Jerusalem – Call to Haredi Men, Women to Use Separate Sidewalks

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    Jerusalem – A group of ultra-Orthodox men took to the streets of the haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem and called on the public to adhere to a complete separation between men and women in certain areas of the city.

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    The activists toured the streets near Geula neighborhood in taxicabs and announced, using megaphones that on some streets men and women should walk on opposite sides of the road during the weekend.

    According to a resident of the neighborhood, Avraham Cohen, those responsible for the initiative belong to the extremist Neturei Karta stream. “The leading rabbis of the ultra-Orthodox public do not support this initiative,” he said. “This group decided to on their won accord go into the neighborhoods and set new modesty codes.”

    However, eyewitnesses said that although the segregation had not been sanctioned by prominent spiritual authorities, most passersby heeded the call last Saturday. “During the noon hours when women go out for a stroll and the men go to the synagogue, men and women walked on different sidewalks,” one resident said.

    But the same level of separation was reportedly not observed on the busy Friday, when the streets are regularly packed with crowds.


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    95 Comments
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    Mullah Omar
    Mullah Omar
    14 years ago

    In the history of Yiddishkeit, was there ever such a takanah? Seems like the Neturei Karta are taking their cues from the Taliban. Given their close ties to Iran that makes sense.

    bronx Bubby
    bronx Bubby
    14 years ago

    I hope this is a joke.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    if they don;t want to see woman,don’t go out on the streets. why don’t they put on a pair of sunglasses!

    shas yid
    shas yid
    14 years ago

    did they have this in the gemoro times?
    we can safely assume they didn’t from the stories scattered around shas

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    These idiots are going to trigger a civil war in Jeruselam. Even the mainstream hareidi leaders think they are fools and hopefully they will speak out in advance rather than waiting until after some women get pushed off the sidewalks next shabbos. It appears they have truly lost control of their senses and wish to create theiw own version of Kabul here in EY.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I hope this can be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand. For now they may just be “asking” but its hard to imagine that there won’t be some element of intimidation. When will people learn that they don’t own the streets and the sidewalks.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    seperate houses too I hope.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I would like to say that my family (male and females) were at this exact location this past shabbos and saw nothing of the sort. On the contrary many families were walking together as always.
    So as the rest of the story goes….

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    what do the coupels do if they want to take a walk!!!lol

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    There’s “frum” and there’s “crum”. This is definitely “crum”

    Anyway, if the Neturei Karta don’t even believe in Israel, what are they doing there telling people what to do? They’re bored to death doing nothing so they have to think up something to do with their time.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    looks like they’re copying New Square-all streets there are divided. One side for men, the other side for women. I was once there for a wedding and couldn’t understand all the dirty looks we were getting until my friend saw the ”menner zeit” sign.

    yankel
    yankel
    14 years ago

    I live in new square and we have it for many years and its great, you can walk to shul on shabbos and don’t have to make zig zag and walk between crowds

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If you have ever been there in meah sharim extremely narrow sidewalks and a one way narrow street when buses are flying through the croweds have to push themselves in to the narrow sidewalk but in skver shtetel where they have regular size streets and sidewalks and they have it for years the segregated streets

    YY
    YY
    14 years ago

    In new square they have this rule. the street lamps are posted with orange signs stating women side and blue sign for men side. the problem is when it comes to Yom Tov or the rabbi’s wedding There’s alot of mix coz the out of towners aren’t used to this. i usually end up walking in the center of the street with a bunch of mixed men and ladies. as the joke there goes a box lady fingers were found on the men side…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    some1 walkd on lady side in skver, ppl started screaming  him, he answers im going 2a wedding, ppl: go on men side! he answer no im from the kallas side

    professor
    professor
    14 years ago

    while i don’t follow rules like these, i can understand them. the sidewalks are narrow, and on weekends, when access to stores are not necessary, people can walk in a more modest manner so as not to bump into people of the opposite sex. This can also deter teens from fraternizing in a subtle manner.

    smile
    smile
    14 years ago

    “frum eza galuch n erlich eza yid”

    tzoorba
    tzoorba
    14 years ago

    Chadoshim mikorov bau. Col hamosif goreah.

    The kanoim with no daas Torah are implementing ridiculous chumros. I hope that the Torahdik olam doesn’t get sucked in by them.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    these pepole are realy sick is not the word!!!!!!!!

