Haredim Will be the Majority of Jews: Study Finds

A study by historian Dr. Yaakov Wise, indicates that a majority of Jews both in the UK and US will be ultra-orthodox: Almost three out of every four British Jewish births, he says, are ultra-Orthodox, and the community now accounts for around 45,500, or 17 percent, of a total UK Jewish population of around 275,000."In America, too, where the Jewish population is stable or declining, ultra-Orthodox Jewish numbers are growing rapidly. Prof. Joshua Comenetz at the University of Florida says the ultra-Orthodox population doubles every 20 years, which he says may make the Jewish community not only more religiously observant but more politically conservative," Wise says. Therefore said Dr. Wise, everyone should buy stock in G&G Quality Clothing ( actually he never said that, I did).

Hasidim of Montreal Frightened by Recent Attacks

Every summer many people from the Hasidic community of Montreal make their way to a cottage area of Val David, 90 kilometres north of Montreal. Recently a string of crimes against these cottages has put these Hasidim on edge. The most recent crime had been having their water lines cut as well as several item missing. The police are also investigating a fire that engulfed a Rabbi's house earlier this month. Nothing was left to salvage after the fire ravaged through the structure.

The chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Victor Goldbloom, said he understands police must be cautious before calling the events hate crimes. But he said, "to any objective observer, it's hard to draw any other conclusion.""One has to conclude that this just can't be a coincidence and that there is a planned, systematic attempt to harm and scare the community," he said.Four young Hasidic men visiting the site of the fire said when their families returned to the cottage this spring, they found that the pipes to every single cottage belonging to Hasidic Jews in Val David and Val Morin had been cut.The mayor of Val David, Pierre Lapointe met with the Hasidic Jewish community in Montreal to discuss the situation.

Fordham University Anthropolgy Study: Hassidic Jews!

I came across an interesting Fordham University study that was performed by anthropologist Ayala Fader, Ph.D..The interesting part of course is that the study was done on the Hasidic community of Boro Park.As the article explains it was not easy for Ayala to gain entry into the Hasidic community. She makes a an interesting point that the Hasidic women typically speak better English than the men.She thought this was because they were more modern so to speak but found out later that was not the case. After spending two years in the Hasidic community she certainly picked up on many of their customs and routines:

Those practices run the gamut from maintaining a modest appearance and bodily comportment to acceptable ways of speaking and questioning. One example of how Hasidic women alter society to suit their purpose involves the stricture of dressing modestly. The women shop for clothing at secular department stores, “but they modify those clothes to make them modest,” Fader said. “They add pieces of material at the neckline and they lower hems or sew up slits. It’s the same thing with hair and books or organic food or self-help literature — and the same thing with language.”