Violence Rocks Community

The small town of Modi’in, nestled in the Judean hills, has recently drawn the attention of Greek authorities after an elderly Jewish leader, Matisyahu Kohen Gadol, stabbed a Hellenized Jew who was about to sacrifice a pig to the Greek god Zeus.

Matisyahu, who was said to have previously served as High Priest in the Holy Temple, has since fled into the mountains. He was joined by his five sons and other traditional Jews, who refuse to comply with the laws introduced by the governing Syrian Greeks.

“We have no regrets. Our Mitzvos are not optional,” said Yehuda Hammerman, a spokesperson for the group. “Our ancestors have kept them for generations and so will we... whatever it takes!”