Let me, a card carrying Torani/chardali woman who has strong chassidische sympathies give you a list of my issues as an orthodox woman in Israel: shall we start with feces and rock throwing nuts that have nothing better to do with their day than bother little girls for the incredible sin of not wearing socks? Not once-but daily, for weeks, with not one word from the hareidi rabbinical establishment until their yeshiva gravy train was threatened. Harassment and violence against women who dare not sit at the back of the PUBLIC buses, despite a legal ruling deeming it illegal to force segregation. Bleach thrown on women not deemed tzniut enough in Mea Shearim. The womans section at the Kotel half the size of the mens (not including the nice, air conditioned huge covered mens section)--the womans section being so crowded that its almost impossible to approach said Wall brecause, thsnk G-d, there are a lot of women who want to daven there. Not to mention almost no place to get out of the sun except a tiny, stinky, dirty, smelly room. Rabbis and a major zionist institution I have known and one time respected and followed erasing female terrorist victim from a picture because it wasnt tzniut. Same said rabbi insisting on closed shoes or open shoes with socks. The constant minyan without an ezras nashim in the kvarim in Maarat HaMachpelah so that if youre female you may not be able to enter to say tehillim or daven. If youre inside and they want a minyan, they just kick you out. Things like going to hear a shir and approaching the entrance men are standing around it and they scatter with their heads down like I have the plague. Sitting in said shir with a mechitza and having some hasid come along and pull a heavy, green, ugly curtain across in front of the mechitza. 26 signs in Mea Shearim telling me how to dress. Signs in store windows telling me how to dress. separate sidewalks (thank G-d they didnt get away with that one). Separate seating in waiting rooms (friends, not me). Separate grocery shopping hours or attempts at such things. These are just a few of my favorite things and the public that believes in that stuff is a growing population. Its epidemic and all I can say is I personally avoid the hostility and most of the shtuyot by living in a religious community in the middle of nowhere. Thank G-d I can drive so I never have to deal with separate buses. I dont really have a rabbi right now because I became disillusioned with the Torani rabbi that I had always thought I follow. There are women who live in communities where they are not allowed to drive. The wildly popular Amnon Yitzchok is just the latest and most public figure to say so. Yes, they are the minority, but it is disturbing and scary, and growing nonetheless. A man will never have to live with that. It is our men who make the rules. What is worse and more frightening, is to have more normal religious people, downplay the situation. Its like being a lobster in a pot. Why do I have to accept that to prove that Im not a dreaded feminist? Lastly, I have many reasons for having defended WOW lately, none of them having to do with my personal belief in their mission. I think some people have such an irrational hatred of them that they cant see what it is I am standing up for (or against: sinas hinam, lies, and misinformation). Sof shel ha devar, I care much more about how my community (the orthodox) behaves and I take as inclusive an approach as I can, a la Carlebach and Chabad. So, if you know me at all and you care about me, then that should be plain. While youre at it, you know that I am a serious Jew and that I am part of the establishment, so maybe you could try to hear my pain at all the machloket (its easy to be nice to someone you agree with and its easy to be mean spirited on an anonymous place like fb about people you dont know or care about but should because they are Jewish too and still human). I dont want to live in Saudi Arabia. I want to live according to the Halacha, according to Torah. Ok?
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:40:51 +0000
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