Large ultra-Orthodox Jewish communal organization based in Jerusalem
Headquarters in Jerusalem
The Charedi Council of Jerusalem (Hebrew: העדה החרדית, haEdah haCharedit, Ashkenazi pronunciation: ha-Aideh Charaidis or ha-Eido ha-Chareidis; "Congregation of God-Fearers") is a large HarediJewish communal organization based in Jerusalem. It has several thousands affiliated households and is chaired by the Gaon Convenor (Ga'avad). The Council provides facilities such as dietary laws supervision, ritual baths, a Sabbath enclosure, and welfare services.
The Council was founded in 1921 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, or to endorse voting in the elections, relying on donations from fellow anti-Zionist Haredi Jews abroad and its own income. 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. The Council also sponsors a Sephardi Haredi Council.
The Edah HaChareidis, which was – and still is – strongly anti-Zionist, resisted these moves, and opposed the new British-created Zionist Chief Rabbinate. Rabbi Sonnenfeld was succeeded by
SatmarRebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. Rabbi Teitelbaum emigrated to the United States, but retained his position as chief of the OCJ. Teitelbaum's nephew, the late Grand Rabbi
Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar, was given the title of President upon Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's death
Meanwhile, in 1945, the Edah parted ways with Agudat Yisrael. The lay leader of the body for many years was Gershon Stemmer, until his death in early 2007.
Anti-Zionist ideology
The anti-Zionist stance of the Edah HaChareidis is ideologically derived from 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 determined. For example, the Congregation 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.[1][2] According to Ynetnews, "It [the Edah] has declared an ideological war against the 'heretic Zionist government'."[2]
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.[3]
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."[4]
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.[5]
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."[6]
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.
In response to day-long Haredi protests in Jerusalem in 2009, Israel's then-PresidentShimon Peres described the Edah as "a radical minority".[7]
Kashrut supervision
The kashrut 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 one of the strictest hechsheirim in Israel. 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 appeals court. Products certified by the Edah are marked with the logo of the Edah.
Rabbinical court
Historically, the court is headed by both a Chief Rabbi, called the "Gaavad" גאב"ד, and by the Head of Rabbinical Court, called a "Raavad" ראב"ד. The "Raavad" is the first person in the line of succession of the "Gaavad", and would usually ascend to the role of "Gaavad" upon his death or resignation.
The following lists prominent members of the Edah's rabbinical court:
^"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.
