Netivot, Israel – Ultra-Orthodox modesty patrols are threatening local business with boycotts unless they conform to strict religious standards. The group’s actions are stoking religious tensions in the normally calm southern town and police opened a criminal investigation into the matter today.
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The gang members – whom ultra-Orthodox residents of the city say are a minority group not supported by the rabbis and community – enter local businesses, assess the situation and complain about the employees’ dress. They approach the store manager and warn him that if the saleswomen do not switch to completely modest clothes, they will see to a boycott of the store.
Some of the local store owners capitulate to the demands and in return receive a faux kashrut certification in the form of a sticker that states: “The king’s daughter is glorious within. Daughter of Israel, you are the daughter of a king – dress accordingly,” which is affixed to dozens of store windows around town.
“The guy came into my store and saw one of my female workers wearing a small shirt,” said the owner of a shoe store, “it wasn’t a tank top, just a small shirt. But he started shouting that if the worker did not dress appropriately, he would cause financial damage, and claimed ‘just as you can tell the workers when to come and when to go, you can tell them what to wear.’ I didn’t want to hurt my business and therefore I agreed, and I received certification.”
Another local merchant, the owner of housewares store, described what happened to him. “Two weeks ago one of the guys came into my store,” he said. “‘I have the entire ultra-Orthodox community behind me. If you don’t sign this paper and affix the sticker, we will boycott you,’ he said to me. I didn’t give in to his degenerate blackmail, but I didn’t want to get into a fight with the whole ultra-Orthodox community and that’s why I didn’t file a complaint with the police.”
The ultra-Orthodox community in Netivot, which comprises about 25 percent of the city, denounced the phenomenon.
“It is an act that should not be done,” said a senior member of the community. “This practice is unacceptable to the ultra-Orthodox community and it is leading to unfounded hatred among the residents of Netivot, who were always united and never had tension among them.”
The ultra-Orthodox figure also said he believed the group had no influence over the consumer habits of the community members.
“It is possible that there are a small number of people who follow their rules but they are a minority,” he said.
According to him, the rabbis do not officially criticize the phenomenon because they “think it is nonsense.”
Religious tension between the different populations in Netivot barely exist normally. The last time the city saw contention was before the city council elections, when ultra-Orthodox residents protested against the opening of pubs in Netivot, though the demonstrations died down after a few days.
The punishment the group imposes on stores that refuse to cooperate is their omission from the list of recommended stores distributed by the ultra-Orthodox community. They don’t only target housewares and shoe merchants, but also other establishments.
“Three weeks ago an ultra-Orthodox guy showed up at the gas station,” said the manager of the station. “He threatened me that if we didn’t stop playing music here and if the local papers that I sell on Fridays didn’t disappear, then he would make sure that no ultra-Orthodox person from Netivot would set foot in my gas station and I wouldn’t appear in the list of recommended stores that he distributes.”
The manager refused the ultra-Orthodox man’s requests.
“It’s simply a disgrace, I know that he doesn’t represent the entire ultra-Orthodox community, but he is harming the relations between the city’s communities and heating things up there,” he said.
Where does this all end. Enough.
Its somewhat ironic that these ostensibly frumme yiddin are acting like the German leadership prior to WWII where they told Germans not to patronize stores owned by yiddin. Not surprising given the behavior of the Chareidim in Yerushalayim and other cities where they seek to coerce secuular jews into submission to their views.
In many towns in the south and midwest, the churches publish listings of stores and service providers who are also “born again christians” with a strong suggestion that those stores be patronized. The behavior of these thugs is disgusting but at least some of the orthodox rabbonim have spoken against it (but won’t allow their names to be quoted for fear of offending these thugs).
No garbage dumpsters in Netivot?
Is this the same group that moved from Ramat Bait Shemesh after violently attacking women on buses? Seems to me the real suppressed sexual problems are with these kanoy’im, not with the store workers. Aside from the fact that threatening to destroy someone’s business and livelihood involves multiple issurim in Choshen Mishpat.
it would be nice to have a specail coat or jacket like the docs & nurses its modest classy and it advertises the business ar the same time
Lock these thugs up and throw away the keys…
Isn’t there anybody left to stand up for yiddishkeit?
