Riding the Buses in Jerusalem
So on November 3, 2011, we decided to accompany Anat Hoffman of IRAC and take a “freedom ride.” It made perfect sense for us to do this on our first day in Israel, for as Anat pointed out, “NCJW has been next to the cradle of every failed or successful feminist effort in Israel.” And here we were again, riding the buses in the front and taking action.
So, what did we find? Well, on the bus that I was on there was no sign and the women who boarded walked to the back even though we had left lots of seats for them in front. The men who boarded had no idea what to do and gave us very dirty looks. Most chose to stand or occupy a seat where none of us were sitting. One woman commented to one of our Hebrew-speaking members: “You should be ashamed of yourselves. Why don’t you take care of your own prostitutes and drugs and do not worry about us.” Others seemed to feel empowered by our presence and took seats in the front of the bus and asked why were we there!
I, for one, was proud to ride the bus (in the front seat) and to feel like I was helping Israeli women take their rightful place at the front of the bus or anywhere they choose to sit!
-Nancy K. Kaufman
Nancy K. Kaufman is CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women.
One comment on “Riding the Buses in Jerusalem”
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I live in Israel now for 10 years, coming from Europe. I am not an orthodox Jew, keeping the main holidays. Regarding the seating issue on the Jerusalem buses. I must say, I do understand both sides. On the one hand you have the ultra orthodox Jews who are just trying to keep the laws and for the a separation is needed. On the other hand we are living in the 21st century and men and women finally are supposed to have the same rights. What I would suggest is one of two options. 1) The men should place themselves on the back and have the women enjoy the better seats. 2) Have separate buses at specific times where ultra orthodox jews have their separation. It’s not easy in Israel to keep all the sides satisfied, but I believe it’s important not just to look at things from one angle, but also to understand the other side, look for innovative solutions and accept some compromise. A few weeks ago I booked a Bus Tour with Egged 99, to tour Jerusalem. It’s a double-decker bus, which could be an other solution as well 🙂