Why can't people just stay out of our lives? Everything we believe in is taken out of context. No-one asked to bar women singing - we just want religious men to have the right not to hear - otherwise that's secular coercion isn't it?? Women aren't excluded from anything - they have their own separate events, lectures, social evenings etc. They're just conveniently left out of the story so that the "scoop" is bigger. Also, why isn't anyone complaining that men are "excluded" from the back of the bus??? If we're not "modern" orthodox then we're extremists! Shame on you!

But what are you going to do about this situation, Noa Rubinstein? Israelis seem to be very good at writing about issues but hesitant about acting. You must organize your friends and other like-minded Israelis to counteract the influence of the religious extremists and stop the spread of this fanaticism. You must do it for your daughters and granddaughters.

OK you can rant and rave as much as you want against the "women in the long black veils," the Eda Haredit is against them too.

Eshet Chail, I found you. You are home with me in charge of everything.

I think what the Haredi lady says is just a sign of real good brain wash. I cannot understand how the people believe in the fact that to be left at the back of a bus is a blessing, it is total limitation of liberty. It is not a choice, it is not that they ask you do you want to sit at the back or in the front, they say you stay at the back. Please, being religious does not mean stop thinking, going around with horse glasses!!!!

These buses are public transportation!! If you want 'us' out of your lives, get your own d-mn buses!! And destroying billboards is a crime!! You want to continue living in the Dark Ages?? That's your right; but don't force your ideas on the rest of us!

Anybody remember the old story when MKs were debating in the Knesset about how some rapists were terrorizing women who were outside in Israel in the evenings? A member of Knesset (male, of course), proposed that there should be a curfew and women should not be allowed out after dark. Prime Minister Gold Meir (who may have been just a cabinet minister at the time) retorted that no - it was the men committing the crimes so they should be the ones under curfew. We see it in haredi newspapers and magazines, where pictures of little girls have the faces blacked out to protect haredi pedophiles form becoming excited. There is a serious sickness in the ultra-orthodox community when rabbis tell their followers they should not work for their parnasa, that every haredi shlemiel is a talmid chacham worthy of receiving tax money to study Torah, and that every woman is a potential whore who should be avoided at all costs...since simply seeing her may cause a man to think lewd thoughts. As my bubbie used to say: "feh! deys not rebbis - vot shmendriks dey are!"

I have been a choveshet with MDA for two years now, and let me tell you a story. I was on an ambulance when a call came in for a 15 year old boy who collapsed at a religious school. We were the closest ambulance to the school, so we took the call- me and a female paramedic. And the men at the door to the school, they wouldn't let us in. They demanded that we call another ambulance with men on it, so their students would not see us. They killed their student with their ignorance. A fifteen year old child. Radicalism isn't harmless, it isn't a matter of live and let live. These people radical ideology is dangerous- and I can bear witness to the fact that it has killed at least one child. Is this the country we want? Where a hard working, religious, Jewish medic in Jerusalem must stand by while people die because their elders have been poisoned by their own twisted ideology? Though they were not charged for it, what they did was murder. And murderers do not deserve to be respected.

"territories", the Yishuveem in Shomron and Yehuda where so many Israelis fear to tread, the population supports the IDF, most of the young and older women have served in the IDF, the children are taught by their mothers to stand up, be proud and to defend the Jewish nation of Israel. The women, by choice, dress modestly, many work outside the home, speak their respective minds and remain influential within their separate communities. I see nothing unfair about how they are treated and how they treat themselves except that in the more orthodox Beit Knessets the women are not part of the actual ceremonies, queen of Shabbat though she may be. So life isn't perfect but women's increasing power is evident.

...when they visit a Muslim country or get down with their Muslim "sisters" for some "interfaith dialogue." That's called "multiculturalism." But when observant Jews want to dress and live according to their community's standard of modesty, that's called "oppression" and "religious coercion."

Evidently you're not really chareidit since you are on the Internet - something which chareidi rabbis forbid!!!

out of proportion. I can see it's the HOT item right now, but move on and print us some news, instead of every column being an editorial, spewing another negative view of the Jewish people.

Further - And the Woman of Valor is sidelined. The Song of Deborah silenced. Comment - This article was surely not the Song of Deborah. If and When a True Prophetess will rise in Israel, I am sure there is something to listen to. God Bless !!!. Arn.Sweden

Nr 6. Do you want to take away the Liberty of men to sit only among Men. If Men want to limit their own liberty to sit wherever they want, and only sit among Men, what has that to do with the Liberty of Woman ? Nr 7. SO - Should you force Your ideas upon Women ? You contradict Yourself. Arn.Sweden.

