According to information from parents who brought children for activities in the Beit Shemesh matnas (community center), they are having difficulty understanding why efforts are underway to separate between chareidim and dati leumi residents since everyone is religious.
According to a Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report by Oriyah Elyakim on Wednesday morning 6 Menachem Av, there is separation at the matnas between the chareidi and dati leumi communities.
The report states the screening is done outside the gate to the matnas, adding a female employee of the matnas was instructed not to report to work on the days chareidim have activities, according to the employee, because her attire does not comply with tznius standards.
Elyakim reports that on Mondays and Wednesdays, when chareidim have activities, the matnas library was shut because not all the books are suitable for young chareidi readers. Speaking with Galei Tzahal, a matnas employee explained she decided to quit because of the segregation. She asked not to reveal her identity, fearing she will not be able to find another job. “I am in favor of achdus. Last summer the entire nation was united and now, I feel that we lack achdus and it is said” the employee explained.
It is added the segregation is not limited to the summer months but year round.
A deputy mayor told Galei Tzahal the report is inaccurate, explaining there is a day or two weekly for activities suited to the chareidi tzibur and there is segregation between boys and girls and all are welcome from the chareidi and dati leumi communities providing they adhere to regulations.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
The No, No mantra rather than explain & understand.
Dear Yeshiva World,
Beit Shemesh is a lovely city. Would you care to publish some positive news about it, instead of constantly publishing every story that Yair Lapid fabricates.
Unless you have a sinas chinam / anti torah agenda.
This is simply promoting Sinas Chinam. Check your facts. I’ve been at the matnas on both “chareidi” and “dati leumi” days – nobody checked me or my children or husband at the door on any day. We had a great time on all days, with all segments of our wonderful, happy neighborhood. If you choose to see the bad, you sure will. E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. How about focusing on the plentiful good? Yes, there are culture differences between the chareidi and the dati leumi, as there are in every single segment of society. Both should be able to have access to the building in a way that is fit for their needs. Sad, maybe a little – but not really, that’s life. Accept it and embrace one another. There’s no reason to turn this into sinas chinam. Achdus is recognizing our differences and still loving each other and making it work for all.
This is not segregation, but rather tolerance at its best. The Matnas wants to cater to everyone’s needs and sensitivities. What better way than to have library days and non-library days?
Yes, Beit Shemesh is a “lovely city” and has many positive things going for it. And yes, we should embrace the diversity of the residents of BS. Sadly, however, the chareidi notion of “embracing diversity” is to wall itself off from those diverse elements and increasingly seek to isolate itself. Is that “achdus”? I submit the real sinas chinam is coming from those who refuse to become part of a culturally diverse community and insist that others adhere to their rules or accept a lower quality of access to public facilities.
This has nothing to do with sinas chinam. I have beautiful Dati neighbors and we help each other but our lives are very different in many ways. How can i send my children to their house with their big TV and daughters in mini skirts? (Of course, Not ALL dati have TVs and lack tznius…I am not saying that… )
Israel is not America and when someone undermines Torah values such as tznius or mitzvot such as being fully shomer Shabat the way some dati leumi do it is not readily tolerated with a smile here. It does not mean that there is sinas chinam and dati are chas v’shalom hated because of this! However, the chareidim though we are not by any means perfect, do not wash the floor and clean the house on Shavuot in preparation for Shabbat…(my dati neighbors did) chareidim cover our hair somehow and have sleeves that cover our elbows, etc… though I am not saying chareidim do not have issues too.
Also, not all dati leumi people push the envelope in the ways I describe. However, there are those that I have a hard time distinguishing from Arabs or other goim because of their dress and manner.
In Israel when a woman goes in a tight mini skirt to work in a place that caters to chareidim, it is not acceptable. I would not want to take my children there and neither would most of my neighbors. Where I live in Yerushalaim there is kind of a segregation between chareidi and dati leumi in social aspects because of different schools and many other differences… Dati themselves want a more “open” place and chareidim are very protective of their families, etc. Hence no internet, iphones, etc… and dati are for the most part into the latest technology. And, there are also televisions. There ARE instances of sinas chinam but I don’t think what you write about in the article is one of those instances. It is just that we are different and in many ways our choices of how to serve Hshem are extremely different. To have a matnas for both groups is kind of asking for trouble and strife.
Before I get attacked, I want to clarify that I do have Internet for business and many chareidi women do and are allowed to have it in order to make parnassa so their husbands can learn. Now, if moderators will allow me a short plug for many educated English speaking women here in Israel that have Internet and want to work from home and also are willing to earn less than they would in America and are perfect candidates for outsourcing.:)
I wish this were true. The are ‘frum’ people in RBS (and many other places in klal yisroel) who need a few good classes in tznius, both in dress and deportment. Achdus is a cute romantic word but we also need to follow the halacha. You’ll never get achdus without it.