Meeting Cult Members in Israel | Bnei Brak (Part 2)
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- Опубліковано 11 тра 2019
- Patreon: / geneticallymodifiedske...
PayPal: www.paypal.me/GMSkeptic
Bnei Brak is an ultra-orthodox Jewish cult (and city) in Israel. Armin Navabi and I got the chance to meet up with Amir, an activist who grew up in Bnei Brak and has since escaped. I've spoken plenty about cults, from how cults form, to why people join cults, to talking about the cult I almost joined (Young Living Essential Oils). It's finally time that I show you what the inside of a cult looks like. This is part two of this documentary: Atheists Explore A Jewish Cult | Bnei Brak.
Here, we meet and speak with Jewish cultists at a Jewish prayer house, and a study where men can live and study religion (Talmud and Torah) full time. We also get treated very strangely at a Jewish restaurant.
------------------------------------------FOLLOW------------------------------------------
DREW:
Twitter: / gm_skeptic
Facebook: / gmskeptic
Discord: / discord
ARMIN:
/ arminnavabi
www.atheistrepublic.com/
/ @ideasunboxed
JEREMY:
www.auroracreativemedia.com/
/ aurora_cmg
/ aurora.creative.media
AMIR S:
/ israeliatheistsassocia...
This video contains 100% therapeutic grade skepticism.*
*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA
What do you think - Did it look like we made the locals upset in the prayer house, or were they just curious?
Also , what else should we make documentaries about in the future?
Genetically Modified Skeptic mate meat and milk
loool
cheese burgers and eating mil.with meat
does not cause diabetes loool
Some people look upset/worried, other's seem curious. But none seem too angry.
But Armin takes big risks without really knowing if he is in danger or not acting this way.
Honest Peter athesit are a cult in certian places.
I ask them according to science
some people are born being attracted to children
I say to the Athesit
should a person embrace his sexuallity
or control it
they say control it because you may harm the child
physically or consiounesly.
then they created a law that deals with controlling are human / animalistic nature.
the laws in the Torah can be rationally explained from the Canaanite bronze age to now.
@@ishmaelsali2634 so atheists are a cult if they refuse pedophelia? Wtf did I just read?
Just looked like religious people talking shit as usual.
It's so weird, because I lived in Bnei Brack for 18 years, and never saw the prayer house on the inside.
Also, my dad's study place. It's the first time I got to see it, on camera.
Thank you for giving this insight into the community. Your dad actually seems like a really nice guy.
that was the best documentary on religion i've seen,thanks to you for showing us!❤
I just realised that Amirous is the same Amir from the documentary. Yes, I'm slow lol. Very interesting 2 part series.
@@xemy1010 lol, that's my name 😅
just wanted to say, you are a badass, and your dad is awesome. I wish my parents would be as supportive.
Armin is just the edgy friend in this series 😂 running around and breaking rules
I love him so much XD
I'd understand if he had to live in iran 😂😂😂
Editttt: I'm from iran
He reminds me of some chuckleheads I know and love 😄
I thought he was being a bit disrespectful at times
@@shannsimms9072I get the feeling that's intentional.
I kinda cried when Amir was talking about how strange it was to watch coming-out shows and comparing that to his personal experiences. My heart goes out to Amir.
As someone who grew up in Israel, places like Bnei Brak or Mae'a Sha'arim exist, but were extremely foreign to me. I would have felt just as out of place as you guys did. That being said, I was rather surprised that they were somewhat ok with you being there. Big shout out to Amir for being so fucking cool! What a fantastic series this was.
@@thotslayer9914 No, it isn't, actually. It's quite nice.
@@thotslayer9914 Lol Israel is amazing country...
@@thotslayer9914 "with the socio economic problems here"
Can you name a country that doesn't have such problems?
@@thotslayer9914 If you actually look at the statistics it much better today then it was and it almost all Arabs or Ultra-Orthodox not normal people who 2 parents working.
Yes it would have been nice to see some of the regular culture and how religion plays a role there two, because this is obviously an extreme. But perhaps they didn't have a very long trip.
I am Israeli, I'm only 14 years old currently. I grew (and still grow) up in an orthodox community, and my whole life I was taught just one thing: to believe in god, no matter what. I started having my skeptics a few years ago, but no one was able to answer me. I grew up without internet connection, only saw religious movies, usually ones that portrayed other religions as a bad thing. I was taught that most Muslim and Christian (and non Jewish people in general) were bad. Thankfully I managed to kind of escape it. I still go to religious school, I only wear skirts in public, and I feel extremely uncomfortable talking to men, 'cause that's what I was always taught. Discovering atheism, and the answers it had to my questions, it truly changed my life. Because of channels like yours I found confidence in myself to rebel against the system. I now have a future that won't include raising my unwanted kids with my arranged husband, but being my own person.
Sincere congratulations! And always remember that being skeptic, asking for logic and evidence in things, is not just a matter of religious beliefs. Is a tool useful for all aspects of life.
Four years later but I hope you’re doing well!!!
Update?
החיים קשים אכן
I wish you the best!
The quality of this documentary is outstanding!
True.
