ABSTRACT
Shas plays an important role in deepening the quality of democracy, particularly with regards to pluralism, by channeling the concerns of a peripheral group to the center of politics. Shas operates party branches in 106 cities in Israel and runs an elaborate network that consists of its numerous civil society arms, including Ma'ayan Hahinuch Hatorani, Meonot Margalit, Bnei Hayyil, Margalit Em B'Yisrael, and El Hama'ayan. These organizations play a critical role in linking Shas to the populace by providing various social services. Although Shas popularly known as an ultra-Orthodox political entity, it draws support from various segments of the Sephardi population. Through its civil society networks, Shas provided extensive welfare support to disadvantaged groups, thereby showing how religious revival can be a cure to the everyday plight of lower class Sephardim. Shas's mobilization efforts reveal that the movement's relationship to modernity is Janus-faced, similar to many other religious movements.
