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Edah HaChareidis

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Edah HaChareidis
Charedi Community of Jerusalem
העדה החרדית
Formation1918; 107 years ago (1918)
FounderRabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin
Founded atJerusalem
HeadquartersJerusalem
Membership40,000
Official language
Yiddish, Hebrew
Chief Rabbi
vacant
Head of Court
Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch
Publication
HaEdah, Madrich HaKashruth
SecessionsNeturei Karta, Karlin, Khal Adas Yerushalayim
AffiliationsHaredi Judaism
Formerly called
Ashkenazi City Council

The Charedi Community of Jerusalem (Hebrew: העדה החרדית, haEdah haCharedit, Ashkenazi pronunciation: ho-Aideh HaCharaidis or ho-Eido ha-Chareidis; "Community of God-Fearers") is a large Haredi Jewish communal organization based in Jerusalem. It has several thousand affiliated households and is chaired by the Grand Patriarch (Ga'avad), who also holds the title of chief rabbi (Mara D'Ara D'Yisroel מרא דארעא דישראל). The Community is led by a Beis Din, and provides facilities such as Kashrut supervision, Mikva'oth, Eruvin, and welfare services.

The Community was founded in 1918 by devout Ashkenazi residents of Jerusalem, especially of the Old Yishuv, who refused to be affiliated in any way with the new Zionist institutions. Inspired by militant anti-Zionist ideology, it refuses to receive any state funding from the Israeli authorities, relying on donations from fellow anti-Zionist Haredi Jews abroad and its own income, and it forbits voting in Israeli elections. Its members often engage in demonstrations against Sabbath desecration, autopsies, or archaeological excavations of human remains, which they regard as sins, and are noted for their poverty and extreme religious strictness.

History

Old Yishuv
A sepia photograph shows three elderly Jewish men sporting beards and holding open books, posing for the camera. Against a backdrop of leafy vegetation, the man in the centre sits, wearing a black hat and caftan, while the two others stand, wearing lighter clothes and turbans.
Jewish community in the Land of Israel under Ottoman rule
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The Edah HaChareidis was originally founded by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin (son of Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin)[1] in 1918, as the Ashkenazic City Council (Va'ad Ha'Ir Ha'Ashkenazi ועד העיר האשכנזי), to separate from the Zionist-controlled General City Council [he].[2] Rabbi Sonnenfeld had previously been the de facto chief rabbi of Jerusalem since 1909, after the death of Rabbi Shmuel Salant, but only accepted the official title in 1921, in order to counter the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate by the Zionist movement under British auspices. The Council originally had two rabbinical courts, one for the perushim and one for the chassidim, over which Rabbi Sonnenfeld was named as the first Av Beis Din, a position he held until his death in 1932.[3] In 1936 the two courts joined and the organization received its current name.[4]

While the Edah was originally affiliated with the World Agudath Israel, after the Agudah grudgingly began to cooperate with the Jewish Agency and other Zionist bodies,[5] Amram Blau and Aharon Katzenellenbogen of Jerusalem broke away in 1938 to form Neturei Karta, refusing to have any dealings with the Zionists.[6] During the 1940s the Neturei Karta became increasingly critical of the Agudah's position and in 1945 they succeeded in expelling Agudah members from the Edah,[7] who eventually formed the Agudat Yisrael political party.

Rabbi Sonnenfeld was succeeded by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, who was succeeded by Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis, who was succeeded by the Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum.[8] Teitelbaum had already emigrated to the United States, but was still given the position as chief rabbi of the Edah. Teitelbaum's nephew, the late Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar, was given the title of President upon Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's death. The lay leader of the body for many years was Gershon Stemmer, until his death in early 2007.

Anti-Zionist ideology

The first chief rabbi of the Edah, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, often referred to the Zionists as "evil men and ruffians" and claimed that "Hell had entered the Land of Israel with Herzl."[9] The spokesman for the Edah at the time, Dr Jacob Israël de Haan, endeavoured to form an alliance with the Arab nationalist leadership and hoped to reach an agreement that would allow unrestricted Jewish settlement in Arab lands in return for the relinquishment of Jewish political aspirations. In June 1924, de Haan was assassinated by the Haganah after having conveyed his proposals to King Hussein and his sons, Faisal and Abdullah.[10]