Amir and his dad are real heroes. Especially his dad because he is taking a huge risk already and also by wanting to question the status quo of established practices. I've heard horrific stories of Jehova's Witnesses and Mormons who were disowned by their parents, because their cult teaches them to favour their imaginary friend over their own child of flesh and blood... Not in Amir's case it seems so it's indeed a glimmer of hope!! What an outstanding documentary. This deserves to be aired on BBC.
He isn't taking a risk at all.
@@danholo uh, except he is. In the first part Amir talked about how his family is suffering because he's trans. His sister can't find someone to marry because the family is so untraditional - the father spends time with the children, talks to his "daughter" wearing pants, etc. He even had to take his children to school in another city because the schools in the city would not accept his children. The father is making a sacrifice.
@@miglek9613 nah bro the community is not nearly as crazy as they make it, mist people are pretty chilled and mind their own business,(this is coming from an orthodox Jew, who has relatives who live here and has been here)
As one who grew up in ultra-Orthodox society I can attest that this is the case for the most part, parents do not abandon their children who have left the faith, even though their social status is declining. It is very rare to hear about parents who have completely severed ties with the child. This usually only happens when the parents are afraid that the child will influence his siblings, or when he comes defiantly in front of his parents. These are rare cases and there is usually a certain reconciliation between the The parents and the child, as I have personally experienced.
Ya know, the scariest thing is that it's not just Jehova's witnesses or Mormons that disown families. A LOT of Christian sects do. My husband is pentecostal and they have disowned many in his own family who went against the church. Whether it be because of "rebellion", or being gay, marrying outside of the church, or simply not agreeing with the church. We have been disowned by his extended family and his parents hate my guts because A) im not Russian and B) I'm not religious. I hate it because his family were literally his best friends and support group. They are a legitimate cult though and now that he looks from the outside in he talks about how surreal it is. My sister was disowned from our Catholic family (not my parents, but the extended family) for being gay. It's not uncommon and while it's definitely not as bad as what Amir experienced or what my husband had to go through, it's still a problem in a lot of Christian groups here in America.
Genetically Modified Skaptic deserved appraisal and support.
He put intense work into this, and the subject of cult behaviore of judaism is a very rarely mentioned subject
@Dark Legionnaire what are you actually talking about? you defined nothing
Well it isn't a spoken of subject in America it is in Israel a documentary series was done in Israel not so long ago
@lotte lovelace yes there are many cults below the ground no one looked at everyone in America sees the nice declawed version of Judaism : reform Jews most Jews in America are reforms which are an okay non cultish group and some Jews are non believers and don't practice judaism
Jews are not Blameless on the World stage
@@leebennett4117 Wow. Deep.
As someone who grew up in an observant Jewish home, I find some joy in watching people who never encountered Judaism before grappling with the same shit I've dealt with my entire life.
I feel you man. We gotta swim upstream...
It’s so wild because even though I’ve studied most religions I never heard of any of this aside from a few things about kosher and head coverings. It’s so foreign and I really don’t think any non-Jewish westerner really knows the extent of it.
@@jj-qr4ro Orthodox Judaism is a minority in a minority. I don't blame anyone for not knowing the extent of how sever the observance can be, but maybe it's because I'm used to it. Even when I was religious, I was used to the shocked expressions on people's faces when I explained the practices, and I was Modern Orthodox.
I'm a secular Persian-Jew and I have never heard of some of the practices/customs that these individuals were referencing. It was really interesting!
@@randomhuman5374 There are over a million orthodox Jews worldwide. It is a minority, but quite a large one. Unknown and often mischaracterized.
Amazing time working on this with you Drew! Hope everyone enjoys!
Good luck in all your future endeavors and liked your resilience!
You did an awesome job on this. I look forward to seeing more of your work. I'll follow you on Twitter.
It is one of the best religion documentaries i've seen! thank you!
Hey, if you have some more clips that didn't make it onto the documentary, I would love to watch them on your channel, great job!
Brilliant job, I really loved this documentary. Best wishes for your future projects!
I have nothing but respect for the dad. he's brave, open minded and willing to change. This is the foundation of civilization.
kevin n He was raised conservative. Conservatives are very liberal, we are open minded and welcome change. 😊
@@lucindalove7606 Not all conservatives, proving the point that the dad is amazing!
Atheist non-practicing jew here raised in a liberal areligious and in most respects antireligious suburban Boston household. As a young adult, backfilled in quite a bit of the missing bits of theology and ritual, which accelerated as my kids were born, but thoroughly quashed by the words and acts of the pompous hypocritical and intolerant rabbi at "the" leading conservative congregation in Queens, NY, which professes to be egalitarian, inclusive and welcoming. To give but one example, my exwife overheard him telling another member that the Hebrew school associated with the temple is a travesty, since kids belong in the Jewish day school nearby where he was also the religious director. This was far from an isolated instance of doublespeak and the arrogance of this particular asshole and many, perhaps most pulpit clergy I've encountered during my stay on this planet so far. Another moment of "brilliance" (as in dangerously wrong) was a sermon he delivered the same week as the conservative movement determined that the ordination of LGBT rabbis was permissible, in which he described his "over my dead body" position.
