Foreign Correspondent: Apr 14

This week on Foreign Correspondent is an Arte documentary, “State of Israel.”

In the modern State of Israel, the ultra-Orthodox – or Haredi – communities live a world apart.

Rejecting the secular, they live according to ancient religious principles.

Many Haredi men spend their days in religious schools studying the Jewish bible.

“People here focus on the essentials: on the Torah. Material things are irrelevant here,” says Yossef, a member of an ultra-Orthodox community on the edge of Tel Aviv.

“On Shabbat, cars stand still, everyone observes Shabbat. The women show restraint outdoors.”

Yossef’s wife, Esther, supports her husband.

“Man was created to study day and night. As a woman, I have to take care of the family.”

The Israeli government subsidises this lifestyle, even exempting community members from compulsory military service.

It’s lead to resentment among secular Jews, tensions which have deepened during COVID.

“This is a state within a state,” says one Israeli MP. “Many Haredi movements want to integrate into Israeli society…the only problem is that some Haredi leaders strongly hinder this integration.”

Presented by Eric Campbell, this Arte documentary explores how pressures from outside are forcing many Haredim to integrate more with the modern world.

Moshe is one who’s pushing the boundaries. He’s set up a tech company whose workplace adheres to religious rules, including providing separate workspaces for men and women.

“In the business world, the sexes share a space and many Haredim don’t deal well with that. So, we founded this place, so the Haredim feel comfortable in the high-tech world.”

Chira dreams of becoming a professional singer, but as a Haredi woman she’s not allowed to perform for men. She’s decided she wants to be a performer, but only for other women.

“I will never be able to sing on a stage where everyone can see me. But a new female audience is emerging. They organise parties, celebrations for young girls, festivals for women.

Moshe feels his community’s traditions can help drive innovation.

“Some think if you preserve tradition, you stay stuck in the past, but the future is innovation… The talent for innovation comes precisely from reflection…This legacy enables us to look forward and invent new things.”

This is a fascinating and rare insight into a normally-closed world on the cusp change.

8pm Thursday on ABC.