PRESS RELEASE
Petition to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation:
“Demand for appointment of female representatives to the Committee of Nominations of dayanim”
The Council of Women’s Organizations in Israel calls on political leaders to appoint female representatives to the committee of nominations of dayanim.
The Council of Women’s Organizations Israel is the umbrella organization representing all women organizations in Israel: Emunah, Wizo, Naamat, University Women, Bnot Brit, Ort, Hadassah, Soroptomist and Shedulat Hanashim – with more than one million members from all sectors, acting through educational and social activities, for the advancement of status of women and the family through whole Israel.
Towards the upcoming discussion at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on the Bill of dayanim (Amendment - appointment of female representatives -2011), the Council of Women’s Organization addressed the Ministerial Committee:
“It is unacceptable that the Committee of Nominations of dayanim should include men only, as it has an influence on the every day life of women.
The absence of a woman in this committee is inappropriate and is against the Law of proper Representation of Women. The purpose of the Bill of
dayanim (Amendment) is to correct this distortion and the Council of Women’s Organizations in Israel demands unequivocally that this bill should be confirmed.”
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Letters re WOMEN IN ISRAELI SOCIETY TODAY. (The Australian Jewish News)
Is it time to speak up?
In the article “Relax Israelis: live and let live” (AJN, 7/12/11) Avi Rath puts it well when he stated that “the last thing Israeli society needs is constant squabbling over religious affairs”.
When Hilary Clinton reportedly expressed concerns about some aspects of domestic Israeli and religious politics, was she so wrong about the women’s issues in particular?
Modern Orthodox, ‘secular’ and Progressive Israeli women are voicing alarm at the intrusion of ‘haredi’ influences on Israeli society which impacts first and foremost on the civic and just plain human rights of girls and women and they are challenging us to help them from the Diaspora. Well known activist, Sharon Shenhav quoted from her article:” as an Orthodox women's rights activist and lawyer, I am very concerned about increasing efforts by religious extremists to remove women from public areas. My friends and colleagues, who include Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular (non-observant) Jews are equally concerned about these efforts to silence women's voices. In Jerusalem, we are particularly concerned about the elimination of women's faces and bodies from billboards and public advertisements on buses. As I mentioned in the article I published, I am concerned about the response of secular organizations and companies who have voluntarily agreed to eliminate women from public areas or comply with demands for gender segregation in public areas. These secular organizations include the IDF, Egged Bus company, Magen David Adom, the city of Jerusalem, and private commercial companies.”
The time may have come for Diaspora Jews to also voice our concerns about the circumstances which face many of our Israeli sisters. Women must be permitted to be HEARD as well as to be SEEN -- in Israel and in all other countries. With affiliates in over 40 countries in the world, The International Council of Jewish Women ( ICJW) strongly supports this position to help all women including the Israeli ones with social issues which do not depend solely on throwing money at them. The “squabbling” Rath describes over religious affairs is based on real problems many women and families face.
PM Netanyahu and the Knesset should enforce a Jewish religious edict of “live and let live”.
It is bad enough that the whole Arab Middle East seems to be returning to the Middle Ages religiously, especially vis-à-vis women,-but we do not wish such a fate creeping onto the Israelis.
There is a small minority of Jewish religious extremists,- why give them such influence in a democracy? .
Rath’s “Live and let live” is a wonderful slogan for coexistence. If only her Arab neighbours would also embrace it vis-à-vis Israel as a whole!
Malvina Malinek
( Hon. Life Member of ICJW Executive).
Letter to Australian Jewish News (Published 12/1/2012).
As Jewish women we are deeply concerned about the recent reports of the treatment of women in Israel. There is a disturbing trend in Israel lately to give in to the more extreme elements who do not want women to be seen or heard in the public sphere. This is a disgraceful abuse of human rights and must not be tolerated in any way.
The shameful way a young girl from an observant family has been mistreated by those who believe they are acting according to higher laws, is but one instance of the despicable behaviour of a growing number, albeit a small minority, of ultra-orthodox. We do not lump all ultra-orthodox together as one community. They are many communities with different views, and to their credit ultra-orthodox community leaders have come out strongly condemning the actions of these fanatics as going against Torah values and teaching.
We call on all men and women, including Jewish community leaders here in Australia and in Israel to speak out against the violation of Israeli women’s rights.
Women must not be forced to sit at the back of public buses so that some ultra-orthodox men do not have to look at them.
Women must not be forced to cross a street to walk on the other side.
Women’s faces must not be taken down from billboards.
Women’s voices must not be silenced.
Di Hirsh OAM
President, National Council of Jewish Women of Australia
Australian Affiliate Head of International Council of Jewish Women
Robyn Lenn OAM
Vice President, International Council of Jewish Women
Dr Anne Morris
Chair Status of Women, International Council of Jewish Women
and National Council of Jewish Women of Australia
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER IN AJN 13/1/2012.
(THE CHUTZPAH OF SOME MEN!)
The continuing debate about the treatment of women by and in the Haredi community in Israel is more than timely.
Martin D Stern’s letter from the UK (AJN 6/1/’12) shows up the hypocrisy of the men’s stance supposedly on Halachic grounds.
Women ORDERED to the BACK of a bus?
Why should not the women sit in the front and the men who don’t want to sit next to them go to the back?
The chutzpah of those men is unbelievable!
Are they living in racist segregationist American South or in the South African apartheid era like the Blacks were?
Malvina Malinek
In the article “Relax Israelis: live and let live” (AJN, 7/12/11) Avi Rath puts it well when he stated that “the last thing Israeli society needs is constant squabbling over religious affairs”.
When Hilary Clinton reportedly expressed concerns about some aspects of domestic Israeli and religious politics, was she so wrong about the women’s issues in particular?
Modern Orthodox, ‘secular’ and Progressive Israeli women are voicing alarm at the intrusion of ‘haredi’ influences on Israeli society which impacts first and foremost on the civic and just plain human rights of girls and women and they are challenging us to help them from the Diaspora. Well known activist, Sharon Shenhav quoted from her article:” as an Orthodox women's rights activist and lawyer, I am very concerned about increasing efforts by religious extremists to remove women from public areas. My friends and colleagues, who include Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular (non-observant) Jews are equally concerned about these efforts to silence women's voices. In Jerusalem, we are particularly concerned about the elimination of women's faces and bodies from billboards and public advertisements on buses. As I mentioned in the article I published, I am concerned about the response of secular organizations and companies who have voluntarily agreed to eliminate women from public areas or comply with demands for gender segregation in public areas. These secular organizations include the IDF, Egged Bus company, Magen David Adom, the city of Jerusalem, and private commercial companies.”
The time may have come for Diaspora Jews to also voice our concerns about the circumstances which face many of our Israeli sisters. Women must be permitted to be HEARD as well as to be SEEN -- in Israel and in all other countries. With affiliates in over 40 countries in the world, The International Council of Jewish Women ( ICJW) strongly supports this position to help all women including the Israeli ones with social issues which do not depend solely on throwing money at them. The “squabbling” Rath describes over religious affairs is based on real problems many women and families face.
PM Netanyahu and the Knesset should enforce a Jewish religious edict of “live and let live”.
It is bad enough that the whole Arab Middle East seems to be returning to the Middle Ages religiously, especially vis-à-vis women,-but we do not wish such a fate creeping onto the Israelis.
There is a small minority of Jewish religious extremists,- why give them such influence in a democracy? .
Rath’s “Live and let live” is a wonderful slogan for coexistence. If only her Arab neighbours would also embrace it vis-à-vis Israel as a whole!
Malvina Malinek
( Hon. Life Member of ICJW Executive).
Letter to Australian Jewish News (Published 12/1/2012).
