Rabbi seeks sex-segregated bus line in Tiberias
Ultra-Orthodox split on idea as some fear it could 'alienate people from the Haredi minority.'
By Eli Ashkenazi Tags: Tiberias Israel newsA prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi has asked a Tiberias bus company to launch a line similar to the ones in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak that segregate women from men.
Rabbi Asher Idan from Jerusalem, a ruler on religious matters pertaining to modesty, contacted the company Veolia Transportation last month, saying that ultra-Orthodox Jews from Tiberias wanted a segregated line.
"The requests came after an increase in the number of Haredim in and around Tiberias," Idan told Haaretz. He said the request was for segregated buses "in certain neighborhoods in certain hours - when schools and religious seminaries close for the day." He added that "it is important to us that the Haredi public receives services that it is entitled to and that its needs are met."
A veteran woman resident of Tiberias who spoke on condition of anonymity said the request was "an enraging attempt to take over the city." She said that despite her "advanced age" she will wear a miniskirt and sit in the front of the segregated bus "to make a statement."
An ultra-Orthodox resident, who also requested anonymity, said the line was "unnecessary and can only serve to alienate people from the Haredi minority."
But Idan says the segregated line will change people's minds once it is launched. "The secular people of this city will see and learn how good this modesty is," he said. "We don't want to coerce anything - coercion goes against the Torah. We are simply begging that this thing be allowed to happen and that the secular public see how the holy Torah looks."
Idan said the line could be "problematic" in Tiberias because "unlike in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, the Tiberias line would pass through secular neighborhoods as well as Haredi ones." For this reason, Idan said, the people promoting the new line are "being careful and are looking to check how this thing works out."
He added that Veolia would be glad to meet the needs of the Haredi public. But when queried by Haaretz, Veolia would only say that it was "acting according to the directives of the Transportation Ministry as they are issued from time to time, and will continue to act according to them."
The ministry said the issue of segregated lines is pending a court ruling. "For this reason, the ministry does not process requests of this kind until a ruling is made," it said.
The ministry is expected this month to give answers about the segregated lines to the Supreme Court, which is reviewing the legal basis for their operation following a petition on the matter. The petition was filed by the Israel Religious Action Center, which is associated with the Reform Movement. It also prompted Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz to form a committee on the issue.
The committee ruled two months ago that the 90 segregated lines currently operating in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem should be canceled. Segregated buses are a relatively new phenomenon in Israel, with the first one appearing 10 years ago on a line between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.
Nir Hasson contributed to this article.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
I guess you have not heard about the segregated sidewalks.
If people want segregated buses, let them hire private ones. No bus line that serves all the population should be allowed to also offer segegated ones. This is encroachment of Taliban-style Judaism.
Forcing extreme religious practices on everyone as in Iran and Saudi has been recognized as destructive and G-d forbid this fate will happen to modern Israel. The Haredi extremists should be teaching internal seminars on personal modesty, INCLUDING good manners in public, not trying to manipulate Veolia to accept their "humras" when they are still a minority group.
Reminiscent of the progression of the settlements. First there appears one (i.e. Sebastia) and little by little they sprout all over the place - and an indifferent public gets used to it. David
Unlike the ultra orthodox Rabbi from Tiberias, I suggest there be a bus segregation for orthodox people and for non-orthodox (secular) people. Everybody will then enjoy his own pleasures and desires and let the others happy by self-determination. What do you think, Mr Rabbi? What about being democratic?
I have been thumbing through the Old Testament and I can't find anything about it. I thought the whole idea about the Haredim was strict adherence to the Word. In the absence thereof, are they allowed to make stuff up? Another question: If they find the opposite sex so repulsive, how do they consistently score the highest reproductive rates?
#2 - With a bucket of water!
With Bibi trying out for absolute monarch and the Haredi driving the nation back to the 14th century, why not just admit what is happening? Time to change the name to Saudi-Israel.
is there a difference?