My armchair diagnosis is that leading a substantial influential congregation where sheep -- correction congregants -- hang on your every word no matter how platitudinous or wrong your sermons or kiddush announcements end up being leads frequently to acquired narcissistic personality disorder, a syndrome that claims large numbers of top athletes and music, cinema and other major celebrities, where wealth and glory descend upon you and, over time, you lose your bearings within your community and society. One of the top google hits is www.decision-making-confidence.com/acquired-situational-narcissism.html
To be fair, not all conservative rabbis are assholes or presenting with serious diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness. And, of course, congregants within the conservative movement, while perhaps too deferential to charlatans like the rabbi from Queens discussed above, are frequently genuinely liberal, tolerant, open-minded, egalitarian and inclusive in word and deed and in public as well as behind closed doors.
End of rant.
Paul Glotzer Fair enough. I am sorry for the poor experiences and I agree with your assessment. I over generalized the Conservative movement based on my experience. I apologize.
Lucinda Love thank you for your reply, but no need to apologize! My sense is there are conservative congregations in the US that are just a smidge more observant than reform on one extreme, others that are black hat frum without the unfortunate men’s hair or separation of the genders on the other extreme and almost anything in between. It’s easy to over generalize one’s own particular flavor experience, especially if it has been consistent from childhood.
He's an American who came from Conservative Judaism. The emotional and religious framework in which he was raised was much less rigid than the one he entered into, so it's less of a major step forward.
For amir, trans rights and respect.
❤️
I support this message 100%
Being an atheist I don't don't look at it as you are going against God of course. but I do think you are trying to circumvent nature basically trying change what nature prescribes. but being open minded I would never try to persuade your decision in any way. I hope you don't take offense by my logical assertion. it's not meant to be offensive in any way.
@@harryrenner3001 I’d suggest reading up on it, it seems like you’ve got a very uninformed view of gender-nonconformity (not to come across as rude). But for a very quick run down: sex is your physical characteristics and gender is how you express that. Gender nonconformity isn’t a choice, and new evidence seems to point towards a genetic origin. Therefore, it’s not going against nature, since ‘nature’ effectively made you that way. There are probably transgender non-human animals, too, although I imagine that would be a very hard thing to test.
I want to give Amir a hug🥺
I grew up as an orthodox jew, I was a Yeshiva boy (Yeshiva is some type of religious high school) in Bene Barak for 3 years and and this video was very interesting to see through the eyes of a tourist. I left the religious community when I was 18 and like Amir I was lucky enough that my parents accepted me as I am. Today I'm still in university studying computer engineering and it took me many years to study for high school diploma and get accepted in university. Yeshiva doesn't teach you anything other then religion and I had to start everything from scratch when I was 22. Today I'm atheist, I live in the United States and I'm just so glad I fled that prison called Yeshiva.
Thank you for doing this video it brought up memories.
By the way, the most extreme community in Israel is not in Bene Barak but it is in Jerusalem and it's called Mea Shearim they wouldn't even let you film, they'll probably become violent toward you. Even the street is segregated, one side is for men and the other is for women, they even segregate public transportation (women in the back of the bus and men in front).
@עמית אביב כן מישראל
Nice. I grew up chabad, and I'm Atheist/agnostic now
why Daniel...why are woman separated from men?..not because they are one third on men, like it was thought in the US about blacks in the south who were also forced to seat in the back....here is why...because modern times are not olympic games for sports...they are olympic games against pornography/sexual pleasures for wasting lifecforce...and the men and woman at Mea Shearim are top level athletes....if you are going to play the female vs male card...you need to start demanding that sports stop being segregated, why dont woman basketball players play in the nba..other wise the NBA will no longer be the NBA is will become an orgyba...facts...you don't get it so you left...free will bro
I loved the first part, couldn't wait for the second one!
This is interesting and scary at the same time. How can whole city's be a cult in our modern world? It is...disturbing.
Meh mormons and wahabist hold power in some places so it isnt too surprising
I agree, it is disturbing. But every time little kids used to come to my door with Jehovah's Witnesses' pamphlets, I found that pretty disturbing, too. "You cannot be children, and play on this nice day?"
I used to be Catholic, and a lot of what I heard in elementary school, made great nightmares.
Char Zy Mormons don’t have any special power anywhere. Muslims and Jews do.
@@Thindorama Mormons have communities in which they are the majority and therefore you can feel their impact all over town. In many muslim country the religion is in the level of the state and you can feel their religious rules all around. In Israel there are a few towns with ultra orthodox majority so it's more like the Mormon style than Islam. So religious Jews have power in their communities but, at least for now, mostly there. That's why even in Bnei Brak you can visit no matter who you are. So no special power of religious Jews on the state as of yet. I hope it will stay that way.
Itai Filiba Israel is certainly worse than the US on secularism. Didn’t they even mention the government gives some of them money in this series?
I love how the former Muslim guy is continuously debunked by Amir. Amir is an atheist whose integrity doesn’t take second place to his atheism,his atheism takes second place when it comes to correcting misinformation.
