Nayes (2020): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript
Here we have the "Motherhood" supplement,
everything women are interested in.
What doesn't it have?
It doesn't have...
any pictures of women.
A man shouldn't look at a woman
if he has no reason to.
So what do I show?
Silhouettes.
As a woman,
it kind of bothers me.
Here with us is Rabbi Litzman,
Deputy Minister of Health.
And here with us is the Prime Minister.
What do you have to say to the viewers?
You add a little color
with your questions,
your vibe, your selfies,
your expressions,
your hairstyle.
We publish what the Ultra-Orthodox public
wants to read
and should read.
Were you at the demonstration yesterday?
-Of course.
There are disagreements within the...
-The rabbis disagree.
we're less answerable
to some council of rabbis
because we're a public station.
Whenever I listen to your father
I hear a true Torah-based,
God-fearing perspective.
He speaks his truth.
Our truth.
complying is the foundation
of the Ultra-Orthodox faith.
Commenting? complying.
The truth of our holy Torah.
We won't attack public servants,
we won't look for damning stories.
We won't attack our own.
But if it's Yair Lapid?
-Then yes.
That's that.
Daddy's leaving,
he'll be back in a few days.
Bye everyone, bye Moishy and Yosef.
Yosef, come here.
Be a good boy, okay?
Luckily I'm going out
when the street is fairly empty,
there aren't any neighbors
snooping around...
I usually stop at the first gas station
which has nice secret corners.
I used to go out
without all this stuff,
but things have changed in recent years.
There's nothing here
but trashcans and cats
and frightened orthodox black-hats.
For a few years after I got married
I studied Torah full-time like every
young Orthodox, and when I was finished
I went to the draft board
and said: "Hello,
"I was studying Torah until yesterday
"as you can see in your records
and now I'm finished.
"Now what do I do? Enlist?"
They said, "Yes, you have to enlist."
My kids don't even know
that I'm in the reserves
because the Ultra-Orthodox aren't supposed
to serve in the IDF.
I'm on my way to Camp Zikkim,
we have an exercise there,
I'm with the Casualty Identification Unit.
My army service is very
interesting and challenging.
In actual combat
we have to function like automatons,
put our emotions aside,
and in Operation "Protective Edge"
7 or 8 people were killed every day.
In those situations you think:
There's more to this life,
and in my media work,
when I'm behind the microphone
talking about the IDF
and about soldiers
and the Ultra-Orthodox and Torah scholars,
I always try to bring in
the personal element
that I've learned from this.
Because just as I know
that an Ultra-Orthodox mother
whose son has studied
in yeshiva all his life
can never understand
how a bereaved mother feels,
I can never explain to a secular person
the true value of Torah study.
They're unequal, the burden
and the feelings
and the stories.
What's equal is that I can't understand you
and you can't understand me.
That's what the media is for,
to connect the two sides,
and I always try to do that.
When I was young
I read lots of newspapers.
By "lots" I mean in numbers,
It was all "Yated Ne'eman" newspaper.
I'll never forget Tuesdays
when Yated for Kids came out
which had a satirical column
by P. Hovav,
who wrote about a fictional character
named Noah Schwartzbergandrovitch
which we found hilarious
and I always said,
"when I grow up I want to be
like P. Hovav."
And that's that.
I'm Efrat Finkel, 26, from Bnei Brak,
and I'm single.
The Finkels are a very famous
rabbinic family.
Actually, the Mir Yeshiva,
one of the two biggest in the world,
belongs to my family.
My grandfather was
a headmaster at the Mir Yeshiva,
my great-grandfather was
the supervisor at the Mir Yeshiva,
my great-great-great-grandfather was the
leader of the Jewish moral ethics movement,
he was known as
the Elder of Slobodka.
I'm six generations after him,
son after son, until I, a girl, came along.
I'm just starting out in the media
so I'm working around the clock.
I write digital content,
I write and do interviews
for the Pashkevil website
which is an Ultra-Orthodox website
and I also have a regular
radio feature.
Efrat Finkel, good morning.
-Good morning.
The yeshivas are being exposed
and what's really being exposed
is the wheeling and dealing,
I hope the phrase
isn't too insulting.
It turns out it's all about the money...
My work also takes me to some
pretty shady places.
Do you have a head kerchief?
Miri Regev. Did you see her
ask me for a kerchief?
I'm very fond of the Rabbi...
Only good news.
Miri Regev is pandering
to the holy Sephardi public.
One of the best parts
about my writing is my chutzpah.
I've never been subtle.
It's not my style.
The lamest Ashkenazi girl (me),
who grew up on silences and cleared throats,
found herself at a memorial service
for Rabbi Ovadia in the Knesset
and was amazed at the back-patting,
kissing and hugging
by all the VIPs.
Tweet.
Someone who sees me
or gets to know me superficially
would say: "She's a modern Orthodox."
I dress in style, I'm young,
I use young language,
someone once described me as
"an Orthodox who speaks fluent Secular."
On the other hand, I still have
the perspective of a 19-year-old seminary girl.
My dream, of course, is to get married
and have tons of kids.
Tons.
And to send my daughters
to Beis Yaakov schools
and my sons to Cheider,
and my husband can sit around
all day and do nothing
but study Torah.
Nothing.
He can help around the house a little.
You know, wash the dishes,
bathe the kids,
change diapers,
take out the garbage, cook,
do the laundry, shop...
I mean, if he really wants to.
One change I recently went through
was from writing for the internet
to writing for an Orthodox newspaper.
The newspaper BaKehila
("In the Community") is a weekly
delivered to the most hardcore Orthodox homes.
Internet is cute,
funny, now on to the next joke.
You have to treat
print newspapers differently
and, no offense, they're more serious.
They're printed, they're eternal,
and we say that when an Ultra-Orthodox
opens a newspaper
he doesn't read the lines,
he reads between the lines.
Where do you draw the line?
We have a spiritual council
that goes over
every letter.
-Just like in seminary.
If I'm talking to friends
I can post what we say
on a website
but not in an Orthodox newspaper.
I have to realize
that my readers
could be my grandfather.
Forever, no matter
what happens on the Internet,
the written press will have the last word
and dictate the agenda.
The Ultra-Orthodox public
gets most of its information in print.
They study the newspaper,
they analyze the paper,
they study every word.
And they know that what you wrote
is what they need to know
and what you don't write,
they don't need to know.
That's why they treat it with respect:
"I read it in HaModia."
"I read it in HaDerech."
It's got a certain prestige.
Then, in the '80s, something new
cropped up in the Orthodox media,
non-partisan, independent,
non-affiliated newspapers,
the weekly magazines.
When the Orthodox weeklies came out
they started airing
the sector's dirty laundry for the first time.
That didn't exist before.
Before the Orthodox weeklies
you could do as you pleased,
allocate budgets to your friends,
your institutions, whoever,
and nobody knew.
The Orthodox weeklies
started dishing the dirt,
"Hold on there,
aren't you an Orthodox MK?
"Are you allowed to party there?
We'll tell the people."
