Yad L'Achim
Yad L'Achim (Hebrew: יד לאחים) is an Orthodox Jewish organization operating in Israel focussing on outreach, counter-missionary and anti-religious intermarriage activity. Yad L'Achim is made up of both paid staff, and volunteers, and is largely supported by donations both from Israel and the diaspora[1].
History
It was formed in 1950 with the stated goal of to "help new immigrants to the newly born country, and to help them find a suitable religious framework. Over time the founders were disturbed by emerging missionary efforts in the new State, and then later by assimilation. It then turned a major part of its activities to combating these two issues[2]" Yad L’Achim has other departments as well, including one devoted to the spiritual absorption of immigrants from the CIS and one that helps register children in Torah schools[2]".
Beliefs
Yad L'Achim adheres to the strictures and stringencies of Haredi Judaism. Haredi Jews are known for focusing on such issues as adherence to religious law, non-assimilation, modesty of dress, and keeping Shabbat and holy days.
Anti-"Missionary" Activity
The main focus of Yad L'Achim's membership is opposing non-Jewish missionary activity (also known as counter-missionary). Yad L'Achim claims to be an anti-missionary (also known as counter-missionary) group. It is currently claimed on their site [1] that over 100 missionary congregations and cults are currently active in Israel. Proselytising is legal in Israeli law by any religion, including Judaism, except in the case of minors [2].
It has also demanded that Pope Benedict XVI act to reveal the “hidden Jewish children” of the Holocaust.[3]
Opposition to Arab-Jewish marriages
Yad L'Achim website states: "The Jewish soul is a precious, all-too-rare resource, and we are not prepared to give up on even a single one. That’s why we fight with such intensity for both the Russian Jewish immigrant who has become a regular at the missionary center in Afula and the Jewish woman who is married to an Arab."[4]
Yad L'Achim claims to rescue Jewish women from marriages with Arab and/or Muslim men or other non-Jews. Yad L'Achim claims to get over 1,000 reports of women in marriages to foreign workers, and Arabs a year[5]. Yad L'Achim has performed paramilitary rescue operations to remove Jewish women from non-Jewish husbands and celebrates the rescued women on their website.[6]
Alleged harrasment of Christians in Israel
Christians in Israel have repeatedly complained of being persecuted, harassed, threatened and attacked by Yad L'Achim and a similar group, Lev L'Achim. They also complain of inadequate police response to the harassment[7][8][9][10].
The US Department of State has reported on the harassment of Christians by Yad L'Achim in the International Religious Freedom Report for Israel and the occupied territories in 1999[7], 2003[8], 2006[9] and 2007[10].
Jehovah's Witnesses filed over 120 complaints about instances of harassment by these groups during 1998 and 1999, yet there have been no indictments or prosecutions. At the same time, a member of the Jehovah's Witness was arrested and charged with "offending religious sentiment" for allegedly distributing religious literature at Tel Aviv's central bus station on March 1, 1999. The complainant was Yad L'achim member. The Jehovah's Witness claimed he was being singled out for prosecution because he had filed five complaints against Yad L'achim.[11]
External links
- Yad L'Achim's homepage.
- Charity Navigator's page on Yad L'Achim
References
- ^ Yad L'Achim's About our Staff page
- ^ a b From the Yad L'Achim website, background page.
- ^ Call for Pope to Reveal Hidden Holocaust Children
- ^ "About us > Goals publisher=Yad L'Achim".
{{cite web}}: Missing pipe in:|title=(help) - ^ Yad L'Achim background page "Indeed, Yad L’Achim gets some 1,000 calls a year reporting such cases." - Yad L'Achim
- ^ Reider, Dimi (2010-02-04). "Tel Aviv presents: Municipal program to prevent Arab boys from dating Jewish girls". Coteret.
- ^ a b U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Israel Evangelical Christian and other religious groups also have complained that the police have been slow to investigate incidents of harassment, threats, and vandalism directed against their meetings, churches, and other facilities by two ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups, known as Yad L'achim and Lev L'achim.
- ^ a b International Religious Freedom Report 2003: Israel and the occupied territories In recent years, evangelical Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Reform and Conservative Jews complained of incidents of harassment, threats, and vandalism directed against their buildings and other facilities, many of which were committed by two ultra-Orthodox groups, Yad L'Achim and Lev L'Achim.
- ^ a b International Religious Freedom Report 2006 for Israel and the Occupied Territories Media sources reported that the Messianic Jewish community accused Yad L'achim, a Jewish religious organization opposed to missionary activity, of harassing its members.
- ^ a b International Religious Freedom Report 2007 for Israel and the Occupied Territories The Messianic Jewish and Jehovah's Witnesses communities accused Yad L'achim, a Jewish religious organization opposed to missionary activity, of harassing and occasionally assaulting its members
- ^ "U.S. Department of State Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Israel". US Department of State.