As an atheist who studies and reads the Hebrew Bible much more than the New Testament, I really enjoyed the glimpse into this culture. Thank you all.
Amazing documentary so far. Bravo to you for going on this adventure as an atheist while doing a private youtube documentary. Need more of these on YT tbh. Also hidden cams might be a good investment.
Puncher Porster This is the end
shout out to amir's dad for prioritizing his family over his religion, he's a true man, father, and husband.
Kudos to all of you guys and I'll absolutely support Jeremy and his Aurora production company because, damn he did an awesome job here!!!
Again, I’m blown away by how exceptional this is. Thank you for this.
Armin really lives life on the edge, haha, anyway I loved the documentary GMS.
Amir should be a professional guide for Israel. I’d hire him.
The second half was just as good as the first. Thank you for making such an original and well-put-together documentary!
This is some top notch content. Really enjoyed learning about this, thank you for sharing this experience.
Armin's going to end up getting himself killed with this behavior if he interacts with the wrong kind of extremists
Armin is an ex-Muslim. I think he already understands the risks.
@@adamj8099 I'm inclined to agree. And I think he knows how important it is for his voice to be heard.
Amir is the Jew.
Yes, but the original commentor was talking about Armin, the ex-Muslim and not being careful as to follow their religious practices.
@lotte lovelace atheism is a Cause in the same way a lack of Belief in the loch Ness monster is cause,
Amir has been through so much but is such a sweet person, I admire his perseverance so much.
He is cute as well.
Saaaame ❤️
Balstrome1 yeah he’s adorable. A very genuine kind person 😊
@Evil Deeds I don't think you are bravely calling attention to the elephant in the room, but rather are exhibiting your own biases and labeling the documentary makers and the viewers who are respectful of Amir's spiritual and personal evolution as cultish merely because they are more perceptive and respectful than you seem to be. As far as Amir being "a woman who thinks she is a man", I believe it's clear to virtually everyone who weighed in that Amir more than "thinks" but actually knows his gender identity, but the way he discussed that and his appearance strongly suggests that Amir's gender identification is at a much earlier stage than his atheism and relationship to the social norms of the city shown in this excellent documentary.. P.S., you will not have your membership in the Bro Club revoked if you become more openminded.
@@tomer2724 it’s so cruel of you to have purposely misgendered him. Shame on you.
GMS and crew, thank you for doing this...it was more educational than I imagined it could be. Amir, you are truly a treasure!
16:16 they actually all have airpods in and are jamming to music
They are listening the greatest hits of the 1990's... BC.
@@martiddy My guy at 16:22 is spitting bars
To be clear Ultra Orthodox Jews aren't allowed to listen to secular music at all. Especially songs sung by women.
They are listening to scripture or similar stuff
A waste in my mind lol
@Digicraftmon the Crystal Gem Nah, Jesustin Belieber
I visited B’nei Brak and stayed with relatives. My beautiful uncle had lost his wife and four young daughters to the Nazi’s - his second wife had been operated on by Josef Mengele, who’s experiments prevented her from ever having children - but they had each other, and though they they had suffered unspeakable horrors, they showered love on the children in their community. Holding to their traditions, they found a quiet joy in living. They never reproached me for not being religious. They were very Orthodox, but not Ultra-Orthodox. Amir is a beautiful soul. I’d love to have seen a Part 3 & 4. Thank you for your kind and respectful work.
Thank you all for this so interesting to take a trip on the inside. Honestly I am surprised you got welcomed in as far as you did. I live in a Jewish are in the US we have orthodox Jewish stores I can't go in. Amir as the tour guide made this so much better. Awesome job everyone this is one I will probably watch again.
Which community? As far as I'm aware the only stores that don't allow certain people In would be woomens beauty stores that don't allow me in. If u know something different please tell
@@menachemplotkin6307 this is in Southfield MI and a bakery. Maybe just this owner I don't know. It's well known in my area. There are other bakery`s in town including Jewish ones so I just go there. Been years since I tried to go in it. We also had a Jewish community center here which I loved in spite of being an atheist an non Jewish everyone made my daughter and I feel welcome there.
Hey
I grew up as an ultra-Orthodox in Israel, and today I am very skeptical about the beliefs I grew up with and I am on the fence between the worlds.
I know the fact that the general public in Israel and all over the world has an incredible ignorance about the ultra-Orthodox people.
In my opinion this is the main cause of hatred between the populations. People know the ultra-Orthodox only through the media, which usually only refers to the negative and sometimes disseminates incorrect or exaggerated information.
I am aware that there is room for criticism of ultra-Orthodox society, but in my opinion this is done in a very disproportionate manner, a way that causes demonization of the entire ultra-Orthodox public.
You are amazed at the niceness of the ultra-Orthodox people in the video. If you knew ultra-Orthodox people personally and not just through the media you would not be surprised.
People can believe in completely irrational beliefs and still be good and nice people.
Wow. This is truly amazing footage. Thank you Drew for striving for such authentic perspective in the world
Remarkable work from everyone for a look into a world I'd hardly have believed existed in 2019. You're all courageous to have done this, and for little more reward than our poor thanks. Maybe it's just me being a woose, but I was incredibly uneasy throughout, especially in the prayer house. It also made me hugely grateful for my own personal circumstances which have shielded me from such monomanical insularity. Anyway, this is the most brilliant work you've done so far, Drew, which I hope you and your collaborations all realize. A huge thank you!