Not surprisingly, this goes against
the Ultra-Orthodox establishment
and mainstream
So the weeklies were banned...
and conservative Ultra-Orthodox
wouldn't have the weeklies in their homes.
What the weeklies and websites wrote,
whatever...
Maybe these Jews need money
so they write there...
unfortunately for them they had one eye
on the outside world.
But weren't you the editor
of the BaKehila weekly?
Yes, I was with BaKehila
for about...
7 or 8 years,
I can't remember exactly.
And that was that.
How's it going, Yitzhak?
How long do I have
before the paper goes to print?
You'll have it by 8:00
but don't take anything
from another photographer,
I'm here just for you.
Cool. Bye.
What's happening here is incredible.
Maybe hundreds of thousands of people.
It's the biggest rally in recent years.
All the top rabbis
are going to be here
and to top it off,
the most important rabbi in the Orthodox world,
the sage and master Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky,
the giant of our generation.
I hope to get a picture
of Rabbi Chaim looking at the crowd,
expressing his...
He has this look,
if you know Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
he has this look that's...
Wow.
I'll get a shot that will... Boom.
Where's the press entrance?
Excuse me.
I hope my photo appears
on the front page of Yated Ne'eman.
That would be a big achievement for me.
Does anyone know
where the press entrance is?
There?
Where's the press entrance?
Here? Here.
Who are you?
Shlomi.
You can't go in.
Dvir, David, who's in charge
of the press?
You don't belong here.
Clear the gate and get out.
Hands off!
Yehoshua, Yehoshua.
Dvir, Dvir, Dvir, Dvir,
tell Morgenwasser to come here.
Tell Morgenwasser to come here.
Meir, Meir, Meir,
I'll get the photo for you.
A photo of Rabbi Chaim!
Let him in, Morgenwasser said
to let him in.
Who? Go ahead.
What's up, Shaya?
Where to?
They're still working on the stage.
Photographers, get off until
they finish building the stage.
All the best photographers are here.
Shlomi, you have to understand something.
What?
-At all the...
events with Litzman, I'm the man.
Cool, we'll be together.
There's room for all.
Just letting you know.
Cool.
The competition is tough
but I'm not here to play games,
I'm here to work.
What kind of photo do you want?
A hardcore photo of the two dudes.
Which dudes?
-The Gur Rebbe and Rabbi Chaim.
If you capture just the two of them
it'll be in all of tomorrow's papers.
You'll see to that?
Will I get credit?
You rule.
What are we fighting for?
For God, for our right to be Orthodox
and keep the Commandments,
to live a life of Torah and faith.
Judgment Day is very close this time,
we're in dire straits.
Gentlemen, don't jump the fence.
Don't ruin the whole event...
Stop pushing, folks.
Stop pushing.
Children, get down off of there.
Now!
Move back a bit,
please don't push.
Everyone in the front row
got here four hours early
so they could see the great rabbis
and I get to witness
this powerful sight up close,
from point-blank range,
and it's a great and rare privilege.
It really is a great honor...
Whoa! Look at this!
It's insane!
Hey, be careful!
Clear the crowd.
People, move back.
Be careful!
Watch out!
We can't go on like this.
Medics, over there!
Medics, over there!
They need help.
Raise your hands
so they can see you.
I came here to cover
this amazing rally.
There are about 150.000 people
who've gathered together
just to see the great rabbi
and I'm curious about
how women see it
and where our place is
in this whole event.
We will have nothing to do
with the seditionists
who want to make the Jews
forget the Torah, God forbid!
With those who want to
ruin our children with education...
I can't see who's on stage.
Who want to destroy
the holy Sabbath!
You don't belong here! Beat it!
Okay...
-That God gave us,
God gave us a fine gift,
it's called Shabbat.
They didn't make separate areas
for men and women.
I want to see what's happening
on stage,
the men don't want me pushing into
the men's section, and rightly so,
but who says this is
the men's section?
They're at a loss,
I understand them,
and some of them are mad at me
and that's okay, I'm used to it.
We welcome with awe
the holy rebbes, the members
of the Council of Torah Sages.
Excuse me?
Did you come here
especially for the rally?
May I ask why?
There are things you feel in your soul
that you can't explain.
When I see so many people...
who came out to come here,
for what? To see a rabbi, to see...
when I see it I can't help crying.
It's touching. -She's provoking you.
-How old are you? -Don't talk to her,
get away from her.
-What?
Don't talk to her, it's a provocation.
-Can I ask you how old you are?
Get away from her.
Do I look like a provocateur?
She's looking for trouble.
-I'm insulted.
Leave her alone.
-I'm here as an Orthodox journalist.
You're no Orthodox.
You don't say.
I'm no Orthodox because...?
An Orthodox woman
wouldn't be here with men.
But an Orthodox humiliates others
in public?
And this is war,
God's war against the Amalekites!
I'm here to fight for my ideals,
for my values.
Hold on, stop filming.
God willing we'll win.
Okay.
This is getting out of hand.
Okay, I'll go. Enough.
This is an historic event
unlike any we've seen in years,
I have no doubt that the boys,
young men and young scholars
who are seeing the great sages
are being uplifted with spirituality
which is why we've gathered here.
Now we'll work out all our anger on...
Good thing my sister is a trainer.
Hold this here.
Excellent. Back to me.
And up you go.
Knees at right angles,
back straight.
Okay. -We're here to work out
our anger, no?
I really need it...
-Then tell me,
what the hell were you doing there?
I wanted...
-Why did you even go?
What do you mean? It's my job.
I go places and cover things.
Obviously someone else
can do that,
a man, let's say, not you.
Now you're making me
even more uptight.
-Then go for it.
Faster.
Go.
Eight...
You know that since it's a rally
for Ultra-Orthodox men
they don't want women there.
It doesn't matter if
it's that particular rally or anything else,
they don't want me anywhere!
Let's work on our arms again.
Everything must be
controlled by men,
then men make all the decisions,
there's a reason they won't let
Orthodox women be MKs...
But do you have to confront them
to make a change?
No.
-Can't you make other changes?
I, for instance, am a trainer,
and in the past there was no place
for orthodox women to learn the trade.
We didn't go around screaming
but they realized we had power,
so I see that as a revolution,
but a quiet one.
Oh, yeah?
-No one heard it.
Okay, and that quiet revolution
came out of nowhere,
God pressed a button
and created a revolution.
-No, it came from the Knesset.
Where did it come from?
From courageous women
who deal with these things
and fought and cried out for it.
Ten years ago,
did anyone think
that Orthodox women
had a will of their own?
The problem is,
"the Ultra-Orthodox sector" means...
"Stay at home, woman"?
Stay at home or do something else,
but not here, okay?
-As long as you don't interfere with
the male supremacy. Fine.
I think it's all because
it really isn't a woman's place.
Is that so?
-Yes.
You know the sector.
These battles are useless.
I've been told many times:
"Stay away from that,"
"Don't get involved with that,"
"Don't go into that,"
but I have a responsibility.
Someone has to be willing
to stand on the front lines
and be attacked with:
"Okay, you're no Orthodox,"
"Okay, you're a feminist,"
"Okay, you want to ruin us,"
"Okay, you want..."
That's okay, as long as things
will change.
Yom Kippur is just around the corner
and this is our chance to ask forgiveness
of the Torah scholars,
yeshiva students, Kollel students,
great rabbis,
who we may have undervalued
over the course of the year
because you're the vanguard,
this all exists for you.
And of course the public servants,
the politicians, the MKs,
perhaps the things I asked or said
offended you,
but of course you're the emissaries
of the great rabbis
and we only mean to praise you,
we're just doing our job,
and for this we apologize.
That's all for tonight,
we wish our listeners a good year,
we'll see and hear you later.
Bezalel, did you want to talk to me?
How's it going?
Thank God, how are you?
-Thank God.
I guess this is the time...
Yom Kippur Eve.
After the Yom Kippur program
and before Yom Kippur begins.
Next week I have reserves duty
so I won't be here
and I don't want anyone to know why.
It's between you and me
and certainly shouldn't be announced.
Are you afraid you'll be called
an Unorthodox? -Yes.
Yes. I represent the Orthodox sector
and I'm not proud of going to the army.
Secondly, we have to do
some soul-searching,
at least I do,
and I get a feeling from the audience
which I feel too
that we should make a minor change.
We're too silent
about things that
everyone's talking about.
Let's take the subject
of the convicted Rabbi Berland,
I can warn the public
not to do certain things.
I won't attack him personally
or judge him.
Do you really want to go into all
those controversial issues? -No.
I think that by confronting issues like
sexual abuse, for example,
I save children.
Some parents have no clue.
They listen to Radio Kol Chai
and it's the only media outlet that tells them
how to find these creeps
and protect their children.
It's not my place to tell a father
how to protect his child.
The father doesn't want his child
to hear about conflicts,
about Rabbi Berland
or a conflict among the Gur sect
or any other Hassidic sect.
That's not our job.
-Then he should turn off the radio.
No, he shouldn't.
-You have two hours
of air time that you can use
to help people, solve problems
and raise awareness.
We can go on saying:
This isn't happening,
kids shouldn't hear this,
but when you look at the websites
and Twitter and...
-People's comments.
And everyone's talking about it openly.
You can't ignore the fact
that that's how things work.
That's what people talk about.
You can't say "not me."
You want us to stoop to
social media comments?
Can we air a more open program
at 11 p.m.?
No.
If not for Radio Kol Chai
and the Orthodox media,
the younger generation
would be exposed
to what no parent wants them
to be exposed to in the regular media
and we're the clean, pure,
safe alternative.
Alright.
-You don't change a winning team.
Lengthwise, too.
Thank you very much.
Very nice. Good luck.
I started working on an article
about Sephardi girls not being admitted
to certain high schools.
I've had this on my mind
since 8th grade.
I still remember how I was
admitted to a seminary, no problem,
and my Sephardi friends
weren't admitted
and something in my 8th grade instincts
told me there was
something wrong here.
And it haunted me for years
and suddenly it struck me:
You're a journalist, you can do something.
I can record you, right?
-Sure.
Great.
If I get accused of something
I can send the recording
and say: "MK Margi said so."
My first interviewee
is MK Margi from Shas.
I came to you because
you're known as the terror
of the seminary principals.
They don't even know how I look.
-They're terrified of...
I haven't hit anyone yet.
-...what you've done.
The truth hurts.
The truth is scary.
What do you think the problem is?
How big is the average seminary class?
There were 50 girls in my class.
Don't you wonder why?
A class of 18 girls or more
is profitable.
18 girls?
-Is profitable.
So imagine what a startup 50 is.
You see?
-So why don't they open more
if it's financially viable?
Because there's competition.
What did they say
to us Sephardis?
"Open your own seminaries,
don't come knocking on our doors."
Let's say I decide
to open a seminary.
All the other seminaries and...
I almost said "evildoers."
They start taking the best students
in 7th grade,
premature enrollment,
which is against the law.
And that enrollment is off the record,
right?
Off the record.
How can I compete when they have
the economic power of 50 girls per class
times 18 classes per year?
When they already took
all the good students back in 7th grade?
Jewish law and ethics
stop at the seminary gates.
And with the elite.
-And with the elite.
So what's the answer?
The answer is regional enrollment.
Sad to say, when I spoke about
regional enrollment
I was pressured, even threatened.
my party leader...
-By whom?
Why shouldn't the law pass?
Who's against it?
I'll put it clearly.
As long as United Torah Judaism is
part of the coalition, it won't pass.
Why not? -They want the discrimination
to continue.
What do they gain from that?
-Power.
Why not bring these subjects up
to the mainstream newspapers
that dictate public opinion,
Yated, HaModia...?
Those are the seminaries'
house newspapers.
You expect them to write
that they themselves are prejudiced?
That they're doing wrong?
It won't happen.
What I do expect is for
the other journalists
who are Ultra-Orthodox
to be brave enough
to put the cards on the table.
It's almost 9:05,
good morning, Bitan.
-Good morning, Gruzman.
We'll just mention
that during this program
we'll discuss several
internal Orthodox matters
and let the light of day
clear the air
even if they're painful subjects.
We'll be discussing
the Rabbi Eliezer Berland scandal
so we're informing parents
who are concerned about
what their children will hear
that we'll be discussing that.
The Mendy-Bitan Show is intended
for the Orthodox and religious audience
so we only talk about
sexual abuse
during our second hour,
that is, from 9 to 10,
when the kids are in school
and we only speak to the parents,
the adults.
I started working on a report
about what happens in rabbis' homes.
People want to know how it works.
Who goes in, who doesn't,
what the rules are.
Maybe even a series about
how rabbis' homes are run.
These things frighten me
because they can easily
get out of hand.
Don't get into trouble over nothing.
Of course.
-Get into trouble over something principal.
You have opinions about rabbis
which are totally different...
-No, about rabbis' homes.
About rabbis' homes,
which are totally different
from those of the Orthodox public.
I totally disagree.
No question.
Eli, these are the things they discuss
in all the Kollels (college-age yeshivas).
-Not true.
Don't you agree, Eli?
Even worse things.
-When did you last go to a yeshiva?
You have an agenda.
That's something else.
-You both have an agenda.
"We're going to air
the Orthodox sector's
"dirty laundry."
What? It isn't dirty laundry.
-Yes, you're going to
air the dirty laundry, okay?
-That's absurd.
You're the Ultra-Orthodox
who's ashamed to tell the sector's story.
The Ultra-Orthodox who's ashamed
of being one.
One who isn't ashamed says:
"That's the reality and I'm proud of it."
I don't say:
I won't tell the story
because I'm ashamed of it.
You wonder what Ynet (secular website)
will write.
Where will the follow-up be?
What do I care about Ynet?!
-Hold on.
Does Ynet listen to me?
-Hold on.
What do I care what the non-religious think?
We'll deal with them later.
Maybe I'll keep something from you
lest the non-religious hear
and cause trouble.