Why is this site full of so many people who look to criticize every chareidi action. If you are so anti-chareidi why are you on this site.
Why can’t frum people choose to be frum. If the store owner wants to be on the list then he complies and if not then so be it. There are many organizations that inspect stores for their own criteria and then publish lists. This is no different than any editorial review. The fact that police chose to investigate shows a clear anti-chareidi bias.
If someone chose to publish a list of stores open on shabbos with stickers to go along would the police be investigating?
It is becoming more obvious that there is a clear anti chareidi agenda.
For all those saying that if the chareidim just did what they were supposed to there would be no problem are like Israel and the UN that no matter what they do they are condemned.
10 shekels says this is being done by chozrim b’tchvah just like the taliban lady from beit shemesh, they want to undo all the chatoyim they did before by being more “frum” then FFBs
There is no reason a gasoline station should be boycotted for playing Lipa records or the miami boys choirs.
The Iranian Mullahs and the Taliban set up modesty patrols. Why would they not be asur because of chukat hagoyim?
I really hate to say this but this reminds me of how the Muslims treat their people. Hashem gave us the freedom of choice and while we should be following the rules it is the choice of the person. Since when do we wish bad on another jew because of his spiritual status?? what is becoming of this this is the 3 weeks there is a way to help ppl become better and this is defiantly NOT the way
This is just another example of why and how the Chareidim are bringing all these tzores on themselves and its only going to get worse. Maybe they should conider relocating their communities to some desolate part of the Sinai desert and build a wall to keep out normal yidden.
Something about this article doesn’t ring true.
I used to live in Netivot, for a short while, and at that time (8 years ago) there were very few charedim there. It was a very secular city with a large population of Russian immigrants (many not jewish) and many traditional sefardim with various levels of observance. I find it hard to believe that today 25% of the city is charedi, unless a large demographic shift occured over the past few years. I also find it hard that these b.t.s thought they could be succesful with these antics in a mixed city like Netivot, it sure aint Beit Shemesh!
Since when is it tzniyusdig to go into the store, check out how the workers are dressed, and then threaten the owner? These are deviants themselves (besides being extreme, violent, mechalalei shem shamayim) who have to stare at the women’s mode of dress before saying how immodest they are!
#15 that is not right , we have a responsibility al pi torah to admonish if one is desecrating a mitzvah ,’kol yisroel areivim zeh la zeh’..but i’m not talking about this in particular..torah is not a democracy and you dont have the freedom to do as you please..and if you know otherwise you should not give your anti torah views on a torah tue site..
#21 yes, he’s practicing the right judaism….the gemmorah says and its pakened in hlichos yom tov 529 seuf 4 ‘it i incumbent of beth din to have atrols on yom to see that there is no lewd conduct on yom tov’ (loose translation) i can ee you dont suscribe to such judaism…
This people have a list whom the chareidishe comunity should support if they think that this workers don’t get tzeniosdig they won’t advertise them what’s the big deal in KJ they keep on sending out flyers not to take the children to wall mart and gas stations in town because ther is lots of pritzos going.on
“ankle-length according to jewish law” ?
not true
anyway, I believe this is bad to force and threaten the owners if their employees don’t dress like chareidi women do. I’m against vaad hatznius because they sometimes go crazy like menacing people if the woman isn’t dressed how they want, spitting acid or burning clothes that are not tznius enough for them…
If they think that’s how women will do teshuva…
we need to stop our religion from being taken over by head cases
We all know how dangerous extremities can be. So here is my spin on things for what it’s worth… Yes, it is true that immodesty poisons one’s thoughts and therefore one should avoid such at all costs. Shopkeepers should be educated on such topics so they too can participate in helping eradicate immodesty from our communities. Having said that I must add that those coercing others forcefully are defeating the purpose. Such behavior only ricochets and ends up hurting those who perpetrate such wild acts. On the other hand those of you out there who have sunk so deep in this material world and no longer can differentiate right from wrong, have no say in this matter. You have lost touch with the PINTALLEH YID. You dislike anything that suggests frumkeit. You have great disdain for B’nei Torah. All your arguments are just to make you feel good. On the day of judgment you will have to account for all your acts as well as for those thoughts that guided you to behave how you did. “V’HAYA MACHANECHA KADOSH” suggests the Torah, but YOU know better. We no longer have any shame… Dear K’lal Yisrael it is time to wake up and perfect our ways. Let us say in harmony “enough is enough”! Modesty shall become a priority in our day-to-day lives. In the merit of keeping the Torah and mitzvos stringently may we welcome Moshiach Tzidkeinu TODAY!
For all of those posters who are standing up for the Torah and Tznius, kol hakavod. However, at the end of the day, the events described in the article are the acts of a few konaiim without the haskamah of the local Charedi leadership, or for that matter, the approval of any Gadol. Just because the gedolim support tznius generally, does not mean they would approve this. Every case needs to be examined carefully and brought to real gedolim (or the mara d’atra) for psak. What is the value of defending one halacha if you are going to undermine the halachic system in the process?
the taliban make sure that women that are not completely covered are beaten
the sheikhs carry out honour killings to women who have a slip of flesh showing
us Jews threaten decent workers to boycott their stores and ruin their parnassah because the garments of their employees are not up to our standards.
to the holier than thou bigshot who threatened the man at the gas station: how do you like being on a list with taliban and sheikhs?
This is not coercion. Like the Sicilian Mafia, it is just gentle encouragement to “do the right thing”. No one has to oblige. I’m sure that some of these store owners will actually enjoy swimming with the fishes. Much cooler than the heat of Netivot.
The frum veldt is coming loose at the hinges and there isn’t anyone to stop them.
Does this “certification” cost money each month? if they charge, then its simple extortion, using mafia tactics and we should be outraged by these thugs hijacking “chareidi” values and using them for there personal financial gain. IF NOT, why do we all care so much???
I have never been to Netivot, but the article states that there is very little tension between the different groups in the community. That is something to be preserved, not trampled on. the fact that the Rebeim of the city are against this action is encouraging. However, publishing a list of stores which conform with an ideal is not illegal, and is not like the Taliban and Iranian modesty squads who carry sticks to hit women, or the beating up & stone throwing squads in Yerushalayim.
why this whole fuss about tznius patrol?
look what our gedolim are writing about the issur of pritzus, it brings so much tzorus on klal yisroel, im not sure if the group has haskomoh or involved with daas torah , but 1 thing is sure they are fighting a worthy cause,a married woman being machshol a man or bochur to look ….. is a horrible aveira, she should do so only to her husband.
many tzorus will be avoided even by preventing 1 person of being nichshol in “vlo sosuru achrei levavchem vachrei einechem, we should be thankful to such a chevra, they are saving lives and neshamas, as long as it is not a violent group.
i would love to hear 1 day that a group was formed to patrol in shuls, so that every omein is answered properly, and not chas vsholom shmoozing by chazoras hashatz or kadish,
yidden have rachmonus, by doing little, we can be meorer so much rachmei shomayim.
” we should be thankful to such a chevra, they are saving lives and neshamas”
No. They are destroying the businesses and parnassah of ehrleche yiddin and will be punished for their deeds, if not by the civil courts, than by the true dayan emes.
What a beautiful thing those tznios encouragers are doing! how great, in such a world today where we get used to bump in even unintentionally in so much shmutz, atleast some people have a nice goal in life to encourage kedushe and a clean life standard for those who want it.
There is no harassment in their peaceful action, nothing illegal, and they do have the encouragement and haskomos from gedolei yisroel throughout EY.
Those willing to lead a clean torah lifestyle have the choice to cooperate with them, those who want a modern/secular lifestyle and love to see women half naked should absolutely not cooperate with those tzadikim.
To all commentators condemning those choshuva askonim and mekadhsei hashem, now and always.
Before ww2 there was a jewish theatre/bar opened in a town in poland they had movies and also mixed dancing etc. r”l.
so one of the great gedolim called over one of the founders of this filthy place, and told him, I will not ask you now why you opened this bar of tumeh and zenus, “I just want to know what big aveira did you do that you were rewarded with such a harsh punishment – to open this filthy place”.
same goes to all commentators that are always here to protect filth and evil, and always bash against the ehrlich yidden struggling in golus to remain yidden.
This group is an amazing thing! Too bad if they have to do the dirty work. Those of you criticizing them where probably never here in israel and foot have any idea how bad things are here.
For all of you who think that these haredim are doing the right thing by intimidating business owners Al Capone style, I propse a three-state solution. I would love to see how long these lunatics would last on their own. I bet their part of Israel will turn into to Afghanistan-style country pretty soon – ripe with honor killings, no music, burning of libraries, etc.
#29 i’m not going into whether they are right or wrong, but what you say is out of ignorance. al pi torah you are not allowed to go where you want and have free chice, the gemmorah says on such subjects ‘ee icka darkai acrina rahsha hu’ if a man has a choice to do as you please. we are not free, we are ‘avodim lemokom’ (for those who feel that way, others do it because ‘ahavas hamokom’). So, if one has a choice to go a path that one will see immodesty and bring on him lewd thoughts or a path that he wont be nicshel with seeing what is assur and he chooses to go in the immodest path he is a rasho’ this is a gemmorah sanherin and paskened in S’U. Most posters are unfortunately ,a ‘little’ influenced with the secular (tamay) socoiety they live in so their postings are accordingly.
#30 ..and from which velt are you?
If these ‘rational’ people find that they are not doing their job well enough, perhaps they can/should call Ahmadinejad and his people of the ‘peaceful religion’ and he and his people would be more than happy to show them how to abuse, i mean treat the people.
#42 goules yid? i’m afraid your in the real goulus, goulas hanefesh
These zealots ignore”Drocheho darcei noam,vchol nesivoseho sholom”
It’s a known Consapt that the people who are busy with this are the biggest pigs!
if you let the chardim into govt the will turned into Saudi Arabia. This is just a preview.
these criminally insane ignorant savages must be stopped at all cost,
these gangsters,who are obssesed with women all day long,are the biggest perverts
they are the ones who molest children in the schools and the mikvahs.
they are no better than the modest police in saudi arabia and in iran.
they should all be rounded up and deported to those countries where they will feel much at home
I must say that I aggree with those guys! Halacha is Halacha and there’s a dress code people should adhere to.
The problem is nobody dears to speak up and those who do are instantly called extremists, etc…
We are to worried to be politicly correct and are affected by adapting goyishe habits, like complaining against those who have the guts to stand up for Torah values.
It’s time that people wake up and, especially in Eretz Yisroel, people realize that they have a responsability.
Sometimes I feel it would be better for the Arabs to take over in the middle east, nobody would say anything if they would inforce a certain way of dressing.
Wake up guys and stop finding excuses.
Here is the problem as I see it
#80 says sheer stockings aren’t good enough. But many many disagree. There are also those that allow the lower leg to be bare. There are many shitos on what is and what is not tznuis. It is not clearly delineated in the SA. There are those that say a tefach above the elbow is ok. It is up to the individual with their own rabbonim to decide, not some tznuis police.
I highly applaud this mishmeres hatznius of Netivot. You make a great kiddush Hashem by helping observant yidden go on the beautiful Torah path without being nichshal with improper deeds as indecent views and worse.
And even more by doing it without any illegal tricks, no extortion, no threatenings, just a clean “white list” of stores that comply with the Torah!
It’s a free world, all stores have the option to comply even if they didn’t until now, and those freya who don’t want to comply should reach out to those customer that “appreciate” public nudity and immoral dress code.
#85 please dont show your ignorance.what abuot malkos for chyvay lavin, what about the gemmorah, ‘loshoneh ala cheyveh lavin avol mitzvos essay makin oso at shteatzy nafsho, what about the gemmorah paskened in S’U hichos yomtov 529 seuf 5 loose trans. ‘bes din should send on yom tov “morality police’ out on the streets and parks to check if peole dont behave in lewd conducts..’ no, judaism is not a democracy (otherwise its nothingas per MO and down ..the taryag was not given on sini so just whoever doesnt have what to do with his time will be able to occupy himselve with something to do. your name aptly describes you , misnagid…misnagid the torah