Amir's dad must be an awesome guy, he is as lucky as he is attractive
I'm really enjoying the series from your trip.
He*
@@maureenpaureen2042 thank you
Watching that head bobbing in the prayer house was legitimately straight out of a horror movie.
Raven Devino I can tell you the head bobbing is like how Muslims put their head to the ground to pray, they believe it increases concentration and intensity of it, due to that’s what was written that rabbi Akiva (a famous rabbi did). I know many who don’t pray like that it’s all personal preference. I don’t believe in god but still when I pray I’m that situation I like to do it cause it’s fun 😁
It is an act of religious ecstasy
Lol I see this every week
It is something that has been practiced by their religious beliefs though out time. you might see it as shocking because of your Christian beliefs and because it's something that you don't see often. but in fact it shows how close minded you are. and that it doesn't conform to your beliefs. a suggestion you need to broaden your mind. I would hate to find out what you believe about other subjects no doubt.
@@harryrenner3001 I'm uh... not Christian. I'm a Norse pagan so like, very not Christian, so don't preach to me about being "close minded". If Christians show brainwashed, cult like behavior, I call them out as well.
The man in the green shirt - did I get the right impression, was he just a local who offered to guide you around, not part of your film crew? - was so helpful and explained things very clearly. I rather like him.
And I LOVE Amir. What a star! Nonbinary vegetarian/vegan fist bump to you, Amir.
It seems to me that being vegetarian or pescetarian would make kosher laws a lot easier to follow, though that would mean you'd miss out on some classic Jewish foods.
One note of caution if you ever film a similar doc again. Do NOT assume that Israeli Jews don't understand English. They may refuse to speak it to you, but that doesn't mean much. Always best to behave as though your hosts can understand you.
The impression I got was that they did not try to talk to the locals properly at all.
Amir has a trauma from the locals, and the other Israeli who accompanied you is not local and is full of hatred towards the locals, as can be seen from his words throughout the video.
If they were to accompany someone who can mediate well between you and the locals, you would have had a much better experience.
Too bad I was not the guide ....
Suitov The man in the green shirt is the head of the Israeli Atheist Association and served as another guide who could explain some of what they were seeing..
@@MegaBallPowerBall Ah, that's good to know. That would explain why he's a good/knowledgeable talker.
Being vegan/vegetarian does make some of the kosher laws easier to follow, but there’s a lot of cleansing that is involved in spices, fruits, and vegetables, as well as some that are strictly prohibited (such as broccoli or raspberries).
The reason you have to clean your vegetables and fruits (and sift spices) is to make sure you aren’t consuming bugs, as although there are several types of bugs that are kosher, most are not. Veg/fruit that is impossible to clean thoroughly (like broccoli) due to crevices are prohibited as you can’t be certain bugs are not inside.
Spices are much much harder to clean and can take hours to sift through.
There’s more technicalities involved, but that’s an example from my understanding.
@@emmettdonkeydoodle6230 That's actually super interesting. Thank you! I don't feel like anyone mentions that part of kashrut very often, or at least this gentile had never heard about it.
So unbelievably impressed by the way this has been filmed and dealt with. It has been done with the utmost respect and understanding towards such a different way of life. It’s all too easy to get frustrated or call people or groups names but this has been done so beautifully. Thank you for a wonderful double episode on the Jewish cult. I’d love you guys to come to London and check out the same kind of thing going on there. I used to live there so would be happy to show you around.
Diary of an OTD girl I went the opposite direction. Nice to meet you! :-)
I'm not an atheist and I didn't agree with some of the conclusions you all drew about your observations but I really appreciated this inside view into the city and yours and your friend's views on the things happening around you. Just one note about the guy Armin (?) it is absolutely obnoxious to go into someone's house and feel like you have free reign to do as you please. Atheist or theist, manners and common decency as it relates here should apply. Really loved the tour guide too and the personal insights!!!
Hi Drew, this was an amazing set of videos. You’ve spent more time in Bnei Brak than I have, and I was born on the other side of the highway and lived within 10 minutes, all my life. Hope you get more chances to come and witness other aspects of being an Israeli Jewish Atheist. Props to both Amir’s for giving you such a comprehensive tour.
This was really good and I learnt a lot about how intense Bnei Brak was!! Thank you Amir for being so brave!
Armin is wild sometimes and I get scared for him but wow without his guts we wouldn't have the prayer footage!
Thank you for these two videos sir! Much appreciated!
Aaah I kind of wish there were other parts. Really great content. I loved it and I learned so much!!
Great video. Congratulations to everyone involved. It was a real check to my deep cultural training. Here I’ve been atheist/ agnostic since before I knew what the words meant. But, every time you went into a building my reaction was, “Don’t be rude to those nice old guys.”
congrats to all involved for this awesome documentary. Jeremy you did a rad job filming and editing, kudos!
