Sikrikim
Encyclopedia
The Sikrikim are a group of Haredim based in the Meah Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem. They gained international attention for acts of violence that they committed. Their philosophy is one of Ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist. They are loosely affiliated with Neturei Karta
Their name comes from the Sicarii
, a group of Jewish zealots who attacked Romans during the Roman conquest of Judea.
. Many Haredim opposed the schools location and position on religion. The Sikrikim stood outside the school on school days and taunted the students, throwing rocks at them, claiming that the girls were immodestly dressed.
in Jerusalem. Gerrer Hassidim from the Batei Warsaw neighborhood near Meah Shearim reported widespread harassment that has almost escalated into a street war with people from Ger attacking Sikrikim out of vengeance. The main issue seems to be the large involvement and support that the Ger give to the state and government of Israel.
, including transportation minister Yaakov Katz, who called them "terrorists". When asked to comment or condemn them, a Haredi Rabbi from Bet Shemesh refused to condemn them, saying that by issuing a public condemnation it would make it look as if they are connected, when "No man in his sane mind 'wouldn't' condemn this, just like you wouldn't ask me to condemn Madoff
".
Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta is a Haredi Jewish group formally created in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisroel...
Their name comes from the Sicarii
Sicarii
Sicarii is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, to an extremist splinter group of the Jewish Zealots, who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea using concealed daggers .-History:The Sicarii used...
, a group of Jewish zealots who attacked Romans during the Roman conquest of Judea.
Orot Banot Girls School
In 2011, the Religious Zionist Orot Banot Girls School opened up in Ramat Bet ShemeshBet Shemesh
Beit Shemesh is a city in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 80,000. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times...
. Many Haredim opposed the schools location and position on religion. The Sikrikim stood outside the school on school days and taunted the students, throwing rocks at them, claiming that the girls were immodestly dressed.
Ohr HaChaim Bookstore
The Ohr HaChaim Bookstore, or Mannys as it's sometimes known, was targeted in a series of vandalism incidents in which the Sikrikim took credit via posters hung outside the store. The posters opposed the bookstores' selling of Zionist material.Zisalek Ice Cream Parlour
In October of 2011, the Sikrikim vandalized a store selling ice cream in a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem. The store had up signs asking men and women to be seated separately, and not to eat in public. The Sikrikim broke in one night and vandalized the store.Rivalry with the Gerrer Hassidim
The Sikrikim have an ongoing rivalry with the Hassidim of GerGer (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
in Jerusalem. Gerrer Hassidim from the Batei Warsaw neighborhood near Meah Shearim reported widespread harassment that has almost escalated into a street war with people from Ger attacking Sikrikim out of vengeance. The main issue seems to be the large involvement and support that the Ger give to the state and government of Israel.
Response
The group has been denounced by several members of the KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, including transportation minister Yaakov Katz, who called them "terrorists". When asked to comment or condemn them, a Haredi Rabbi from Bet Shemesh refused to condemn them, saying that by issuing a public condemnation it would make it look as if they are connected, when "No man in his sane mind 'wouldn't' condemn this, just like you wouldn't ask me to condemn Madoff
Bernard Madoff
Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff is a former American businessman, stockbroker, investment advisor, and financier. He is the former non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock market, and the admitted operator of a Ponzi scheme that is considered to be the largest financial fraud in U.S...
".
External Links
- Police move against Sikrikim
- Beit Shemesh Anglos turning to Courts to Halt Haredi Harassment
- Beit Shemesh shows Israel at a Crossroads
- Video of a fight breaking out in Meah Shearim with Sikrikim protesting Haredi involvement in government on Remembrance Day
- Security camera footage of some of the book store vandalism