As Jewish women we are deeply concerned about the recent reports of the treatment of women in Israel. There is a disturbing trend in Israel lately to give in to the more extreme elements who do not want women to be seen or heard in the public sphere. This is a disgraceful abuse of human rights and must not be tolerated in any way.
The shameful way a young girl from an observant family has been mistreated by those who believe they are acting according to higher laws, is but one instance of the despicable behaviour of a growing number, albeit a small minority, of ultra-orthodox. We do not lump all ultra-orthodox together as one community. They are many communities with different views, and to their credit ultra-orthodox community leaders have come out strongly condemning the actions of these fanatics as going against Torah values and teaching.
We call on all men and women, including Jewish community leaders here in Australia and in Israel to speak out against the violation of Israeli women’s rights.
Women must not be forced to sit at the back of public buses so that some ultra-orthodox men do not have to look at them.
Women must not be forced to cross a street to walk on the other side.
Women’s faces must not be taken down from billboards.
Women’s voices must not be silenced.
Di Hirsh OAM
President, National Council of Jewish Women of Australia
Australian Affiliate Head of International Council of Jewish Women
Robyn Lenn OAM
Vice President, International Council of Jewish Women
Dr Anne Morris
Chair Status of Women, International Council of Jewish Women
and National Council of Jewish Women of Australia
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER IN AJN 13/1/2012.
(THE CHUTZPAH OF SOME MEN!)
The continuing debate about the treatment of women by and in the Haredi community in Israel is more than timely.
Martin D Stern’s letter from the UK (AJN 6/1/’12) shows up the hypocrisy of the men’s stance supposedly on Halachic grounds.
Women ORDERED to the BACK of a bus?
Why should not the women sit in the front and the men who don’t want to sit next to them go to the back?
The chutzpah of those men is unbelievable!
Are they living in racist segregationist American South or in the South African apartheid era like the Blacks were?
Malvina Malinek
WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN ISRAEL: AN UPDATE
January 2, 2012
The past month has seen media frenzy on the issue of women’s rights in Israel. Never have the rights of women been such a hot topic, with daily front page articles, editorials, op-eds, radio and television programming. While the media attention began with the “disappearance” of women from bus advertisements and billboards in Jerusalem, several incidents of extremist Haredi (ultra Orthodox men) ordering women to sit at the back of public buses quickly gained national attention. This was followed by the despicable act of some extremist men terrorizing a Modern Orthodox 8 year old girl during her morning walk to school in the city of Bet Shemesh because her clothing was not considered sufficiently modest.
Suddenly, the whole country seems to be concerned about women’s rights, including politicians, rabbis, journalists, lawyers, military leaders, police, and academics. Several citizens’ groups have sprung up using the social network to organize daily demonstrations nationwide on behalf of women’s rights. Participants in these large public demonstrations include religious as well as secular men and women.
While most of the attention has centered on the actions of extremist Ultra Orthodox men, questions are now being asked about discrimination against women in religious courts, commercial enterprises, politics, academics, media, theater, and other aspects of public life. Female university students are pointing out that it is easy to point the finger at the ultra orthodox community, but they are finding it more difficult to combat discrimination against women as they attempt to find jobs and develop careers. Despite that many young women are “post –feminists”, some are calling themselves the “New Feminists”.
While the media blitz continues, I wanted to update my ICJW colleagues on some of the interesting developments that are taking place at this moment in time:
1. Politicians from all political parties, including the religious parties, are competing with each other as to who has done more and who is planning to act more robustly on behalf of equality for women. It is interesting to see the coalitions being formed on this issue, with regular emergency meetings of government ministers, opposition parties and Knesset committees looking into the status of women. Our Prime Minister and our President have made strong public statements, directing the police and the criminal justice system to enforce existing laws while considering new stronger sanctions against those who discriminate against women. Several female MK’s are now riding on former gender segregated buses to show solidarity with those of us who have been doing so for a year.
2. The Police Chief has held emergency meetings with his senior staff regarding enforcement of laws regarding the gender segregated buses as well as the verbal abuse of women by religious extremists. A few days ago an ultra orthodox man was arrested and charged with sexual harassment for calling a girl soldier a whore when she refused to move to the back of a bus. This is the first time that the police have made an arrest for verbal abuse on a public bus and the use of the sexual harassment law in such a case is a precedent. Violation of the law regarding verbal sexual harassment provides for a two year prison sentence. The police are now arresting extremist men in Bet Shemesh who verbally abuse young girls attending Modern Orthodox schools and are providing a regular presence as these girls walk to school each morning. Interestingly, it was pointed out by observers that the police campaign on women’s rights was announced at a meeting attended by senior police officials, all of whom were men!
3. Discrimination against women in the Rabbinical Courts has become a major public issue, with some legal experts calling for women to sit as judges (dayanim) in these courts which have always been male only. Suddenly, there is broad public attention to the absence of women in the rabbinical court system, with discussion of the need for women on the Commission to Appoint Dayanim as well as the possibility of appointing a woman as administrator of the rabbinical courts. The fact that the Israel Bar Association elected two men to the Commission recently (my article was published in the Israeli press and circulated to ICJW members) has come under strong criticism. Surprisingly, an Orthodox political party, Shas (Sephardic Torah Guardians) is negotiating a political deal within the Knesset regarding legislation which would give their faction the power to choose one of the Bar’s representatives to the Commission and they are stating that this representative would be a woman!!
4. Citizens have been forming new NGO’s via Facebook on an almost daily basis and within hours have gathered thousands of demonstrators in Jerusalem, Bet Shemesh and other cities to decry discrimination against women. Most of these demonstrators are young and educated. On January 1st, a nationwide effort had thousands boarding formerly segregated buses in several cities, accompanied by TV cameras and police escorts.
5. The Chief of Staff of IDF has held emergency meetings with military leaders regarding the role of women. He proudly stated that the IDF will not tolerate discrimination against women and pointed to the 5 young women who have just completed the combat pilot’s course of the Israeli Air Force. He stressed the importance of the contribution of women soldiers and stated that all positions are open to women in the IDF.
6. Perhaps the sweetest result of all of this publicity has been the response of my young grandsons. While they have known about my work for many years, it wasn’t a major part of their busy lives. However, now that the subject of women’s rights is being discussed in every school, my 11 year old grandson, Asaf, proudly announced in class that his grandmother has been riding in the front of the formerly gender segregated buses for a year! The teacher had him describe my work to his classmates and he was quite the star! My oldest grandson, 16 year old Yuval has several friends who joined the nationwide bus ride on January 1st and informed them that his grandmother is a regular rider on the front of these buses. As a youth movement leader, he has been leading discussions on women’s rights with his groups (when he’s not practicing basketball as he plays on two teams!).
This is only an interim report as each day brings new action and new media coverage. I will write another report as events develop. As a women’s rights activist for over four decades, I am delighted with this remarkable public interest in women’s issues in Israel. The extremists have done us a big favor as they have brought national and international attention to the issue of status of women. Now we must all harness this public attention and develop programs to ensure that women worldwide will enjoy full equality in every aspect of public and private life. This is a great opportunity for all ICJW affiliates to organize public events on the status of women in their communities.
Sharon Shenhav, J.D.
Director
International Jewish Women’s Rights Project
ICJW
The past month has seen media frenzy on the issue of women’s rights in Israel. Never have the rights of women been such a hot topic, with daily front page articles, editorials, op-eds, radio and television programming. While the media attention began with the “disappearance” of women from bus advertisements and billboards in Jerusalem, several incidents of extremist Haredi (ultra Orthodox men) ordering women to sit at the back of public buses quickly gained national attention. This was followed by the despicable act of some extremist men terrorizing a Modern Orthodox 8 year old girl during her morning walk to school in the city of Bet Shemesh because her clothing was not considered sufficiently modest.
