Lev L'Achim

Lev L'Achim (Hebrew: לב לאחים) is an Orthodox Jewish activist organization operating in Israel. It promotes a highly traditional, orthodox form of Judaism, and works to move students from secular Israeli schools to schools based on the Torah and religious teachings [cite web | url=http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives/OLDkiruv.htm | title=Lev L'Achim -- A Grass-Roots Kiruv Movement | publisher=Shema Yisrael Torah Network | accessdate=2007-10-08 Quote:Lev L'Achim's long-term goal is to establish self-propagating Torah networks in every neighborhood in Israel.] .

Beliefs

As practitioners of a very Orthodox version of Judaism, Lev L'Achim adheres to Halakha, Jewish law, and strict interpretations of the Talmud. As with other such groups, careful observance of holy days, and traditional, austere forms of dress are the norm.

Controversy

Acts of apparent vandalism and harassment against other religious organizations operating in Israel, as well as slow response time by Israeli authorities, were a matter of concern to the U.S. State Department, as described in their Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Israel [cite web | url=http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/irf/irf_rpt/1999/irf_israel99.html | title=Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Israel | publisher=U.S. State Department | accessdate=2007-10-08 Quote: 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.] , and again in the International Religious Freedom Report 2003 [ [http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ci/israel/79001.htm International Religious Freedom Report 2003: Israel] Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 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. ] .

References

ee also

*Judaism
*Orthodox Judaism
*Haredi Judaism
*Hasidic Judaism
*Jewish denominations
*Judaism in Israel