded in reality, but we’re just as — if not more — strict in our observance than anyone else.”
One young man named Shmuel added: “The Rebbe demands more of us spiritually than anything else. He knows I work — I’m in the family business, with his blessing. But when I sit with him for a personal conversation every few months, he asks, ‘How much Gemara did you learn today?’ Sometimes I tell him, ‘An hour,’ or ‘one page,’ and he says, ‘That’s not enough. You have to work harder. You have to try.’”