Jerusalem – The 1st Frum Women’s Rock Band Raises Eyebrows

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    Ashira. Genre that doesn't exist (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)Jerusalem – From afar it sounds like a typical rock band performance: Bass guitars, drums, loud singing. But as one slowly approaches the scene, an unfamiliar image is revealed. Six girls in modest clothing are standing on the stage, some wearing head covers and one nine months pregnant, while the entire audience is comprised of women. Meet religious rock band Ashira.

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    Three years ago flutist Yael Taitz, 25, and violinist Pnina Weintraub, 24, two friends studying together at Bar-Ilan University, decided to start a religious rock band.

    “The idea was to create awareness and culture and raise a genre which does not exist in the religious sector,” says Weintraub, who is married and studies therapy and music at BIU.

    For a long time, the two held auditions for religious female musicians, and eventually found Maayan Schweitzer, 23, Hagit Tawil, 29, Inbar Perser (Gessner) and Lia Bagrish, 22.

    After two years of performing in front of seminaries and schools for girls and women taking part in the national service program, they began creating their own music and writing music for texts from the Bible and lyrics they write themselves.

    “It’s fun singing holy songs and doing this special thing we’re doing,” says lead singer Hagit Tawil.

    In the past year, after gaining experience and female fans, the girls began performing in pubs designed for the religious sector and in larger auditoriums as well. This Tuesday, for example, they are expected to hold a major performance at Bar-Ilan.

    It should be noted that men are banned from all of their performances due to Jewish law, which rules that “the voice of a singing woman equals lewdness.”

    “There is a halachic problem for a man to listen to a woman’s voice, and we are strict about this,” explains Weintraub. “If we hadn’t been singing there would be no problem for a man to be present, but it’s a matter of modesty. Once even my father came to a performance and had to wait outside.”

    Despite the strict rules, there is still one man who can be found among the audience – the soundman, who stands behind the stage. According to the girls, he may also be replaced by a woman soon. They are also looking for a producer who will help them record their first album.

    Band won’t help bring next boyfriend

    Three of the band members are already married, and the other three are still waiting for a groom.

    “At the moment I’m single. When I do have a boyfriend, he won’t be able to watch my performances and will have to settle for a CD of the band’s songs,” says drummer Maayan Schweitzer, who lives in Petah Tikva and studies psychotherapy at Tel Aviv University.

    Tawil is also still looking for her sweetheart, and the band’s success will not necessarily help her reach her goal. “We don’t have so many opportunities to meet boys because only girls come to our performances,” she says, “so on this level the band is not likely to bring the next boyfriend.”

    As they cannot attend the gigs, the girls’ partners must settle for listening to them and supporting them from afar.

    “I am curious to see her perform together with the other girls, but if I work to realize my curiosity I will be damaging what this band represents,” says Baruch Weintraub, 25, Maayan’s husband and a hesder yeshiva student. “I think she does important things from a public and cultural point of view, and on the personal level it gives her enjoyment, satisfaction and a way to develop.”

    In recent performances fans were able to detect the growing belly of Yael Taitz, who is nine months pregnant. “It’s interesting performing on stage while being pregnant,” she says. “Sometimes I feel a kick in the middle of the gig, and I believe I am enriching the fetus’ musical world this way.

    “God willing, after I give birth I plan to take a month’s break and will probably miss one of the performances, but I’ll have to return immediately afterwards. My mother has already promised to babysit when I have to go to rehearsals and performances.”


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    101 Comments
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    Smile
    Smile
    14 years ago

    Rock On!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Vatikach miryom toif byudo. I hop that no one would be more extreme than the toirah.

    Avrohom Abba
    Avrohom Abba
    14 years ago

    Mazal Tov! I wish the every member of Ashira hatzlachah rabah and a lot of fun and happiness and a lot of money! I am proud that they are repesenting Yiddishkeit in a tznius way! Wonderful!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If it’s against jewish law for men to hear women sing, how can she let her husband listen to their cd’s? on another note i wish ’em lotsa luck.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    this isn’t a rock band 🙁
    ha! there aren’t the most basic necessities required to qualify (drums, Guitar)

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    A doctor in a Major orthodox community told me: if the community would know the number of mantle problems between the stressed women, then they would send their women at least ones a week to Gather with friends to dense and enjoy. That’s the only way against stress for women who are at home all day long! It make sense.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Oich Mir Frim!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Rock on Sistah!
    Rock on Sistah!
    14 years ago

    Good for them!!! More positive role models for girls today!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    So, what do they sound like? With a flute and violin, could be anything from Moody Blues to the Velvet Underground to Jethro Tull (OK, I’m showing my age here!). Good to see that the guitar player has a Marshall amplifier though – at least she’s using the right tools.

    All the best to them.

    Male Nurse
    Male Nurse
    14 years ago

    Hashem loves songs and loves when ppl sing to him praises. If this band truly follows Halacha Standards may it be successful.