Suddenly, the whole country seems to be concerned about women’s rights, including politicians, rabbis, journalists, lawyers, military leaders, police, and academics. Several citizens’ groups have sprung up using the social network to organize daily demonstrations nationwide on behalf of women’s rights. Participants in these large public demonstrations include religious as well as secular men and women.
While most of the attention has centered on the actions of extremist Ultra Orthodox men, questions are now being asked about discrimination against women in religious courts, commercial enterprises, politics, academics, media, theater, and other aspects of public life. Female university students are pointing out that it is easy to point the finger at the ultra orthodox community, but they are finding it more difficult to combat discrimination against women as they attempt to find jobs and develop careers. Despite that many young women are “post –feminists”, some are calling themselves the “New Feminists”.
While the media blitz continues, I wanted to update my ICJW colleagues on some of the interesting developments that are taking place at this moment in time:
1. Politicians from all political parties, including the religious parties, are competing with each other as to who has done more and who is planning to act more robustly on behalf of equality for women. It is interesting to see the coalitions being formed on this issue, with regular emergency meetings of government ministers, opposition parties and Knesset committees looking into the status of women. Our Prime Minister and our President have made strong public statements, directing the police and the criminal justice system to enforce existing laws while considering new stronger sanctions against those who discriminate against women. Several female MK’s are now riding on former gender segregated buses to show solidarity with those of us who have been doing so for a year.
2. The Police Chief has held emergency meetings with his senior staff regarding enforcement of laws regarding the gender segregated buses as well as the verbal abuse of women by religious extremists. A few days ago an ultra orthodox man was arrested and charged with sexual harassment for calling a girl soldier a whore when she refused to move to the back of a bus. This is the first time that the police have made an arrest for verbal abuse on a public bus and the use of the sexual harassment law in such a case is a precedent. Violation of the law regarding verbal sexual harassment provides for a two year prison sentence. The police are now arresting extremist men in Bet Shemesh who verbally abuse young girls attending Modern Orthodox schools and are providing a regular presence as these girls walk to school each morning. Interestingly, it was pointed out by observers that the police campaign on women’s rights was announced at a meeting attended by senior police officials, all of whom were men!
3. Discrimination against women in the Rabbinical Courts has become a major public issue, with some legal experts calling for women to sit as judges (dayanim) in these courts which have always been male only. Suddenly, there is broad public attention to the absence of women in the rabbinical court system, with discussion of the need for women on the Commission to Appoint Dayanim as well as the possibility of appointing a woman as administrator of the rabbinical courts. The fact that the Israel Bar Association elected two men to the Commission recently (my article was published in the Israeli press and circulated to ICJW members) has come under strong criticism. Surprisingly, an Orthodox political party, Shas (Sephardic Torah Guardians) is negotiating a political deal within the Knesset regarding legislation which would give their faction the power to choose one of the Bar’s representatives to the Commission and they are stating that this representative would be a woman!!
4. Citizens have been forming new NGO’s via Facebook on an almost daily basis and within hours have gathered thousands of demonstrators in Jerusalem, Bet Shemesh and other cities to decry discrimination against women. Most of these demonstrators are young and educated. On January 1st, a nationwide effort had thousands boarding formerly segregated buses in several cities, accompanied by TV cameras and police escorts.
5. The Chief of Staff of IDF has held emergency meetings with military leaders regarding the role of women. He proudly stated that the IDF will not tolerate discrimination against women and pointed to the 5 young women who have just completed the combat pilot’s course of the Israeli Air Force. He stressed the importance of the contribution of women soldiers and stated that all positions are open to women in the IDF.
6. Perhaps the sweetest result of all of this publicity has been the response of my young grandsons. While they have known about my work for many years, it wasn’t a major part of their busy lives. However, now that the subject of women’s rights is being discussed in every school, my 11 year old grandson, Asaf, proudly announced in class that his grandmother has been riding in the front of the formerly gender segregated buses for a year! The teacher had him describe my work to his classmates and he was quite the star! My oldest grandson, 16 year old Yuval has several friends who joined the nationwide bus ride on January 1st and informed them that his grandmother is a regular rider on the front of these buses. As a youth movement leader, he has been leading discussions on women’s rights with his groups (when he’s not practicing basketball as he plays on two teams!).
This is only an interim report as each day brings new action and new media coverage. I will write another report as events develop. As a women’s rights activist for over four decades, I am delighted with this remarkable public interest in women’s issues in Israel. The extremists have done us a big favor as they have brought national and international attention to the issue of status of women. Now we must all harness this public attention and develop programs to ensure that women worldwide will enjoy full equality in every aspect of public and private life. This is a great opportunity for all ICJW affiliates to organize public events on the status of women in their communities.
Sharon Shenhav, J.D.
Director
International Jewish Women’s Rights Project
ICJW
Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women
The full picture exposed hereunder!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/world/middleeast/israel-faces-crisis-over-role-of-ultra-orthodox-in-society.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2&pagewanted=print
January 14, 2012
Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women
By ETHAN BRONNER and ISABEL KERSHNER
JERUSALEM —
In the three months since the Israeli Health Ministry awarded a prize to a pediatrics professor for her book on hereditary diseases common to Jews, her experience at the awards ceremony has become a rallying cry.
The professor, Channa Maayan, knew that the acting health minister, who is ultra-Orthodox, and other religious people would be in attendance. So she wore a long-sleeve top and a long skirt. But that was hardly enough.
Not only did Dr. Maayan and her husband have to sit separately, as men and women were segregated at the event, but she was instructed that a male colleague would have to accept the award for her because women were not permitted on stage.
Though shocked that this was happening at a government ceremony, Dr. Maayan bit her tongue. But others have not, and her story is entering the pantheon of secular anger building as a battle rages in Israel for control of the public space between the strictly religious and everyone else.
At a time when there is no progress on the Palestinian dispute, Israelis are turning inward and discovering that an issue they had neglected — the place of the ultra-Orthodox Jews — has erupted into a crisis.
And it is centered on women.
“Just as secular nationalism and socialism posed challenges to the religious establishment a century ago, today the issue is feminism,” said Moshe Halbertal, a professor of Jewish philosophy at Hebrew University. “This is an immense ideological and moral challenge that touches at the core of life, and just as it is affecting the Islamic world, it is the main issue that the rabbis are losing sleep over.”
The list of controversies grows weekly: Organizers of a conference last week on women’s health and Jewish law barred women from speaking from the podium, leading at least eight speakers to cancel; ultra-Orthodox men spit on an 8-year-old girl whom they deemed immodestly dressed; the chief rabbi of the air force resigned his post because the army declined to excuse ultra-Orthodox soldiers from attending events where female singers perform; protesters depicted the Jerusalem police commander as Hitler on posters because he instructed public bus lines with mixed-sex seating to drive through ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods; vandals blacked out women’s faces on Jerusalem billboards.
Public discourse in Israel is suddenly dominated by a new, high-toned Hebrew phrase, “hadarat nashim,” or the exclusion of women. The term is everywhere in recent weeks, rather like the way the phrase “male chauvinism” emerged decades ago in the United States.
All of this seems anomalous to most people in a country where five young women just graduated from the air force’s prestigious pilots course and a woman presides over the Supreme Court.
But each side in this dispute is waging a vigorous public campaign.
The New Israel Fund, which advocates for equality and democracy, organized singalongs and concerts featuring women in Jerusalem and put up posters of women’s faces under the slogan, “Women should be seen and heard.” The Israel Medical Association asserted last week that its members should boycott events that exclude women from speaking on stages.
Religious authorities said liberal groups were waging a war of hatred against a pious sector that wanted only to be left in peace.
That sector, the black-clad ultra-Orthodox, is known in Israel as Haredim, meaning those who tremble before God. It comprises many groups with distinct approaches to liturgy as well as to coat length, hat style, beard and side locks and different hair coverings for women. Among them are the Hasidim of European origin as well as those from Middle Eastern countries who are represented by the political party Shas.
