Shawl Cult Involved in Possible Kidnapping

Kikar Hashabbat, a haredi news site, reported the following story. Below is my translation, with a few notes. It started about 8 months ago, when a 19-year-old haredi woman disappeared from her parents' home. Two days later the parents located her by phone. The daughter explained that she was … [Read more...]

Sderot Businesses Asked to Sign “Modesty” Contracts

I've written a lot about extreme modesty in women's dress and we always have this discussion about whether or not it is any of our business. At what point do we say "live and let live," and when do we begin to worry that these trends will affect us in our daily lives. Well, the time to worry is … [Read more...]

More Details Emerge about Veiled Women’s Cult

Tamar Rotem discussed the recent opposition to the cult of the veiled women in the Haaretz Friday weekly Hashavua. Even Haaretz calls them "Taliban women" only in quotes. She reviews the incidents of the last few weeks leading to a condemnation of the cult by the Edah Haredit: A 16-year-old … [Read more...]

Yediot Gives Platform to Shal-Wearers

Today's Yediot Aharonit "24 Hours" magazine has an "exclusive" letter from a 42-year-old cult member. The anonymous author sent it to a neighbor, whose husband delivered it to Yediot with the author's knowledge. The letter may be original and unpublished, but plenty of similar material is widely … [Read more...]

Is Hyper-Modesty about Female Empowerment?

NRG published a story about a pamphlet distributed to homes in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, urging women to wear shalim, or cloaks. If you have a copy of the pamphlet, please let me know. According to the pamphlet, the purpose of wearing a shal is "to cover the outline and shape of the body and … [Read more...]

Veiled Women Called Apikorsim, Told to Wash Dishes

Rafi recently posted about a pashkevil (wall poster-reproduced and translated below) against the sect, or cult, of veiled women. The pashkevil is signed by the "War Council against the Cult of Cruel Women." Ynet published the picture above, taken in Jerusalem, of young girls in capes and … [Read more...]

Links: Hyper-Tzniut, Childfree, and More

I hope you enjoy today's collection of links. A Mikvah Poem by Anonymous at JewishMoms.Com. Liz researches the costs of buying food in Tel Aviv. Her findings may surprise you. Leora interviews me on blogging, at Websites for Small Biz. I especially enjoyed the comments. Chris Mulford is a … [Read more...]

Winter Fashion Retrospective, 2011

A while back, my daughter asked me to take her shopping. I told her I would take her on one condition—that she find out from her friends the best place to go. So one rainy afternoon we set out around 3:45, avoiding traffic, to the Segula intersection in Petach Tikva to H. Fashions. So what do you … [Read more...]

Emotional Deficits, Matchmaking, Advocacy and More

I hope you'll enjoy today's collection of links. My good friend Anne, famous for taking the Burka pictures that got me started on the topic of hyper-tzniut, has begun her own blog for Israel advocacy known as Anne's Opinions.  Born in London, Anne has strong feelings about the British … [Read more...]

Video: Undercover Reporter Infiltrates “Taliban Women”

Channel Two's investigative program, 360, broadcast a report about what they called the —œTaliban women.— Yifat Erlich (of Megeirot fame—she's graduated from Makor Rishon newspaper to TV) went undercover to infiltrate the group and interview their leader, Malka Benizri. The report claims that … [Read more...]