    This Is a great way to use their talents, exercise, socalize and bring ppl closer to hashem with emotional and spritual uplifting songs… Lots of Luck…

    Moderation is the key, striking the proper balance is the question!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Totally Disgusting This Is Not Tznius With The Full Meaning Of The Word

    lliving in the good ol' days
    lliving in the good ol' days
    14 years ago

    Bring back The Beatles.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Response to 9 – I hope you are kidding, otherwise you are just an idiot. They perform for women only. They can do it in bathing suits if they wanted. Glad the Tznius police are out though.

    Kadeish Atzmach b'Mutar Lach
    Kadeish Atzmach b'Mutar Lach
    14 years ago

    Hatzlachah Rabba!

    cheese cake
    cheese cake
    14 years ago

    At first it seems to be a nice idea, but if they claim to be religious why don’t they cover their all the way? we all know that a real religious married women has absolutely no hair showing.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Cheese cake why are you looking so closely. If thou are truly concerned you wouldn’t be looking at pictures of women AT ALL!

    to # 9
    to # 9
    14 years ago

    what are you doing looking at the photo so carefully

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #17 , Disgusting? Wat’s disgusting? I’ll tell you, your supposed to be a frummy and your disgusting reading the internet.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If you guys were as obssessed with your wive’s hair the way you are with the hair of the other guys’ wives you’d have such happy marraiges you’d never notice how another woman dresses or covers her hair.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    where in igros moshe can i find this halocha?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    good luck! everyone should have a outlet, and a outlet to express ones talent.

    Purple
    Purple
    14 years ago

    What a beautiful idea! I wish them much Hatzlocha in their work, and to all you “haters” just looking for what to critique – typical Jewish yenta stereotype. Bored souls. Always looking how others dont “match up” to YOUR standards. These woman ARE frum, if they dont meet YOUR standards or that of YOUR community that is not THEIR problem. The band is a wonderful, tznuisdike idea and great role model for girls in the community – teaching them to use their talents to be M’shamayach others and do good.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    They are dressed beautifuly. With great standards of Tznuis. Yashar Koach. To those who think otherwise……….I know the likes of you. YOU are the perverted ones, who can’t look at ANY woman, regardless of what she is wearing without critisizing and sending your mind on a wild ride…. I have pity on you. I have pity on your wife. I have pity on your daughters. You are truly a sad human being.

    Shaul in Monsey
    Shaul in Monsey
    14 years ago

    This entire thread makes about as much sense as riding a psychotic horse into a burning barn. Happy Mem Day, Y’all, shout out to our troops for preserving life, liberty, and the pursuit of good blogging.

    Zahava
    Zahava
    14 years ago

    Actually, the FIRST all-woman’s contemporary musical group comprised of shomrei Shabbat women who adhered to the halacha of “kol isha” was TO”FAAH”, back in the early 1980’s.There have been MANY women who have been blessed with talent and have taken the posek “Zeh Keili v’anveihu” to mean that their Joy of performing and sharing means sharing with other women, uplifting their neshamas to higher levels; all with the proper kavanah. I say…KOL HA KAVOD!

    Jenifer
    Jenifer
    14 years ago

    Totally awsome keep it up do it when u want how u want when r u coming to new york

    B
    B
    14 years ago

    It doesnt matter what segulahs there are as long as the Shulchan Aruch says that a women must cover her hair- that means it must be fully covered, according to minhag Ashkenaz. Sephardi has a different minhag- if any of the women are sephardi- well then its ok…Otherwise any peice of hair is not good. Rav Moshe Feinstein gave a specific heter for one person to leave less than a tefach covered- but no one else is allowed to follow this without asking a shaila.

    As for their dress, there is following the halacha and stringentcies. It is NOT a stringency to wear loose fitting clothing- it is, according to Shulchan Aruch, a nessecity and tight fitting is forbidden. It’s not a chumra. How many people cover the elbows..but the skirt is just ok..or their entire top of the chest is showing! Is this ok? Not according to the Shulchan Aruch. The elbows kneeds and collarbone are what counts- If you skirt is so short I can see up you skirt when you sit at the bus…well that just means the skirt is far from being ok.

    I hope these girls and women keep on growing in their spiritual growth and wish them hatzlacha.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    “All this, despite the fact that the outfits worn by these ladies, while tznius and in good taste, are NOT according to our personal hanhagos, preferences or standards of our household.”

    Shkayach for this sentence, good to see frum ppl accepting other yids instead of verbally bashing them (like the one saying that reform yids are goyim).

    I’d like to mention a woman from the chumash, Miriam. She performed in front of a mixed audience, and what a nice shir she sang there, next to the sea.

    Ashira!!! You go girls!!!
    Ashira!!! You go girls!!!
    14 years ago

    Ha! Raising eyebrows maybe, but raising spirits for sure.
    Keep singing and playing your music. Your songs and the joy you bring to those who listen and dance to your music rocks the Heavens and the Earth. I can’t wait to get a CD and have a dance party in Tzfat.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Frum women and rock band don’t go together. Rock bands are taken from the goyim. There is nothing wrong with women going out to sing and dance to destress themself or just for fun, but why not do it with “idelkeit”, why do we think always the goyim know better? Just reading the comments on this blogs shows how wrong it is.