Interesting Psak: Talking To Female Security Guards

A few weeks ago there was a dispute in Jerusalem in a mall called Center 1. Center 1 is a small mehadrin mall - some small shops and a few restaurants that are all mehadrin food. This little mall main target clientele is the haredi public.

It was publicized a few weeks ago that a female security guard had been appointed as the head of security of the mall. Shortly after the announcement, within the day I think, her appointment was rescinded. She claimed that it was rescinded under pressure from haredi askanim who did not find it appropriate to have a female security guard and even worse to have her in charge of the whole place. Her being in such a position would require them to talk to a strange woman, as they would have to answer questions when asked for security reasons, and they would be under the authority of a secular woman.

The haredim took their time, but eventually the askanim denied it and said it was for purely professional reasons, as they didn't find her specifically to be suitable for the job. The fact that she was replaced by a male was coincidental. They even said there are other female security guards there and in many other places and nobody has a problem with it.

Classic "he says, she says" situation.

The story was reported in some of the haredi distribution, but did not really get noticed by the mainstream media.

The Yated Neeman, according to Mynet, related to the story now in the sense of an interesting psak that has come as a result of it.

According to the Yated, Rav Elyashiv's opinion is that because the security guard is only talking to you for security reasons, to ascertain that the person entering the mall is not a possible terrorist, there is no problem in responding to her query. A woman could respond to a male security guard, and a man could respond to a female security guard's question and greeting.

The Yated says that this is agreed to as well by Rav Shmuel Wosner and Rav Moshe Sternbuch. Answering with a few short words is not included in the prohibition of greeting and chatting with a woman. Rav Nissim Karelitz supposedly added, though I think his addition is also clear in what is quoted from Ravs Elyashiv, Wosner and Sternbuch, that a person should answer briefly and remove yourself from the situation quickly, so it should not develop into a superfluous conversation with a woman.