Evidence of modesty squad in New York: "mafia methods"

The evidence on the activities of the modesty squad in New York continues to stir the ultra-Orthodox community in the city, as well as the local press. The evidence on the activities of the modesty brigade also captured headlines following the sentencing of Nechemiah Weberman, who was convicted of indecent acts with a girl and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

During the trial of Weberman details of the unusual activities of the squad were revealed. One of the witnesses for the defense, Baila Glick testified that masked men from the modesty squad in Kiryat Yoel, broke into to her bedroom seven years ago, and confiscated the cell phone which was in her possession.

The main prosecutor's office in Brooklyn examines the evidence about members of the brigade who broke into a house and confiscated iPad and computer equipment.

"They operate like a mafia," said Rabbi Alan Nadler, head of the Jewish Studies Program at Drew in Madison, New Jersey, in a conversation with The New York Times. Rabbi Nadler told the newspaper that the members of the modesty patrols has no official address, signed letterhead or business cards, and only few know what their source of authority is.

"They go into stores and say to the owners: 'Shame, you wouldn’t like to have your window smashed or lose your clients" says Nadler, "they are able to contact the owner of a shop whose daughter wears a too short skirt in their opinion, and say to him: 'If you plan to continue selling shoes, talk to your daughter."

Dov Hikind, a member of the House of Representatives in New York, says he had never encountered members of modesty patrols. However, he adds, "We have officials who have appointed themselves to defend God and do things to blacken the face of the whole community. If someone wants to work for modesty in the community that is fine, but whoever takes methods of coercion is getting beneath us and causes us harm," he added.

"These are individuals who have decided to go private war," said Rabbi David Schneiderman, chairman of the United Communities Williamsburg neighborhood, occasionally serves as a Satmar spokesman. "They hang posters ordering the public how to behave. They do not represent any body of authority."

But chassidim interviewed for this article in The New York Times indicated the existence of unrestrained modesty patrols. "There are quite a few men, especially in Williamsburg, who considered themselves the police of G-d," says Yosef Rappaport, a chassidic journalist. "People interfering in the affairs of others, fanatics who appointed themselves to enforce mitzvoth, which is what they do. They are mad, but no one wants to deal with them."