Amnon Levy, how dare you portray Rochela Kraus as violent and fanatical

 I will refer to one section of the series, the one that provides a glimpse into the life of Rochella Krois, the wife of Yoelish Krois, who is known as the 'Kambatz of the Haredi community.' I will tell you a secret: I was the first to bring Amnon Levi to this house. Five years ago, maybe a little more, I met him in the midst of the Sukkot holiday, at the Simchat Beit Hashoeva of the 'Toldot Avraham Yitzhak' Hasidism. Levi seemed excited. He stared at the Rebbe who was dancing with small children and the excitement was clearly visible in him. I turned to him. I introduced myself and offered to come with me on a tour of the neighborhood. He accepted willingly. I led him to Krois' house. He was welcomed there with open arms. Rochella opened the rooms of the house to him, warmly hosted him, and Yoelish explained to him about their lifestyle and their beliefs. Levi, who presents himself as a Haredi media researcher for thirty years, did not know the most covered Haredi in the Israeli media, what Which raises questions about the journalist's professionalism. Either way, Levy received treatment that no other journalist would have received. They hugged him, with all their might. I know the Krois couple well enough to determine that they did not do this because of some interest or another. They had barely heard of Channel 10, and they certainly were not bothered by what was said about them there. Levy enjoyed their hospitality, and even, if I may say so, was moved. They opened their home and their hearts, and gave him their full support.

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From the moment he left the house, the man began to rant. It started with the first series that dealt with the Haredim and aired on Channel 10, went through 'True Faces' with Krois himself, and ended with the episode that is currently airing, in which Mrs. Krois is presented as justifying violence against a woman by her husband, because - so he claims she said - she was the one who caused the husband's violence against her. I met the Krois couple last Shavuot night. Rochela told me that Levi arrived with another woman, did not ask her permission to interview her, and simply began to attack her with questions. She demanded approval for the segments in which she appears, and although they promised to do so, her demand was not met. Her words, as expected, were taken completely out of context. Words were cut out, sentences were cut out, all to help Levi complete his thesis. Krois is presented there as a violent, fanatical woman, and when Levi fails to cite direct quotes from the first lady of Mea Shearim, he moves on to his own interpretation, which he allegedly heard from Mrs. Krois. I am personally willing to take anyone interested in Krois's house and see for themselves how pure these people are. How far they are from the image that Levi is trying to create.

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Speaking of beatings. This morning, Krois was arrested after she warned the police who came to arrest a man near her home. She, a mother of 16 children, was beaten violently and detained for hours. By the way, you won't see that in an episode of Amnon Levy. Why? Because it's simply not interesting. Beatings interest him when they happen inside a Haredi home. But when a police officer beats a woman in her forties, it doesn't warrant an item. It's much more interesting to present us, the Haredim, as strange and unusual zombies, as justifyers of violence, as those worthy of an episode in National Geographic. Too bad, Mr. Levy. You really know how much warmth and love there is in the house on Honi HaMaag Street, where Krois is raising her 16 children, along with dozens of guests who visit this house every day. You yourself entered and left there freely, you were treated decently and well. If you did it out of ignorance - that's enough. But the fact that you know the truth and yet try to create a false representation is particularly ugly behavior. • From Shloimi Gil's Facebook page

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