The anti-Zionist ideological stance of the Edah HaChareidis is explicated in the book Vayoel Moshe, written by its former President and Chief Rabbi, Joel Teitelbaum, which is regarded as the standard, and by which all issues relating to the modern State of Israel are generally determined. For example, the community forbids voting in the elections for the Knesset, and forbids accepting any funding from the Israeli government (such as subsidies for schools and unemployment benefits), and also does not accept Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return.[11][12] According to Ynetnews, "It [the Edah] has declared an ideological war against the 'heretic Zionist government'."[12]

In 2002, the rabbinical leadership of the Edah wrote a complementary introduction to Vayoel Moshe. The introduction mentioned: "and it is necessary to learn about this subject [of Zionism]... the holy book Vayoel Moshe will open [its readers'] eyes to see [the reasons behind] all troubles and horrors of our time, and will prevent readers from being drawn after the Zionist heresy, may the Merciful One save us."[13]

In 2006, during a campaign against the participation of Haredim in the Israeli parliamentary elections, the Edah accused the Zionists of having played a role in the Holocaust.[14][citation needed]

In March 2008, an article in the Edah's newspaper HaEdah blasted the "first Hasidic police officer" and the newspapers who had praised him, and called for him to be thrown out of the Haredi world. It referred to him as presenting his children to Molech. Addressing him personally, it said: "and even if you are great in your own eyes, you are worth nothing and an embarrassment to us"; and: "We will continue our continuous war, the days of which are the same as the days of the existence of the Zionist entity, against them and against everything you represent."[15]

Influence

Followers of the movements that constitute the Edah HaChareidis mainly live in the northern areas of Jerusalem (from Har Nof to Sanhedria, and in Mea Shearim), and in Beit Shemesh. The Edah HaChareidis includes the following groups: Satmar, Dushinsky, Toldos Aharon, Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok, Spinka, Sanz-Tshokave, groups belonging to the Perushim (such as a more "moderate" wing of Neturei Karta), a faction of the Breslover Hasidim, led by Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter, other factions of breslov, Mishkenos HoRoim, khal chasidei yerushalayim, and several other smaller communities. The Edah HaChareidis publicizes a weekly magazine called HaEdah ("The Edah"), written in Hebrew. This magazine is used to publicize the views of the leadership of the Edah HaChareidis on various issues, as well as articles on Jewish thought, including the weekly Torah portion and biographies of deceased leaders of the Yerushalmi community.

The state-run "Chief Rabbinate" recognizes marriage and divorce performed by the Edah's rabbinic court, per a settlement hearkening back to British rule. Yet, like all those performed by non-governmental bodies, converts to Judaism who convert through the Edah's courts are neither recognized nor eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return.[16]

In response to day-long Haredi protests in Jerusalem in 2009, Israel's then-President Shimon Peres described the Edah as "a radical minority".[17]

Services

The kashruth certification stamp of the Badatz

The Edah HaChareidis is known for its high standards in rabbinical supervision of kosher food, and is considered to be the most prominent and reliable hechsher in Israel.[18][19] It is often simply known as the hechsher of the "Badatz", which stands for Beis Din Tzedek (literally, "Court [of] Righteous Law"), the standard term for a rabbinical court. Products certified by the Edah are marked with the logo of the Edah.

The Kashruth Council of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד הכשרות שע"י בד"ץ העדה החרדית) is the primary supervisory body. The council certifies all food products, besides meat and poultry, which are certified by the Council for Ritual Slaughter of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד השחיטה שע"י בד"ץ העדה החרדית). The Kashruth Council of the Edah HaChareidis publishes a kashruth guide annually under the title Madrich HaKashruth.[20]

The Edah maintains various smaller councils, mostly to supervise and certify various products and services, as follows:

  • The Shemita Council of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד השמיטה שע"י העדה החרדית), which supervises produce and fields during the Shemita year;
  • The Eruv Council of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד העירובין שע"י העדה החרדית), which supervises and maintains the Eruvin in parts of Jerusalem, Safed, Meron and Bet Shemesh;
  • The Chamber of Sta"m of the Edah HaChareidis (לשכת סת"ם שע"י העדה החרדית), which supervises Soferim and other producers of Sta"m;
  • The Council for Halachic Supervision of Investments and Finances of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד הפיקוח ההלכתי להשקעות ופיננסים שע"י העדה החרדית), which ensures that financial product and services comply with the laws of Ribbis;[21]
  • The Council for Halachic Supervision of the Edah HaChareidis (וועד הפיקוח ההלכתי שע"י העדה החרדית), which certifies assorted items such as Tzitzis and the Four Species, among others;
  • The Council to Guard Mea Shearim (וועד משמרת מאה שערים), charged with preserving the character of the neighborhood;
  • The Marriage Registry Chamber of the Edah HaChareidis (לשכת רישום נישואין שע"י העדה החרדית).[22]

