THE INTRICATE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ULTRA-ORTHODOX AND USE OF THE INTERNET IN ISRAEL

Abstract

Ultra-orthodox Jews have a complex relationship with the internet. Many ultra-orthodox indeed object to concepts of progress and modernity, but they do not reject internet use per se so long as they can filter its negative impacts such that the internet does not serve as a tool that might change them. The desire of the ultra-orthodox is to retain their traditional values versus the moral hazards involved in use of the internet while also ensuring their complete seclusion. As a rule, the ultra-orthodox (as well as other religious groups) relate to the internet as a tool with a significant hazardous capacity to destroy Jewish values, constituting a considerable moral danger. Therefore, they initially forbade any use of the internet within their community. But in time, some understood that considering the major technological advances it is not possible to completely disregard the internet, and they started using it for various purposes such as work, purchases, and even Torah lessons. At the same time, they restricted its use through various filtering systems. This article seeks to present the complex attitude of the ultra-orthodox to internet use in general (so no segmentations and statistics are noted) regarding different issues and how they deal with the problems, advantages, and disadvantages of internet use.