Why don't the other
Orthodox stations air it?
Why? Not because they're more conservative.
Because they have connections...
That's why.
-Because they have vested interests.
Vested interests.
You got a lighter?
When people ask "where's the fire"
I get worried.
"And where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Exactly. Get it?
The Patriarch Isaac asks "where is the fire..."
And how did it end?
He was almost slaughtered.
Almost.
-The fire was there.
Eli Bitan was a gifted reporter.
I met him when he worked
at BaKehila weeklie.
I left BaKehila for HaDerech
and he moved to more open-minded places
and we keep in touch.
Whatever's on your mind,
whatever's bothering you that morning,
you have a place to talk about it,
you say what you have to say,
you have no guidelines,
no restrictions.
But what I don't have and you do
is responsibility.
My whole family reads HaDerech.
You provide news to people
who have no other source.
You're speaking to 50.000 people.
The whole story must be told.
And the rabbis say:
"He's in charge of telling the stories."
When I was the editor of BaKehila
I could write whatever I wanted to.
I could attack one person one week
and another person the next week.
You can talk about
whatever's on your mind
and by the way, I did that gladly.
It was pure pleasure.
I attacked and...
I often drew
angry reactions.
Brutal.
Now I'm partisan, affiliated,
I'm cautious with every word.
What I did with BaKehila
I can't do anywhere else.
Back then I let myself
express my opinions.
A few things happened
one after the other that made me think:
"I can't let this slide.
"I can't let this slide."
I couldn't stop typing.
I wasn't trying to hurt anyone,
I wanted to tell the story.
And now you stop typing.
-Now I stop typing.
Totally. I stop my fingers.
Don't you miss it?
Turning the tables?
Standing by your truth
and burning the house down?
Yes, a little.
Maybe even more than a little.
You often feel like you want to shout,
to let it out.
But you hold back.
I hold myself back
and it's not easy.
Rabbi Bunim said...
Once someone told him
he could lose some weight,
a subtle hint, and he said:
"I'm fat from all the things
I hold in."
There was a girl from Givat Shaul
in Jerusalem who went missing.
She went out and didn't come home.
The police asked for
the public's help,
saying her life was in danger.
Naturally, Behadrei Haredim
immediately wrote about it
with the picture of a girl,
the picture the police
asked to publicize.
I have to show you...
Where did the picture go?
Schlez.
Yes? -I pulled up the article
about the missing girl
and the photo is gone.
We removed it the minute
the girl was found.
It was there half an hour ago.
Hadrei has no pictures of women.
I know, I...
have to deal with that,
but it was already there,
so...
what would've happened
if it was left there?
Our readers don't want to see it.
I'm only serving our readers.
We know what they want.
Who removed it?
I did, the second I got
the update from the police
I removed the photo,
it's not an issue.
So if I want to post
a picture of a woman
I need a tragedy,
a life-or-death situation.
Behadrei Haredim
used to have pictures of women.
Only in the women's section,
of course,
but there was a condition,
it had to have a warning.
"A woman appears
in the next article."
Then you could either
go back to "safe shores"
or move on to the article.
Women are my intended audience.
Why can't I show them a woman?
This is a conservative website.
Most of our readers
won't log on if there's a picture
of a woman,
not even an 80-year-old.
But I ran the women's section
for years
and no one ever complained
of a drop in traffic,
my column's traffic
only increased,
so how can you say
we'll lose readers?
That's the price we pay here.
If I don't like it I can leave,
but as long as I'm here
I have to...
play the game.
I'm going back to my silhouettes.
It was a big, beautiful, dignified event.
I'll send the photos soon.
I want my photo to appear
in Yated Ne'eman.
It's the house paper
of the Lithuanian sector
headed by Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
and it'll be a big boost
for my career.
Look. Yanki Kanievsky,
Rabbi Kanievsky's grandson,
and also Aryeh Kanievsky,
also Rabbi Kanievsky's grandson,
the Mozhitz Rebbe,
the Zvhil Rebbe,
the Vizhnitz Rebbe in the middle,
the Boyan Rebbe, the Sanz Rebbe,
the Slonim Rebbe,
the Gur Rebbe,
people always talk about
who sits next to Rabbi Kanievsky.
Just sitting next to the leader
gives you power.
I'm surprised I know
all their names by heart.
Whoa...
We have a fish meal here,
ladies and gentlemen.
L'chaim, L'chaim...
L'chaim, L'chaim.
Yes, Chaim?
And?
Didn't get the front page, poor guy.
You don't say.
He's so bummed.
So what is on the front page?
Okay, we'll be in touch. Bye.
You didn't get the front page?
No, I'll explain,
Shuki Lehrer was there too,
Chaim Goldberg
and all the Orthodox photographers.
My competition
for the front page of Yated Ne'eman
or the other newspapers.
I'm sure the editor decides
based on
the quality of the picture.
-You're wrong.
I'm afraid I'm paying the price.
Yaakov Cohen or Shuki Lehrer,
for instance,
they show up in the full garb.
Sometimes I dress differently
and I guess that drives them nuts.
You have stories on WhatsApp
and Instagram
which aren't always...
-Appropriate.
Not always right for your clientele
and that's what you're afraid of.
It may be that people say:
"This isn't the person
I want representing me
"as an Ultra-Orthodox."
He'll say...
-So it's because of my stories?
Shlomi, you're paying the price
for your stories,
you can't have your cake and eat it.
I'm no different
from any other Ultra-Orthodox.
God loves me
just as He loves him.
I may wear a blue shirt
and own a smartphone
and post stories
and have a few drinks
and party a little,
but I vote for the United Torah Judaism party
and I love the rabbis
and I have a rabbi
and a study partner.
To be honest, I'm bummed.
I fought for every photo
just so I'd make the front page.
I won't bring you down.
But it makes me mad.
We're lacking in leadership,
not to underestimate
the greatness of Rabbi Kanievsky.
he isn't really into being a leader.
When a fog surrounds
very important issues
there's more room for crooks
to squeeze into the picture.
I'm researching the topic of discrimination
against Sephardi girls in seminaries.
I can tell you things
you won't hear anywhere else
and you won't believe your ears.
Are there people around him
who are exploiting his authority?
You're obsessed with
undermining authority.
Rabbi Gafni, we've known
each other for 20 years,
I don't need any favors.
Special education
over personal gains.
I'll fight for it in any case.
If you say that the rabbi doesn't know,
you pull the rug out from under
the people who want to
obey the rabbis.
I can recruit Lapid
and his people,
let's do it, what's the problem?
What are you saying?
"Drop it, you can't change anything"?
Drop it, it'll do no good,
you'll only cause blasphemy.
We're crazy here, dude!
Lord almighty!
Shlomi...
Since the first day of the festival.
"Full of crap," "Pathetic,"
"A disgrace to the website,"
"Shame on you, Behadrei,
for having her as an editor."
God, forgive me.
You've never done anything bad,
so you have nothing
to ask forgiveness for.
What is blasphemy?
My kids are going to read
all that was written about me.