As a group, the ultra-Orthodox are, at best, ambivalent about the Israeli state, which they consider insufficiently religiou s and premature in its founding because the Messiah has not yet arrived. Over the decades the Haredim angrily demonstrated against state practices like allowing buses to run on the Sabbath, and most believed the state would not survive.
The feeling was mutual. The original Haredi communities in Europe were decimated in the Holocaust, and when Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, offered subsidies and army exemptions to the few in Israel then, he thought he was providing the group with a dignified funeral.
“Most Israelis at the time assumed the Haredim would die off in one generation,” said Jonathan Rosenblum, a Haredi writer.
Instead, they have multiplied, joined government coalitions and won subsidies and exemptions for children, housing and Torah study. They now number a million, a mostly poor community in an otherwise fairly well-off country of 7.8 million.
They have generally stayed out of the normal Israeli politics of war and peace, often staying neutral on the Palestinian question and focusing their deal-making on the material and spiritual needs of their constituents. Politically they have edged rightward in recent years.
In other words, while rejecting the state, the ultra-Orthodox have survived by making deals with it. And while dismissing the group, successive governments — whether run by the left or the right — have survived by trading subsidies for its votes. Now each has to live with the other, and the resulting friction is hard to contain.
“The coexistence between the two is breaking down,” said Arye Carmon, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem research organization. “It is an e xtreme danger.”
Mr. Carmon compared the strictly religious Jews of Israel to the Islamists in the Arab world, saying that there was a similar dynamic at play in Egypt, with tensions growing between the secular forces that led the revolution and the Islamic parties now rising to prominence.
“Today there is not a city without a Haredi community,” said Rabbi Abraham Israel Gellis, a 10th-generation Jerusalem Haredi rabbi, as he sat in his home, an enormous yeshiva on a hill outside his window. “I have 38 grandchildren and they live all over the country.”
But while the community has gained increased economic might — there is a growing market catering to its needs — what is lacking is economic productivity. The community places Torah study above all other values and has worked assi duously to make it possible for its men to do that rather than work. While the women often work, there is a 60 percent unemployment rate among the men, who also generally do not serve in the army.
It is this combination — accepting government subsidies, refusing military service and declining to work, all while having six to eight children per family — that is unsettling for many Israelis, especially when citizens feel economically insecure and mistreated by the government.
“The Haredi issue is a force flowing underground, like lava, and it could explode,” Shelly Yacimovich, a member of the Israeli Parliament, and leader of the Labor Party, said in an interview. “That’s why it must be dealt with wisely, helping them to join modern society through work.”
While change has begun — thousands of Haredi men are learning professions, more are getting jobs and a small number have joined the Isr aeli Army — the community is in crisis. Many ultra-Orthodox leaders feel threatened by the integration into the broader society by some of their followers, and they are desperately holding on to their power.
“We have to earn a living,” said Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim, a reformist Haredi leader from the town of Beit Shemesh. “We are a million people with a million problems. The rabbis can shout a thousand times against it but it won’t help them. And so we have the extremism — on both sides.”
Dan Ben-David, executive director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, said fertility rates in the Haredi community made the issue especially acute; the very religious Jews are the only group in Israel having more children today than 30 years ago.
“They make up more than 20 percent of all kids in primary schools,” he said. “In 20 years, there is a risk we will have a third-world population here which can’t sustain a first-world economy and army.”
And, Mr. Ben-David added, what children learn in the ultra-Orthodox school system — largely unregulated by the state as a result of political deals — is unsuited for the 21st century, so even those who wish to work are finding it hard to find jobs.
“Their schools do not give them the skills to work in a modern economy and no training in civil or human rights or democracy,” Mr. Ben-David said. “They don’t even know what we are talking about — what we want from them — when we talk about discrimination against women.”
The Haredi community thinks this is a wild misunderstanding of its views.
Rabbi Dror Moshe Cassouto, a 33-year-old Hasid, lives with his wife and four sons in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim, on e of the centers of Haredi life in Israel. He never looks directly at a woman, other than his wife, and he believes that men and women have roles in nature that in modern society have been reversed, “because we live in darkness.”
His goal is to spread the light. “God watches over the Jewish nation as long as it studies Torah,” he said.
Still, the spitting and Nazi talk horrify him. He says hard-liners have caused harm to the Haredim.
Asked about the recent troubles, Rabbi Cassouto shook his head and said, “A fool throws a stone into a well and 1,000 sages can’t remove it.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/world/middleeast/israel-faces-crisis-over-role-of-ultra-orthodox-in-society.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2&pagewanted=print
January 14, 2012
Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women
By ETHAN BRONNER and ISABEL KERSHNER
JERUSALEM —
In the three months since the Israeli Health Ministry awarded a prize to a pediatrics professor for her book on hereditary diseases common to Jews, her experience at the awards ceremony has become a rallying cry.
The professor, Channa Maayan, knew that the acting health minister, who is ultra-Orthodox, and other religious people would be in attendance. So she wore a long-sleeve top and a long skirt. But that was hardly enough.
Not only did Dr. Maayan and her husband have to sit separately, as men and women were segregated at the event, but she was instructed that a male colleague would have to accept the award for her because women were not permitted on stage.
Though shocked that this was happening at a government ceremony, Dr. Maayan bit her tongue. But others have not, and her story is entering the pantheon of secular anger building as a battle rages in Israel for control of the public space between the strictly religious and everyone else.
At a time when there is no progress on the Palestinian dispute, Israelis are turning inward and discovering that an issue they had neglected — the place of the ultra-Orthodox Jews — has erupted into a crisis.
And it is centered on women.
“Just as secular nationalism and socialism posed challenges to the religious establishment a century ago, today the issue is feminism,” said Moshe Halbertal, a professor of Jewish philosophy at Hebrew University. “This is an immense ideological and moral challenge that touches at the core of life, and just as it is affecting the Islamic world, it is the main issue that the rabbis are losing sleep over.”
The list of controversies grows weekly: Organizers of a conference last week on women’s health and Jewish law barred women from speaking from the podium, leading at least eight speakers to cancel; ultra-Orthodox men spit on an 8-year-old girl whom they deemed immodestly dressed; the chief rabbi of the air force resigned his post because the army declined to excuse ultra-Orthodox soldiers from attending events where female singers perform; protesters depicted the Jerusalem police commander as Hitler on posters because he instructed public bus lines with mixed-sex seating to drive through ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods; vandals blacked out women’s faces on Jerusalem billboards.
Public discourse in Israel is suddenly dominated by a new, high-toned Hebrew phrase, “hadarat nashim,” or the exclusion of women. The term is everywhere in recent weeks, rather like the way the phrase “male chauvinism” emerged decades ago in the United States.
All of this seems anomalous to most people in a country where five young women just graduated from the air force’s prestigious pilots course and a woman presides over the Supreme Court.
But each side in this dispute is waging a vigorous public campaign.
The New Israel Fund, which advocates for equality and democracy, organized singalongs and concerts featuring women in Jerusalem and put up posters of women’s faces under the slogan, “Women should be seen and heard.” The Israel Medical Association asserted last week that its members should boycott events that exclude women from speaking on stages.
Religious authorities said liberal groups were waging a war of hatred against a pious sector that wanted only to be left in peace.
That sector, the black-clad ultra-Orthodox, is known in Israel as Haredim, meaning those who tremble before God. It comprises many groups with distinct approaches to liturgy as well as to coat length, hat style, beard and side locks and different hair coverings for women. Among them are the Hasidim of European origin as well as those from Middle Eastern countries who are represented by the political party Shas.
As a group, the ultra-Orthodox are, at best, ambivalent about the Israeli state, which they consider insufficiently religiou s and premature in its founding because the Messiah has not yet arrived. Over the decades the Haredim angrily demonstrated against state practices like allowing buses to run on the Sabbath, and most believed the state would not survive.
