Segregated train cars - a celebration of diversity

The recent proposal of separate-sex cars for Jerusalem's new light rail, received by some with negativity and resentment, could actually be a positive step towards a pluralist setting in Jerusalem.

The suggestion, put forward by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Naveh, CEO of the CityPass consortium that operates Jerusalem's light rail system, was intended to cater for the needs of the large number of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Haredi passengers in Jerusalem. The addition of these "super-kosher" cars would allow the ultra-Orthodox community to travel freely while avoiding situations they find uncomfortable.

	Trial run of the Jerusalem light rail train in July, 2010.
	Photo by: Emil Salman

Contrary to the response of much of the secular community, the amount of inconvenience that this would cause is minimal. The only extra effort that would be required of the secular passengers would be the need to pay slightly more attention to which car they board. They may need to walk an extra 10 or 20 meters down the platform in order to do this.

Israel is the Jewish State. That is inclusive of all Jews, regardless of origin, denomination, beliefs or expression of that Jewish identity. In order for such a state to function, it is necessary for a pluralistic atmosphere to be created. That requires building an open, accepting environment in which everyone is able to behave in a way that makes them feel comfortable.

In the same way that the vast majority of commercial Israel pauses on Shabbat (including public transport), Israel as the Jewish State has a responsibility to take measures to accommodate the varying levels of religious observance of its citizens in other areas too. This is not a case of Orthodox Judaism forcing itself on secular society; it is just a small step toward a working pluralist city – one that caters for, accepts and even more than that, embraces the diversity within it.

Naveh has the right idea: "The train was built to serve everyone," he said ahead of a ceremonial test ride. If more people shared his sentiments and invested in this Jewish pluralism then life would be far more pleasant for everyone. Or at least the train journeys would be.