[Cicero]

It's not a question of women being inferior, I don't believe. It's a matter of modesty, men and women not sitting next to strangers in public. Certainly women seem to play a stronger role in traditional Judaism than in most other traditional world religions.

I would assume that if a man sat in the woman's section, he would also be asked to move. Yes, it sounds like Jim Crow, sitting in the back of the bus, but Jim Crow involved clear discrimination against blacks, and that isn't the intention here.

I gather from the story that this bus takes religious visitors to one of Judaism's holy places for prayers, so it seems appropriate enough to honor the religious customs of the people who make daily use of it.

If I went into a mosque for some reason (I never have, and probably never will), I would recognize the need to remove my shoes, even though I don't think Allah is really God. In the case of religious Jews, I would respect their beliefs and customs as well, and in their case I think they worship the same God I do.

[Tamar1973]

If I went into a mosque for some reason (I never have, and probably never will), I would recognize the need to remove my shoes, even though I don't think Allah is really God. In the case of religious Jews, I would respect their beliefs and customs as well, and in their case I think they worship the same God I do.

A public bus is not the same thing as a mosque or a synogogue.

[TNdandelion]

Maybe the Haredi should buy some buses and run their own private Haredi bus line. They'd have every right to run those buses the way they wanted.

[Prodigal Son]

but Jim Crow involved clear discrimination against blacks, and that isn't the intention here.

Yeah, and it's just a woman here- no worries.

[monday]

"I gather from the story that this bus takes religious visitors to one of Judaism's holy places for prayers, so it seems appropriate enough to honor the religious customs of the people who make daily use of it."

Only one problem with your analogy. She was on a PUBLIC bus. If the Haredi owned the bus, they would be free to make whatever rules they want. In fact I would fully support them in kicking troublemakers off the bus, or better, in not picking them up in the first place.

My understanding is that Egged is a public bus company which picks up anyone wanting a ride. As such they need to have uniform rules that apply to everyone equally. That means, no one forced to sit at the back of the bus for any reason. It is insulting.

If the Haredi want women to sit at the back, they need to buy their own buses. Alternately, they could work out an arrangement with Egged so that buses meant for them were clearly marked as such and didn't allow non Haredi to use them.

[Wormwood]

Certainly women seem to play a stronger role in traditional Judaism than in most other traditional world religions.

Unless they forget to mind their place, apparently.