The feeling was mutual. The original Haredi communities in Europe were decimated in the Holocaust, and when Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, offered subsidies and army exemptions to the few in Israel then, he thought he was providing the group with a dignified funeral.
“Most Israelis at the time assumed the Haredim would die off in one generation,” said Jonathan Rosenblum, a Haredi writer.
Instead, they have multiplied, joined government coalitions and won subsidies and exemptions for children, housing and Torah study. They now number a million, a mostly poor community in an otherwise fairly well-off country of 7.8 million.
They have generally stayed out of the normal Israeli politics of war and peace, often staying neutral on the Palestinian question and focusing their deal-making on the material and spiritual needs of their constituents. Politically they have edged rightward in recent years.
In other words, while rejecting the state, the ultra-Orthodox have survived by making deals with it. And while dismissing the group, successive governments — whether run by the left or the right — have survived by trading subsidies for its votes. Now each has to live with the other, and the resulting friction is hard to contain.
“The coexistence between the two is breaking down,” said Arye Carmon, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem research organization. “It is an e xtreme danger.”
Mr. Carmon compared the strictly religious Jews of Israel to the Islamists in the Arab world, saying that there was a similar dynamic at play in Egypt, with tensions growing between the secular forces that led the revolution and the Islamic parties now rising to prominence.
“Today there is not a city without a Haredi community,” said Rabbi Abraham Israel Gellis, a 10th-generation Jerusalem Haredi rabbi, as he sat in his home, an enormous yeshiva on a hill outside his window. “I have 38 grandchildren and they live all over the country.”
But while the community has gained increased economic might — there is a growing market catering to its needs — what is lacking is economic productivity. The community places Torah study above all other values and has worked assi duously to make it possible for its men to do that rather than work. While the women often work, there is a 60 percent unemployment rate among the men, who also generally do not serve in the army.
It is this combination — accepting government subsidies, refusing military service and declining to work, all while having six to eight children per family — that is unsettling for many Israelis, especially when citizens feel economically insecure and mistreated by the government.
“The Haredi issue is a force flowing underground, like lava, and it could explode,” Shelly Yacimovich, a member of the Israeli Parliament, and leader of the Labor Party, said in an interview. “That’s why it must be dealt with wisely, helping them to join modern society through work.”
While change has begun — thousands of Haredi men are learning professions, more are getting jobs and a small number have joined the Isr aeli Army — the community is in crisis. Many ultra-Orthodox leaders feel threatened by the integration into the broader society by some of their followers, and they are desperately holding on to their power.
“We have to earn a living,” said Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim, a reformist Haredi leader from the town of Beit Shemesh. “We are a million people with a million problems. The rabbis can shout a thousand times against it but it won’t help them. And so we have the extremism — on both sides.”
Dan Ben-David, executive director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, said fertility rates in the Haredi community made the issue especially acute; the very religious Jews are the only group in Israel having more children today than 30 years ago.
“They make up more than 20 percent of all kids in primary schools,” he said. “In 20 years, there is a risk we will have a third-world population here which can’t sustain a first-world economy and army.”
And, Mr. Ben-David added, what children learn in the ultra-Orthodox school system — largely unregulated by the state as a result of political deals — is unsuited for the 21st century, so even those who wish to work are finding it hard to find jobs.
“Their schools do not give them the skills to work in a modern economy and no training in civil or human rights or democracy,” Mr. Ben-David said. “They don’t even know what we are talking about — what we want from them — when we talk about discrimination against women.”
The Haredi community thinks this is a wild misunderstanding of its views.
Rabbi Dror Moshe Cassouto, a 33-year-old Hasid, lives with his wife and four sons in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim, on e of the centers of Haredi life in Israel. He never looks directly at a woman, other than his wife, and he believes that men and women have roles in nature that in modern society have been reversed, “because we live in darkness.”
His goal is to spread the light. “God watches over the Jewish nation as long as it studies Torah,” he said.
Still, the spitting and Nazi talk horrify him. He says hard-liners have caused harm to the Haredim.
Asked about the recent troubles, Rabbi Cassouto shook his head and said, “A fool throws a stone into a well and 1,000 sages can’t remove it.”
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Letter in The Australian: CLIMATE SCIENCE NOT BLINDING IDEOLOGY
There is debate among scientists about everything. “Science is a mystery” especially cosmology, climatology, etc.
The Universe remains mysterious alright! I have always been fascinated by trying to imagine its infinity!
I found this letter below,in The Australian (4/1/'12) referring to this issue as being most interesting. It is consistent with what I heard from the British cosmology lecturer on board our cruise ship ‘Queen Elizabeth’ last March.
Professor Plimer of Adelaide Uni., is answering another letter from a scientist but which I have not seen.
I am reproducing it below as an adjunct to my original post:
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2011/03/suns-effects-on-earths-climate-weather.html
Prof. Richard Holdaway,Director of Space Science and Technology, Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, was the lecturer.-
In the end, I agree with Holdaway that Governments will not miss out on a tax if they can help it,- but its effect on climate is purely theoretical and in the minds of the beholders!
Ideology is independent of reality! Big Bang theories or whatever theory,- it is ideology which will prevail in the laymen’s minds! We scientists will remain skeptical,- though the politicians will follow the populist beliefs just to remain in power.The believers will gladly pay for it.
I am all for quality of life though and removing pollution from our atmosphere, plus all ecological systems which need to be preserved.
MM
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LETTER:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------BASIC SCIENCE IS THE ANSWER. NOT BLINDING IDEOLOGY.
“Rather than an ad hominem attack, Mike Sandiford (“Cherry-picking contrarian geologists tend to obscure scientific truth. Inquirer 31/12-1/1/12) should have addressed some basic science to support his case.
Why didn’t he declare that there are some 1500 terrestrial volcanoes that emit small amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), yet there are more than 3 million submarine volcanoes that emit huge amounts of CO2?
Why didn’t Sandiford declare that the geological record shows no relationship between atmospheric CO2 and temperature? Why did he not acknowledge that there is a close relationship between the Earth’s climate, the sun and the Eartyh’s orbit? (N.B. Exactly what our lecturer told us on the QE!)
Why didn’t he state that there have been 6 major ice ages and all were initiated when atmospheric CO2 was higher than now? Ice core measurements show that after natural warming events, atmospheric CO2 increases 800 years later?
Why did he not declare that the atmospheric CO2 content has been decreasing for millions of years because of natural sequestration in sediments?
Why didn’t Sandiford state that in historical times there have been warmings (Roman, medieval) and cooling (Dark Ages, Little Ice Age) when there was no relationship between temperature and atmospheric CO2? Or do we just ignore the past? Why didn’t he declare that for the past 150 years there have been 3 warmings and 3 coolings and that there is no relationship between these events and human emissions of CO2? Why didn’t he show that the effect of a minor greenhouse gas, CO2, is minuscule compared to the massive effect of water vapour? (N.B. Again just as my QE professor said!)
Oceans contain far moreheat than the atmosphere and have a profound effect on climate. Why did Sandford choose to ignore that sea surface temperatures have been delining? He didn’t even call on his area of expertise, tectonics, that heat is also added to the oceans from below and that climates change enormously with shifting continents.
Sandfor was quite happy to quote NASA. He also just happens to omit that in the 20 years since global warming scare was launched, human emissions of CO2 have risen by 50% yet global temperatures measured by NASA satellites are only 0.1C warmer than the average throughout the 32 years since satellite measurements began.
(Signed) IAN PLIMER , Professor of mining geology, University of Adelaide, S.A.