Okay guys and girls, the third paragraph specifies that the bus would run on certain days and hours to serve the Haredi public. It's obvious that the people in Tiberias will know the times and the routes, so if they want to ride them, they will, and if they chose to take some other bus, they have that choice. No coercion here. The lady who wants to wear a mini is free to reveal her legs to anyone who wants to see them, but why offend people when all you have to do is let the bus pass by the stop and wait for the next one. Then too, I have heard one woman at least, who is not Haredi, not even religious say that one of the issues of riding public transportation is sitting next to a male who might be more friendly than she wants him to be. Another point is that couples with children sit in the middle, so that man and his wife, and the kids are "not separated. I've seen high school boys sit together and the girls sit among themselves for obvious reasons. Later . . .
Or try walking on water.
Why not put them altogether into ghettos, this rabbi is a fascist.
Which democracy in the world in the year 2010 allows this stuff to even be considered?
Unbelievable that people not accepting the state of Israel are demanding such things. They are intolerant and ignorant. if they don't want to see a woman other than their own they should cover their eyes or stay at home!
Ever heard Middle-age ended centuries ago ?
Clearly the guy never uses the buses or he would know that the priority should be to increase the frequency of the services that the company runs
How far back do the religious world expect us to go back to first preaching the death of our Rabin next segregation then what we go back to the cave world
for them to just stop coveting every man or woman they see? less hypocritical, too. after all, the sin they "appear" to be concerned about takes place in their mind...and NO amount of segregation is going to stop something that only THEY have control over. so why inconvenience everyone else with THEIR problems?
The Haredi person quoted in the article hit the nail on the head! These kinds of Rabbis are leading the Haredi community into the abyss. If they continue down this hostile, coercive path the non-Haredi majority in Israel will soon start fighting back by cutting funding and eliminating army exemptions. Join the movemement for religious freedom and equality in Israel www.hiddush.org
Now... have these rabbis lately been in too close contact with their imam brothers? Tcht tcht tcht, poor Israel.
What's that? "A veteran woman resident of Tiberias who spoke on condition of anonymity said the request was "an enraging attempt to take over the city." " - Article
Taliban! See documentary "Black Bus" & the film "the stoning of Soraya",&, then make your own conclusions?!
In Montgomery, Alabama, USA the law used to force blacks to sit at the back of buses. see following link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Bus_Boycott In South Africa during the apartheid era persons of coloured and asiatic descent were allowed to sit at the back of white buses. Of course blacks had to use the Putco (green mamba) buses. I suppose that the next logcal step will be to provide separate but (un)equal transportation for women and or non orthodox persons.
the men sit in the back.
if the teliban jews want seperate bus lines let them set up their own bus company from their own funds! However they have no right to force such a thing on secular people. First Jerusalem now Tiberias , will tel aviv be next? AS very dangerous development indeed .
The haredis have alreay ruined Tveria and turned into a hopless third world city full of mikvas instead of jobs.
Easy, a group wants segregated busing, give it to them, with MEN sitting in the back, women up front - we'll see how long gender division lasts!
it didn't work in the U.S, but maybe it will work for non-Haredim in Israel. Let's wait and see how long before the equivalent of a Rosa Parks, moves to the front of the bus. Hats off to the lady of "advance age" for wanting to wear a miniskirt. She's not of "advance age" at all. No, she is of "ADVANCED THINKING" that's all. Go for it, lady!
they should go right ahead. Take example of Saudi Arabia, another teocracy.
B"H This is good news. Israel is slowely becoming a religious state. Before you know it, there will be segregated malls, public schools, etc. Israel and the Jewish people will revive their fame as the G-d serving nation.
Good idea! When will I finally have also a segregated airplane to Israel (including the pilot and attendants)? And since you are at it, also do not forget to segregate all shops and streets as well!
Welcome to Iran!
Thank god we don't live in Tehran, there are fanatics there........
With less and less contact the men have with women in ordinary, every day situations, the more likely they will start to get turned on by other men (even if they aren't gay). How will you separate them then?