I admit that I'm processing all this through the eyes of a liberal secular feminist, but I find the whole thing extremely disturbing. Not to mention hypocritical - how is writing a note different than using your voice, when both directly communicate your needs to the party in question. And the voluntary blindness? Absolutely appalling on many many levels. I have a sister who is legally blind (after spending the first 2.5 years of her life completely blind) and thanks G-d each and every day for granting her the vision that she does have. I can't conceive of someone removing vision and claiming that it is somehow *for* G-d.
Robin, I'm equally appalled.
PS. The voice is different, because it is possibly alluring to men. Although I don't understand the point, if there are no men there.
For those who read hebrew, here is the link http://www.nrg.co.il/online/11/A...T1/684/
453.html
Thanks Tamiri, I forgot to link to it in the first part. I updated it.
I don't know what to think here. I don't think they care what I think. But I think I feel sorry for their poor husbands and children. That's what I think.
When I read the article, I actually found it pretty interesting. the whole way it developed and how they are now was very interesting, while at the same time a bit disturbing...
What really bothered me though was what was quoted I think from Rav Eliyahu of Tzfat (I am quoting from memory, and my memory is famously bad, so I might be off, but the idea is the same) that the real problem is that right now it is 50 or 100 women, but in 10 years this will be the norm because of the extreme way we have begun treating the issue of tznius...
These things make life so difficult for a satirist...
She's nuts. That hasn't stopped previous nuts from creating movements that have caused us trouble.
At some point, people have to turn around and say that supposedly saintly customs like a "speech fast" are nonsense and against Jewish behaviour, not an extremely pious version of it.
But I doubt that'll happen.
"taking the veil" makes me think of women who have taken the vows of nuns -- not a Jewish ideal.
Very frightening.
"At some point, people have to turn around and say that supposedly saintly customs like a "speech fast" are nonsense and against Jewish behaviour, not an extremely pious version of it."
Well they're not nonsense IN THEORY. They are a pietistic practice. Just not when you have a bunch of kids to raise.
I have tears in my eyes as I read this. I can't imagine what this must be like for their children. And what happens when this fad wears off? Maybe Keren will stick with the layers and veils - at this point her pride wouldn't let her give it up if she wanted to - but how many of her followers are going to stay with this long term? Think how confusing this will be for their children. These women are creating future generations who will be turned off by tznius and -by extention - Judaism itself. This is going to backfire badly.
I suspect that this will not catch on and that the women who joined will soon find another means of expression.
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