Israel – The Knesset made history today when it swore in its first female Orthodox MK, just before it enters a pre-election recess on Monday. MK Tzvia Greenfield joined the Knesset on behalf of the Meretz Party, to replace retiring MK Yossi Beilin.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Greenfield is a doctor of political philosophy, and her achievements include the signing of the Geneva Initiative.
“It is a very special feeling to be an MK,” she said. “One of the important reasons I have for feeling this way is that I am an ultra-Orthodox MK of Meretz.”
She added, “I am creating an important precedent as a woman born and raised in the ultra-Orthodox society who is entering the Knesset on behalf of Meretz, to promote the pluralist values of humanity and human rights – this is an incredible privilege for me.”
Greenfield is set to participate in her first vote on Wednesday, when a bill enabling the distribution of assets prior to the finalization of divorce is scheduled to be up for its second and third reading. “I feel very privileged to be supporting this bill,” she said.
The new MK was somewhat apprehensive about the way in which other ultra-Orthodox members of the Knesset would react. “I think it’s difficult for them to understand this and to understand me, though I haven’t spoken to everyone,” she said.
“If they respond with anger, it’s mostly because it’s difficult for them to believe that people can transcend their own sectarian boundaries.”
Greenfield hopes to kick off a revolution with her new career. “I see myself as a pioneer to be followed by many other people, especially women who want to break through the rules of separation in Israeli society,” she said. “We will prove that Israeli society can be reorganized.”
There is something very rotten about a “Chareidi” person supporting the suicidal Geneva conventions for Israel. Her advocacy of pluralist values of human rights is certain to run counter to Daas Torah.
Her need to “transcend her sectarian boundaries” indicates a disdain for Orthodox values and a search for favor from the Liberal loonies.
wow. I thought meretz was as anti-religious as they get
what a great kidush hashem
We should start calling her Bubby of Israel. I wish her lots of luck on her new position.
A M.E.R.E.T.Z. member who is “Hareidi” is an oxymoron!
Mazel tov to Dr. Greenfield!
Don’t get so excited!
Chareidi??? woman who’s against certain commandments of the Torah and understands halachot better than great Rabbis whom she considers narrow-minded (Haaretz May 12, 2008) doesn’t sound too chareidi at all. She’s Oxymoron at best.
Haredi who hates Israel and believes in gay rights.
Such an achievement we can do without.
Is she best friends with the nut who wants to be Irans Rabbi?
She is probably as Haredi as Yossi Beilin was. What a hypocrite and a fraud of a Jew!!
If she is charedi i am a muslim… she is barely religious let alone charedi…
nice to see a frum woman that can accomplish something. next gold meir??
She has a lot of guts! All of the big achievements in world came from this good people. In the end of the day every body gains from their deeds.
MAZEL TOV BUBBY
A real shame that the Chareidi parties didn’t let her run on their ticket. This woman who seems to be very bright and accomplished was forced to make a deal with the devil (Meretz) in order to run for Knesset. Along the way she also picked up some of their ultra-leftist ideologies. Chaulk up another win for the Taliban.
Tzivia Greenfield is no more “haredi” than John McCain is a Muslim. She is a screeching leftist machshefa who wears an ugly wig.
Guys, what are you all getting excited about?. This lady stands against everything yiddishkeit stands for. Yes she grew up in a charedi family. Thats why she is “Makirah es boiro veyodass limros boi.
Read up un her and you’ll know who you are talking about.
She is no less anti-charedi then Yossi Beilin.
This individual is not the first Orthodox female MK. The NRP had (has?) a female MK – an individual who was previously principal in one of the top National Religious girls’ high schools.
She does not look like a woman to me.
People THIS WOMAN IS AS ANTI-HAREDI AS THEY COME. She received $200,000 from the EU for her foundation Machon Mifneh which is dedicated to luring haredi youth off the derech and into the leftist parties.
“One of the EU’s grants, however, does raise questions as to whether the mandarins of the EU were hoodwinked out of a fair piece of change: a $200,000 grant to Tzvia Greenfield’s Machon Mifne for the purpose of “encouraging the settlement and religious communities in Israel to change their prevailing negative attitudes towards peace and democracy.” The national religious community is variously described in the document as “democracy-suspicious” and “non-educated.”
Enlightenment, however, is soon to follow. Greenfield’s contract with the EU boasts that “Machon Mifne “enjoys a unique position among the right-wing nationalistic audiences”, which have so far been inaccessible to the peace and democracy camp” and has succeeded “penetrat[ing] the uttermost bastion of national-religious education.”
Perhaps Greenfield’s benefactors were misled into believing that she presently has great influence by virtue of her frequent media appearances. Yet the frequency of those appearances reveal more about the Israeli media’s fondness for curiosa than about Greenfield’s influence. No doubt there will always be an audience, in Tom Segev’s words, of “secular Jews who love to hate the ultra-Orthodox” for a woman wearing a resolutely unstylish wig who is only too happy to confirm all their stereotypes. But the very qualities that endear Greenfield to that audience make her anathema among those she would influence.
An invitation to Greenfield to speak in a national-religious synagogue in Har Nof was quickly rescinded as soon synagogue members found out who she was. And if that was the reaction in her own neighborhood, with a largely English-speaking, university-educated membership, one can surmise her popularity among the larger national-religious community.” (Jewish Media Resources)
I love the hareidi Palin wig she is wearing!
Reminds me of the frum police lady of Monsey.
Purim costume. What does this woman represent? If it is Torah,then she is Frum. If it is not al pi halocho or Torah,then she’s a fraud. Meretz is what Obama would belong to.
Hey, maybe it is time we give democratic ideas a chance. She seems to be in favor of seperation of church and state. Legislating frumkeit has not worked.
She’s not charedi by any usual definition of that term. Seriously, what do people think makes her charedi, other than her own adoption of the name?
Apart from anything else, I’m pretty sure owning a dog is enough to make one non-charedi, especially in J’m.
As pointed out previously, Meretz chareidi is an oxymoron. Meretz was formed by the combining of three left wing parties Mapai and two others whose names I don’t recall at the moment. Rumor has it that Meretz will soon merge with former rival Shas. The new party will be called Sheretz.
B’H Finaly a Yiddishe Mama that loves all children of klal Yisroel in stead of facsionists and dividers.
Hatzlacha Rabaah!
I like totally luv her wig. I am prettier then her though in my $5,000 custom made human hair one.
The English Wikipedia says that she supports gay rights and gay marriage. So how can she consider herself Orthodox, mind you ultra-Orthodox?