When you do something in public
you hurt the one who sent you,
who created you.
everything women are interested in.
What doesn't it have?
It doesn't have...
any pictures of women.
A man shouldn't look at a woman
if he has no reason to.
So what do I show?
Silhouettes.
As a woman,
it kind of bothers me.
Here with us is Rabbi Litzman,
Deputy Minister of Health.
And here with us is the Prime Minister.
What do you have to say to the viewers?
You add a little color
with your questions,
your vibe, your selfies,
your expressions,
your hairstyle.
We publish what the Ultra-Orthodox public
wants to read
and should read.
Were you at the demonstration yesterday?
-Of course.
There are disagreements within the...
-The rabbis disagree.
we're less answerable
to some council of rabbis
because we're a public station.
Whenever I listen to your father
I hear a true Torah-based,
God-fearing perspective.
He speaks his truth.
Our truth.
complying is the foundation
of the Ultra-Orthodox faith.
Commenting? complying.
The truth of our holy Torah.
We won't attack public servants,
we won't look for damning stories.
We won't attack our own.
But if it's Yair Lapid?
-Then yes.
That's that.
Daddy's leaving,
he'll be back in a few days.
Bye everyone, bye Moishy and Yosef.
Yosef, come here.
Be a good boy, okay?
Luckily I'm going out
when the street is fairly empty,
there aren't any neighbors
snooping around...
I usually stop at the first gas station
which has nice secret corners.
I used to go out
without all this stuff,
but things have changed in recent years.
There's nothing here
but trashcans and cats
and frightened orthodox black-hats.
For a few years after I got married
I studied Torah full-time like every
young Orthodox, and when I was finished
I went to the draft board
and said: "Hello,
"I was studying Torah until yesterday
"as you can see in your records
and now I'm finished.
"Now what do I do? Enlist?"
They said, "Yes, you have to enlist."
My kids don't even know
that I'm in the reserves
because the Ultra-Orthodox aren't supposed
to serve in the IDF.
I'm on my way to Camp Zikkim,
we have an exercise there,
I'm with the Casualty Identification Unit.
My army service is very
interesting and challenging.
In actual combat
we have to function like automatons,
put our emotions aside,
and in Operation "Protective Edge"
7 or 8 people were killed every day.
In those situations you think:
There's more to this life,
and in my media work,
when I'm behind the microphone
talking about the IDF
and about soldiers
and the Ultra-Orthodox and Torah scholars,
I always try to bring in
the personal element
that I've learned from this.
Because just as I know
that an Ultra-Orthodox mother
whose son has studied
in yeshiva all his life
can never understand
how a bereaved mother feels,
I can never explain to a secular person
the true value of Torah study.
They're unequal, the burden
and the feelings
and the stories.
What's equal is that I can't understand you
and you can't understand me.
That's what the media is for,
to connect the two sides,
and I always try to do that.
When I was young
I read lots of newspapers.
By "lots" I mean in numbers,
It was all "Yated Ne'eman" newspaper.
I'll never forget Tuesdays
when Yated for Kids came out
which had a satirical column
by P. Hovav,
who wrote about a fictional character
named Noah Schwartzbergandrovitch
which we found hilarious
and I always said,
"when I grow up I want to be
like P. Hovav."
And that's that.
I'm Efrat Finkel, 26, from Bnei Brak,
and I'm single.
The Finkels are a very famous
rabbinic family.
Actually, the Mir Yeshiva,
one of the two biggest in the world,
belongs to my family.
My grandfather was
a headmaster at the Mir Yeshiva,
my great-grandfather was
the supervisor at the Mir Yeshiva,
my great-great-great-grandfather was the
leader of the Jewish moral ethics movement,
he was known as
the Elder of Slobodka.
I'm six generations after him,
son after son, until I, a girl, came along.
I'm just starting out in the media
so I'm working around the clock.
I write digital content,
I write and do interviews
for the Pashkevil website
which is an Ultra-Orthodox website
and I also have a regular
radio feature.
Efrat Finkel, good morning.
-Good morning.
The yeshivas are being exposed
and what's really being exposed
is the wheeling and dealing,
I hope the phrase
isn't too insulting.
It turns out it's all about the money...
My work also takes me to some
pretty shady places.
Do you have a head kerchief?
Miri Regev. Did you see her
ask me for a kerchief?
I'm very fond of the Rabbi...
Only good news.
Miri Regev is pandering
to the holy Sephardi public.
One of the best parts
about my writing is my chutzpah.
I've never been subtle.
It's not my style.
The lamest Ashkenazi girl (me),
who grew up on silences and cleared throats,
found herself at a memorial service
for Rabbi Ovadia in the Knesset
and was amazed at the back-patting,
kissing and hugging
by all the VIPs.
Tweet.
Someone who sees me
or gets to know me superficially
would say: "She's a modern Orthodox."
I dress in style, I'm young,
I use young language,
someone once described me as
"an Orthodox who speaks fluent Secular."
On the other hand, I still have
the perspective of a 19-year-old seminary girl.
My dream, of course, is to get married
and have tons of kids.
Tons.
And to send my daughters
to Beis Yaakov schools
and my sons to Cheider,
and my husband can sit around
all day and do nothing
but study Torah.
Nothing.
He can help around the house a little.
You know, wash the dishes,
bathe the kids,
change diapers,
take out the garbage, cook,
do the laundry, shop...
I mean, if he really wants to.
One change I recently went through
was from writing for the internet
to writing for an Orthodox newspaper.
The newspaper BaKehila
("In the Community") is a weekly
delivered to the most hardcore Orthodox homes.
Internet is cute,
funny, now on to the next joke.
You have to treat
print newspapers differently
and, no offense, they're more serious.
They're printed, they're eternal,
and we say that when an Ultra-Orthodox
opens a newspaper
he doesn't read the lines,
he reads between the lines.
Where do you draw the line?
We have a spiritual council
that goes over
every letter.
-Just like in seminary.
If I'm talking to friends
I can post what we say
on a website
but not in an Orthodox newspaper.
I have to realize
that my readers
could be my grandfather.
Forever, no matter
what happens on the Internet,
the written press will have the last word
and dictate the agenda.
The Ultra-Orthodox public
gets most of its information in print.
They study the newspaper,
they analyze the paper,
they study every word.
And they know that what you wrote
is what they need to know
and what you don't write,
they don't need to know.
That's why they treat it with respect:
"I read it in HaModia."
"I read it in HaDerech."
It's got a certain prestige.
Then, in the '80s, something new
cropped up in the Orthodox media,
non-partisan, independent,
non-affiliated newspapers,
the weekly magazines.
When the Orthodox weeklies came out
they started airing
the sector's dirty laundry for the first time.
That didn't exist before.
Before the Orthodox weeklies
you could do as you pleased,
allocate budgets to your friends,
your institutions, whoever,
and nobody knew.
The Orthodox weeklies
started dishing the dirt,
"Hold on there,
aren't you an Orthodox MK?
"Are you allowed to party there?
We'll tell the people."
