Jewish Scene
Sukkot segregation in Meah Shearim
Neta Sela
Published: 12.10.08, 08:33
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1. Succot Segregration
One of Gd Children ,   Israel   (10.12.08)
To boldly not allow women to attend a religious event at all goes against the Torah itself. You can keep them seperate from the men, butthey must be allowed their religious rights as well. Remember this quote" A house Divided against itself cannot stand"! There are enough enemies trying to divide us from the outside must we divide ourselves as well?
2. Not a secular's problem
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
Those women have choosen this life , they had to know it . Have seen a great report on those charidi people on TV5 thursday afternoon . One of them , the owner of a printing house , Kletzkin , was insulted as being a goy by other charidim . Nice people
3. Hope there are 500 female police there to keep order.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (10.12.08)
4. Chosen life
Daniel Baltimore ,   Baltimore   (10.12.08)
I hate to set the on respondant straight about many of those women choosing this life. this life was chosen for them no different that a moslem. I pity these women in the way they are mistreated by fanatics and lunitics.
5. They're terrified of women!
Jewish grandmother ,   Israel   (10.12.08)
Ultra-orthodox women and girls do not "choose" to be in this community, they are normally born into it. Neither do they choose their rabbanim or the more extreme voices of their community. However, in light of the almost complete abandonment nowadays by the hiloni community of any norms of respectable (modest) public dress, behaviour and public discourse, the reaction against all this by the ultra-orthodox has given too much legitimacy to the fringe extremists in their midst. The basic problem is that weak men who are controlled by their narrow life style are terrified of giving any power to females, who in fact are vitally necessary to their community, which would collapse without their presence.
6. Religiously justified nutters?
Petra ,   usa   (10.12.08)
I wonder, where in the Torah does it say to treat women as dogs? This offends me and I find it repugnant.
7. Read them the riot act
NYC Girl   (10.12.08)
The police should make it clear to this lunatic fringe that any rioting, acts of violence, or even incitement to violence, will be met head-on. It's time to take the gloves off with these fanatics who seemingly are incapable of living in a civilized society.
8. Give Meah Shearim to Russia insted of Sergei's Yard
WE the People ,   Israel   (10.12.08)
You can chuck in Bnei Brak as well! Haredi Judaism is Gender Apartheid and they treat women just as badly as the White South African Regime treated the Blacks!
9. Not meant for ynet as you well know
guy   (10.12.08)
So mind your own business, trying to stir up hatred again, are we, small minded bored ynet editors? Even your loyal talbackers seem tired of your boring repetitive anti semitic ravings. Sei mir gezind, nut cases. Make your way to the hangars in the namal instead, but that's truly boring and always the same, I do indeed agree. Go shake a lulav.
10. Women should not cook and clean for these men.
Rebecca ,   Modiin   (10.12.08)
11. The iron mehizah
Arielush ,   Ramat Ha Golan   (10.12.08)
In Zefat they are locking women in the women's gallery. In Mea Sharim, they are banning women from the festivities. By any standards this is perverted and sick. Instead of giving these guys police protection during the Sukkot festivities we should send them back to Poland.
12. #10
judy ,   jlm   (10.12.08)
women should not cook and and clean for men period.......
13. Yes , those women were born
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
in those families . But are they enchained ? When they come of age , can't they leave ? Not easy to break with family . But to be a "slave" , is this better ?
14. Prisoners of the Holy Ciy
Arielush ,   Ramat Ha Golan   (10.12.08)
Imagine, growing up like this. From your earliest memories you are taught to comply to fathers, brothers and teachers. Daily you see and hear how women who rebel are punished or thrown from the community. Before you know it you are married with children. You have the cooking, cleaning and washing your husband is never home. In such a climate is it possible to rebel or even dream of freedom?
15. Arielush
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
Yes it's possible but very difficult . I knew a family , the father an ultra orthodox one , who did not speak to his children during years for this All were yeshiva students , the girls at home . But they all broke away from religion .
