Modern Haredim and Contemporary Haredi Society: Beyond the Paradigm of Liberalization

Abstract

Modern Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Israelis who have joined the army, workforce, and academia) are often perceived as a sign that contemporary Haredi society is becoming more liberal and Western. This article presents an alternative framework, which understands the challenge posed by modern Haredim to the classic Haredi society of learners not in terms of increasing liberalism but rather of increasing radicalism. What is peculiar to modern Haredim is not a greater openness toward secular society, but rather a profound change in the theory and practice of religious activity. Modern Haredim perceive the entire world as a potential arena for religious activity and reject the confinement of religious life to the boundaries of the house of study. Studying various radical activities of modern Haredim—which resonate with much earlier trends within Jewish Orthodoxy—this article argues that the religious attitudes developing in contemporary Haredi society are inner-worldly in orientation.