Haaretz: Angry Female IDF Soldiers Walk Out Of Segregated Torah Dancing

The above photo of happy IDF women dancing at Simchat Torah took place at the Haaretz report below...Haaretz didn't post this photo, since they made up their own story instead...

Attempting to spin up more internal strife in Israel, Haaretz lets loose with another anti-religious article, designed to make your blood boil...and "cleverly" contrast previously reported "anti-feminist" behavior by religious soldiers in the IDF. I've highlighted in bold a few key phrases and sentences.

About 100 female soldiers left the main celebration sponsored by the Israel Defense Forces marking the end of the Simhat Torah holiday on Thursday after they were asked to move to a separate women's section.

The traditional "Hakafot Shniyot" event, which comes after the holiday's formal conclusion and includes dancing with the Torah, was held in the Eshkol regional council area in the south. The commanders of the women soldiers decided to have the women board buses and leave after some objected to their being directed to a separate area cut off from the main event.

The separate women's section was set off by cloth sheeting, but according to one of those present "it was very hard to feel connected to the event there." The event was attended by about 500 people, including a mix of civilians and soldiers, among them, about 100 women soldiers. Those in attendance said before the request was made for them to move, the women had been dancing at one side, separately from the men and also separated by a long table. The women soldiers were then ordered by an officer from the military rabbinate to go to a separate, closed area about 50 meters away, following complaints over the initial setup.

Orthodox Jewish religious authorities call for separation of men and women in certain circumstances. For many observant Jews in Israel, however, it is the custom for men and women at Hakafot Shniyot to dance separately but without the women being relegated to another designated area. The IDF's chief rabbi, Rafi Peretz, as well as the commander for the IDF's Gaza division, Yossi Bachar, were present but did not intervene in the matter. The rabbinate has been under pressure recently to adopt strict interpretations of halakha, Jewish religious law.

The IDF Spokesman's office said in response: "As is the custom at these events every year, there is an area designated for women," adding that "no IDF official was directed to verify that men and women were separated." The IDF rabbinate is unaware of some of the complaints made over the issue and the matter will be looked into, the spokesman said. (Haaretz)

Too bad Haaretz was more interested in writing an inflammatory article than in ignoring a non-issue. Following is a first hand, eye-wittness report, from one of the female soldiers present -- translated from rotter

"[Haaretz Reporter] Anshel Pfeffer wrote an article in Haaretz with a headline that hundreds of Female IDF soldiers angrily left a Simchat Torah event after being forced to celebrate in a segregated area. This is a lie and absolutely false.

I am a female IDF solider that was there in the Eskol Regional Council [at the Simchat Torah event]. The seperation was via long tables, which were regular table height, and they had food and refreshments on them. We all danced in merriment. No one thought there was an issue to mix the sides, because the dancing was similar to the hakafot (Simcaht Torah dancing) in a synagogue and not one of us [who were dancing] left.

There were some "Ashkenazi" soldiers who left because the event didn't interest them...and if anything, there was about 30 of them that left, not "hundreds".

Signed,

Netanela
(phone number is with the rotter website editors)

I would add that when IDF cadets walked out from an IDF event of women singing, because it offended their religious sensibilities -- the IDF summarily threw the cadets out of their officers' course. Even though the Haaretz article isn't factually correct, why should the IDF soldiers and their commanders have gone unpunished for "angrily walking out of an event?" Not that Haaretz would ever ask such a question...

Update: Israel's Channel 2 TV can't resist quoting a great anti-religious story, and reprints the Haaretz story almost word for word. Fact checkers need not apply.

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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Roundup of the Muqata's Best Sukkot Posts.

(Photo from Trep's blog 2 years ago...

but could have been in my sukka as well*)

Sukkot's almost here.

I sincerely hope I won't start blogging about a war between Israel and Syria over sukkot, but it's totally within the realm of possibility. Therefore, I have found some of my best posts from sukkot over the past 2 years, for your reading pleasure. Actually, some of these are really cool --I wonder if my current blog is as compelling. Please note the Muqata Eretz Yisrael clock has been changed in honor of Sukkot, and is half an etrog.

In no particular order...

1. Amazing Save of the Day (on Simchat Torah, this is even being published in shiurtimes.com this coming sukkot)
2. A Visit to the Shomronim on Har Greizim over Chol HaMoed.


3. Cool Jew Blue. A Tekhelet tour in Chol HaMoed.
4. My Sukkot Neurosis
What are you doing over sukkot? Our possible plans include: Herodian, Hevron, family barbeque in Gush Etzion...maybe some kite flying.

Chag Sameach!

Jameel & Co.


*The above picture and post was the basis for the Purim Parody Blog of Trippin Witz (falling down the stairs)...those were the days :)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael