rabbi ??

[iainpercival]

to settle an arguement, what do you call the people that wear black and a black hat with long hair and long sideburns in pigtail form and possibly jewish. could it be rabbi or quaker or something else

[Clanad]

If Jewish, they are Hasidim or Hasidic...The Hasidic movement started in the 1700's (AD) in Eastern Europe in response to a void felt by many average observant Jews of the day. The founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (referred to as the "Besht," an acronym of his name) was a great scholar and mystic, devoted to both the revealed, outer aspect, and hidden, inner aspect of Torah.

There are perhaps a dozen major Hasidic movements today, the largest of which (with perhaps 100,000 followers) is the Lubavitch group headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. Other groups include the Bobov, Bostoner, Belzer, Gerer, Satmar, Vizhnitz, Breslov, Puppa, Bianer, Munkacz, and Rimnitz. In Israel, the major Hasidic groups besides the Lubavitch include: Gor (Gerer), Viznitz and Bealz (Belzer)...

[netibiza]

sound like Orthodox Jews

[Clanad]

Neither the Orthodox adherents nor the Hasidim, would agree that they are the same.  The differences are to great and to nuanced to explain here...

[stream]

black clothing black hat = normal jew (although the type of hat and clothing would indicate what sort of jew)

curly sideburns (peyos) = hasid, all male jews are required to keep their sideburns a certain length but this length is very small, some, both hasidim and other jews, grow their peyos longer to show their love for the commandment. but curly sideburns nearly always mean that the individual is a hasid.

the long hair is a bit peculiar as observant jews would keep their hair short. (except in the case of biblical nazirites, but this is not done by observant jews today for numerous reasons, the main being that part of the nazirite's obligation - to bring a sin offering in the temple in jerusalem is impossible to do as there is no temple)

As far as serving in the army goes religous jews do serve in the army. there are even units solely for religous jews. Many do not serve as they object to the policies of the zionist state, believe that the jewish laws governing the use of violence do not allow its use in the current situation (but all orthodox jews who were able fought in the wars where israel was invaded and even volunteered to fight for non-jewish states where they believed it was required under jewish law to protect their neighbours)

In terms of taxes, yes, many orthodox jews do not pay taxes. this is because they refuse to give money to a government that has policies and practices in contravention of jewish law. they also believe that the zionist state does not have the right to rule the land of israel and therefore there is no obligation to pay taxes.

whether they are right or wrong i don't know, i'm not an expert in jewish law. but, I do agree to a certain extent that whilst everyone should pay for the provision of healthcare, fire engines etc. why should a citizen be forced to pay for a war or violent policies (which make up alot of the israeli states budget) that they do not believe in.