COMMENT FROM DAVID:
Most climatologists discredit Ian Plimer. The most effective article I saw re Ian Plimer was based on two points. He massaged data to fit his conclusions, and he contradicted statements he made in the past. The statement that global temperature has risen only .1 degree in the past twenty years is doubtful.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F) with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades.[2] Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain most of it is caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels.[3][4][5][6] These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all the major industrialized countries.[7][A]
You can go to the site and check the reference. Global temperature has risen about .5 degrees in the last twenty years rather than .1 according to Plimer. Check further before you put Plimer in your blog.
David
The Universe remains mysterious alright! I have always been fascinated by trying to imagine its infinity!
I found this letter below,in The Australian (4/1/'12) referring to this issue as being most interesting. It is consistent with what I heard from the British cosmology lecturer on board our cruise ship ‘Queen Elizabeth’ last March.
Professor Plimer of Adelaide Uni., is answering another letter from a scientist but which I have not seen.
I am reproducing it below as an adjunct to my original post:
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2011/03/suns-effects-on-earths-climate-weather.html
Prof. Richard Holdaway,Director of Space Science and Technology, Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, was the lecturer.-
In the end, I agree with Holdaway that Governments will not miss out on a tax if they can help it,- but its effect on climate is purely theoretical and in the minds of the beholders!
Ideology is independent of reality! Big Bang theories or whatever theory,- it is ideology which will prevail in the laymen’s minds! We scientists will remain skeptical,- though the politicians will follow the populist beliefs just to remain in power.The believers will gladly pay for it.
I am all for quality of life though and removing pollution from our atmosphere, plus all ecological systems which need to be preserved.
MM
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LETTER:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------BASIC SCIENCE IS THE ANSWER. NOT BLINDING IDEOLOGY.
“Rather than an ad hominem attack, Mike Sandiford (“Cherry-picking contrarian geologists tend to obscure scientific truth. Inquirer 31/12-1/1/12) should have addressed some basic science to support his case.
Why didn’t he declare that there are some 1500 terrestrial volcanoes that emit small amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), yet there are more than 3 million submarine volcanoes that emit huge amounts of CO2?
Why didn’t Sandiford declare that the geological record shows no relationship between atmospheric CO2 and temperature? Why did he not acknowledge that there is a close relationship between the Earth’s climate, the sun and the Eartyh’s orbit? (N.B. Exactly what our lecturer told us on the QE!)
Why didn’t he state that there have been 6 major ice ages and all were initiated when atmospheric CO2 was higher than now? Ice core measurements show that after natural warming events, atmospheric CO2 increases 800 years later?
Why did he not declare that the atmospheric CO2 content has been decreasing for millions of years because of natural sequestration in sediments?
Why didn’t Sandiford state that in historical times there have been warmings (Roman, medieval) and cooling (Dark Ages, Little Ice Age) when there was no relationship between temperature and atmospheric CO2? Or do we just ignore the past? Why didn’t he declare that for the past 150 years there have been 3 warmings and 3 coolings and that there is no relationship between these events and human emissions of CO2? Why didn’t he show that the effect of a minor greenhouse gas, CO2, is minuscule compared to the massive effect of water vapour? (N.B. Again just as my QE professor said!)
Oceans contain far moreheat than the atmosphere and have a profound effect on climate. Why did Sandford choose to ignore that sea surface temperatures have been delining? He didn’t even call on his area of expertise, tectonics, that heat is also added to the oceans from below and that climates change enormously with shifting continents.
Sandfor was quite happy to quote NASA. He also just happens to omit that in the 20 years since global warming scare was launched, human emissions of CO2 have risen by 50% yet global temperatures measured by NASA satellites are only 0.1C warmer than the average throughout the 32 years since satellite measurements began.
(Signed) IAN PLIMER , Professor of mining geology, University of Adelaide, S.A.
COMMENT FROM DAVID:
Most climatologists discredit Ian Plimer. The most effective article I saw re Ian Plimer was based on two points. He massaged data to fit his conclusions, and he contradicted statements he made in the past. The statement that global temperature has risen only .1 degree in the past twenty years is doubtful.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about 0.8 °C (1.4 °F) with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades.[2] Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain most of it is caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels.[3][4][5][6] These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all the major industrialized countries.[7][A]
You can go to the site and check the reference. Global temperature has risen about .5 degrees in the last twenty years rather than .1 according to Plimer. Check further before you put Plimer in your blog.
David
Monday, January 02, 2012
FAITH & GENDER EQUALITY. LESLIE CANNOLD
Faith in equality a must
January 2, 2012
Opinion
Secular authorities need to ensure they win fights with zealots over the rights of women.
LAST week in Israel, a news story shocked the nation. It concerned Naama Margolis, an Orthodox Jewish girl, who was shown crying and quaking at the prospect of taking the 800-metre walk from her home to school. The reason for her distress? The harassment and intimidation she has been subjected to by a roving band of ultra-Orthodox men who felt that her long-sleeved shirt and below-knee-length skirt were insufficiently "modest".
The men called Naama a slut. They spat on her and made her fear for her safety. Naama Margolis is eight years old.
The story has gone global. But so far few of the male "experts" who have been asked to comment appear to have a clue what is truly at stake, not just for women or Israel, but for all pluralist secular democracies.
What Naama's story reveals is the unavoidable clash between the sexist edicts of religious extremists and the state's guarantee of full human rights to all its female citizens.
Behind this clash is a far older and more fundamental one. Namely, who will decide how women will live - the church or the state?
Whatever god or gods they believe in, adherents of orthodox religious sects share the view that they - or their undemocratically appointed male leaders - have exclusive access to the wishes of the one true God.
This absolutist and arrogant view makes them wholly intolerant of fellow citizens of no faith, other faiths and even - as was the case with Naama - those of their own faith whose beliefs or practices differ from their own.
To ultra-orthodox adherents of every religious tradition - Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish - the rest of us are not fellow humans whose beliefs are entitled to the same respect and licence they demand for their own. At best, we are ignorant dolts worthy of pity. At worst, we are sinners deserving damnation or death.
Muslim author Salman Rushdie, well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens and former US president Jimmy Carter have been among those who have noted the persistent relationship between religious extremism and the often violent oppression of women. Of the Islamic republic of Pakistan, Hitchens wrote: "Here is a society where rape is not a crime. It is a punishment. Women can be sentenced to be raped … if even a rumour of their immodesty brings shame on their menfolk.''
Carter, who left the Southern Baptist Church several years ago over its treatment of women, said the ''view that the Almighty considers women to be inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or tradition … The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women …'' He added: ''They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter."
It would be nice to see the men who run the world's religions do an about-face on the gender issue. But forgive me if I don't hold my breath. More disappointing is the refusal of leading liberal men - opinion makers, legislators and adjudicators - to prosecute gender justice with anywhere near the enthusiasm they dedicate to attacking racial inequality.
In Israel, it would be unthinkable for black Jews (known as "Falasha") to be forced to the back of public buses to appease the sincerely held views of ultra-Orthodox men that this is where they belong. Yet, this is precisely what is happening to women. In fact, Israeli legislators have had to pass a special law to overrule Israel's standing requirements for gender equality to ensure the demands of ultra-Orthodox men for segregated buses could be accommodated.
The Americans are no different. In 1983, a US court vindicated the tax office's refusal to give exempt status to Bob Jones University because the Christian college's admission policy was - on what the college deemed the advice of God - racially discriminatory. In contrast, American courts continue to stand by while scripture is cited as justification for the church's refusal to hire women for senior pastoral roles or pay them the same rates as men.
Australian lawmakers are just as supine, something that might surprise those who remember the claim by then treasurer Peter Costello that gender equality was what distinguished Australia from societies governed by sharia law. But Australia's Sex Discrimination Act offers extensive exemptions to religious bodies that wish to discriminate against women for no other reason than that they are women - the very definition of unjust bias.