👋🏼 from The Netherlands
Hebrew online school ad....ffs
Linda Ciccoli lol me too
Hebrew is an awesome yet pretty much useless language I know it as my mother language and the only use for it aside for Israel is as a secret language in all other places do you know how fun is talking Hebrew everywhere with my dad in public and our discussion being 100% anonymous I could talk about sex loudly in the 5th avenue and nobody will care I could call anyone a stupid asshole in the face and he won't know what I sayed
@@almogz9486 yeah knowing hebrew outside of israel is fun
almogz 9 rather verifies American idea in America that " if you speak English but aren't, it's because your talking sh*t. It's notot that Americans are anti foreign language, but we know you're being derogatory in that language
I know!!! Me too !! No such thing as bad publicity I guess!
Drew saying "I think it is just polite" is one of the cutest things on the internet
Amir is such an inspiration! I’m exuberantly proud of all of you for taking this journey and respecting this journey in it’s entirety! ❤️
This documentary is so good. I hope it finds a bigger audience. Thank you guys.
Great mix of people in your group. Everyone contributes a different viewpoint and approach to the situation.
Amazing that Amir can walk around this place without becoming insanely disphoric.
This has much fewer views than I expected. Very good quality and very fair work/commentary in my opinion.
I really enjoyed this 2 part film. It was extremely interesting and very professional. Fantastic job guys!!!
This was brilliant. I love Armin, guys got balls of steel!
Amir is so adorable!
I love the dynamic of polite atheist / up-front atheist of the two presentors. You make a great duo perfect for this situation
such a good series, keep doing similar stuff! takes a lot work but worth it. such great content.
I love the idea of the documentary, but I don’t know how I feel about purposely doing things to try to get a reaction (like with the food). It seems a little...unnecessary and trying to provoke a response to cause an issue. Also the filming. It was made clear they didn’t want that done. It just seems like these things create more tensions and give them more reason to look down on atheists and outsiders than they had before. I can appreciate the one’s passion, but it’s disrespectful and only causes more problems.
Thanks for posting this. Very informative.
This was far and away one of the best UA-cams I have ever watched. Amir, if you are ever in Hawaii, or Victoria B.C. Canada, I would be happy to show you my world.
This documentary was great - content and form! Thanks doing this stuff, and Go Jeremy!
New subscriber here! I find it hilarious how as an ex-Jew the ex-muslim guy knows more than I do about Judaism!!!!! Somehow this makes me happy 😃
I've never met an ex-Jew before! I'm a Jew. Why did you decide to become an ex-Jew? (If you don't mind me asking).
@@grngal6156 Im an exjew to. Lack of proof and unethical portions of the Torah were my primary reasons. For a more in depth list you can check out the exjew subreddit. Theyre's a wiki with a list there.
@@shadebinder9969 I consider myself mostly ethnically Jewish. I take part in the holidays, Shabbat dinners, etc..I see it as a way to maintain a connection to my family and my roots. I don't keep Kosher, sometimes keep Passover/Yom Kippur and only attend Temple on the high holidays…Do you still consider yourself ethnically Jewish? And, do you still attend holiday events?
@@shadebinder9969There is a lot of proof
@@shadebinder9969 Watch Math unveils the Truth by oren evron, Science and Torah by Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, A rational approach to the Torah by Rabbi Lawrence Keleman and Rabbi Yehoshua Zitron's Divinity series.
*Amir carried both of these videos.*
Part 1 was brilliant and part 2 didn't dissappoint. Top level documentary making, not a single wasted minute!
OK the 1st part was really good. But this was Fing awesome! Keep up the awesome work and thank you!
This is great! Keep up the good work!
Even if I agree with much of what you think and say, I also do think that this is very insensitive to people who live within this culture. I mean, you respected the wishes of the store clerk not to be on tape, but here you enter in a place that you admit probably doesn't allow filming and do it... even showing people's faces. I do believe that in 5 or 10 years time you will see this video with very different eyes.
Wow I really enjoyed watching this part of the video, I learned so much from the incredible insights each person brought.
Truly amazing content.
You should all be applauded for this.
Bravo.
I love how respectful Armin is of Amir. What a cool guy.
I honestly don't think it's that surprising that they didn't want you filming inside of the beit knesset (prayerhouse). I am a Reform Jew , living in the US, not following nearly as many rules as the Jews in B'nei Brak or even the Orthodox Jews in oter parts of Israel, and I don't think we would like it if someone came into our prayerspace (especially a non-jew) and was asking questions and trying to film.
Great content. You guys all did a helluva job. And much love to Amir, you rock!
I’ve been waiting for thisss
Application of the BITE model here seemed a little forced. When you interpret every religious law as a measure of control than every religion deserves the title of a "cult". Laws by definition, are meant to control one's behavior, regardless of them being religious laws or secular laws (don't smoke in gas stations, don't walk naked in the street, don't make noise when everyone is sleeping etc.).
If you try, you can find cult elements in every liberal society.
Well for each category there are subcategories which all have different score values. All religions will have a score and you might then have a threshold for when you call it a cult. Also, laws usually don't control information and almost never thought or emotion.