Here is the deal. We do allow you to live your lives in pursuant to your community standards. We couldn't care less about your stringent gender segregation rules. It only becomes a problem when Haredim try to impose their standards in public facilities. I am a religious woman but I don't wish to live in a Taliban like theocracy. Unfortunately there is a lot among your kind with misogynist views towards women and use tznius to manipulate women and keep them out of the public sector as much as they possibly can. First they start with Charedi women and soon they'll expand their extremism to non Charedi women.No one likes being told how to live our lives so why can't you have the same respect,sensitivity, and consideration towards our more religiously lax lifestyle? Its insulting to me when Charedim feel the need to treat those like us as kiruv projects.The holier-than-thou attitude is a big turn off as well. I'm just as religiously observant as you are except I happen to have a more rationalistic approach to Judaism.The actual definition of Modern Orthodox is living in the real world without having to compromise your religious observance. Most Charedim see that as an oxymoron since their philosophy dictates to ostracize oneself from the outside world so he can have enough concentration to immerse himself in his Torah studies. Its ironic how financially dependent he is of the outside world behind all of that.My point being that if your husband/son wants to learn full time, let him do so but not at the expense of my tax money.If you don't want to sit next to strange men/women on public buses, then sit elsewhere or launch your own private bus company. There is a way to adhere to the basic principles of modesty without having to mistreat women and denying their basic rights. Coercion just creates resentment and division rather than unity.

there is a diferance between -job of women to sing infront the soldiers and -a party to the soldiers where listening to women has the job of singing

In the Swedish Bible is Written, I Translate from my Memory, King Salomo writes - " I have found a Man among Thousend, but not a Woman in the whole Heep " !!!. According to this Expression, The Man is Surely not superior to Woman. Salomo was a Man with some Thousend Wifes and comcubines, the Supreme Quality of Women of His time. Still He could nor in comparison to Men, find One Woman in the whole Heep, as outstanding. But He could find only One Man among thousend of Men. So in general, Man is surely not superior to Women. If However, HASHEM could get HIS hold of a Woman or a Man, that would realy be something. God bless !!!. Arn.Sweden.

I Quote - A Woman of Valor can't be found And the Woman of Valor is sidelined. The Song of Deborah silenced. Comment - The Woman of Valor singing the song of Deborah, is according to me, the Chareidi Woman in post Nr 1. She is Outstanding among Women and even among Men. Such a Woman is to be held in High esteem May HASHEM bless that Woman in all regards. Arn.Sweden.

Very well put! 100% spot on.

I never seen a segregated but in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Ouside those places, the biggest public problem is the terrible noise at 3:30 in the morning (call by Moslems). Everyone has to wake up, haredi and seculars like myself.

Wow! deborah, yael...classic!

I could not agree more. These extremist views are dangerous!

At time like this dont make trouble quiet yet.The Haredim are backward but provide votes and national security outweighs these concerns .

Such a tragic story, if true, would surely resonate in the news, as it has all the elements to make it newsworthy - death, religion, intolerance, negligence. And yet I have never heard anything about it. Can you tell me where and when this happened? Where can I learn more about it in the news? If what you say is indeed true, and somehow got under the media radar, then writing a talkback in ynet is not enough. You should speak to a reporter, tell everything that happened, and most importantly identify the school involved, so it can be put to shame and public criticism. Or you would have a part in the next tragic death.

I have lived among charedim too long not to have seen the envy of some women that vs. non-charedi Jewish women which they see as having more possibilities and freedoms in life. Some rationalize that away with more or less militant so-called religious behavior/talk which all too often results in acts and speech of wanton hatred towards their fellow Jews. Women are oppressed in charedi circles. Period. Separate buses? Think the Deep South until 1964 in the USA. Israel is heading towards a civil war and fascism. B. Segregation is just that. Wanton hatred. This time out of misogyny. Torah? The opposite. Tumah not kedushah. These people have no relationship with God nor respect Him.

It is not the fault or crime of someone if something does not get printed or otherwise in the news. Furthermore, to then accuse the person of having incurred guilt is not only incomprehensible but rather despicable. So you want to blame the paramedic who apparently was not allowed to get inside the school? And you accuse the paramedic of lying. One thing you should not do is hate without reason. Another not to study law or become a judge. You are not fit for that.

Where is the national security safeguarded by oppressing women? And how can people who hate other people including their fellow Jews (what do you mean against Torah? Not one but multiple averot and chataot involved here) possibly help national security? You sound like settlers who with kipot and tzitzes on Shabat assault and provoke, and chop down (chataot chataot all of them and not only by violating the Shabat) Palestinians who do nothing. www.btselem.org. Or are human rights also a threat to national security? Where oh where is that written in Mussar, Halachah?

It would probably look inappropriate to say you made me laugh, but a brocheh on the head of your bubbe! I could not agree more with you. These people are so rigid so completely out of anything within any normalcy. Is that out of repression? They try to contol everyone and everything except their own minds and suppressiod sexuality. I know a few here also and the links some have with very disreputable people and their monies. In order to fund a cheider here in the eighties. I stop now otherwise I would do lashon hara. Believe me, under their garb....some have ugly alter egos, but showing off as sooo frum. Yeah....

In the bed and behind the counter in the kitchen, serving me my meals at the table and shut up forever. Reduced to nothing. Zero. My sick need to feel in control is to minimize you and destroy your mind in the process. Oh, God? Who's he? If she's not at home then it means I learn in the Koilel for status and not doing anything useful for applying Torah in the real world with love, tolerance and mental equilibrium is not for me and to be sure that she works her butt off.