One of the clearest signs of the insanity of the current moment is the issue of separate-sex swimming. In a sane country, this wouldn’t be a crucial issue. Assigning certain beaches, or certain hours, for separate-sex swimming is something that is definitely possible to so. It’s a trivial price to pay for living together.
But here, nothing is normal. Opponents of separate-sex swimming ascribe much greater risks to it than the threat it actually poses. They fear that consenting to this will pave the way for a state governed by Jewish law. In their view, this is an all-out war in which no concessions can be made. Yet even some of these opponents admit that it’s possible to live with this.
And truthfully, the situation for ultra-Orthodox Jews at beaches and swimming pools is pitiful. Not long ago, I saw a photograph of a separate-sex beach in Ashdod. It was horrifyingly overcrowded, to the point of endangering lives. Spend five minutes at a separate-sex beach, and I’m certain you’ll leave as an enthusiastic supporter of establishing more separate-sex beaches.
There has to be a way to live here together and make concessions to each other without starting a war. Admittedly, the stupid, arrogant members of the current government have fanned the liberal community’s fears. But that still doesn’t mean that every Haredi demand is unjustified.
There’s a difference between beaches and swimming pools, on one hand, and natural springs, on the other. The way people spend time at springs is different, so a pious Haredi man faces fewer difficulties. Moreover, there’s already a problem of thuggish behavior by Haredi men in the Jerusalem area; I’d be happy for the police to deal with them and protect female bathers from them.
But even in this case, the same principle applies. The fact that there are some violent men doesn’t weaken the arguments made by the rest. A way must be found to enable more people to enjoy recreational sites in accordance with their own beliefs. This way requires goodwill and common sense.
Even today, Haredi men immerse themselves in springs without women present, and this happens thanks to the consideration of others. But if their right to do so is turned into a law, every remnant of goodwill will vanish. People who force others to be considerate of them can’t expect anything outside the hours set by law.
That’s a heavy price to pay for instituting separate-sex hours at springs. But it may be unavoidable.
The Haredi demand for consideration also has another cost – it must be reciprocal. More beaches should be separate-sex to respect the Haredi lifestyle, but public transportation should run on Shabbat in more cities to respect the secular lifestyle.
Civil marriage should be allowed out of respect for other people’s beliefs. The state shouldn’t enforce the ban on selling pork and obviously the light rail should operate on Shabbat.
We can continue to cater to expectations of one-sided consideration, which is one of the causes of today’s boisterous antagonism. People say, “Maybe they’re right, but we mustn’t give in.”
The model of Haredi life in Israel is different than it is anywhere else in the world. Haredi demands and expectations of the Jewish state are higher than they are of any other state.
It’s therefore high time to formulate a new religious status quo. Instead of swimming pools being empty of Haredim on weekdays and empty of secular people on weekends, there should be some of each on both weekdays and weekends. There should be defined hours for separate-sex swimming, but also public transportation and freedom of choice on the weekends. Everyone should live according to his own beliefs – or lack of belief.
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