As someone who grew up in the ultra-Orthodox society and is now very skeptical about the beliefs I grew up with, I agree with what you wrote, but yet there is much in common between the conduct of a cult and the conduct of ultra-Orthodox society, especially in the field of exposure to information, and censorship of any material that is publicized.
But I will note that there is another and significant difference - since most of the rules and Norms are not dictated from above by the leaders as you would expect a cult, but rather come from below from a public demand. The reason for this, in my opinion, is a result of the social evolution that ultra-Orthodox society has undergone and the struggle for survival in the face of the Jewish Enlightenment movement for the last two hundred years.
First of all , I have to say this is a very well made documetnary , however I have to add some thoughts as a person who was brought up in an a very secular house in Bnei-Brak.
Bnei-Brak has changed a lot through the years from what I've seen and what I'm seeing when I go back. Growing back I lived in a very mixed area where lots of secular people lived, drove cars on the sabbath and generally lived totally normal secular life. Growing up, I had friends from Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox families while I studied in a secular school in the heart of Bnei-Brak. For most of my childhood and early teenage years I was able to lead a completely secular life, however throughout the years this has changed with more secular families leaving the area and more ultra-orthodox people moving in, however in the time I lived and grew up there, I have never had any of my orthodox or ultra-orthodox neighbourhood friends or their families try to brain wash me or anyone else I knew , they lived their lives and me and my family lived our lives.
Being an atheist myself ,I still find some of the information in the documentary a bit harsh as Bnei-Brak still has a very mixed community of different orthodox and ultra-orthodox sects. IThere is no indication what ultra-orthodox sects you were referring to as cults or trying to analyse based on the BITE model , it would have been great to get more insights on that and even a few thoughts from other people who grew/lived in Bnei-brak from non orthodox background (if you did some research you will find there are quite a lot of us who learned a lot from observing our very religious neighbours and none of us turned up to be a member of a cult or turned orthodox although those things can happen !).
As an atheist I''m hoping to present a slightly different perspective on the life in Bnei-Brak , however it would be really hard to do this in a youtube comments but I just wanted to let the world know that although Bnei-Brak is mostly Ultra Orthodox, there are a lot of sides that haven't been shown in this video and a lot of secular people who at some point in their lives lived there.
Thank you for your informative comment. It definitely added some info. Just like at least 2 women wearing pants (one of them wearing a very tight pair of leggings actually) in the first video.
I seriously thank all of you, especially Amir for his courage... Thanks a lot
Probably the most insightful and enlightening pieces on another culture I have ever seen. I have so many thoughts and comments I don’t know where to begin! And I’m old!
Amir is awesome and I can see why. His Dad seems like a lovely guy.
Amir’s dad was too cute at the end of the video, asking about the camera. 😂❤️
I knew I loved this channel for a reason! This was great!!!!! Thank you!!!!!
This was the best amendment audit video I've seen in my a moon! On a serious note, well done! Great documentary with interesting content. I'm now subscribed.
As a person with ASD, I kinda low key like how they rock back and forth when they pray and stuff. Pretty cool tbh
honestly I think its just a culturally exaggerated version of the kind of weight shifting people do when they sit or stand for long periods of time. the explanation offered is not something I recall in 21 years of being Ultra-Orthodox. its just something that people commonly do
I really think this was a great documentary. There's a lot that's been fleshed out here. I would say two things though: firstly I think the general lack of journalistic experience is quite evident less so within the questioning itself but more within preparation and risk assessment. Risk assessment is really key here and when an experienced journalists conduct a controversial or conventionally 'risky' interview, there's always the appropriate safety and security on-hand to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. This also makes an interview subject feel more comfortable and you're more likely to get better inquiry with them. I noticed this lacking in a few areas, for example leaving your guide on his own outside the prayer room, could have ended in separation from him in a potentially hostile environment. This really is a big no-no. Or with the general settings and interview posture that was used occasionally, it could definitely use a more tailored journalistic input. You guys have such an exceptional documentary here from a theological standpoint, but to make it that bit better as a documentary and cement it within that genre, taking that input would be very helpful for you. I sincerely think you'd get better results and perhaps turn those uncomfortable situations you experienced into more positive results. It's definitely worth taking a seasoned journalist with you. Secondly, I think the approach was a little too confrontational at times. When I interview people, I like to take the approach of assuming they're right and know more than I do. Having that mental stance in my head allows subjects to open up a lot more, as everybody loves to talk about their passion, especially if it means teaching someone else about it. Confronting people as was the case here can feel a little divisive, and if the end goal is to express your perspective and change minds, what better way than to obtain an accurate and passionate expression of someone's beliefs that may be echoed by a viewer, then to construct seeds of doubt which leads said viewer to ask the questions you want them to ask, instead of out-right asking those questions in a way that can feel argumentative and potentially have a viewer resort to the doctrine of "well these secularists don't understand my culture, they don't want to either." and subsequently dismiss your perspective.
Please don't interpret the above as anything more than friendly, constructive advice. I have loved following this to its conclusion hopefully as much as you all enjoyed making it, and I can certainly tell how much time and effort went into this. Congratulations on such a monumental achievement in doing this, I know it's not easy.
