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Egged bus. 'Promiscuous'
Photo: Gadi Kabalo

Haredim plan kosher bus line to Western Wall

Members of extreme ultra-Orthodox stream collecting money to establish new service offering complete separation between men and women, to compete with Egged's buses

The leaders of the Haredi Community, a prominent anti-Zionist stream of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, have called on their public to donate money for the establishment of an alternative, kosher bus service to the Western Wall.

 

The community is outraged by the Egged bus company's refusal to introduce a service that institutes separation between men and women.

 

A notice published in the congregation's newspaper declared that Egged was "systematically trampling the spirit and holiness of the haredi public by forcing on it mixed journeys of promiscuity every day." It further stated that every attempt by rabbis to negotiate a separate bus line with Egged had been rejected.

 

"Egged's transportation of promiscuity is currently the number one enemy of haredi Judaism, and has already claimed many victims," the ad continued.

 

'Alternative may convince Egged'

According to the members of the "Mehadrin Committee" which issued the notice, experience has shown that the establishment of independent services in the past convinced Egged to operate similar services under the same terms.

 

Reportedly, a large sum of money has already been contributed by a Jewish American businessman who seeks to remain anonymous, but another $100,000 were still needed.

 

"We will soon begin operating an alternative service to line 2, which carries 20,000 people every day," the rabbis stated.

 

Notably, Egged currently operates several "kosher" bus lines for the haredi community, but most of the ultra-Orthodox public does not approve of the service and it has not caught on.

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.03.08, 09:14
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