    Oy Vey
    Oy Vey
    14 years ago

    On Shabbos you don’t have to walk on the sidewalk, there are no buses. During the week, it isn’t practical, stores being on both sides of the street. Maybe they can have women’s hours and men’s hours, so women and men can walk on both sides of the street unrestricted. And they can have hours for mixed for those who want it that way.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I too hope this is a joke.. Who are they to say what is allowed and what not, aren’t they ones that are buttering up to the Iranians men and women, and you see them
    mingle or rather rubbing against anti-Israel women. They have the same idioligy like the Taliban, everybody has to behave and belief like they do, (muslim-its either you believe in the koran or die).

    Who do they think they are, they write their own Torah and interpet they way they want. (i.e chillul Hashem is not in their Torah) I would put them in the same catagory as the Reform Jews, no different.

    Somehow i get the feeling that they hate themselves and what they stand for, so they make noise, not to focus on themselves. Even at the expense of their brothers and sisters of Israel,

    One end you have the Nutarai Karta, the other hand u have the Toldon Aaron, what is wrong with them, did they forget that they are in Golus, if they are soooo worried other people Yirus Shamayim like chillul shabbos and want to do something then do the right thing get a voice in the Knesset, go vote,

    Time to do something constructive stand together and fight as a team…and hopefully bring Mashich quick.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    These people push the Ikrim of the Torah aside and focus on stupidities instead. As another commenter said it is evident from recordings in the Gemorah that these “holy takanos”weren’t in place in the times of the Tanoim and Amoraim. But yes,we’re gonna be better than them,right?!! Why don’t we try bettering ourselves before imposing all sorts of silly things on everyone. If you wish walk where you want but don’t tell everyone else what to do. We never saw our Gedolim do the things these people want to see.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I have been to Skwere and noticed the separation. I strongly commend them. in a closely knit area like there, it makes a big difference.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If the man or woman live on the opposite gender side of the street how do they leave or enter their house without violating this rule?

    lazer
    lazer
    14 years ago

    #10 please dont fabricate stories ,if one happens to go in square on the opposite side nobody pounces on him,or gives dirty looks on him AND ESPECIALLY A GUEST.if you got a dirty look it was probably for some thing else. but my feeling is you just want to dramatize this issue and if thats the case its not right to on the chesbon of such precious people.

    bmos
    bmos
    14 years ago

    This is crumkite not frumkite. We have made this a religion of chumros not halacha.

    mr613
    mr613
    14 years ago

    they should also impose seperate hours for shopping at the stores/ Markolet
    not ! This seems a little overboard

    Treat Women Like Queens
    Treat Women Like Queens
    14 years ago

    It is amazing that there are 31 comments so far and no one mentioned that Women should be treated like Ladies & Queens. It is no wonder that there are so many divorces. It is no wonder that there are problems in marriages. It is sick! So many are dogs & animals when it comes to treating women – especially their wives, like true Queens!

    What happened to the Women being treated like an ‘Eishet Chayil’? What happened to the concept of Women being the rock & support in the marriage? Where the h** are the ‘rabbis” on these issues? Are they too busy abusing wives / Women themselves? Are they too busy sweeping divorce cases under the rug? Abusive relationships? Are they too busy being involved in money laundering, swindling, lying, cheating? Are they too busy with Lipa, Indian wigs, Internet & Cell phones? Kashrut Scandals?

    Folks, these ‘rabbis’ are a joke, and should not be listening to nor tolerated. It is a case of the blind leading the blind, and the time has come to get rid of this cancer! Stand up for Women! Stand up for the amazing things they do. Treat them with R – E S – P – E – C – T! Stop being chauvinistic animals & pigs!

    Heimishe Mamma
    Heimishe Mamma
    14 years ago

    You know I was in Eretz Yisroel recently and went to shop in Geulah Erev Shabbos. Truthfully the narrow streets were so crowded I was completely overwhelmed,frum men and women were cramped together like sardines!! I was shocked how bad it was! Nothing like BP or Willi, so if you havent experienced it DONT TALK!! Literally people were on top of each other mamish men women, bucherim, girls…let me tell you its not such a bad idea having the men and women in the Geulah neighborhood on other sides…….and I am a very open minded person..its just that I was never in such a crowd in the middle of the street except maybe in the NY subways rushhour time…… I was extremly uncomfortable!!

    knowitall
    knowitall
    14 years ago

    R. Yaakov Kaminetsky, ZTL, would regularly greet nuns on his way to shul. He also regularly greeted an old Irish woman. It turned out that her son was on the zoning board. When a Yeshiva needed some help, he helped and said that his mother was so happy when R. Yaakov greeted her. I guess this is the end of civility. goes together with rock throwing and burning garbage.