Not surprisingly, this goes against
the Ultra-Orthodox establishment
and mainstream
So the weeklies were banned...
and conservative Ultra-Orthodox
wouldn't have the weeklies in their homes.
What the weeklies and websites wrote,
whatever...
Maybe these Jews need money
so they write there...
unfortunately for them they had one eye
on the outside world.
But weren't you the editor
of the BaKehila weekly?
Yes, I was with BaKehila
for about...
7 or 8 years,
I can't remember exactly.
And that was that.
How's it going, Yitzhak?
How long do I have
before the paper goes to print?
You'll have it by 8:00
but don't take anything
from another photographer,
I'm here just for you.
Cool. Bye.
What's happening here is incredible.
Maybe hundreds of thousands of people.
It's the biggest rally in recent years.
All the top rabbis
are going to be here
and to top it off,
the most important rabbi in the Orthodox world,
the sage and master Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky,
the giant of our generation.
I hope to get a picture
of Rabbi Chaim looking at the crowd,
expressing his...
He has this look,
if you know Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
he has this look that's...
Wow.
I'll get a shot that will... Boom.
Where's the press entrance?
Excuse me.
I hope my photo appears
on the front page of Yated Ne'eman.
That would be a big achievement for me.
Does anyone know
where the press entrance is?
There?
Where's the press entrance?
Here? Here.
Who are you?
Shlomi.
You can't go in.
Dvir, David, who's in charge
of the press?
You don't belong here.
Clear the gate and get out.
Hands off!
Yehoshua, Yehoshua.
Dvir, Dvir, Dvir, Dvir,
tell Morgenwasser to come here.
Tell Morgenwasser to come here.
Meir, Meir, Meir,
I'll get the photo for you.
A photo of Rabbi Chaim!
Let him in, Morgenwasser said
to let him in.
Who? Go ahead.
What's up, Shaya?
Where to?
They're still working on the stage.
Photographers, get off until
they finish building the stage.
All the best photographers are here.
Shlomi, you have to understand something.
What?
-At all the...
events with Litzman, I'm the man.
Cool, we'll be together.
There's room for all.
Just letting you know.
Cool.
The competition is tough
but I'm not here to play games,
I'm here to work.
What kind of photo do you want?
A hardcore photo of the two dudes.
Which dudes?
-The Gur Rebbe and Rabbi Chaim.
If you capture just the two of them
it'll be in all of tomorrow's papers.
You'll see to that?
Will I get credit?
You rule.
What are we fighting for?
For God, for our right to be Orthodox
and keep the Commandments,
to live a life of Torah and faith.
Judgment Day is very close this time,
we're in dire straits.
Gentlemen, don't jump the fence.
Don't ruin the whole event...
Stop pushing, folks.
Stop pushing.
Children, get down off of there.
Now!
Move back a bit,
please don't push.
Everyone in the front row
got here four hours early
so they could see the great rabbis
and I get to witness
this powerful sight up close,
from point-blank range,
and it's a great and rare privilege.
It really is a great honor...
Whoa! Look at this!
It's insane!
Hey, be careful!
Clear the crowd.
People, move back.
Be careful!
Watch out!
We can't go on like this.
Medics, over there!
Medics, over there!
They need help.
Raise your hands
so they can see you.
I came here to cover
this amazing rally.
There are about 150.000 people
who've gathered together
just to see the great rabbi
and I'm curious about
how women see it
and where our place is
in this whole event.
We will have nothing to do
with the seditionists
who want to make the Jews
forget the Torah, God forbid!
With those who want to
ruin our children with education...
I can't see who's on stage.
Who want to destroy
the holy Sabbath!
You don't belong here! Beat it!
Okay...
-That God gave us,
God gave us a fine gift,
it's called Shabbat.
They didn't make separate areas
for men and women.
I want to see what's happening
on stage,
the men don't want me pushing into
the men's section, and rightly so,
but who says this is
the men's section?
They're at a loss,
I understand them,
and some of them are mad at me
and that's okay, I'm used to it.
We welcome with awe
the holy rebbes, the members
of the Council of Torah Sages.
Excuse me?
Did you come here
especially for the rally?
May I ask why?
There are things you feel in your soul
that you can't explain.
When I see so many people...
who came out to come here,
for what? To see a rabbi, to see...
when I see it I can't help crying.
It's touching. -She's provoking you.
-How old are you? -Don't talk to her,
get away from her.
-What?
Don't talk to her, it's a provocation.
-Can I ask you how old you are?
Get away from her.
Do I look like a provocateur?
She's looking for trouble.
-I'm insulted.
Leave her alone.
-I'm here as an Orthodox journalist.
You're no Orthodox.
You don't say.
I'm no Orthodox because...?
An Orthodox woman
wouldn't be here with men.
But an Orthodox humiliates others
in public?
And this is war,
God's war against the Amalekites!
I'm here to fight for my ideals,
for my values.
Hold on, stop filming.
God willing we'll win.
Okay.
This is getting out of hand.
Okay, I'll go. Enough.
This is an historic event
unlike any we've seen in years,
I have no doubt that the boys,
young men and young scholars
who are seeing the great sages
are being uplifted with spirituality
which is why we've gathered here.
Now we'll work out all our anger on...
Good thing my sister is a trainer.
Hold this here.
Excellent. Back to me.
And up you go.
Knees at right angles,
back straight.
Okay. -We're here to work out
our anger, no?
I really need it...
-Then tell me,
what the hell were you doing there?
I wanted...
-Why did you even go?
What do you mean? It's my job.
I go places and cover things.
Obviously someone else
can do that,
a man, let's say, not you.
Now you're making me
even more uptight.
-Then go for it.
Faster.
Go.
Eight...
You know that since it's a rally
for Ultra-Orthodox men
they don't want women there.
It doesn't matter if
it's that particular rally or anything else,
they don't want me anywhere!
Let's work on our arms again.
Everything must be
controlled by men,
then men make all the decisions,
there's a reason they won't let
Orthodox women be MKs...
But do you have to confront them
to make a change?
No.
-Can't you make other changes?
I, for instance, am a trainer,
and in the past there was no place
for orthodox women to learn the trade.
We didn't go around screaming
but they realized we had power,
so I see that as a revolution,
but a quiet one.
Oh, yeah?
-No one heard it.
Okay, and that quiet revolution
came out of nowhere,
God pressed a button
and created a revolution.
-No, it came from the Knesset.
Where did it come from?
From courageous women
who deal with these things
and fought and cried out for it.
Ten years ago,
did anyone think
that Orthodox women
had a will of their own?
The problem is,
"the Ultra-Orthodox sector" means...
"Stay at home, woman"?
Stay at home or do something else,
but not here, okay?
-As long as you don't interfere with
the male supremacy. Fine.
I think it's all because
it really isn't a woman's place.
Is that so?
-Yes.
You know the sector.
These battles are useless.
I've been told many times:
"Stay away from that,"
"Don't get involved with that,"
"Don't go into that,"
but I have a responsibility.
