Haredi Judaism

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 27. Chapters: Neturei Karta, Haredim and Zionism, Three Oaths, Making of a Godol, Torato Omanuto, Sephardic Haredim, Machon Shlomo, Modesty patrol, Machon Yaakov, A T.I.M.E., Shtiebel, Gedolim pictures. Excerpt: Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi (Haredim in the plural). Haredi Jews, like other Orthodox Jews, consider their belief system and religious practices to extend in an unbroken chain back to Moses and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. As a result, they regard non-Orthodox, and to an extent Modern Orthodox, streams of Judaism to be deviations from authentic Judaism. Haredi Judaism comprises a diversity of spiritual and cultural orientations, generally divided into Hasidic and Lithuanian-Yeshiva streams from Eastern Europe, and Oriental Sephardic Haredim. Its historical rejection of Jewish secularism distinguishes it from Western European-derived Modern Orthodox Judaism. The word (), which originally was simply the Hebrew translation of Orthodox, is derived from , which in this context (Orthodoxy) is interpreted as "one who trembles in awe of God"; the word itself means fear or anxiety. There are approximately 1.3 million Haredi Jews, one of the fastest growing demographic sects in the world. The term "ultra-Orthodox" is controversial, and is considered pejorative by Norman Lamm and others. Canada's Centre for Faith and Media, while stating that the term "sometimes... cannot be avoided", advises journalists to Try to avoid the term ultra-Orthodox to describe very observant Jews, partly because ultra implies extremism. The term also lumps all fervently religious Jews together (there is much diversity among the observant). As well, there is no analogue on the other end of the religious spectrum (there are no ultra-Reform Jews.) On January 7, 2009, Hamodia reported that New Jersey attorney Stephen E. Schwartz, Esq., convinced the largest newspaper in New Jersey, The Star-Ledger, to drop the term ultra-Orthodox. English-language Haredi media use the spelling chareidi or charedi. Especially outside Israel, a range of other expression