Jerusalem Haredi Opening New Gender-Separate Shuk

It is actually amazing that it has taken this long for the haredi community to complain about tzniyus issues in the Mahane Yehuda Shuk, and because of it to break off and open a "competing" shuk with separate hours for men and women.

Mynet is reporting (it was also reported on NRG and later on Bechadrei) that the most recent demands and complaints from the haredi community have fallen on deaf ears and have been ignored. The complaints were about various events and activities around Jerusalem that they consider to be inappropriate, such as street fairs too close to their own neighborhoods, concerts in the shuk and other events and situations.

The straw that broke the camels back is the Mahane Yehuda Shuk. The city has designed an event called "Baale-basta" in which on Monday evenings various performers go to the shuk and perform - singers, musicians, etc. As a result, Monday sales are reportedly up 30% due to the extra crowds that come to enjoy the performances.

The Baalebasta is upsetting the haredi community. They consider these performances consisting of secular music, mixed crowds, people dressed immodestly, to be a problem and it either drives them away from the shuk and it is just a bad thing to have in Jerusalem in an area that affects them.

The mayor has rejected the complaints saying nobody is being harmed, cultural events are happening around the city in various neighborhoods, and he plans to continue encouraging more events. The merchants from the shuk are also quoted as being in favor of the continuation of the events. They say sales are up and the shuk is for everybody. "It is not a shul or a yeshiva or a rally for Shas. There is no sex or stripping. it is simply good music and good food."

In response, the haredi councilmen and askanim have decided to begin preparations to open an alternate shuk. The new shuk will be located somewhere between Ramot and Ramat Shlomo (i.e. near Har Hotzvim) and it will operate in a limited fashion, only a couple days a week, with hours for men in the morning and women in the evening. As well, they will only sell a limited selection of items such as vegetables, baked goods and perishables but no meats, dairy and fish.

In my mind I see no point in shopping there. People go to the shuk and can get everything in one place at great prices. If they cant get everything, they will still need to go to the other shuk (Mahane Yehuda) to get the stuff they couldnt get there, or pay higher prices in the supermarket or local shops, which shuk-goers don't generally want to pay. Regardless, if they open the new shuk, I wish them well.

Another thought - it sounds like this nothing more than the neighborhood sales that have become quite common in haredi areas. In Ramat Bet Shemesh alone there are at least three such weekly sales of vegetables and paper goods, with the list of available items sometimes being expanded. Many other neighborhoods with haredi populations have similar sales. I guess the difference is that with these weekly sales, often run by local tzedaka organizations, one (usually but not always) has to order in advance and with this new shuk it seems that it will be a regular, albeit limited, marketplace.

I will be curious to see if the hechshers will remove, or be pressured to remove, their certification from the stalls in Mahane Yehuda. It might be a powerful "threat" to get the merchants to capitulate. Besides for that, if they consider the whole area to be immodest, would it not be hypocritical for them to make money off it by keeping the hechshers while banning it and setting up alternate markets?

They remove their hechshers from restaurants that have seating after specific hours, that stay open later than specific hours, that don't comply with various other rules. it seems only fitting that if they go ahead with this plan, they should also remove their hechshers from Mahane Yehuda bastas as well.