Judges forbid separation between men, women in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim, allows women to march in haredi neighborhood in protest of discrimination.
Gender Segregation Barriers in Mea Shearim removed
Judges forbid separation between men, women in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim, allows women to march in haredi neighborhood in protest of discrimination.
Following a petition to the High Court of Justice, representatives of the Eda Haredit removed on Tuesday morning barriers set to separate between men and women in the capital’s Mea She’arim neighborhood, and called off the ushers deployed to enforce this gender segregation.
If the ultra-orthodox residents would not have complied with the agreement they reached with representatives of the State Attorney’s Office on Monday night, Jerusalem police would have been tasked with enforcing the law that prohibits gender separation in the Israeli public realm.
City councillor Rachel Azaria and others had on Monday filed a petition against Jerusalem police for not enforcing the law that enables equal freedom of movement for both men and women, in the wake of religiously extreme elements in the ultra-orthodox Mea She’arim neighborhood allocating different sidewalks for the different genders, enforced by paid ushers. The haredi neighborhood and the ongoing festivities in its abundant synagogues attract many visitors during Succot.
In her answer to the court, the State Attorney’s Office representative Osnat Mandel stated that the separation in the neighborhood was being enforced only over a strip of 15 meters of sidewalk, and only during the late hours of the night, when thousands seek entry to the nearby Toldot Aharon yeshiva. But even such a limited gender separation is illegal, Mandel said, and the “relevant haredi leadership” agreed to accordingly remove all barriers and were doing so on Tuesday.
Following Mandel’s response, attorney Dr. Aviad Hacohen, representing Azaria, agreed to withdraw the petition.
In related news, the High Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled that police must enable a women’s march in the same Mea She’arim on Wednesday, protesting gender-based discrimination of women in the neighborhood. The petition was filed by the city’s Meretz faction, and others, after it seemed as though extreme factors in the neighborhood were planning on barring women from its boundaries. Though the claim was publicly refuted by the neighborhood’s leadership, and its falsity was reiterated with street notices (pashkevils), the initial plan to conduct the demonstration was not averted.
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Jonah Mandel for the Jerusalem Post
woman
webby,
thanks for reporting.could u post pics of the women’s march?
i would totally protest such blatant segregation
Not Discrimination
Get a life and find a shidduch no. 1. It’s about tznius and avoiding immorality, it’s not about discrimination.
Gedaliah
I do not believe these women really care about the issue of segregation. As is throughout the world, the women only want to
flaunt their immodesty and immorality. The womens lack of self-
esteem and self confidence is very tragic and is reflected in the
actions and attitudes of the men and the children. Thank G-d I have had much success helping women to realize that DRESS is only
a small part of being modest, tznius. Modesty is an attitude that
must be ingrained in a person, men and women alike.
Chag Sameach
Mendy Hecht
What the Eidah HaChareidis has totally failed to explain is that it is also segregation against men. Both genders are equal, and as such, men are not allowed to walk on the women’s side as much as women cannot walk on the men’s side. So the notion of biased discrimination is, and, once again, as usual, complete bogus.
Milhouse
“Woman”, you are obviously an enemy of the Torah, so what are you doing on this site? If you want to protest, why go to Yerusholayim, when the same segregation takes place (Boruch Hashem) in Crown Heights at Simchas Beis Hashoevah, not just for 15 metres but for a whole block, and without any protest at all?
This segregation is REQUIRED BY HALACHA, and therefore no compromise is possible, and if you don’t like it that’s your tough luck. Unlike the Eidah, the Crown Heights community would not remove the barriers even if a court were to order it; Lubavitchers have been brought up on mesirus nefesh, and if they didn’t bow to the GPU and the NKVD they will certainly not bow to the Israeli or US law.
justice
I agree, thank you Webby. We really should wave Rubashkin Flags
lags to symbolize justice and freedom. We need to get the message across that people need to respect the law like Rubashkin does.
woman with $$$
If there is a men’s side & a woman’s side, what would happen if the store I wanted to leave my lovely American $$ is on the men’s side? Gee, I wonder if it would be OK for me to cross over to bolster their economy. Bet these wackos wouldn’t have a problem then!
Milhouse
#7, you clearly have not the slightest idea what you’re talking about. People who uphold Hashem’s laws are not wackos, and no amount of money will change their minds. You can keep your filthy money; nobody, either in Crown Heights or in Meoh Sheorim, is interested in it, at the price of compromising halocho.
PS: if you were paying any sort of attention at all, you’d know that there are no stores in the 15 metres or so of Rechov Meoh Sheorim that is segregated.
To #7
Don’t be so naiive. It’s not about the money. It’s about Torah, and Tznius.
On Kingston Ave we have segregation during Simchas Beis Hashoeva, why the heck not in Meah Shearim? They’re only asking for segregation on one short street (15 meters) and only during the night on sukkos.
Nobody is interested in your American dollars, nor in your American arrogance.
no way
What I find ridiculous is that everywhere else men and women are free to walk on the same street, except on one particular block? You mean that we don’t ride in the same train cars and pass each other in narrow stores? Any type of enforced segregation is crazy. In an ultra-orthodox community, I assume, men and women would keep a little distance from each other. And if the women want to “flaunt their immodesty”, they’ll still do it on another block.
Common Sense
Who are some of you to preach about Torah? Read your hateful, hypocritical, misogynistic comments.
