Walla news is questioning just how far the “extremism can go” after learning that a branch of the Rami Levy supermarket chain in Beitar Illit has a checkout line for men only, a move that most view as a wise business decision by management seeking to accommodate the city’s chareidi community and get an edge on its competitors.
Nevertheless, the report does state that while a male checkout person operates the cash register, when he takes a break, a female fills in, pointing out that adherence to the male only checkout is less than 100%.
The branch manager, Meir Marciano, a resident of Jerusalem, explains that Rami Levy continues working to meet the needs of his shoppers, and this varies significantly from store to store, defending the move intended to offer a unique service for those men who are seeking such an option. Marciano adds that this is the Rami Levy policy, and they will continue doing what they can to meet the religious sensibilities of shoppers in all their stores nationwide.
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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
Has the world gone nuts?
I dont think thats good enough i think they need to have seperate stores that are on different streets, i think the next step is to install a special periscope for the cars that block out woman drivers but still allow you to see the road.
A “Chumra” implies someone is saying this is required. However this is a case where a merchant has (correctly) figured out a way to be friendly to his customers and to show he respect them. He isn’t arguing its a halachic necessity. However its a way to appeal to more customers in a highly competitive industry.
For example, if your employer is having a business lunch, they can accomodate you by letting you bring your own. Insisting you eat tref would violate your rights (in America), but they aren’t required to spend money. However if the company decided to either have the whole meal be kosher, or to send out for kosher food for you, that’s being nice and respectful — even though there is nothing in their law or halacha that prevents you from brown bagging.
i’m sorry, did i read this right?
Old News, They have had it for a long time already.
I actually used the Mens Only check out lane WITH MY WIFE because there was no line, and had no problems.
Sorry but it’s not new. In fact I would venture to say that the majority of the “food” stores in Meah Shearim have such standards and in Gateshead the stores have seperate times for men and women.
I also wonder why Walla is so concerned that some people would rather increase modesty but I fail to see the Hue and cry over the increasingly low standards of morality in secular culture.
No one said it’s a ‘Chumra’, just a manner of comfort and convenience. Even A. Deri while he was blasting the extreme violance he said that his daughters prefer to go on a Mehadrin Bus, just a manner of comfort.
You know, the secularists also added a lot of ‘Chumros’: They celebrate the cristian New years, some religiously follow sports, and they added a new way of morning to our tradition – standing for a minute in the middle of the street…
Live and let live!! Why is it our business what they do? nobody is asking you to start doing this in your local supermarket. If it doesn’t bother them why does it bother you??
#3, “chumra” means that it is not required but is beyond the requirements of the Halacha. I am waiting for glatt yosher. Let the chumra of the month club concentrate on ben adam lechavero starting with erasing words like “shikse” (which comes from “shikutz” – something disgusting) from their lexicons.
Amazing video of Harav Zamir Cohen setting the record straight on the Torah Haskafah of gender seperation
http://hidabroot.org/MediaDetail.asp?MediaID=13583&Excel=1
Agree with #8! The only people this should concern are those that live in Beitar!!
Looks like they want to be frummer than the Chofetz Chaim, whose wife ran his grocery store (I doubt there was a separate checkout line or shopping times in Radin).
Soon they’ll want to be frummer than HKBH.
Hashem yerachem.
Avi K – I’m with you. Lets also remove the offending chazals that says that some one who lives with a non jewish woman she will be chained to him in the next world like a kelev, and the one that says their flesh is the flesh on hamorim, and the one that says amai ha-aretz sheketz u’benotaihem sheretz (or is it the other way around), and the Rambam who compairs certain people to monkeys, lets just erase everything that doesnt meet our elevated enlightened standards of Yosherkite.
You know I’ve begin to think of alot of the commentaters on YWN as self-hating-Jews. People look for ways to find fault with Jews. Instead of looking to be Don Likav Zchus they are intent at finding fault. And do you know why this is the case? Because people wish they weren’t Jews! They wish they were like the Goyim! They think the Goyim are more enlightened and smarter! I was told that Meir Kohana once made a statement to the effect of ~I’M AN ORTHODOX JEW AND I’M AS PROUD OF IT~! On this point I think all Gedolim would agree with him!
#1, YES!!! AND A LONG LONG TIME AGO TOO!!!
There is soon going to be a new takona amongst a certain group [whose identity I have been asked to keep secret for now] which will require husbands and wives to sleep in separate bedrooms. That is for the faint of heart. The mehadrin chassidim will be accepting upon themselves to live in separate apartments. The housing shortage this will cause will be wailed about until the government provides special subsided mortgages for new housing for these giborei Yisroel. Don’t laugh, it is not Purim. This will be real by Tisha B’Av when you can cry.
As others have mentioned this is not new news. They’ve been doing this for years in Rami Levi Beitar. There is only one segregated line for men and it is there so that the kolelites can feel more comfortable shopping there. Note: non-religious and even arabs shop there as well, so you can imagine how uncomfortable this can make a person to have to be standing behind a women who is barely clad. They have a sign outside requesting women come in dressed according to modesty as well as this sign stating “Men Only Lane”, but I’ve neither seen either enforced, nor anyone making an issue out of it with women that don’t happen to abide by the stores request. To me, this is a sign that the community is doing it L’Shem Shamiyim. That is why they’ve had this rule implemented for at least 3 to 4 years and you are only hearing about it now. Once people see that they are only sincerely searching for modest conduct (w/o any baseless hatred) people tend to be content with it. (Further note: I think a lot of women are happy about it as well because it frees up the other lines and allows the women shoppers (who of course are the majority there) get out quicker.)
Please don’t make a non-issue into an issue. Everybody in Beitar is happy with it without fights!
Rami Levy is also one of the few people who personally came to the shiva of several victims of terrorists and promised to fill their families food cupboards for as long as they were in need. This branch of Rami Levy also happens to have one of the lowest priced products. Their produce is tops and the store is clean. All of the cashiers are well trained in customer service. I am adding all of this to balance the reporting a bit. This idea of the separate lines makes sense for the crowd they are catering to. Rami Levy is the only store that makes the customer feel that they care about making the shopping experience a good one.