Someone has to be willing
to stand on the front lines
and be attacked with:
"Okay, you're no Orthodox,"
"Okay, you're a feminist,"
"Okay, you want to ruin us,"
"Okay, you want..."
That's okay, as long as things
will change.
Yom Kippur is just around the corner
and this is our chance to ask forgiveness
of the Torah scholars,
yeshiva students, Kollel students,
great rabbis,
who we may have undervalued
over the course of the year
because you're the vanguard,
this all exists for you.
And of course the public servants,
the politicians, the MKs,
perhaps the things I asked or said
offended you,
but of course you're the emissaries
of the great rabbis
and we only mean to praise you,
we're just doing our job,
and for this we apologize.
That's all for tonight,
we wish our listeners a good year,
we'll see and hear you later.
Bezalel, did you want to talk to me?
How's it going?
Thank God, how are you?
-Thank God.
I guess this is the time...
Yom Kippur Eve.
After the Yom Kippur program
and before Yom Kippur begins.
Next week I have reserves duty
so I won't be here
and I don't want anyone to know why.
It's between you and me
and certainly shouldn't be announced.
Are you afraid you'll be called
an Unorthodox? -Yes.
Yes. I represent the Orthodox sector
and I'm not proud of going to the army.
Secondly, we have to do
some soul-searching,
at least I do,
and I get a feeling from the audience
which I feel too
that we should make a minor change.
We're too silent
about things that
everyone's talking about.
Let's take the subject
of the convicted Rabbi Berland,
I can warn the public
not to do certain things.
I won't attack him personally
or judge him.
Do you really want to go into all
those controversial issues? -No.
I think that by confronting issues like
sexual abuse, for example,
I save children.
Some parents have no clue.
They listen to Radio Kol Chai
and it's the only media outlet that tells them
how to find these creeps
and protect their children.
It's not my place to tell a father
how to protect his child.
The father doesn't want his child
to hear about conflicts,
about Rabbi Berland
or a conflict among the Gur sect
or any other Hassidic sect.
That's not our job.
-Then he should turn off the radio.
No, he shouldn't.
-You have two hours
of air time that you can use
to help people, solve problems
and raise awareness.
We can go on saying:
This isn't happening,
kids shouldn't hear this,
but when you look at the websites
and Twitter and...
-People's comments.
And everyone's talking about it openly.
You can't ignore the fact
that that's how things work.
That's what people talk about.
You can't say "not me."
You want us to stoop to
social media comments?
Can we air a more open program
at 11 p.m.?
No.
If not for Radio Kol Chai
and the Orthodox media,
the younger generation
would be exposed
to what no parent wants them
to be exposed to in the regular media
and we're the clean, pure,
safe alternative.
Alright.
-You don't change a winning team.
Lengthwise, too.
Thank you very much.
Very nice. Good luck.
I started working on an article
about Sephardi girls not being admitted
to certain high schools.
I've had this on my mind
since 8th grade.
I still remember how I was
admitted to a seminary, no problem,
and my Sephardi friends
weren't admitted
and something in my 8th grade instincts
told me there was
something wrong here.
And it haunted me for years
and suddenly it struck me:
You're a journalist, you can do something.
I can record you, right?
-Sure.
Great.
If I get accused of something
I can send the recording
and say: "MK Margi said so."
My first interviewee
is MK Margi from Shas.
I came to you because
you're known as the terror
of the seminary principals.
They don't even know how I look.
-They're terrified of...
I haven't hit anyone yet.
-...what you've done.
The truth hurts.
The truth is scary.
What do you think the problem is?
How big is the average seminary class?
There were 50 girls in my class.
Don't you wonder why?
A class of 18 girls or more
is profitable.
18 girls?
-Is profitable.
So imagine what a startup 50 is.
You see?
-So why don't they open more
if it's financially viable?
Because there's competition.
What did they say
to us Sephardis?
"Open your own seminaries,
don't come knocking on our doors."
Let's say I decide
to open a seminary.
All the other seminaries and...
I almost said "evildoers."
They start taking the best students
in 7th grade,
premature enrollment,
which is against the law.
And that enrollment is off the record,
right?
Off the record.
How can I compete when they have
the economic power of 50 girls per class
times 18 classes per year?
When they already took
all the good students back in 7th grade?
Jewish law and ethics
stop at the seminary gates.
And with the elite.
-And with the elite.
So what's the answer?
The answer is regional enrollment.
Sad to say, when I spoke about
regional enrollment
I was pressured, even threatened.
my party leader...
-By whom?
Why shouldn't the law pass?
Who's against it?
I'll put it clearly.
As long as United Torah Judaism is
part of the coalition, it won't pass.
Why not? -They want the discrimination
to continue.
What do they gain from that?
-Power.
Why not bring these subjects up
to the mainstream newspapers
that dictate public opinion,
Yated, HaModia...?
Those are the seminaries'
house newspapers.
You expect them to write
that they themselves are prejudiced?
That they're doing wrong?
It won't happen.
What I do expect is for
the other journalists
who are Ultra-Orthodox
to be brave enough
to put the cards on the table.
It's almost 9:05,
good morning, Bitan.
-Good morning, Gruzman.
We'll just mention
that during this program
we'll discuss several
internal Orthodox matters
and let the light of day
clear the air
even if they're painful subjects.
We'll be discussing
the Rabbi Eliezer Berland scandal
so we're informing parents
who are concerned about
what their children will hear
that we'll be discussing that.
The Mendy-Bitan Show is intended
for the Orthodox and religious audience
so we only talk about
sexual abuse
during our second hour,
that is, from 9 to 10,
when the kids are in school
and we only speak to the parents,
the adults.
I started working on a report
about what happens in rabbis' homes.
People want to know how it works.
Who goes in, who doesn't,
what the rules are.
Maybe even a series about
how rabbis' homes are run.
These things frighten me
because they can easily
get out of hand.
Don't get into trouble over nothing.
Of course.
-Get into trouble over something principal.
You have opinions about rabbis
which are totally different...
-No, about rabbis' homes.
About rabbis' homes,
which are totally different
from those of the Orthodox public.
I totally disagree.
No question.
Eli, these are the things they discuss
in all the Kollels (college-age yeshivas).
-Not true.
Don't you agree, Eli?
Even worse things.
-When did you last go to a yeshiva?
You have an agenda.
That's something else.
-You both have an agenda.
"We're going to air
the Orthodox sector's
"dirty laundry."
What? It isn't dirty laundry.
-Yes, you're going to
air the dirty laundry, okay?
-That's absurd.
You're the Ultra-Orthodox
who's ashamed to tell the sector's story.
The Ultra-Orthodox who's ashamed
of being one.
One who isn't ashamed says:
"That's the reality and I'm proud of it."
I don't say:
I won't tell the story
because I'm ashamed of it.
You wonder what Ynet (secular website)
will write.
Where will the follow-up be?
What do I care about Ynet?!
-Hold on.
Does Ynet listen to me?
-Hold on.
What do I care what the non-religious think?
We'll deal with them later.
Maybe I'll keep something from you
lest the non-religious hear
and cause trouble.
Why don't the other
Orthodox stations air it?