    NetRabbi
    NetRabbi
    14 years ago

    The “militant lesbian
    pro-IVF for single women femi-nazi” bloggers always give me a good chuckle.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    And frum people wonder why they are not welcome to move into secular/MO neighborhoods in Israel!!!

    If the chareidim keep pushing made-up and baseless “chumrahs”, then they have no one else to blame when the rest of the country doesn’t want them.

    The Beis HaMikdash had an ezras nashim, but the street of Jerusalem belonged, and still belong, to all.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    In reality you don’t have to worry because most women look like and dress almost like men anyway, black dress, black shoes, same size, so what can you see in case you do want to look ?? if they can get seperate sidewalks in manhattan, that would be a different story

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Wow, those streets and sidewalks do look awfully narrow. However, no one forces people to live in these densely packed areas. If the risk of bumping into someone is a problem for you, don’t choose these areas as your home. It’s like buying a house next to a dairy farm and then complaining about the odor.

    Barzilai
    Barzilai
    14 years ago

    Rav Matisyahu Solomon says this was the common practice in Kelm. Not Chelm, people. There was a town named Kelm, where the Talmud Torah was, where Reb Yakov Kamenetzki learned for a while, Reb Simcha Zissel Ziv was the Rosh Yeshiva, Reb Doniel Movshover, that Kelm.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Mechitzes, takones, why don’t they teach these people how to control your thoughts and minds than you don’t need any of these barriers. You think people on a regular bus having a simple conversation are having the same machshoves as the people on the michitse buses when the curtain opens a halve inch? To much is also no good. Feeds the yetsher horo just as much.

    (wo)men are people
    (wo)men are people
    14 years ago

    Soon there will be separate subway cars for males and females. Every home must have a men’s entrance and a separate women’s entrance ( in the back yard). Cars must have complete mechitzohs.too. Are the Jewish women walking out in the street in their swimwear or underwear? Here in NYC no one should ever be permitted to walk on any sidewalk,because of the way the people ‘dress’.Every home should have a separate ‘bathroom’ for men and another for women.

    Shaul in Monsey
    Shaul in Monsey
    14 years ago

    The fact that men and women who call themselves frum live in the same house is a disgrace. Only true frumme yiddin would live al pi teireh with the men living in the upstairs of a house and the women living in basements and garages.

    And all this mixed seating at the shabbos tables is also a shrekliche matziv and a shandeh and a disgrace and the true teiredicke yeeden should never have mixed seating at homes. The women should eat in the kitchen lchatchileh or bdi eved they could eat the leftovers after the men beltch, I mean bentch. All this disgusting menuveldicke pritzus is mamish a shandeh. Oy!

    Maybe instead of separate sides of the street for men and women, we should only let men walk on the streets from 6 AM to 10 PM, and women can only walk on streets from 10 PM to 6 AM. That could work too. Come to think of it, now, why do women need to walk the streets? Only the machsheyfas walk the streets. That’s it! Women should no longer be allowed outside. It could only lead to the men going insane and unable to control their urges, the men would come to sin because women are outdoors. So keep the women inside!

    Of course lets not worry about the silly issues like spousal abuse, drug abuse, porn addiction, homosexuality, gambling, stealing and all the other nonsense that has eroded our culture and society. Let’s just focus on the real issues like this one.

    The Queen of Persia
    The Queen of Persia
    14 years ago

    I think we should respect the feelings of the people in each neighborhood. Nobody said it was halachicaly mandatory to have two separate sides of the street, but if the people of any given neighborhood choose to take upon themselves a chumra, the least we can do is respect their wishes.

    A Golus Yid
    A Golus Yid
    14 years ago

    When my son was a yeshiva bochur in E”Y, he noticed that because the chareidi women in E”Y don’t drive, there were many more women on the streets than in the USA, where the women were in their cars. Therefore, a takana that started out for tznius reasons, made the situation less tzniyusdig! So Women in Yerushalayim, get those driver’s licences and get off the streets!