The Edah also employs many Posekim, and maintains Bais Hora'ahs בית הוראה, which are offices for Halachic decisions, throughout Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.[23]

Rabbinical court

Members of the Court at a meeting

The Rabbinical Court of the Edah HaChareidis (בית דין צדק לכל מקהלות האשכנזים שע"י העדה החרדית) is the highest authority in the Edah. The court hears both monetary and family cases, as well as community-wide halachic questions. Historically, the court is headed by both a Chief Rabbi, called the "Ga'avad" גאב"ד (an acronym for Gaon Av Beis Din, meaning Grand Patriarch of the Rabbinical Court), and by the "Ra'avad" ראב"ד (an acronym for Rosh Beis Din, meaning Head of the Rabbinical Court). The "Ra'avad" is the first person in the line of succession of the "Ga'avad", and would usually ascend to the role of "Ga'avad" upon his death or resignation, subject to confirmation by vote.

The following lists prominent members of the Edah's rabbinical court:

Chief Rabbis

  1. 1921–1932: Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849–1932)[24]
  2. 1932–1948: Grand Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, First Dushinsky Rebbe (1867–1948)[25]
  3. 1947–1953: Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864–1953)[26]
  4. 1953–1979: Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887–1979)[8]
  5. 1979–1989: Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (1901–1989; author of Minchas Yitzchak, formerly of Manchester Beth Din, England)[27]
  6. 1989–1996: Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Freund (1904–1996; author of Ateres Yehoshua (Chassidei Satmar) [28][29]
  7. 1996–2002: Grand Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky, Second Dushinsky Rebbe (1921–2003; son of Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, listed above)[30]
  8. 2002–2022: Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss (1926–2022; formerly dayan of the Machsike Hadass community, Antwerp, Belgium)[31][32]

Heads of Court

  1. 1920–1921: Rabbi Moshe Nochum Wallenstein [he] (1840–1922)[33][citation needed]
  2. 1924–1929: Rabbi Mordechai Leib Rubin [he] (1871–1929)
  3. 1929–1938: Rabbi Pinchas Epstein [he] (d.1969)[34]
  4. 1938–1948: Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864–1953)[26]
  5. 1948–1968: Rabbi Pinchas Epstein [he] (d.1969)[35][citation needed]
  6. 1968–1972: Rabbi Dovid Jungreis [he] (1898–1972)[36]
  7. 1972–1979: Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (1901–1989)
  8. 1979–1989: Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Freund (1904–1996)
  9. 1989–1996: Grand Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky (1921–2003)[30]
  10. 1996–2003: Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Fisher (1928–2003)[37]
  11. 2003–present: Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch (b.1926)

Presidents

  1. 1953–1979: Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887–1979)
  2. 1979–2006: Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar (1914–2006)
  3. 2006–2021: Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik, rosh yeshiva of Brisk (1921–2021)