Whether it is in the training, educating and appointing of senior ministers or "any other act or practice," male church leaders can do as they please when it comes to women, if that's what they claim God demands. Sexism is unjust and unfair. It is as debilitating to the life chances and self-esteem of women - and to the societies that sacrifice the talents of its citizens on the altar of bigotry - as racism.
Secular authorities have been tussling with religious rulers over who makes the rules for a long, long time. To prevail, democratically elected rulers must understand and enforce the limits of a tolerant society. Indeed, in my view, Australia needs a far more militant democracy - one linked to core values such as secularity and equality and buttressed by pre-emptive constitutional protections against such foundational values, or democracy itself, risks being overridden or given away.
These values should apply to all democracies, Israel included. Naama, like all females, whether they be little girls or women, deserves to live in a society that defends her freedom and her opportunities, and insists she be judged on the content of her character.
To achieve this she is going to need political leaders who don't just talk about gender equality to score political points, but in the face of religious bigotry and intimidation, have the balls to defend it.
Dr Leslie Cannold is an ethicist and the author of The Book of Rachael
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/faith-in-equality-a-must-20120101-1ph7l.html#ixzz1iGI21cpy1ph5z.html#ixzz1iGG9dVz8
PREVIOUS POSTS:
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2008/04/ambiguous-status-of-women-in-religion.html (GESHER)
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2011/07/across-ultra-religious-divide-between.html (Sharon Shenhav)
January 2, 2012
Opinion
Secular authorities need to ensure they win fights with zealots over the rights of women.
LAST week in Israel, a news story shocked the nation. It concerned Naama Margolis, an Orthodox Jewish girl, who was shown crying and quaking at the prospect of taking the 800-metre walk from her home to school. The reason for her distress? The harassment and intimidation she has been subjected to by a roving band of ultra-Orthodox men who felt that her long-sleeved shirt and below-knee-length skirt were insufficiently "modest".
The men called Naama a slut. They spat on her and made her fear for her safety. Naama Margolis is eight years old.
The story has gone global. But so far few of the male "experts" who have been asked to comment appear to have a clue what is truly at stake, not just for women or Israel, but for all pluralist secular democracies.
What Naama's story reveals is the unavoidable clash between the sexist edicts of religious extremists and the state's guarantee of full human rights to all its female citizens.
Behind this clash is a far older and more fundamental one. Namely, who will decide how women will live - the church or the state?
Whatever god or gods they believe in, adherents of orthodox religious sects share the view that they - or their undemocratically appointed male leaders - have exclusive access to the wishes of the one true God.
This absolutist and arrogant view makes them wholly intolerant of fellow citizens of no faith, other faiths and even - as was the case with Naama - those of their own faith whose beliefs or practices differ from their own.
To ultra-orthodox adherents of every religious tradition - Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish - the rest of us are not fellow humans whose beliefs are entitled to the same respect and licence they demand for their own. At best, we are ignorant dolts worthy of pity. At worst, we are sinners deserving damnation or death.
Muslim author Salman Rushdie, well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens and former US president Jimmy Carter have been among those who have noted the persistent relationship between religious extremism and the often violent oppression of women. Of the Islamic republic of Pakistan, Hitchens wrote: "Here is a society where rape is not a crime. It is a punishment. Women can be sentenced to be raped … if even a rumour of their immodesty brings shame on their menfolk.''
Carter, who left the Southern Baptist Church several years ago over its treatment of women, said the ''view that the Almighty considers women to be inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or tradition … The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women …'' He added: ''They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter."
It would be nice to see the men who run the world's religions do an about-face on the gender issue. But forgive me if I don't hold my breath. More disappointing is the refusal of leading liberal men - opinion makers, legislators and adjudicators - to prosecute gender justice with anywhere near the enthusiasm they dedicate to attacking racial inequality.
In Israel, it would be unthinkable for black Jews (known as "Falasha") to be forced to the back of public buses to appease the sincerely held views of ultra-Orthodox men that this is where they belong. Yet, this is precisely what is happening to women. In fact, Israeli legislators have had to pass a special law to overrule Israel's standing requirements for gender equality to ensure the demands of ultra-Orthodox men for segregated buses could be accommodated.
The Americans are no different. In 1983, a US court vindicated the tax office's refusal to give exempt status to Bob Jones University because the Christian college's admission policy was - on what the college deemed the advice of God - racially discriminatory. In contrast, American courts continue to stand by while scripture is cited as justification for the church's refusal to hire women for senior pastoral roles or pay them the same rates as men.
Australian lawmakers are just as supine, something that might surprise those who remember the claim by then treasurer Peter Costello that gender equality was what distinguished Australia from societies governed by sharia law. But Australia's Sex Discrimination Act offers extensive exemptions to religious bodies that wish to discriminate against women for no other reason than that they are women - the very definition of unjust bias.
Whether it is in the training, educating and appointing of senior ministers or "any other act or practice," male church leaders can do as they please when it comes to women, if that's what they claim God demands. Sexism is unjust and unfair. It is as debilitating to the life chances and self-esteem of women - and to the societies that sacrifice the talents of its citizens on the altar of bigotry - as racism.
Secular authorities have been tussling with religious rulers over who makes the rules for a long, long time. To prevail, democratically elected rulers must understand and enforce the limits of a tolerant society. Indeed, in my view, Australia needs a far more militant democracy - one linked to core values such as secularity and equality and buttressed by pre-emptive constitutional protections against such foundational values, or democracy itself, risks being overridden or given away.
These values should apply to all democracies, Israel included. Naama, like all females, whether they be little girls or women, deserves to live in a society that defends her freedom and her opportunities, and insists she be judged on the content of her character.
To achieve this she is going to need political leaders who don't just talk about gender equality to score political points, but in the face of religious bigotry and intimidation, have the balls to defend it.
Dr Leslie Cannold is an ethicist and the author of The Book of Rachael
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/faith-in-equality-a-must-20120101-1ph7l.html#ixzz1iGI21cpy1ph5z.html#ixzz1iGG9dVz8
PREVIOUS POSTS:
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2008/04/ambiguous-status-of-women-in-religion.html (GESHER)
http://anivlam.blogspot.com/2011/07/across-ultra-religious-divide-between.html (Sharon Shenhav)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Live and Let Live: Israelis are being told not to allow religious extremists to rule their lives!
Is it time to speak up?
Since writing the item below, another 3 articles have now appeared in our AJN 16/12/11:
1. “Bibi, Peres take a stand”. (Omri Ephraim, Jerusalem). President & PM “ expressed fierce criticism on Monday over issue of exclusion of women in public life.’’ The Ynet Article ended with:” It was likely to assemble representatives from various ministries to weigh options, including issuing sanctions and fines against councils and private companies that permit the segregation of women”.
2. “ Extremism overtakes women’s rights.” Nua Rubistein, Ynet news.
3. “ Don’t turn Israel into Iran” Omri Efraim, Ynet News. “Hundreds of people gathered in Israel’s capital to protest at religious pressure to limit women’s role in the public life in Israel”. And finished with:
“Mickey Gitzin, head of the Free Israel movement, which organized the event, told Ynet: ‘we plan to continue singing every time and every place until this ugly phenomenon of shunning women stops.”
MM
It seems to be time for everyone to speak up now!
Our Australian Jewish News had 2 articles the previous week (AJN, 7/12/11) referring to the problems that Israelis face vis-a-vis the religious extremists,- the 'Charedim' and/or the ultra-Charedim, the Sikrikim!
The religious affairs editor, Yossi Aarons describes what has happened to the religious-texts specialist book-shop in Jerusalem, Manny's. Being near Meah Shearim, the ultra-religious neighbourhood, it should have been in an ideal position. Not so,because it is absolutely horrifying what they did to that shop until they capitulated and now employ a Mashgiach to check what books are stocked so as not to have what they consider 'controversial' texts,- more for the women and girls not to see!,- and that there should be "modesty standards" in dress and similar issues, banning even Zionist books from the shelves,- except English ones!
