Jerusalem – Segregation in Meah Shearim for Simchat Beit Hashoeva Festivities

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    Jerusalem – Any women who may be planning to attend the traditional Simchat Beit Hashoeva festivities in the Orthodox neighborhood of Meah Shearim this Sukkot may want to think twice, as they may no be allowed to enter the area.

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    The water-drawing festival is a time-honored tradition held in the Hasidic courts of the capital for decades. The celebrations are a known crowd draw, with some 15,000 people visiting the events every night, in the past few years.

    The last two years have also seen Meah Shearim’s streets divided into men and women’s galleries for the sake of chastity; but this year’s festivities have been clouded by a demand made by the extreme groups within the neighborhood’s community, such as the Sicarii, which demand women be kept out of the festival altogether.

    Some of the splinter groups have even gone as far as threatening to forcibly prevent women from entering the area; gathering some 2,000 signatures to that effect and threatening to use “a foul-smelling chemical agent” to drive people away.

    A pashkevil (religious flyer) titled “Enough!”, which was hung throughout the neighborhood over the past week, declared that “the residents of the Mea Shearim neighborhood hereby inform all the residents of the Holy Land and the visitors coming to celebrate Sukkot in the holy city of Jerusalem, that our neighborhood is not a tourist center.

    “Let it be made clear that this year we will not allow tourists and visitors to stroll in our streets at all hours of the night, under any circumstances.”

    Concerns over possible riots have led to several joint meetings between officials from the chastity squads and the Hassidic synagogues, as the matter was even brought to the attention of the Orthodox Righteous Court of Law.

    The court ruled that the festivities would end each nigh, no later than 12:30 am, instead of by 2:30 am, as they did in past years.
    The court further ruled that the women’s gallery would be restricted to the wives and daughters of the city’s various religious courts, who would require a special permit to attend. Visitors will not be allowed in the women’s gallery.


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    32 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Shame on them, who do they think they are barring women from seeing this. the former and future bais hamikdosh had a Special ezras noshim so that women could also see the beauty. are they (trying to be) holier/frummer? That’s very selfish allowing only their wives and daughters to see. WE NEED ACHDUS TO BRING MOSHIACH!!!!

    not so chassideshe
    not so chassideshe
    15 years ago

    Firstly, “segregation” is not the word we use when we separate men and women. Does the author of this article attend “Segregated weddings”?
    Secondly, it is their neighborhood, and they are fully untitled to want it not to become a tourist attraction, and to keep their standards, whatever they may be.
    If this was an Amish community asking people to respect their customs, people would comment, “oh, how nice” This article is just another bit of chareidi bashing.

    anon
    anon
    15 years ago

    thats really sick – in the bad way. a special permit? jeeeez

    willie
    willie
    15 years ago

    I’m suing them for racial discrimination, use of abusive material…. but when they need money they run to us.

    Bewildered
    Bewildered
    15 years ago

    The fast BEHA”B, after the yomim tovim was made specifically as TESHUVA for mixed crowds walking the streets during Yom Tov.
    Why in the world didn’t our sages ASSER ALL WOMAN from the streets in order to avoid TAARUVES and having to fast?
    Obviously, women are human beings who need to be treated with respect and dignity and allowed to see, hear, etc. just like men. However if by chance some sinned, our sages gave us a FAST day for TESHUVA! Not ASSER, ASSER, ASSER!

    UNDERSTAND?

    Formerjew
    Formerjew
    15 years ago

    Too many things forbidden unnecessarily, THE RESULT: Abusive people, others go off derech…

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    15 years ago

    Is it OK for me and my daughters to attend as long as we wear a one-eyed abaya?

    ExOrthodox
    ExOrthodox
    15 years ago

    OK! So let’s say NO WOMEN on meah shearim. instead they go to watch jewish films.HEY! BUT WAIT! IT’S BEEN BANNED! So wat are they expected to do, wash toilets???

    Yasher Koach
    Yasher Koach
    15 years ago

    I am all for this! It is THERE neighborhood and THERE children and THERE families which are under attack from outside parties that ATTACK their way of frumkite. I for one wouldnt want my family to be inundated by outside tourists (many of them goyim) with video cameras taking pictures and making loud catcalls as though they were at a zoo and we were an odd attraction. So for those of you opposed to this tell me how exactly this affects you directly, or does it just insult your personal sensitivities?

    Sicarii?
    Sicarii?
    15 years ago

    I heard a bit about these tznius gangs before, but I never realized how
    hardcore these guys are? Sicarii? Are they available for contract killings as well
    or will they only stab ladies without stockings?

    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    15 years ago

    Sorry, cannot defend this narishkeit.

    Remember, keep turning “right” and you’ll end up in the same place as turning “left” would have led you.

    The Eleventh Commandment is Thou Shalt Not Be an Idiot.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    all of this is reactionary! no one can possibly argue these actions are mandated by halacha, they are just taking many many measures to protect their community. and when all communities perceive a threat they are forced to take action.

    Joe
    Joe
    15 years ago

    I understand them not wanting people coming in, and I respect. But for that matter when they go somwhere and people do not welcome them why are those people Antisemites and Jew Haters. There is a saying in yiddish “vus far a git morgen aza git yur” No wander the whole wide world hates religious jews. And they are the ones that are bringing it upon themselves.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    its about time. the simchas beis hashoeva has turned into the simchas bas hatoayva. tis disgusting what goes on at some of these places. at least in MS they are willing to deal with it. if you dont like it then GO SOMEPLACE ELSE!

    wow!!
    wow!!
    15 years ago

    chabads simchas beis hashoeiva being attacked now this!! and lipa!! wow!!! this has goto stop!!! what happened to simple education!

    yona schimel
    yona schimel
    15 years ago

    Why are we all going crazy? We request tolerance from others but we are the most intolerant.Shame on us. We drive people of the derech. May G-d save us from ourselves.

    brit
    brit
    15 years ago

    So why go, after watching some r’ arelach goons beat up a mir bochor for doing who knows what at their simchas beis hashoeva i said i’d never go back
    and when they come collecting from me i tell ’em as such
    you dont want me in your neigborhood and you;re not getting my money either
    time to boycott them, dont go to their parties and dont support them

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    How would anyone like it if all year long they try really hard to protect thier families and homes from outside influence, and then, on sukkot, mobs of unwanted tourists flood the streets, and men and women mingle, and women come dressed in a way no one in the neighborhood dresses. we would protest if a nudist convention came to our hometown. i realize that it isn’t exactly the same, but try to think like them. i was one of those tourists last year, and i followed all thier rules, and it was so inspiring! but i did see people dressed inappropriately, and acting inappropriately. so i salute them, because it’s not that they hate outsiders. they just want to protect thier family. so stop bashing them.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    ok so what happens to the americans who rented apaprtments from young couples in meir sharim for yom tov.do there woman have to stay in the apartments all yom tov.?there are plenty meir yeshiva yungleid who live there do there wives and daughters stay inside. how do the tzinis group know who lives there and who not?its odd yet they love the toursits money.wht is this world coming to?so do not let the woman into your succah but u can not stop them from walking the streets unless you put a big wall around meir sharrim and only those with a MS passport can go in

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There you, using facts and information to confuse people who have already made up their minds!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Civil War! Its becoming a real war the only difference between this and a usual civil war is that this is truly uncivil!