Who is Charedi?

I received a letter from a reader accusing the Kedushas Tziyon organization of deceptive advertising, for calling themselves “Charedi”. “What kind of Charedi ascends the Temple Mount?!”, he demanded.
I reproduce my email answer here (this answer is mine, not theirs):
“Charedi” is not entirely positive, and the definition is looser than most recognize.
There is a “division of labor” in sinning against God. For example, in our time most Charedim are careful to avoid lewd thoughts, while the non-Charedim are not. The non-Charedi is generally zealous about covering a married woman’s hair without legal fiction (a wig), while the Charedi is not.
I explained this some more here:
Still, if one dresses a certain way and uses certain expressions, he belongs to a specific group, even if he chooses and rejects various behaviors of the host group, as a matter of principle. Rabbi Yitzchak Brand, for instance, is Charedi, even though he doesn’t vote Gimmel, doesn’t rely on famous rabbis as a matter of course, ascends to the Temple Mount, lives in Emanuel, etc.
It is in this context I understand the writers of Kedushas Tziyon see themselves as “Charedi”; not as a trick to fool their readers.
As for Har Habayis, you might enjoy this:
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