As Yossi Aron put it:"It is Charedi gone mad- and even the police cannot (or don't want to) stop it.Indeed it is time for Rabbis to speak out- including the Rabbis of the Edah Charedit. For the trend that has led us to this situation is the bane of the contemporary Orthodox world and it cannot be allowed to flourish in any way, shape or form. Censorship of religious tomes and bans on their sale was sadly part of centuries of Diaspora Jewish life. It is the last thing the Orthodox world needs in Israel."
In the second article “Relax Israelis: live and let live” Avi Rath puts it well when he stated that “the last thing Israeli society needs is constant squabbling over religious affairs”.
It seems that as he puts it, "we always speak of love, but in practice we produce hatred." He goes on to tell everyone that they do not have to react to everything,- not the Rabbis, not the journalists to blow it up out of proportion, not the judiciary, leftists do not have to intervene every time against the right on the West Bank, nor the rightists in the repertoire of the national theatre!
What a sensible way to put it.Therefore, when Hilary Clinton reportedly expressed concerns about some aspects of domestic Israeli and religious politics, was she so wrong to speak up,- about the women’s issues in particular?
Modern Orthodox, ‘secular’ and Progressive Israeli women are voicing alarm at the intrusion of ‘haredi’ influences on Israeli society which impacts first and foremost on the civic and just plain human rights of girls and women and they are challenging us to help them from the Diaspora. Well known activist, Sharon Shenhav quoted from her article:” as an Orthodox women's rights activist and lawyer, I am very concerned about increasing efforts by religious extremists to remove women from public areas. My friends and colleagues, who include Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular (non-observant) Jews are equally concerned about these efforts to silence women's voices. In Jerusalem, we are particularly concerned about the elimination of women's faces and bodies from billboards and public advertisements on buses. As I mentioned in the article I published, I am concerned about the response of secular organizations and companies who have voluntarily agreed to eliminate women from public areas or comply with demands for gender segregation in public areas. These secular organizations include the IDF, Egged Bus company, Magen David Adom, the city of Jerusalem, and private commercial companies.”
The time may have come for all Diaspora Jews to also voice our concerns about the circumstances which face many of our Israeli sisters in particular. Women must be permitted to be HEARD as well as to be SEEN -- in Israel and in all other countries. With affiliates in over 40 countries in the world, The International Council of Jewish Women ( ICJW) strongly supports this position to help all women including the Israeli ones with social issues which do not depend solely on throwing money at them. The “squabbling” Rath describes over religious affairs is based on real problems many women and families face.
PM Netanyahu and the Knesset should enforce a Jewish religious edict of “live and let live”.
It is bad enough that the whole Arab Middle East seems to be returning to the Middle Ages religiously, especially vis-à-vis women,-but we do not wish such a fate creeping onto the Israelis.
There is a small minority of Jewish religious extremists,- why allow them such influence in a democracy? .
Rath’s “Live and let live” is a wonderful slogan for coexistence. If only her Arab neighbours would also embrace it vis-à-vis Israel as a whole!
Malvina Malinek OAM
Hon. Life Member of ICJW Executive)
Since writing the item below, another 3 articles have now appeared in our AJN 16/12/11:
1. “Bibi, Peres take a stand”. (Omri Ephraim, Jerusalem). President & PM “ expressed fierce criticism on Monday over issue of exclusion of women in public life.’’ The Ynet Article ended with:” It was likely to assemble representatives from various ministries to weigh options, including issuing sanctions and fines against councils and private companies that permit the segregation of women”.
2. “ Extremism overtakes women’s rights.” Nua Rubistein, Ynet news.
3. “ Don’t turn Israel into Iran” Omri Efraim, Ynet News. “Hundreds of people gathered in Israel’s capital to protest at religious pressure to limit women’s role in the public life in Israel”. And finished with:
“Mickey Gitzin, head of the Free Israel movement, which organized the event, told Ynet: ‘we plan to continue singing every time and every place until this ugly phenomenon of shunning women stops.”
MM
It seems to be time for everyone to speak up now!
Our Australian Jewish News had 2 articles the previous week (AJN, 7/12/11) referring to the problems that Israelis face vis-a-vis the religious extremists,- the 'Charedim' and/or the ultra-Charedim, the Sikrikim!
The religious affairs editor, Yossi Aarons describes what has happened to the religious-texts specialist book-shop in Jerusalem, Manny's. Being near Meah Shearim, the ultra-religious neighbourhood, it should have been in an ideal position. Not so,because it is absolutely horrifying what they did to that shop until they capitulated and now employ a Mashgiach to check what books are stocked so as not to have what they consider 'controversial' texts,- more for the women and girls not to see!,- and that there should be "modesty standards" in dress and similar issues, banning even Zionist books from the shelves,- except English ones!
As Yossi Aron put it:"It is Charedi gone mad- and even the police cannot (or don't want to) stop it.Indeed it is time for Rabbis to speak out- including the Rabbis of the Edah Charedit. For the trend that has led us to this situation is the bane of the contemporary Orthodox world and it cannot be allowed to flourish in any way, shape or form. Censorship of religious tomes and bans on their sale was sadly part of centuries of Diaspora Jewish life. It is the last thing the Orthodox world needs in Israel."
In the second article “Relax Israelis: live and let live” Avi Rath puts it well when he stated that “the last thing Israeli society needs is constant squabbling over religious affairs”.
It seems that as he puts it, "we always speak of love, but in practice we produce hatred." He goes on to tell everyone that they do not have to react to everything,- not the Rabbis, not the journalists to blow it up out of proportion, not the judiciary, leftists do not have to intervene every time against the right on the West Bank, nor the rightists in the repertoire of the national theatre!
What a sensible way to put it.Therefore, when Hilary Clinton reportedly expressed concerns about some aspects of domestic Israeli and religious politics, was she so wrong to speak up,- about the women’s issues in particular?
Modern Orthodox, ‘secular’ and Progressive Israeli women are voicing alarm at the intrusion of ‘haredi’ influences on Israeli society which impacts first and foremost on the civic and just plain human rights of girls and women and they are challenging us to help them from the Diaspora. Well known activist, Sharon Shenhav quoted from her article:” as an Orthodox women's rights activist and lawyer, I am very concerned about increasing efforts by religious extremists to remove women from public areas. My friends and colleagues, who include Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular (non-observant) Jews are equally concerned about these efforts to silence women's voices. In Jerusalem, we are particularly concerned about the elimination of women's faces and bodies from billboards and public advertisements on buses. As I mentioned in the article I published, I am concerned about the response of secular organizations and companies who have voluntarily agreed to eliminate women from public areas or comply with demands for gender segregation in public areas. These secular organizations include the IDF, Egged Bus company, Magen David Adom, the city of Jerusalem, and private commercial companies.”
The time may have come for all Diaspora Jews to also voice our concerns about the circumstances which face many of our Israeli sisters in particular. Women must be permitted to be HEARD as well as to be SEEN -- in Israel and in all other countries. With affiliates in over 40 countries in the world, The International Council of Jewish Women ( ICJW) strongly supports this position to help all women including the Israeli ones with social issues which do not depend solely on throwing money at them. The “squabbling” Rath describes over religious affairs is based on real problems many women and families face.
PM Netanyahu and the Knesset should enforce a Jewish religious edict of “live and let live”.
It is bad enough that the whole Arab Middle East seems to be returning to the Middle Ages religiously, especially vis-à-vis women,-but we do not wish such a fate creeping onto the Israelis.
There is a small minority of Jewish religious extremists,- why allow them such influence in a democracy? .
Rath’s “Live and let live” is a wonderful slogan for coexistence. If only her Arab neighbours would also embrace it vis-à-vis Israel as a whole!
Malvina Malinek OAM
Hon. Life Member of ICJW Executive)
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