Shimon is a real celebrity at Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market. He comes here every day and sits with friends he has known since childhood. They eloquently discuss world events and reminisce. When Shimon is alone, he puts on headphones and moves to his favorite music.

Shimon was born 73 years ago into an ultra-Orthodox family and grew up in Mea Shearim. But even at a young age he did not follow conventions. Orthodox people would say he deviated from the straight path of the Torah. After his bar mitzvah, he told his parents that he had no interest in a religious lifestyle. He no longer wanted to go to school.

Youth

No one in Shimon’s family could change his mind. He was sent to an Air Force boarding school in Haifa. His parents hoped that discipline would prevent him from falling further. But a boy like Shimon always finds ways to rebel. He played pranks in class and ran off into town for evening entertainment. After two years, the boarding school teachers gave up.

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