Igniting intolerance

Israel | Ultra-Orthodox put a torch to Messianic Jewish activities | Jill Nelson

In some ways, Rebekah Frei's life is similar to that of many other single moms. She drives her 5-year-old daughter to and from school, manages household duties, works hard to make ends meet, and has little time left for sleep. But Ms. Frei's life in Arad, Israel, is far from typical. The almost daily harassment from ultra-Orthodox Jews in her Negev desert town requires Ms. Frei to continually duck in and out of restaurants and the "rescue cars" of other Messianic Jews.

"They corner us in the street—yelling, cursing, and threatening. They stalk us, photograph us, and try to intimidate us all the time," Ms. Frei told WORLD.

Ms. Frei and her daughter, Michelle, are among the 15 Messianic Jewish families in Arad being targeted by the Hassedei Gur, or Haredim, an ultra-Orthodox sect of Jews determined to expel the believers from Arad. In recent months, the confrontations have turned violent: An August fire all but decimated a center used for outreach, and a September outing turned into a two-hour hostage situation when hundreds of Haredim arrived to protest the trip. The ultra-Orthodox accuse the believers of "missionary activity," and local authorities have done little to curb the harassment.