16. a foul-smelling chemical agent
Talula ,   Israel   (10.12.08)
Can anyone guess where I'm heading with this? HA HA HA HA HA HA
17. Nutters.
Talula ,   Israel   (10.12.08)
These streets do NOT belong to the Haredi community - Who are you to say who can and cannot go to visit? It’s not Iran and so far, our freedom of movement does not restricts us or forbid us from visiting religious JEWISH neighbourhoods. As for the women: Sad and wretched Haredi women who are pushed around and treated like dirt need to take stock on their lives. They are religious they aren't stupid. Do they REALLY want to live like that? Do they really believe they are second class citizens - has their self esteem been completely drained by this disturbed bunch of macabre penguins? God I feel so sorry for them.
18. Backwardness and primitivism Shame on us
Shalom Freedman ,   Jerusalem   (10.12.08)
The Jewish people is in a struggle for its life. The struggle is of course first of all against external enemies. But it is also a struggle from within us, as to what we will be. The camp of those who would lead us backward, into total repression of women, into closed-off- ness from the secular world, from the worlds of academic and scientific learning, into anti- Israel anti- Zionist behavior must be marginalized insofar as this is possible. It certainly should not be allowed to dominate the public space- and certainly not in Jerusalem.
19. Huge problem not to cease soon.
Efroim ,   Washington DC   (10.12.08)
I see this as a huge problem in Israel. Can we call it a sub-culture? How can the rest of the world take this country seriously? Backward behaviour. Taliban style. Looney tunes.
20. Talula , dress "modestly" please
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
Otherwise .....who knows what could happen to you .
21. #2 - Charles - you are way off base....
Andy ,   ramat hasharon   (10.12.08)
If a girl or a woman born or married off by others into an extremist haredi household wants to be a full participant in all that this world has to offer, religiously, economically and socially, she must find the courage inside to leave her world completely. She will have ZERO support. Not even from her own mother. This is not true choice - it is opression. It is a problem that all of us must care about. I do not believe, based on your prior posts that you have thought your position on this through - since you appear to care alot about alot of people and issues. Even is my tax money is financing this nightmare - that is reason enough to care - not to mention the human rights abuses.
22. #20 it starts very young and it's called child abuse!
Edithann, USA   (10.12.08)
Yes Charles..who knows what might happen.....Women might start to enjoy life..and that's what it's all about....It's to prevent women from enjoying anything...
23. Go elsewhere then, stupid nutters.
od   (10.12.08)
Who cares . At least theyve told you in advance so stay away and please... shut up.
24. Dont blame them
ana   (10.12.08)
must be sick of being stared at every thursday night too in the challa baking areas. Drippy chilonim and tourists gawking at them, and with their paws out for a free shnorrer piece of challa.
25. 2 points:
Allan ,   US   (10.12.08)
1-Where are the womens voices in this? Are they not B'not Sarah? We just read in the Yom Kippur liturgey that women should not be shamed. Isn't this exclusion the highest form of shame? 2- Mea She'arim is a neighborhood within the city of Jerusalem. In a democracy, any person can visit any place he wishes. Including those areas considered by some as "theirs". How can residents of any neighborhood dictate who can and who can not visit their neighborhood? It is akin to running a state within a state. This is what this Haredi isolationism is shaping out to be. Mea She'arim ought to be renamed Haredistan.
26. Out of Control
Phillip ,   NYC   (10.12.08)
I do not understand why some religious men want to be only with other men. I guess they enjoy the company of men. For me, I attend services with 2 women....my wife and daughter. No wish or desire to attend the service with anyone else.
27. Andy , look at my tb to Arielush
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
I know , it's very difficult for them to leave "their" world , but it's possible , and it happens .
28. Edithann , you missed my point to Talula
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.12.08)
But i know you , specialist , as many other Israel and Jewish haters , to distord writings
29. Actually folks
rosh 1   (10.12.08)
the ladies gallery in the picture looks EXACTLY like EVERY ladies gallery of EVERY shul. So, take your Prozac all you loonies. Nice elegant hair coverings too, a pre- requisite in every shul. Heaps smarter than those hilariously drippy cake DOILIES they stick on their blue grey heads in some ...'temples'.
30. #26 And I love sitting
ezrat ,   PT   (10.12.08)
with my daughter, daughter-in-law, and grand daughters. I have a full view of my beloved husband sitting with our son and our grandsons, and they see us. I know that the rest of our family prays like this too, in other parts of Israel.. Let's be tolerant if we expect tolerance. To each his/her own. Chag Sameach
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