Quotation of the Day

.


(translated)

We'd much rather slap around the Willow Branches than kick women.

Source


To the uninitiated -

a group, HaSikrikim, acting as a modesty squad, tried to separate the sexes in the Geula neighborhood during the week of Succot when there are lots of festive events, termed Simchat Beit HaShoevah.

Tomorrow morning, Hoshana Rabba, we will be symbolically slapping five willow branches 9in Yiddish, klopping areivos)* to recall a Temple practice.

The story:

The High Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled against separation between men and women on the sidewalks of Jerusalem's haredi Mea Shearim neighborhood. The court also disallowed the positioning of "modesty guards" from the neighborhood committee to enforce the separation.

In addition, the court ruled, women will be allowed to hold a protest march in the neighborhood on Wednesday in protest of the discrimination between men and women. The Jerusalem Police was ordered to allow and guard the procession. The court was asked to address the issue after extremists in the area tried to illegally enforce separation between men and women during Sukkot.

About a fortnight ago, the Eda Haredit faction proposed blocking Mea Shearim's Mordechai Street to women to prevent men from being near them, but following protest from women's organizations and police demands, the leaders of the community said the road would not be blocked to women. On Monday, two City Council members petitioned the High Court on the issue. Their representative, Attorney Aviad Hacohen, said that despite assurances from the Eda Haredit, screens to separate men from women had been set up and "guards" positioned to enforce the separation.

-------------------

*