Why? Not because they're more conservative.
Because they have connections...
That's why.
-Because they have vested interests.
Vested interests.
You got a lighter?
When people ask "where's the fire"
I get worried.
"And where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Exactly. Get it?
The Patriarch Isaac asks "where is the fire..."
And how did it end?
He was almost slaughtered.
Almost.
-The fire was there.
Eli Bitan was a gifted reporter.
I met him when he worked
at BaKehila weeklie.
I left BaKehila for HaDerech
and he moved to more open-minded places
and we keep in touch.
Whatever's on your mind,
whatever's bothering you that morning,
you have a place to talk about it,
you say what you have to say,
you have no guidelines,
no restrictions.
But what I don't have and you do
is responsibility.
My whole family reads HaDerech.
You provide news to people
who have no other source.
You're speaking to 50.000 people.
The whole story must be told.
And the rabbis say:
"He's in charge of telling the stories."
When I was the editor of BaKehila
I could write whatever I wanted to.
I could attack one person one week
and another person the next week.
You can talk about
whatever's on your mind
and by the way, I did that gladly.
It was pure pleasure.
I attacked and...
I often drew
angry reactions.
Brutal.
Now I'm partisan, affiliated,
I'm cautious with every word.
What I did with BaKehila
I can't do anywhere else.
Back then I let myself
express my opinions.
A few things happened
one after the other that made me think:
"I can't let this slide.
"I can't let this slide."
I couldn't stop typing.
I wasn't trying to hurt anyone,
I wanted to tell the story.
And now you stop typing.
-Now I stop typing.
Totally. I stop my fingers.
Don't you miss it?
Turning the tables?
Standing by your truth
and burning the house down?
Yes, a little.
Maybe even more than a little.
You often feel like you want to shout,
to let it out.
But you hold back.
I hold myself back
and it's not easy.
Rabbi Bunim said...
Once someone told him
he could lose some weight,
a subtle hint, and he said:
"I'm fat from all the things
I hold in."
There was a girl from Givat Shaul
in Jerusalem who went missing.
She went out and didn't come home.
The police asked for
the public's help,
saying her life was in danger.
Naturally, Behadrei Haredim
immediately wrote about it
with the picture of a girl,
the picture the police
asked to publicize.
I have to show you...
Where did the picture go?
Schlez.
Yes? -I pulled up the article
about the missing girl
and the photo is gone.
We removed it the minute
the girl was found.
It was there half an hour ago.
Hadrei has no pictures of women.
I know, I...
have to deal with that,
but it was already there,
so...
what would've happened
if it was left there?
Our readers don't want to see it.
I'm only serving our readers.
We know what they want.
Who removed it?
I did, the second I got
the update from the police
I removed the photo,
it's not an issue.
So if I want to post
a picture of a woman
I need a tragedy,
a life-or-death situation.
Behadrei Haredim
used to have pictures of women.
Only in the women's section,
of course,
but there was a condition,
it had to have a warning.
"A woman appears
in the next article."
Then you could either
go back to "safe shores"
or move on to the article.
Women are my intended audience.
Why can't I show them a woman?
This is a conservative website.
Most of our readers
won't log on if there's a picture
of a woman,
not even an 80-year-old.
But I ran the women's section
for years
and no one ever complained
of a drop in traffic,
my column's traffic
only increased,
so how can you say
we'll lose readers?
That's the price we pay here.
If I don't like it I can leave,
but as long as I'm here
I have to...
play the game.
I'm going back to my silhouettes.
It was a big, beautiful, dignified event.
I'll send the photos soon.
I want my photo to appear
in Yated Ne'eman.
It's the house paper
of the Lithuanian sector
headed by Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
and it'll be a big boost
for my career.
Look. Yanki Kanievsky,
Rabbi Kanievsky's grandson,
and also Aryeh Kanievsky,
also Rabbi Kanievsky's grandson,
the Mozhitz Rebbe,
the Zvhil Rebbe,
the Vizhnitz Rebbe in the middle,
the Boyan Rebbe, the Sanz Rebbe,
the Slonim Rebbe,
the Gur Rebbe,
people always talk about
who sits next to Rabbi Kanievsky.
Just sitting next to the leader
gives you power.
I'm surprised I know
all their names by heart.
Whoa...
We have a fish meal here,
ladies and gentlemen.
L'chaim, L'chaim...
L'chaim, L'chaim.
Yes, Chaim?
And?
Didn't get the front page, poor guy.
You don't say.
He's so bummed.
So what is on the front page?
Okay, we'll be in touch. Bye.
You didn't get the front page?
No, I'll explain,
Shuki Lehrer was there too,
Chaim Goldberg
and all the Orthodox photographers.
My competition
for the front page of Yated Ne'eman
or the other newspapers.
I'm sure the editor decides
based on
the quality of the picture.
-You're wrong.
I'm afraid I'm paying the price.
Yaakov Cohen or Shuki Lehrer,
for instance,
they show up in the full garb.
Sometimes I dress differently
and I guess that drives them nuts.
You have stories on WhatsApp
and Instagram
which aren't always...
-Appropriate.
Not always right for your clientele
and that's what you're afraid of.
It may be that people say:
"This isn't the person
I want representing me
"as an Ultra-Orthodox."
He'll say...
-So it's because of my stories?
Shlomi, you're paying the price
for your stories,
you can't have your cake and eat it.
I'm no different
from any other Ultra-Orthodox.
God loves me
just as He loves him.
I may wear a blue shirt
and own a smartphone
and post stories
and have a few drinks
and party a little,
but I vote for the United Torah Judaism party
and I love the rabbis
and I have a rabbi
and a study partner.
To be honest, I'm bummed.
I fought for every photo
just so I'd make the front page.
I won't bring you down.
But it makes me mad.
We're lacking in leadership,
not to underestimate
the greatness of Rabbi Kanievsky.
he isn't really into being a leader.
When a fog surrounds
very important issues
there's more room for crooks
to squeeze into the picture.
I'm researching the topic of discrimination
against Sephardi girls in seminaries.
I can tell you things
you won't hear anywhere else
and you won't believe your ears.
Are there people around him
who are exploiting his authority?
You're obsessed with
undermining authority.
Rabbi Gafni, we've known
each other for 20 years,
I don't need any favors.
Special education
over personal gains.
I'll fight for it in any case.
If you say that the rabbi doesn't know,
you pull the rug out from under
the people who want to
obey the rabbis.
I can recruit Lapid
and his people,
let's do it, what's the problem?
What are you saying?
"Drop it, you can't change anything"?
Drop it, it'll do no good,
you'll only cause blasphemy.
We're crazy here, dude!
Lord almighty!
Shlomi...
Since the first day of the festival.
"Full of crap," "Pathetic,"
"A disgrace to the website,"
"Shame on you, Behadrei,
for having her as an editor."
God, forgive me.
You've never done anything bad,
so you have nothing
to ask forgiveness for.
What is blasphemy?
My kids are going to read
all that was written about me.
When you do something in public
you hurt the one who sent you,
who created you.