Jerusalem – Scuffle Breaks Out at Protest for Segregated Buses

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Jerusalem – A small scuffle broke out on this afternoon between ultra-Orthodox (haredi) and secular Jews in Jerusalem’s Shmuel Hanavi neighborhood.

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More than 2,000 haredim had gathered for a demonstration demanding that Egged and the Transportation Ministry arrange bus lines that segregate men and women in areas where the majority of residents are ultra-Orthodox.

Some of the haredim spat at the secular Jews who were holding a counter-protest and grabbed some of the signs they were holding. No one was wounded.

The protestors gathered at the site of the 2003 suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus.
Organizers said that the Orthodox public feels there is a connection between the problem of “immodesty” on buses and the attack.

The rally, which was held under the slogan “Traveling the right way,” featured the reading of psalms and prayers in memory of the attack victims. Organizers distributed leaflets addressing the importance of the struggle for segregation aboard buses in more neighborhoods in the capital, while rabbis and Orthodox public officials delivered speeches.

The demonstration was also attended by two Egged drivers wearing their uniforms. The two said they support the struggle, but added that it was the Transportation Ministry which was blocking the introduction of more segregated buses, while waiting for the High Court to rule on the matter.

Municipal official Rachel Azaria, who protested against the segregated bus lines, said: As a religious woman, I came to make sure that the public space remains pleasant for everyone. As one who grew up in Jerusalem and has no intention of leaving it, I care about what this city is like.”

“The Orthodox are very good at pressing Egged and when it introduces new segregated lines, the service in the regular lines is undermined,” she said. “I don’t force anyone to sit next to me on the bus, and everyone can decide on their own segregation and who they wish to sit next to. Yet nobody should decide for us how to travel on buses.”


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matis
matis
14 years ago

Come on guys lo zu haderech

PMO
PMO
14 years ago

Violence begets violence. Sinas chinam begets more sinas chinam.

A pox on both their houses.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

i dont blame the secular . be open minded not fanatic we live in golus if the arabs would rule irael like satmar wishes we probably wouldnt have bus service at all. we can not infringe and provoke others even though we are the majority.

Izzy
Izzy
14 years ago

Plain and simple these people are fanatics . Forcing there stupidly on others.

yankel
yankel
14 years ago

These people are not fanatics, all they want is to go daven at the Kosel without having to push their way between women, or women having to push their way on the bus between men! They tried by meeting with Egged officials, they treid by making their own bus lines which Egged fought! All they want is to live THEIR lives a certain way, they are not forcing anything on anyone, they are the VAST majority using these bus lines. This has nothing to do with Satmar or Kanaim. These are regular Yeshiva Leit and their families trying to live up to what they stand for. There is no reason for the secular to pose a counter demonstration , only to pick a fight. They dont use the #1 or #2 bus line. Let them stay in their neighborhoods!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

Another bogus chumrha , should men & women have separate cars, separate supermarkets, or at least separate entrances to stores…let the yeshiva folks learn torah and not impose the nonsense they come up with when not learning.

Sorah
Sorah
14 years ago

The most amazing thing is that it’s ALWAYS the men who notice that there is a tznius problem. It’s the “frum” men who run around, being violent and nasty and that is less tznius than any way a woman can dress.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

I drove through Southern Tennessee a few years ago.
I noticed two counties with “buggy lanes” on both sides of every single road.

It seems that they developed a large Amish community, who we all know do not drive cars, but travel with horse-drawn buggies.

Well, the Amish went to the County and asked if they can have buggy lanes created on the wider roads, so they could use the roads safely. etc.,T he non-Amish people in Tennessee did not say, “Why should they impose their fanatic ideas on us!” No, they thought it would be good to create those lanes and cater to other people’s religious beliefs. Over the next 15 years, they converted all the roads in 2 counties.

When they told me that, I felt embarrassed that we, the Jewish people, do not have equal tolerance towards those more frum than we are. We get angry at them and make life miserable for them.