Past members

Present members

References

  1. ^ Encyclopedia of the Builders and Founders of Israel vol. 7 pp. 2929
  2. ^ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://dacenter.tau.ac.il/sites/abraham.tau.ac.il/files/media_server/daniel%20abraham/kesher/51/14%20Keren.pdf
  3. ^ Encyclopedia of the Builders and Founders of Israel vol. 1 pp. 61-62
  4. ^ https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/haretz/1918/04/04/01/article/16?&dliv=none&e=-------he-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1
  5. ^ Mainuddin, Rolin G. (2002). Religion and politics in the developing world: explosive interactions. Ashgate. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-7546-1507-1. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  6. ^ Berger, Marshall J.; Ahimeir, Ora (2002). Jerusalem: a city and its future. Syracuse University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-8156-2913-9. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  7. ^ Stump, Roger W. (2000). Boundaries of faith: geographical perspectives on religious fundamentalism. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-8476-9319-1. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  8. ^ a b Rubinstein, Avraham (2007). "Teitelbaum". In Berenbaum, Michael; Skolnik, Fred (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 19 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference. pp. 582–83. ISBN 978-0-02-866097-4.
  9. ^ Laqueur, Walter (20 May 2003). A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-8052-1149-8. Retrieved 13 May 2013. Rosenheim, the political head of central European Orthodoxy, who was accustomed to using far more moderate language, nevertheless warned the religious Zionists against the 'mortal danger' they risked by collaborating with those who did not accept the divine law.
  10. ^ Berger, Marshall J.; Ahimeir, Ora (2002). Jerusalem: a city and its future. Syracuse University Press. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-8156-2913-9. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  11. ^ "Rabbi Yosef Sheinberger dies at 87". The Jerusalem Post. In 1981, he issued a decree that all educational institutions that accept state funding were off limits for children of the Edah Haredit.
  12. ^ a b Ynetnews
  13. ^ Introduction, Sefer Yalkut Amorim Vayoel Moshe.
  14. ^ [1] "UTJ [United Torah Judaism]: Anti-voting campaign hurt us" Jerusalem Post, March 30, 2006; see [2] for some pictures
  15. ^ HaEdah, parashas Pekudei 5768, pages 10–11
  16. ^ Pour une fois, une conversion ultra-Orthodoxe n'est pas reconnue dans le cadre d'une demande de naturalisation
  17. ^ Peres lauds Rabbinate for recognizing brain death, Ynet, (October 06, 2009)
  18. ^ "יש להכריז על בדץ העדה החרדית מונופול בתחום שירותי כשרות המהדרין" TheMarker
  19. ^ מעיין דויד, מלחמת הבד"צים: כך כבשה קבוצת שוליים חרדית את שוק הכשרות, באתר מידה, 2017-09-07
  20. ^ Madrich HaKashruth 5782 pp. 8-13
  21. ^ Madrich HaKashruth 5782 pp. 8-13
  22. ^ israel-marriage-statistics-2022-Hebrew
  23. ^ Madrich HaKashruth 5782 pp. 8-13
  24. ^ Encyclopedia of the Builders and Founders of Israel vol. 1 pp. 61-62
  25. ^ Encyclopedia of the Builders and Founders of Israel vol. 4 pp. 1930
  26. ^ a b Toldos Hagaon Rabbi Zelig Reuvain Bengis Laflagos Reuvain. Jerusalem. Retrieved Aug 22, 2010. in the introduction to Laflagos Reuvain
  27. ^ "HebrewBooks.org 1597 מנחת יצחק חלק א-ב -- ויס, יצחק יעקב בן יוסף יהודה, 1902-1989". beta.hebrewbooks.org. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  28. ^ https://tablet.otzar.org/#/b/152640/p/1/t/16780.7397478327947045/fs/0/start/0/end/0/c
  29. ^ "אוצר החכמה". tablet.otzar.org. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  30. ^ a b Kahn, Betzalel (2 April 2003). "NEWS: HaRav Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky, zt'l". Dei'ah VeDibur. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  31. ^ Levi Julian, Hana (July 30, 2022). "Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, Head of Jerusalem's Eida HaChareidis, Passes Away". The Jewish Press. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  32. ^ "BDE: HaGaon HaRav Tuvia Weiss, Z'TL, Gaavad Of The Eidah HaChareidis". Yeshiva World News. 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  33. ^ https://isheiisrael.wordpress.com/2017/12/23/%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%94-%D7%A0%D7%97%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%98%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F/
  34. ^ He ceded the position to Bengis upon his arrival in Jerusalem, and reassumed it upon the latters ascension to the position of chief rabbi.
  35. ^ "הילולא טבת תשפא הגרפ עפשטיין.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  36. ^ "אוצר החכמה". tablet.otzar.org. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  37. ^ HaRav Yisroel Yaakov Fisher, by Betzalel Kahn (Dei'ah veDibur)
  38. ^ https://tablet.otzar.org/#/book/640148/p/550/t/1/fs/0/start/0/end/0/c
  39. ^ https://abiryaakov.com/%D7%94%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%99/%D7%96%D7%9B%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A7/%D7%94%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%97%D7%A7-%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%99%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%9F-%D7%96%D7%A6-%D7%9C
  40. ^ Obituary
  41. ^ https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/34250/tehillim-alert-rav-meir-bransdorfer-in-critical-condition.html
  42. ^ "Year in Review 5773". Hamodia. Sep 16, 2013. p. 31.
  43. ^ דרכי ציון אבלות: הגאון הגדול רבי יעקב בלוי זצוק"ל. www.jdn.co.il (in Hebrew). January 2013. Retrieved Sep 7, 2016.
  44. ^ a b c HaEdah,Parshath BeHa'aloscha, 5766, page 1
  45. ^ https://archive.jdn.co.il/breakingnews/223553
  46. ^ a b c https://archive.jdn.co.il/gallery/1599626/
  47. ^ https://www.kore.co.il/viewArticle/148276
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