Conference on the Development of the Haredi Middle Class

The ultra-Orthodox community in Israel is generally characterized by isolation and separatism.  In most areas of life, this community zealously withdraws from the Israeli public domain.

Recent research conducted as part of Prof. Anita Shapira's Nation State project and Prof. Yedidia Stern's Religion and State project, however, has shed light on the ultra-Orthodox middle class, which is a different type of ultra-Orthodoxy. This study reveals significant changes that have been underway in Israel during the last decade in three main areas of ultra-Orthodox life: changes in leadership (a weakening of proactive spiritual leadership and strengthening of pragmatic municipal leadership), cultural changes (academization, the development of a consumer culture, and exposure to the Internet), and economic changes (a reduction of support for individuals who chose to study Torah exclusively and global economic difficulties).

These changes have led to the strengthening of the ultra-Orthodox middle class in Israel, a group that is very similar to its parallels in the United States and Western Europe. This group is marked as ultra-Orthodox internally (e.g., a non-Zionist, Ultra-Orthodox ideology), externally (e.g., a unique style of dress), and culturally (e.g., involvement in ultra-Orthodox community life). Nonetheless, members of this group are not afraid to integrate into the Israeli public domain, whether in academia, the workplace, or the world of culture and leisure.  Most of the members of this group are academics and professionals who have relative power due to their income capacity and intellectual potential.  The size of this group is far from marginal. This can be seen from the enormous momentum that academic studies have gained within the ultra-Orthodox community, the increase in ultra-Orthodox service in the army and in national civilian service, and in the political changes in the municipal elections in some ultra-Orthodox cities.