Let us learn respect for those more religious than us from the people of Tenn.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

Funny! They don’t work and don’t distribute noting to the country, they take social service, so they have a lot of time to give their opinion on every issue, and even to destroy the country!!!

Charlie Hall
Charlie Hall
14 years ago

What posek says that it is asur to ride a bus or train with mixed seating? I was told by a Chasidic Rebbe to take the subway rather than drive because I can learn more Torah on the subway!

chaim
chaim
14 years ago

They get thousands on the street for this but Yoseph’s Tomb is severely vandalized and you wont here a word from them.

I’m just sick of there tire burning and selective religiousness.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

The chareidy world has gone meshugy. When will they learn that in a democratic country you cant just impose your will on others. Lets hope it never becomes majority chareidy or these people will lead us straight to the loony bin.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

# 15, I am not sure what you want convey, real learner who practices what he learns (as that’s the reason for learning) will always treat ALL people with respect without imposing on anyone, they may suggest… but have understanding that we are all not on that high-level-
do you think a mixed bus with men& woman will make you to happy…that seems like a low thresh hold

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

There is no reason in today society there should be separate buses or anything (from public funding) if there are those that want separate create your own bus service with private funds..and no one will have any issues with that

chief doofis
chief doofis
14 years ago

Suppose I visit Israel, with my wife and daughter, granddaughter, etc., an dwe want to travel to the Old City. I feel much mor ecomfortable sitting with my family, than with other men. Suppose a young man and a young lady, in proper attire, want to eat out in a restaurant on a date. Can you imagine them traveling on separate busses?

Please stop calling people “frummer”. You are frummer if you eat kosher, than you are if you eat treif. You are frummer if you observe Taharat Hamishpacha, than if you don’t. You are frummer if you daven three times a day, than if you daven once a year. But you are NOT frummer if you take on practices that were never practiced by the greatest men (& women) of past generations. My Rosh Yeshiva rode in New York Subway cars and busses. Twenty five years ago, there was no Glatt Kosher FISH! (How do you check for a Sircha on a gill?) Skirts below the knees were fine. A man could wear a light colored suit, black is NOT holier than white! The Kohen wore white vestments, not black ones. It is not frummer to say “OY” instead of “OH”.

We must stop adding to the Torah. Adam & Chava added to the one mitzva they had. Look where it got all of us!

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

whats wrong with woman? are they less human then men?? backwards!!!

Sickos
Sickos
14 years ago

I cannot believe that this is what they are doing to the TORAH – it’s pirkei avos time – remember SHAMAI (and he was frum!) – havei mekabel kol ho-odom b’sever panim yafos. Doesn’t say to whom – to EVERYONE. In our history we never had such meshugasen – the gedolim of yesteryear also travelled on public transportation – no one was going nuts. And to use the sacred site where Jews died al kiddush HASHEM for their garbage is the height of sacrilege – AND IS NOT TZNIUS!!!!!

dirty shirt
dirty shirt
14 years ago

This is nothing but chauvinism cloaked in religion. It is the same people that are promoting the “kosher” GPS (only male voices). The same people who bleach women who are walking down a public street. This is not an issue of letting somebody “frummer” than you live the way that he wishes, rather, It’s an issue of not allowing a select group of “askanim” hijack Judaism for their own power and gain. This is not an issue of Halacha, for these same people don’t think twice about making a public chilul Hashem. Let those who really care for Klal Yisroel and Halacha rise up and take action against our very own, homegrown, Taliban.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

Hay why don’t they just save the money from their jobs to buy a car.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

This is absurd. My wife and I are baal teshuvaim and are orthodox. we have discussed how to deal with the issue of integrated buses… and it can be hard. My wife and I hope that neither of us will have to be in a situation where there are no seats except next to the opposite sex… and if that case happens, I hope that I’m the one, because I can just stand and not sit… my wife who usually has the kids is in a different situation.

However, I completely disagree with a segragated bus and would go to blows over it. This isn’t shul, so men can be gentlemen and get up to find another seat.

Guys (haredi or otherwise), grow up and stop being a d*ck.