And this is why ultra-orthodox jews terrify me.

What the...?

Welcome to the sad but true world of Jew-on-Jew violence.

“His followers are really so dedicated to him so that they would do anything to protect him,” said the guest.
Another party guest called Rabbi Aderet’s followers “very fanatical and brainwashed” about the magnitude of the rabbi’s wisdom and said that his congregants seem to fear his alleged magical powers.

Yet some of Rabbi Aderet’s followers believe so much in his abilities that they call him a “messenger from God,” capable of saving them from both health and financial catastrophes.

“Rabbi Aderet has saved a lot of lives that were very close to being dead, and he has helped tremendous amounts of people when they have bankruptcies or any other financial differences in their life —and I’m one of them,” the main supporter said.

This congregant cites a 2007 incident in North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital where his aunt had just suffered a stroke; doctors recommended against life support because the patient had no chance of recovery beyond a vegetable-like state. But when Rabbi Aderet arrived to perform Havdalah at her bedside, sprinkling wine on her forehead, the woman allegedly awoke and lived to see her son get married and two grandchildren grow, according to the congregant.

“I believe that Rabbi Aderet has a very big connection [to God] because I’ve seen it with my eyes,” the supporter said.

I think that, probably, my biggest issue with this variety of Judaism is, as demonstrated by the above quote, their cultlike qualities. Of the groups I am familiar with, most of those tend to rally around their rebbes and treat him like he's their own personal messiah, capable of feats of magic and miracles (see above.) In effect, these groups become like messianic sects, except they still get to call themselves "Judaism" because their rebbes/personal messiahs aren't a second coming, but rather a first.

Bearing in mind that I, as a little conservative Jewish girl whose observance has rapidly declined over the past year, I really have no right to talk about this, but really? Really? Breaking up a party and terrifying small children because they don't agree with your religious beliefs? This is CRAZY. You are CRAZY.

So yeah, as a general rule I'm not the world's most fond of frummies, but that's okay, because I know from experience that they don't like me, either. In my (admittedly limited) interaction with them, I have generally been looked down upon and treated as being worse than a shiksa, because I'm practically sacrilegious.

Of course I full well admit that I'm a hypocrite in complaining about frummies being rude to other people while I'm hardly favorable of them. :|

I

Uh

I got nothing.