As someone who's been involved in many a risk assessment in my time (I run a cyber security company), I'm happy to leave you my contact details should you need a helping hand in the future! Please do make more videos like this, it's absolutely needed.
Peace x
@@NeonMoon87 All journalism has an agenda, I actually think they were good enough to advertise it, even if it did seem garish. Though I'm sorry if you interpreted it as vilifying Judaism. I think they were more likely trying to demonstrate how extremes of any religion can resolve themselves as cults. I truly don't think they would've treated any oter religion or philosophy differently if their practices were the same. But I understand why it came across as garish
Sorry S. Gilbert, you can write "peace" and "please don't interpret the above as anything more than....", but your comment is cringe-inducing, pompous and neo-cultish, perhaps the ultimate irony given the contents of the videos that you claim to have enjoyed so very much.
Put otherwise, your lengthy comment illustrates well the umbrella theory: the size of an umbrella used on a crowded Manhattan avenue is inversely proportional to the talent of the umbrella holder.
I agree with some of what Solomon said. I'm a journalist (from the U.S.) with some experience reporting in the Middle East. This was hard to watch at parts. GMS, I want to share some thoughts with you about the scenes shot inside the prayer house, specifically. I was extremely uncomfortable watching them.
Firstly, a professional criticism. You crossed the line of journalism's harm-limitation principle. One might argue you're "not a journalist" - however, you claim to be a documentarian, here, and so the ethical principles serve as good guidance. The SPJ Code of Ethics states: "Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy." There was not an overriding public need to film people praying in their "holy place" when specifically asked to not do so. You could have gotten different shots elsewhere and still made the same points you were trying to make.
Secondly, a personal criticism. Your actions in that prayer house were IMO counter to the preaching you do about how individuals - regardless of religion - are worthy of respect. You did not respect their request for privacy, nor respect their holy place. I see no compelling reason to have not done so.
Lastly, a legal criticism. Israel has Protection of Privacy laws which are broad, and state that one cannot "infringe on the privacy of another without his consent." Infringing includes photographing a person while he is in a private domain, violating an express or implicit agreement in respect of a person’s private affairs (like when you told them you weren't going to film anymore...), as well as passing on or publishing any of this information. You were asked to not film private acts in a private (non-public) setting, and continuing to do so was very, very stupid and risky. Honestly, I'm flabbergasted by what I saw.
As someone who grew up in ultra-Orthodox society and knows it closely, I agree with every word of yours.
@@marangibraltar4045 Interesting to hear! I'm glad :) makes me happy knowing I'm generally in the right place with my stance. It's super interesting to hear in these comments where journalists and others are coming from as well! Really did make me a little uncomfortable to watch, even if I agreed with the premise.
Great documentary! I really enjoyed it!
Amazing series... Would love to see similar videos.
Anyone else feels like Armin was trying to find ways to elicit big reactions from the people they were visiting and filming without regard for te people behind the cult/sekt? I feel that if they others weren't there to balance out his ideas he would have made a scene out of many of the encounters they had. Not that making a scene is always a bad thing. It can help sometimes to make things better. But in this situation it would have only made it harder for other people to go film there or made it harder for other secular or atheistic people visiting or living there.
He drove me absolutely nuts during both parts. I tried so hard to excuse it, but everything he said and did seemed inflammatory and disrespectful
Silent rave 🤣
They all had headphones in
This is great! Please keep making these types of content! Go around the world and see how religion is like for the people living there or how different it is compared to where you're from while still applying the bite model. I hope to see you do a video on the Philippines!
Really great work all around Drew.
27:50 when the beat is a banger but your friend is not really feeling it...
He's loving it
Wow that was a little cringe inducing. Even if you do not share someone’s belief/faith you can still be respectful. Armin was actually quite rude in the prayer house.
Not a little cringe. VERYYY cringe
Beautiful episode thanks to you guys and Amir.
Thank you very much for everything you do, which is fantastic
Could you please make English subtitles? Sometimes it's really hard to understand, especially in crowdy places
i got another question you could ask religious parents that would be willing to disown their children.
what if your child declared he is not religious, but offered to still participate in all of your religious rituals?
Is the fact that he does not believe in your religion alone a thing for which you would disown? or do the actions matter more then belief?
This was so interesting thanks for the video!
I love this so much! Keep it up guys! @Armin I loved your book!
Pardon me but Armin is a complete pain in the arse, you work so much better by yourself - The guide was a breath of fresh air. Barging in through others lives requires respect, you had some, Amir absolutely none. His ranting about the temple drove viewers to distraction.
after working at a kosher place in brooklyn....this is no joke. we have an outbreak of measles here due to their unvaxx doctrines (as many jewish people in NYC as Isreal). cult mindset is real. i could like this for Amir alone- yay vegan and yay being yourself that is literally so brave. power. respect.
This is a exaggeration. Opponents of vaccines in ultra-Orthodox society are an idle minority and subject to much criticism from the ultra-Orthodox mainstream.
Fascinates me how they can tell you in one breath that you can be yourself right there and that you can have different ideas, just elsewhere.
This documentary was purely awesome. Fantastic.