This has been one of the worst holiday seasons for me, personally. I was expecting people to act a little more changed, spiritually uplifted and instead, it was the opposite. Lashon hara, anger, etc.
Barriers are obscene and make Jews look like animals who can’t control themselves. But it seems some of you really need them.
to #5
so true, we seem to be forgetting the halachos of tznius
Milhouse
#10, what planet do you live on? At Simchas Beis Hashoeva, how can anyone “keep a little distance”? Have you ever BEEN to one in your life? The fact that you could suggest such a thing proves that you haven’t, and you have no idea at all what you’re talking about. Segregation is NECESSARY, precisely because it is impossible to keep any distance at all between people. Not on Kingston between Crown and Montgomery, and not on Meoh Sheorim outside the entrance to Toldos Aharon. And we’re not “ultra-” anything, we’re just Jews who keep the law; those who don’t care about such things are not “non-ultra orthodox”, they’re law-breakers.
#11, Who are some of us to preach about Torah? Unlike you, we’re people who’ve actually learnt it and know what it says. And more importantly, again unlike you, we CARE what it says.
go-ds right hand man
when are the stubborn going to be willing to listen
oseh lman shimecha oseh lman yiminecha oseh lman kidushasecha oseh lman torasecha
yup the right/s belong to torah and go-d as does holiness
so secular israel know your place and stay out of where you aren’t wanted if you want a fight you will lose rights
because no-one really cares about converts or traitors
the state of israel is losing it’s signifigance as it is less and less jewish and more and more another nation that came and went on the holy land of the torah
kiss my mezuzah and listen to my sons on my land
Common Sense
Milhouse,
Why are you so angry? Is it a challenge for you to be around women? How old are you? Can you actually discuss a personal challenge in regard as to why you feel it’s necessary instead of resorting to attacks?
According to Leviticus, mere touching is NOT forbidden unless one’s intention is for sinful relations. But again, that’s the challenge the Torah poses and it’s up to individuals to spiritually conquer it instead of being fearful of touch (because you’re only supposed to be fearful of G-d, not of each other).
Segregation is not necessary. During the Lag B’Omer Parade, I didn’t find any difference between being squashed with males or females. Everyone did their best to be respectful. That said, barriers are not a solution. Improving our respect towards one another is.
anonnonas
who cares
CT
Milhouse – Just as important as Halachah is Derech Eretz. I understand the need for adherance to Halachah, and why you you feel strongly about your point of view. What makes your point of view unpalatable is not the Halachic ramifications, but the lack of respect with which you state it. Torah is that much sweeter when taught with dignity, self respect, and respect for others.
Yossel
B-H
A lot of this separation stuff gets a little out of hand. What is the community doing about the men who are looking for girls on the SIDE STREETS??!!!??? What’s being done abouth THAT??!??
Some of these guys come from other neighborhoods, with the impression that CH girls are “easy.” Sad, scary, but true. Some are chusids with langa paiyes, some are modern Flatbush types, whatever, but that is a bigger travesty than any accidntal “brushes” with the wrong gender on Kingston Ave.
That’s just my two cents….um..sorry, I mean, it’s more like my $2.50 on Kingston Avenue…
Mushka
To Milhouse:
I agree with ALL of your comments here!
esther in LA
i’s just obvious that in a large group situation,especially when there is lots of dancing,there needs to be some sort of mechitza. that should be common sense for us as frum yidden.do we not have the same thing at the ohel when large groups are expected.it is not an attack on women cv.it’s the opposite. tzneeus is our crown,our dignity and our self respect.
no way
Wow, Milhous! Let’s decrease the anger and increase respect for other people’s opinions. Dressing modestly and keeping distance from opposite gender is only part of tznius, you should know, and you clearly need to work on the other aspects of it. You definitely have the right to disagree, but do not judge me or put me down.
no way
I totally agree with the comment about the Lag Baomer Parade
jewish lady
Removal of barriers, protests: goyishkeit!
Milhouse
It is FORBIDDEN to show respect for the opinions of kofrim. There are not two toros, or two halochos. And when defending Torah against its attackers there is no such thing as derech eretz; “bimkom chilul haShem ein cholkin kovod lorav”.
If there was taaruves at the Lag Baomer parade, it should be reported to the organisers, so that they can take appropriate steps to prevent it next time. Can you imagine the Rebbe’s reaction to such a thing? He would have refused to come out if there were taaruves going on.
As for #18, we’re talking about Meah Shearim, where such things BH do NOT go on. As far as Crown Heights, ein hochi nami something must be done about it, but unfortunately there’s a limit to what can be done without police cooperation, and the police see no reason to prevent such things, which they regard as normal and positive. So we can only do what is possible, and for the rest we are anussim; Hashem doesn’t expect from us more than we can do.
Milhouse
#15, I’ve never heard of “Leviticus”. All I know is Vayikro, and Shulchon Oruch. I know that when there was a crowd in the BHMK they segregated the people, and I know that the Shulchon Oruch says explicitly that on yomtov the Beis Din must appoint police to patrol the gardens and orchards to prevent mixing. I know that the Rebbe insisted on complete segregation of the sexes, and that itself should be the end of all discussion. The only question any Lubavitcher should ask himself is whether the Rebbe would approve or disapprove of the barrier in front of Toldos Aharon, and the answer is obvious that he would approve of it. Once you know that, how can you question it? Ein lonu elo divrei Ben Amrom. If you don’t agree, then what are you doing on this site?