    Yeah Right......
    Yeah Right......
    14 years ago

    I don’t believe this neurushkeit for a second. I honestly believe that this is mamish a joke. I think they want something to talk about, besides the lady and her child and the mermaid story. See all these are just stories so people can talk about us. They will make up anything. Its mamish like Purim Shtick in August.

    true
    true
    14 years ago

    well in skver they can do it , but not in a place like that where hundreds of people from all over the world come to see this most intresting streets , but as i see the pictures the streets are soooooo very nerrow , it would be nice at least on shabbos to have it that way and not have to go zig zag as some one said ,,

    5T Resident
    5T Resident
    14 years ago

    This is becoming truly insane. How can these people treat women so poorly but still sing Aishes Chayil on Friday night?

    I wonder – the Chunash tells us b’feresh that Yaakov Avinu kissed Rochel Imainu shortly after meeting her. Would Yaakov Avinu get thrown out of Mea She’arim for that?

    Shalom Bayis
    Shalom Bayis
    14 years ago

    One of the problems of widespread acceptance of this new ‘chumra’ is that it will affect couples who wish to stroll or walk together, thus affecting shalom bayis. Rabbi Shalom Arush, in his sefer GARDEN OF PEACE, is one of many rabbis who point out the vital need for wives to feel loved and appreciated. If one cannot walk alongside one’s wife as she shops or just talks, this will affect marriages, without a doubt. People need time to be together as a couple. Those who have seen gedolim know how they would would walk together with their wives and their daughters. We need to keep families together, not split up!

    dovid's friend says
    dovid's friend says
    14 years ago

    I once heard on a tape from Rav Shimshon Dovid Pinkus that in certain towns in Poland 150 years ago, even GOYISHER MEN & WOMEN walked on different sides of the sidewalk.

    If any frum man opposes such measures in religious neighborhoods such as Meah Shearim, Kiryas Belz, Ramat Bet Shemesh Bes, then he needs to examine why he wants to walk near another man’s woman.

    Yaakov
    Yaakov
    14 years ago

    I don’t know if you know this but this is going on for at least 15 years. Everyone ignores them.

    Reality Check
    Reality Check
    14 years ago

    Reb Yiddele and his good wife Rebitzen Yiddisel decide to go for a shabbos walk with their baby, Tzadikel.
    Tzadikel rides in his bugaboo, on the men’s side, for chinuch reasons.
    Rebitzen Yiddisel realizes that Tzaddikel needs a diaper change.
    She shouts across the street for Reb Yiddile to check.
    Reb Yiddele confirms her suspicions, but motions to his wife that she is carrying the diaper bag.
    Rebitzen Yiddisel picks a diaper out of the bag, and hurls it toward her husband across the street with all her might.
    She misses.
    The diaper hits a chiloni reporter who is filming the scene for CNN.
    Rebitzen Yidisel is arrested for assaulting a reporter.
    She walks peacefully to the police station, in order not to make a chillul Hashem.
    Reb Yiddele invites the chiloni reporter for chulent, while his friends protest peacefully at the police station.
    Baby Tzadikel loses his appetite due to the sudden separation from his mother, and refuses to eat any chulent.
    Reb Yiddele ponders the unfolding events, and realizes that his chulent was made with meat from a dishonest butcher, and concludes that his zehirus in tznius has saved him from eating tarfus.

    When Reb Yiddele awakens from his Shabbos nap, he realizes it was all a silly dream.
    Which is a good thing, because if any of this were true, it could have caused decent yidden to become cynical.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    what about separate forums on VIN where men and women can post separately. I always want to post, but I’m afraid my feminine writing and excellent punctuation, might make some men unable to control their urges.

    YitzchokAizik
    YitzchokAizik
    14 years ago

    so much free time. can they get some work instead of coming up with these ideas?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Interesting to note how so much debate revolves around a claim.
    When in fact #5 who stated his entire family was there and saw nothing of the sort.
    In fact many families were walking with children and men. Many men were on the way to shul for learning or davening. Bochurim were on way to kosel. And girls were observed walking with each other on the way to their business.
    If the purpose of this article is theoretical as in what the best way for our people to conduct themselves. Then there is what to discuss and bashing yelling screaming is not needed.